Train Travel between Rome and Florence

Rich, I have no idea how busy the trains may be on that day, but you should easily be able to purchase a ticket at the station for the next departure. You can purchase either at the staffed ticket windows or from the automated Kiosks. If the next departure is fully booked, there will be another in an hour or so. It would help to have a bit more information on your travel plans. Are you arriving in Rome on Dec. 28th, and if so at what time? Happy travels!

Rich, Based on the additional information you provided, I wouldn't recommend making an online reservation on the EuroStar Italia. There are a variety of factors that could change the situation, including flight delays, customs delays, strikes, etc. If you miss the reservation time, your ticket will be worthless and you'll have to buy another. You can purchase your tickets when you arrive at FCO, either from the ticket windows or from the automated Kiosks. The Leonardo Express is the method I normally use to get into Rome, as it's an easy and quick 30-minute trip with no worries about traffic. Note that you MUST validate your ticket in the yellow machine, or risk being fined! The Leonardo Express arrives on some of the "far" tracks at Termini, so allow at least 10-minutes to walk to the front of the station where you can check the details for your connecting train. You may find it helpful to have a look at Ron's excellent website to obtain further information on the trains in Italy. When I was in Rome in September, the automated ticket Kiosks were still accepting magnetic stripe credit cards, and hopefully that's still the same. Cheers!

There are about 55 high-speed trains departing Rome for Florence each day. That's about 3/hr during the day. Each train holds about 400 people (10 cars/40 people per car). These high-speeds do require seat reservations. Usually, you can buy a ticket and get on the next train. However, they depart so frequently, you better check the departure time to see if you can get out to the track in time. You should be fine but at most, you might have to wait for the next train or two. The trains don't normally run full but this is during the holiday season and who knows.

Worse case is that you get a regional train (no reservations) and stand part of the way. You can also buy your ticket at the ticket office in the airport when you get your L Express ticket. Regional trains never sell out. BUT - you have to validate your ticket in the yellow box prior to boarding.

Great advice. Many thanks to all!

400 people (10 cars/40 people per car) 68 seats in a second class car on the Eurostar Italia.

Thanks Nigel. With that number it looks like each train can seat approximately 600 (I don't know how many carraiges are 1st class and how many are 2nd class). If the math is right, that's approximately 33,000 people taking the high-speed train to Florence from Rome each day.

The average load factor of the Freccie high-speed trains is something between 30 and 40%. It is very rarely you will not find a ticket for the same day, except, maybe, on the eve of major holidays like Ferragosto, Christmas, Easter. And even then, you will probably find a ticket for - like - 4 or 5 hours later. First and last trains are more likely to get full. What is more common is for the 2nd class of the next departure be full, so you'd have to buy a 1st class ticket.