We are flying into Rome and then taking the train to Florence. There is a great web site to book tickets on line. I understand it is much better to have a reservation for the train. However, in order to do this in advance I would have to know exactly which train to take. The train to Florence leaves every 30 minutes. It's impossible to know exactly when we will arrive at the airport and then get over to the train station, etc. Do you have to make a reservation for an exact time?

Yes, a reservation is for a specific seat on a specific train. With all the trains from Rome to Florence, I wouldn't even worry about buying a ticket ahead of time. Just get one at the station in Rome. My husband has done exactly what you want to do several times and has usually gotten a seat on a Eurostar.

Callie

I think the best solution is to go to the small ticket office at the airport train station on your arrival, and there you can get a ticket and reservation for the next available train. The Leonardo Express from the airport to Roma Termini would be without a reservation and its tracks at Termini are some distance from your tracks for Florence. The Eurostar trains require a reservation and would give you assigned seats; since they're so frequent, it's unlikely they'll be sold out, unless you're going on a peak day.

I agree that it's difficult to determine what time you'll arrive at Rome Termini (downtown) station after a transatlantic flight. Here's what I do: I arm myself in advance with a printout of the train schedule for several hours before and after I think I might arrive. This way I can see the travel time of each train. Then when I arrive at Rome airport I take the airport train to Termini, go directly to one of the easy-to-use multi-lingual ticket machines, and purchase a reserved seat/ticket with a credit card for the next fast train. If it's a Eurostar I always book second class if available; on InterCity I usually spring for first class.
- Marie

So you don't think a reservation is necessary? This will be in June. We can just step up and get seats on the Eurostar? Is luggage a problem or does a reservation help in anyway for that? We were thinking of maybe getting first class seats on the train.

Elaine M:

Because Eurostar Italia (ES) service between Rome and Florence is SO frequent (every 30-60 minutes, on average), there is RARELY a need to secure advance seat reservations. Sometimes, an ES train to Florence follows another within 5 minutes. The Rome/Florence route has the MOST number of ES trains in the entire Italian National Rail System.

Moreover, quite a few ES trains between Rome and Florence ORIGINATE in Rome, making it even less likely that they will be totally full. Those ES trains which originate south of Rome (mostly in Naples or Salerno) have a slightly greater chance of being full or nearly so).

I myself purchase the train tickets at the Fiumicino Airport Train Station Ticket Window (two tickets: one for the airporter train to Termini Station (9.50 Euros), a second for the reserved seat on the ES train to Florence (29.44 Euros in second class or 42.35 Euros in first class). Credit cards are accepted. First class is really not necessary for a trip which lasts 95 minutes. Second class is adequate.

BE CERTAIN TO ALLOW AT LEAST 15-20 MINUTES WALKING TIME BETWEEN YOUR ARRIVAL AT TERMINI AND THE DEPARTURE OF THE ES TRAIN, AND BEAR IN MIND THAT THE AIRPORTER TRAIN MAY BE RUNNING LATE. YOU WILL BE WALKING ABOUT 1000 FEET AT TERMINI STATION!!!!! The ticket agent should sell you a ticket on the next logically departing ES train out of Termini, allowing you enough transit time from the airport (but double check, just in case). The airporter train to Termini takes about 32 minutes travel time.

All seats on the ES train are sold on a reserved seat basis, so there is no disadvantage in booking late (except perhaps not finding space on your first choice of train). The airporter train to Termini from the airport is non-reserved, but there are almost always free seats (it runs every 30 minutes). However, there can be a "rush" of people boarding this train. Be sure to take the non-stop train from the Airport to Termini, and NOT the "other" commuter train to the outlying stations in Rome.

FYI, at the Termini Station, there are dedicated ticket windows for SAME DAY Eurostar travel. Nevertheless, it's much easier to buy the ticket at the Airport train station, where the line is usually very short.

Timed right, and with some good luck, you can travel from the Fiumicino Airport to Florence in less than 2.5 hours.

Gosh, thanks for all the help. This message board is always so useful. Is there any problem with luggage on the trains or having your luggage stolen? Is your luggage in the train car with you?

1. Luggage goes on the train with you. You should keep it within your sight most of the time.

2. Bulky or heavy luggage can be wedged in-between the seat rows on ES train. Smaller and lighter bags (together with backpacks, carry-on bags, coats and umbrellas) can be placed on the overhead racks.

3. There are also limited luggage racks at the ENDS of each railcar, near the doors. In first class railcars, these racks can accommodate more suitcases. These racks are available to anyone seated in the railcar, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on the bags whilst the train is at the station with the doors open. Once the train departs, it's also a good idea to check on the bags every so often. I myself don't use these racks, I simply wedge the suitcase in-between the seat rows in FRONT of me. ES trains between Rome and Florence are non-stop.

Thank you. We are a family of five and will have quite a bit of luggage.

Elaine, with five people you may have a few problems in getting seats toghether in the same area of the train, you will likely be forced to scatter over one or two cars of the train, since last minute seats will be scattered all over the train. Beinge afreqient train travellers in italy (and with frewuient I mean several times per week) I never attempt traveling on Eurostars without a reservation bought a couple of days in advance.
Honestly I go against the tide of suggestions and invite you (for the very further reason that you wil be FIVE) to reserve seats a couple of days before the arrival in Italy (via www.trenitalia.it, requires registration, but no fees are added) for an Eurostar train with enough "slack" to make sure you can take the train. In this specific case, I would not us the Ticketless option. I would rather get the regular tickets, prepaid via Credit Card but that have to be collected from one of the vending machines entering the code you will be given by the system.
These tickets can be used on the Eurostar train of your chouice (and only that one Eurostra train!), but in case you miss it thye can also be used with no further fee on any Intercity train, without reservation, on first class cars if you opted for Eurostar first class, on second class cars if you opted for second class. The reservation will not be valid anymore, but you should be able to get at least a few seats scattered over the car (in this case make sure you board the fist or last car, these are the ones that usually are less crowded). If the Intercity originates from Rome, remeber that seats numbered between 71 and 86 or 88 on each car are always left unreserved and available to unreserved passengers: if you board the train eraly enough you should be able to get them.

Since you will be five, I suppose there will be kids in your family. Kids aged under 5 years will travel for 50% of the regular price, while kids aged under 12 years traveling with two adults (or people paying full ticket price) will travel for free (except for the 3 euro seat reservation).

One general suggestion about luggage is to split your stuff in several smaller bags, instead of putting toghether just a few pieces of very large and heavy luggage.

The reason Alice suggests that you NOT choose the "ticketless" option on the Trenitalia website is that "ticketless" reservations lapse entirely ONE HOUR after departure of the train for which you are reserved. If you miss this train by more than one hour, and for that reason don't rebook to a later train within the one hour timeframe, you lose all your money. This is the one danger of choosing electronic tickets ("ticketless") on the website, which most foreigners don't know.

When I wrote my advice earlier, I did not know that you were a party of FIVE. Knowing this, Alice's advice about booking in advance has merit, although you could still "wing it" as long as you understood that you might not be able to all sit together for the 95 minute trip.

Thank you, once again, for all your advice. You have no idea how helpful this is. Our sons are 16, 14 and 9 but we would still like to sit all together if we can do it. I will definitely do a reservation. Thanks!

We will be arriving at Fiumicino airport May 1 and we'll take the train to Rome, then May 3 we'll be taking the train from Roma Termini to Venezia S Lucia, are you all saying that I could purchase those tickets for the train to Venice at the airport. That would be great if I can do that.

Suze: Yes indeed. You can purchase any ticket for the Italian National Rail System from any manned ticket booth or automated ticket machine at any rail station with this facility. The ticket agents at the Fiumicino Airport Train Station ticket windows will be happy to sell you tickets anywhere on the Trenitalia system, and reserve seats up to 60 days in advance.

If you have already settled on a particular train from Rome to Venice, by all means book the ticket immediately upon arrival at Fiumicino Airport, at the same time you purchase your airporter train ticket to Rome itself. That way, you won't have to stand in line at the Termini Central Train Station in Rome, and you'll have a much better chance of getting seats on your train of first choice, as you'll be booking a couple of days in advance, which is optimal.

Hope I don't sound too ignorant here but is the Express EuroStar on the Trenitilia system.

The name of the train is "Eurostar Italia" and it runs between Rome and Venice, as well as between many other city pairs within Italy. On the Trenitalia website timetables, it bears the abbreviated designation "ES".

If I purchase tickets from Rome to Venice at Fiumicino airport on May 1 for May 3 travel will they know at that time if there should be a strike on May 3, I'd hate to lose that money, more than anything though I'd hate for them to strike. Does anyone know how long ahead of time they usually announce a strike.

Strikes are announced well in advance. Here (well down the page) is one page listing scheduled strikes.

You can use the Ticketless service.
Till 10 minutes before your train starting.
Thelepone numbers are 892021 or 199166177.
You pay with credit card.
They give you a Booking code (PNR).
You must tell this booking code on the train, and have your ticket(s) on without overcharge.

Nope. Ticketless service is only avilable until 24 hours prior to departure. I am sure of this for Intercity trains 'cause I use it all the times, but Eurostar trains should work the same. The 24 hours are needed to upload the ticketless tickets informations on the conductors' palmtops (or they are not able to check the PNR and issue the ticket). Until the last minute before departure, you can get your tickets from the ticket machines, with reservations if there's any seat left. The cheapest way to get Ticketless codes it through www.trenitalia.it.

Thank you all, I'm going to keep checking seekitaly.com sight that I was given by grif305.

Hi elaine,

It took us 3:30 hr from the tie our plane was scheduled to land to the time we got to Rome TE with our luggage.

I suggest that you leave this much time.

There is a self-service restaurant at the Rome TE station where you can relax and get into an Italian mood if you are too early.

Brand new to this site... regarding taking the Eurostar from Rome to Florence I too had a question - hope it's ok that I'm adding it to this thread -

Reading your collective wisdom it would seem unneccessary to pre-pay for the ticket on the Trenitalia site but if I chose to do that the site is giving me the option of choosing my particular seat which intrigues me -

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this. The site shows a configuration that appears to be 2 seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other with seats that appear to face those. I travel solo so I'd like the idea of the one seat - is this actually how the ES is configured?

On the Trenitalia site it lets you pick one of these 6 seats under the "Posti a sedere con prenotazione" and then it asks you to choose the carroza and the posto under the "Inserisci qui carrozza e numero del posto accanto a cui vuoi viaggiare" section.

I've been reading your site but haven't come across this info - I do apologize if it's all detailed elsewhere. If it is maybe someone could direct me to it - if not, my questions are - what car and seat do I choose, are there some more desirable as in the case of airline seats, and by selecting this on the site, do I really get the chosen seat?

Thank you very much in advance,
Sharon

Sharon, since you're travelling solo, you should ignore the section on the Trenitalia website which asks you if you want to be seated NEXT TO a previously booked passenger.

You may simply click on the seat icon of your preference (in your case, it's the solitary seat icon on one side of the railcar). If you're travelling in Eurostar first class, you'll be seated on the side of the railcar which has only one seat. The other side has twin seats. BUT, if you're travelling in second class on ES trains, both sides of the railcar have twin seats.

Bear in mind that you're not actually selecting a particular seat by number (as you would on an airplane seating chart), rather, you're selecting a seat position. The computer will assign you an actual seat number, respecting your preference for seat position (next to window, next to corridor, etc).

Also, don't try to figure out which icon represents direction of travel. Whichever side you select, you have a 50/50 change of being on the side which faces direction of train travel. Also bear in mind that trains reverse direction of travel at Roma Termini, Firenze S. M. Novella and often at Verona Porta Nuova (but NOT at Bologna Centrale).

Finally, if you really can't stand your seat once you're on the train, you can always ask the ticket agent to be re-seated. This is certainly possible as long as there are empty seats (which is usually the case, unless you're travelling during very busy holiday weekends or during August). You could also ask the person next to you, or in front of you, to switch seats, although this tactic is not always successful (or welcome).

Hi, Sharon. For informations about the Italian railway sistem, check out the trains page (which I am slowly updating ). Specifically on your question, Eurostar trains are reservation-only, which means that all the seats are assigned. if you can biuy the ticket early enough (a couple of days, usually), you can always pick your favorite seat. On the other hand, if you wait until you are in Italy you may be forced to make do with whatever sit is left non assigned, in case any seats are left non assigned! This is why it is wiser to reserve a couple of days in advance (absolutely no need to do it further in advance, unless you want to qualify for special offers). Yet, on the other hand, with the ticketless option you may incur in the inconvniets that GAC lists here. IMHO the way out of this is to either reserve without the ticketless option (regular reservation on the Trenitalia site, collect your ticket from the counter or from a machine prior to departure) or be extra careful with the ticketless process and make sure to allow a long layover, so that in case the landing is delayed you can still make it to the station in time.