Which airport are you arriving at? If Fiumicino, you just have to catch the Leonardo Express, which leaves every 20 minutes or so, going into Rome Termini.

I have no idea what you mean about "the connection with customs." Unless you are arriving in Rome with something to declare at Customs, it's not more than a 2-second issue. Of course, you will have to go through passport control/immigration, which can take a few minutes.

Are you headed into Rome and then on to Florence? Your post is really confusing. You can check train schedules at trenitalia.com.

Here is the official site of the Italian national train system.

http://www.fsitaliane.it/homepage_en.html

For your arrival date, I see a train as late as 20:55 (8:55PM) from Roma Termini that arrives at Firenze SMN at 22:22. There is an even later train, but it goes to Firenze CM, a station that may not be very convenient, taking more than 3 hours to do so.

Yes, Leonardo Express from the airport to Roma Termini. Then Roma Termini to Firenze SMN. Allow 15 minutes to find your way through Roma Termini between the two trains.

There is another train line that runs between the two cities (Italo), but it's schedule hows similar departures.

I'm sorry for being confusing - It just confirms how confused I am!

We arrive in Fiumicino at 4:30. I stand corrected - not customs, but immigration. I didn't realize it was a quick procedure.

I understand getting to Termini using the Express. I was confused as to the train schedule from Termini to Florence's SMN. My husband thought we wouldn't be able to make the connection from our arrival in Rome to departure from Termini. We want to be sure to leave ourselves enough time.

Does that help clarify one of my questions?

The second part of my question was whether I should wait until I arrive at FCO to purchase tickets for both the Express and the train to SMN?

Thanks!

Thank you ellenem!

Oops, one more question ellenem. Do you suggest waiting to buy tickets for the Express and the train to Florence one we get into Rome? Or should I reserve the last train now?

Will you be checking luggage? That is the real unknown time in the process. I've always had good luck with checked luggage at FCO, but I've heard horror stories of long waits for luggage from a few people. My last time with checked luggage I was buying train tickets about 50 minutes after arrival time, but I was familiar with the airport.

The Leonardo Express departs FCO every half hour on :08 and :38 and takes 32 minutes.

Let's consider the worst case: If the last train to Florence leaves Termini at 20:55, you might just make the connection on the LE that departed at 20:08 (8:08PM), though I would not recommend this. Better to choose the 19:38 (7:39PM). As you can see, that leaves you 3 hours between estimated arrival time and last LE possibility.

I always wait to buy the tickets until I arrive so that I will know what trains I can actually take. Buy BOTH tickets, LE and Rome-Florence, at the airport station.

"Or should I reserve the last train now?"

Only if it won't bother you to wait around in Rome for a few hours if all your travels go well. OR if you are trying to save some money with advanced purchase.

Okay.

If I am reading the ticket policy correctly on the trenitalia website correctly. If you purchase a ticket in advance, it looks like you can change your departure time once between the time of purchase, and one hour after the train's scheduled departure - perhaps that doesn't include a departure time for the next day, depending on how you read it.

I could purchase the last train out of Termini and if we get to FCO on time or early, we can change our ticket to an earlier time?

I wouldn't purchase the Express ticket until we arrived though.

Yes, you should wait and buy tickets for the Leonardo (14€). There is no advantage to buying them in advance (no discounts/seats). The Leonardo is an R train that doesn't have any reserved seating so doesn't sell out. You must validate your train ticket before boarding (yellow box track side).

There are other options besides the Trenitalia train from Termini. You can use the new Italo Rail from either Rome Ostiense or Rome Tiburtina. To reach either of these from the airport, you take the local FR1 train (8€) which departs every 15 minutes (not the Leonardo). Ostiense is closest, but offers less trains (last one at 19:10). Tiburtina has trains at 19:25,19:55 and 20:55. Travel time from FCO to Ostiense is 30 minutes and FCO/Tiburtina is 48 minutes.

http://www.italotreno.it/EN/Pages/default.aspx

Depending on how many planes have arrived from abroad, immigration at FCO can take a long time. We waited in line an hour last time (about the same time of day), worrying about making our connecting flight.

Should we buy our train tickets from Rome to Florence in advance, through the Trenitalia website?

Read this posting:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187895-i68-k5730135-Arriving_at_FCO_Should_I_Pre_purchase_the_Train_to_Firenze-Florence_Tuscany.html