Eurostar does not go there. You need Trenitalia

It would appear that the Frecciargento trains have taken over the Eurostar routes, at least for that route. Looks like same schedule, same travel time, same cost.

Trenitalia seems to have abandoned the "Eurostar" name, now they use Frecciarossa (for extrafast) and Frecciargento (for trains making a few extra stops) - collettively named "le frecce" on the trenitalia website.

Firenze Santa Maria Novella Train Station has left luggage (deposito bagagli)service and here is the link for more info
http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=9511d0ef6030c110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

The trains you want should be booked on this, the official website:

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

It is confusing with various train companies! That is a lovely ride though, so high speed is not necessarily the way to go anyway. We found it hard to compare train trips as not just one site will work. Keep searching! Loved both Venice and Florence and if you like being out on the water, be sure to take the public transport to Murano or Burano, a short ride out of Venice across the lagoon. Both just so beautiful and laid back and nice people!

thank you ...does anyone know anything about the bus from siena to rome?

Eurostar is a company that operates trains between England/France. Trenitalia (the Italian train company) used to call one of their trains Eurostar (denoted as ES on the Trenitalia website).

If you want to book a fast train between Venice/Florence, you'll want one designated AV. You still see a few trains designated ES, but not often.

>>>Is there a place to store luggage easily while we do a day in Florence and is the car pick up near the train station a majore hassle? Alternatively, we may rent in Siena.<<<

I would rent in Siena unless you were planning to visit something on the way from Florence. In Florence, you have to avoid crossing into the ZTL (all of central Florence) so you don't get a ticket. You can easily catch a bus from Florence to Siena (7€) or pick up a car at the Florence airport (shuttle bus from the train station to the airport).

>>>Would you suggest we drive from Tuscany to Rome or is there a train station that can get us back in Siena?<<<

From Siena, you would want to take the Sena bus to Rome (about 20€) if you don't want to drive. The train isn't any faster and requires changes.
http://www.sena.it/Home/78-1-en.html

You could also drive part way and drop your car in Chiusi or Orvieto, then take the train the rest of the way. It would depend on which rental company you use and whether they have a branch in those towns.

Thank you all for these suggestions!

Eurostar is a company that operates trains between England/France. Trenitalia (the Italian train company) used to call one of their trains Eurostar (denoted as ES on the Trenitalia website).>

In fact FS - previous name of Trenitalia - called all of their initial high-speed ETR trains Eurostar - these trains came from Fiat and Fiat trademarked the name "Eurostar" and licensed it to both Trenitalia and the Channel Rail Link, the company that now uses the name, under license from Fiat I read, for their Chunnel trains London to Paris/Brussels.

OP can just wait until Venice to buy the train ticket at full price - you will rarely have any trouble getting on trains as there are so so many - and even full fare will not break the bank - the discounted tickets you need to book way ahead of time are a bit cheaper - well if you can get the very hard to get 9 euro fare that is a different case - to get those it seems you must book months in advance as soon as they come on the system - but those tickets can neither be changed nor refunded so you lose any flexibility to say 'oh I'll stop off in wonderful Bologna for a few hours en route to Florence.

And IME the average tourist will enjoy the significant benefits of first class on Italian trains - much bigger seats, many more empty seats IME and even free beverages and snack served at your seat. For the trip of a lifetime go first class, especially if hauling luggage around as it is much easier IME to stow it in first class than in the typically full second-class cars.

For lots of great info on Italian trains I always spotlight these fine sites - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html.

so if you find www.trenitalia.com frustrating and flummoxing as many previous posters have said just wait until Venice and buy your ticket there - but if trenitalia.com works fine and you are fine with setting the train in stone then go for the discounted tickets, which also come in first class as well as second class - indeed sometimes when the discounted 2nd class tickets are sold out a discounted first class ticket may at times cost just a few euros more - so research fares in both classes.

Could I jump in and ask a question about the train from Venice to Florence?

I'm looking for some advice on how long to leave to change trains on our trip between Venice and Florence. This will be our first time in Europe, so first time on these trains. We're not travelling until mid-June, so I'm basing these times on schedules for a few weeks before we travel, but I don't think they will change much, if at all - is that correct? If we book a trip on trentalia and the itinerary comes up with a train change, does that imply that you should have enough time to make the connecting train?

For example, we're trying to get to Florence early in the day, as we really only have 24 hours to spend there. So there is a 7:19am out of Venezia S Lucia, arrives in Ve Mestre at 7:29 and departs just 10 minutes later at 7:39, arriving in Florence at 9:30. Is 10 minutes enough time to find the new train? We're a group of 6 with luggage. Is that station small enough that we should make it?

Or there is a 6:27 that changes in Bologna and gives us a 25 minute time between trains arriving in Florence at 9:10. Of course I'd rather leave Venice nearly an hour later when it comes to that time in the morning on the other train I mentioned, but this gives us more time between trains.

And also, we're travelling on a Tuesday, if that makes a difference.

We could avoid all of this by taking a direct train leaving at 8:25 and arriving at 10:30 - but I feel as though we're losing so much of the day the more we push out our arrival. We are departing Florence at 8:30 am the next morning. It's just an overnight stop for us. But if it's smarter, it's an option.

Shell - does the 7:19 just stop in Mestre, or does it actually change trains there? For some reason, I'm unable to bring up the timetable on Trenitalia right now.

Holly - I put in dates of June 4th as an example, we're travelling on June 18th. But it's listing a train change in Mestre, Urbano to Frecciargento.

Can we get directly from our hotel to the Mastre station instead of starting at the S Lucia station?

Okay. I still can't see the schedules. But :10 to change in Mestre should be plenty of time. You can also take a slightly earlier train to Mestre to give yourself a few more minutes.

Can't answer your question re getting to Mestre from your hotel because you haven't said where your hotel is. Assuming it's in Venice, the only other way to get to Mestre would be by bus, but train is likely much quicker and easier. The Mestre stop is always the 1st stop after leaving Venice Santa Lucia.

Thank you! That makes perfect sense. I didn't think about the fact that I could just take an earlier train to Mestre. When you put in the entire trip, I didn't think to split out the parts. It looks like they run every few minutes and I can take a 7:04 that gets in at 7:16 giving us more than 20 minutes.

This board is such a wealth of knowledge! I just don't know how people can travel without it!

Enjoy your trip!

I'm looking for some advice on how long to leave to change trains on our trip between Venice and Florence>

very few trains between Venice Santa Lucia (main station right on a canal in the heart of Venice) to Florence S M N (main station in heart of Florence) require any changes - the trains will stop at several stations like Bologne Centrale but go direct to Florence. The only trains requiring changes would be regional or IC trains - much much slower and less comfy than the newer high-speed trains but a lot cheaper.

so to have to change trains would rarely happen.

>>>>I put in dates of June 4th as an example, we're travelling on June 18th. But it's listing a train change in Mestre, Urbano to Frecciargento. <<<

ShellD - Your problem is you are looking for summer schedules which aren't loaded yet and likely won't be fully loaded until late May/early June. Winter schedules run from Dec. to June 8. Summer schedules will start June 9. Trenitalia tends to load them randomly so you just have to keep checking (can't book more than 120 days in advance, but doesn't mean they will be loaded). There should be plenty of trains that don't require changes between Venice SL to Florence (at least one per hour). Just enter a date before June 8 (the same day of the week you intend to travel) to see what your train choices will be. Summer schedules will be similar.

I am on trenitalia trying to get info on trains from Santa Maria Novella in Florence to Roma Termini and it keeps coming up "invalid departure city"...no idea why...any ideas?

use THIS site: www.lefrecce.it it is MUCH easier to use; click on the English version

you might also try using the Firenze Campo di Marti station for a departure

mikster - I was getting that same message a few days ago, then it was working fine. Now it looks like they're revamping the entire site. Can't see any schedules at all now. Hopefully, it'll be up and running again soon.

>>>>Dukey1 on Feb 14, 13 at 9:12am
use THIS site: www.lefrecce.it it is MUCH easier to use<<<

It's the same site and won't be any different. Trenitalia and Lefrecce is the same thing.

>>>>mikster on Feb 14, 13 at 9:01am

I am on trenitalia trying to get info on trains from Santa Maria Novella in Florence to Roma Termini and it keeps coming up "invalid departure city"...no idea why...any ideas?<<<

What dates are you trying? Perhaps you are trying to enter for the summer schedules? Schedules are only loaded through June 8.

Let the cities autofill. Start typing Firenze and when the drop down box appears, click on Firenze S M Novella or hit your tab key. Type Roma and click on Roma Termini in the drop down box.

Use this link.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD

kyb: Have you tried that link today? It's a new format, and I get the same message as mikster, with no drop down menu to pick the station.

The trenitalia link did not work (again) right now, but this one did:

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

Try it - quick! - before it dies again!

Holly - Yes, I've tried the link. Absolutely no problems. Perhaps you are not using a Trenitalia compatible browser (list on their website).

I've no idea what they are doing with the trenitalia site - it's very maddening.

I've been pressing the "tutti i treni" button to make sure I get everything.