We are going to be in Florence in May and plan to take the train to Venice-need we make a reservation from the US or can it be done once we arrive in Italy OR do we even need a reservation? Do the trains ever "fill up"? Any suggestions re the trains? ALsom, by chance has anyone ever heard of the Bernardi Semenzato Hotel? Thanks for the help!!

We took the train from Florence to Venice and back last Feb. We bought our tickets in U. S. before we left here. Unless your ticket designates you seat number, you may end up sitting on a little fold out seat in the aisle with no place for your luggage. There are two stations in Venice; St Lucia is on the island and Maestre is on the mainland. Florence may also have two stations; I don't remember.
good luck.

Hi Sharon--we did this trip (actually Venice to Florence)in September and bought our tickets about an hour before the train departed and had no problems in getting a ticket or a seat--it was a Friday and Italy was very crowded so I don't think you'll have trouble if you wait so you can be flexible. Have a great time--the one thing we did in advance was book the Ufizzi and we avoided a long line so I would recommend that.

Hi!
My family and I are planning to tour some on Italy
in 99. It was with interest that I read about your
train trip. Please don't think me stupid, but what
is Ifizzi? Thanks

Yes, trains do fill up and one could wind up sitting on one of those pull-down seats in the aisle or worse yet, standing all the way. However, don't make reservations in the U.S. Much too costly. Assuming you are traveling second class, make your reservations the day before you travel. Perhaps you can make them further in advance, but you cannot make them on the day of travel. You can if you are traveling first class. Reservations, if purchased in Italy, are only $2-3 and are good for peace of mind. There is only one station in Florence.

The Ufizzi is the art museum in Florence and you can make advance reservations--in September it saved us waiting in a line that was 4 hours long.

depends on what class you are traveling in.
when i traveled florence-venice dec of 96 2nd class was standing room only; in first we had a compartmetn to ourselves.
(because of advanced age -- 44 -- we could only get 1st class europasses)
my rule has always been to make reservations if the trip is over 2 hours; i always make res @ amexpress for $5-10. you don't have to be an amex member to use their service.
the amex office in florence is a few blocks off the main drag (everything in florence is in walking distance anyway)
you can make res as well @ train station, but the lines are usually long and my italian worse than my french...amex is just easier.

depends on what class you are traveling in.
when i traveled florence-venice dec of 96 2nd class was standing room only; in first we had a compartmetn to ourselves.
(because of advanced age -- 44 -- we could only get 1st class europasses)
my rule has always been to make reservations if the trip is over 2 hours; i always make res @ amexpress for $5-10. you don't have to be an amex member to use their service.
the amex office in florence is a few blocks off the main drag (everything in florence is in walking distance anyway)
you can make res as well @ train station, but the lines are usually long and my italian worse than my french...amex is just easier.

If you want a guarantee of a seat you have to book first class at least a day in advance. Last trip went in AM for same day tickets, all seats were booked for the next three trains, made reservations on the fourth, 7 hours later. Good luck.

Took the train from Florence to Venice early last June with my 3 teenagers, and it was packed. We made reservations 2 days before, and it was getting booked up, so definitely get your tickets a day or so before. Tips? BE SURE and have your ticket validated in the little yellow machine next to the track before you get on! If you're traveling with suitcases, I'd suggest that you're ready to board your train car when it pulls up, due to limited suitcase space. It's an enjoyable trip!

Check out raileurope.com for schedules and prices. I would recommend buying tickets in the U.S. in advance and paying the small extra fee for reserved seats. May is a busy tourist month, trains are crowded, and trying to buy a ticket in Europe could be a hassle. I bought reserved seat tickets for a Venice-Florence-Venice trip from our AMEX travel agent and it was well worth the small extra cost.