Going to Rome, Florence, Venice and back to Rome to fly home. Is it better to purchase train tickets between the different places in advance? Or is it just as easy to go to the train stations and purchase? If so, do they sell out?

easy to buy once there as you go along but you can save by buying online only discounted tickets at www.trenitalia.com

but the site seems practically impossible for novices to get to work - but fodorites such as Ira and TimS and others seem to be able to help if you ask here.

That said trains in Italy are much cheaper than other countries and even at full fare won't break the bank

don't worry about getting on trains - so many - not a factor.

suggest you try trenitalia.com first and get your reserved seat at a better price than at stations as you go along.

Italian railpass is not worth it for this itinerary.

Have you purchased airfare yet? It's better to fly open-jaw if you can, so you don't have to backtrack to your arrival city. Like into Venice and out of Rome.
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Thanks for the information!

One other question: When I search the site mentioned above, it says the train stain to Venice is referenced "VE S.L.
MESTRE" -- is this the train station that I want in Venice for ease of transferring to the area of San Marco Square?

Yes, airfare has already been purchased. Flying out of Venice, I would have had to transfer either in Germany or New York. So I chose the scenic train route - plus it was cheaper.

The URL for the English version of the Trenitalia site is www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html. If you can succeed in registering on the site (often problematic), you can book tickets up to 60 days in advance for domestic routes. Try to get Amica fares (20% discount).

However, if seats are still available, Amica fares can be booked up until one day before departure. So if you buy all your tickets as soon as you arrive in Rome, you may be able to get Amica fares for at least some of your routes.

Whatever the fare turns out to be, if you book tickets one or two days before travel, you should be able to get the train of your choice at the time of your choice.

No you do not want Mestre but SL station - Santa Lucia right on a canal in the heart of Venice

Mestre is across the lagoon in Mestre, from which you'd have to take a train or bus to Santa Lucia

when searching get a direct train that terminates in SL not Mestre, as some do - plenty go right into Santa Lucia station.

Venezia Mestre is the station on the mainland. Venezia Santa Lucia is the station in Venice itself.

Tim:

Q- Amica fare you say can be booked at stations. do you know if you have to specifically ask for that fare or would they automatically give it to you as the cheapest? perhaps you don't know but good to know that you can get these, if available, at stations - one reason to book all your tickets at once if doing it in Italy

You want VE S.L. If Mestre also appears - in red - it means that the train also stops in Mestre; in fact, all trains from Venezia Santa Lucia stop in Mestre.

Thank you very much - this info is extremely helpful!!!

PalenQ,

My guess is that you would have to ask for the Amica fare.