Italy train question
 

Is it necessary to purchase train tickets ahead of our trip or purchase as we go?

We would be leaving Rome on a Sunday (not sure if the day matters), going to Chiusi.

Leaving from Chiusi to Florence on a Thursday (which is an Italian holiday, June 2nd - Republic Day - not sure if that matters either).

Leaving Florence on a Saturday to Venice.

Thank you!

Not necessary as there are so many trains and I think the first two are regional trains where there is a flat fare and no reservations possible - hop any train after validating your own ticket - NO reason to buy in advance - just buy at Rome and Chiusi.

firenze to venezia can be done by high-speed trains that offer nifty discounts if you book (in stone) a specific train way ahead of time as those tickets are sold in limited numbers - can IME always buy full-fare tickets, especially in first class, but you can save by booking early at www.trenitalia.com. For lots of general info on trains check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. also check www.raileurope.com for Italian tickets as now on some trains but not all they also offer similar discounted tickets on high-speed trains when I've checked - trenitalia.com can be flummoxing for novice encounterers.

Roma - Chiusi:
Regional train. No reservation needed. 1 3/4 hrs journey. Fare 10 EUR.

Chiusi - Firenze via Arezzo:
Regional train. No reservation needed. 1 3/4 hrs journey. Fare 14 EUR.

Chiusi - Firenze via Montepulciano - Siena:
Regional train. No reservation needed. 3 1/4 hrs journey. Fare 17 EUR.

Firenze - Venezia:
high speed train. 2 hr journey.
2 train companies: trenitalia and Italo
Trenitalia super economy web fares start at 29 EUR; standard fare 49 EUR
Italo web fares start at 19 EUR, standard fare 39 EUR

Schedules, tickets [non regional] up to 4 months in advance:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com.au/

Trenitalia ticket machines are easy to use.

Thank you so much, everyone! I will purchase Florence-Venice ahead of time, and just purchase the regional tickets at the station when we are ready to leave.

Do the trains run regularly on Sundays and holidays?

Thanks again...I was really getting confused with all the info. out there.

Sundays holidays yes. Don't neglect to validate regional tickets, which are undated, using one of the little stamping machines you will see on the way to the platform.

Yes Sundays and holidays may have slightly less trains but on those lines more than enough for your purposes.

Though not all regional trains have first class IME many do IME these trains can get super crowded in 2nd class - especially when school kids swarm aboard on these trains that also can act as school buses - first class is not much more- in first class I've been in empty areas when 2nd class was SRO - strongly consider first class on regional trains for just a few extra euros!

Buffalo Girl is traveling on the regional trains on a Sunday and on a national holiday, so there won't be any students riding the trains.

The only crowded regional trains I've ever seen were on commuter routes at rush hour, and that won't be a problem on those days either. Commuter trains are the ones that are most likely to have a single class.

On regional trains, 1st class costs 50% more than second class, and in my experience is usually a total waste of money. (I live in Italy and am a frequent user of trains.)

I agree that you should not buy regional tickets online. The online regional tickets are much less flexible than regional tickets bought in a train station. Not all the trains on these routes are regional trains, though. About half the trains on both routes are Intercity trains, which have reserved seats and discounted fares. They're also somewhat faster. If you buy far enough in advance you could get an Intercity ticket cheaper than a regional ticket.

Thank you, everyone. This is all very helpful to me, as I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.