Italy trains
 

I'm buying two point to point tickets--Rome to Siena and Florence to La Spezia. Everyone says it is easy to buy tickets there instead of buying them before we leave. Do we just show up at the station a little while before the train leaves and buy tickets or do we need to buy them a day or two before? Do we have to go out to the train station to do that or are there ticket offices in more central locations? Or, should we just try to find a local TA office?
Thanks

Do we just show up at the station a little while before the train leaves and buy tickets?
Yes, for your routes, this would probably be fine.

or do we need to buy them a day or two before?
You could if you like, but it's probably not necessary. I like to do it if I'm unfamiliar with the train station so I'll be more prepared on departure day.

Do we have to go out to the train station to do that or are there ticket offices in more central locations?
At the train stations, there are ticket machines with English language option or ticket windows with ticket sellers. You can also go to travel agency in Italy to buy tickets. Your hotel can direct you to an authorized Trenitalia ticket agency. You can buy all your tickets for all your journeys at the same time.

I'd buy the tickets after you get to Italy. Any of the options you mentioned would work. You could just stop in at the American Express office when you go to see the Spanish Steps. The AE office is about one block to the right when looking up the Steps from Piazza Spagna.

Thanks ellenem and Jean. We leave in a week and I'm starting to stress over details.

The bus is a better option for Rome/Siena. It leaves from Rome Tiburtina station.
http://www.sena.it/index_e.htm

we will be in Florence....is it easy to get to Milan (MXP)from Florence ??

yes, it is easy to get tickets from Milan to Florence. check www.trenitalia.com for schedules.

Dannyyoung, you can take the train from Firenze S.M.N. station to Milano Centrale station, and then take the Malpensa Shuttle bus from the Milano Centrale station to Malpensa. To check train schedule, go to:

http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

Malpensa Shuttle bus info:

http://www.malpensashuttle.it/e-default.htm

I don't know when you are traveling, but I am not as optimistic as others, perhaps I have traveled during high seasons.

When you say Rome, you mean Rome Termini, or are you starting from FCO?

I have purchased tickets at stations using vending machines as well as at ticket windows.

The ticket windows, especially at large stations, have long waiting lines.

The other way is to use vending machines. Fortunately I have been able to get tickets out of these machines so far. Note that there are several different models you will encounter. Also, I am not sure about uptimes of these machines: at Italian stations, there always seems to be all sorts of machines out of service.

When I see ticket windows at small stations without queues, I take advantage of that to buy tickets ahead of time on trains departing from OTHER stations. I presume it is possible to buy tickets of trains NOT departing from the station where the vending machine is located. But I have yet to have time to figure how to do it: I have only bought tickets on trains departing from the same stations.

thx everyone for your help !!