On the advice of a fellow poster (who knows much more than I do about where to post!), I was advised to try and post this again with a different heading. new heading - same message:
I am overwhelmed by all the train info! What is a amcia fee or a flexi, standrd or sconto fee, what is the real difference btw first and second class, what is the best way to get tickets? There seems to be different fees, different train lines and different classes- I am looking at mainly travleing from rome-florence.thanks !
Mikki

PS- thanks janisj for the advice!

It's simple to travel from Rome to Florence, with many ES trains leaving throughout the day. You can buy tickets from a self-serve machine, all in English, right at the train station right before you leave. It's only a 2 hour ride and we found second class quite comfortable.

i assume you are talking about all the options listed for fares via the trenitalia site. just pick the standard fare. those other fares that you mentioned are for the italians and dont apply to you. Now in the event that there is a "duo per uno" fare or two for one you could do that. But otherwise pick standard. The ride from Rome to Firenze is only an hour and a half roughly and second class is perfectly fine on the eurostar.
The best thing if you are doing your tickets online is being able to do the "ticketless" option where you just print your confirmation email containing the "PNR" code which you show to the conductor as he/she comes around for tickets....no need to stand in line at the station or kiosk..just hop on board with your code...simple.

Flexi - Most expensive, let's you change your ticket anytime.

Standard - The standard price.

Amica - Discount advance purchase ticket on certain trains, must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance. These can sell out and not be aavailable.

The other fares are mostly available to European residents only or Italians only so ignore them.

I think I explained the different trains on your other thread. The train from Rome to Florence is only 90 minutes, 2nd class is fine. It's more comfortable than coach airline.

Sorry, it must have been someone else's thread.

AV or ES - fastest trains with fewest stops (not available on all routes)

ICPlus and IC - a notch down from AV/ES and makes more stops so is slower.

IR, R, D - slow trains that stop in every little town. No classes or reservations possible. Only trains available to some towns.

bookmarking

A good website that sets out just about all you need to know about Italian trains is:
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/index.htm

Hi M,

Anyone can buy the Amica discount fare upt to 24 hr before departure, IF they are still available.

When you select your fare type click on "Tariff Information" for details.

We always go 2cl for trips under 4 hr, unless the cost difference is trivial.

It's not as crowded.

PS,

It's not as crowded in 1 cl, and the seats are wider.