We are so excited! This is our first trip to Italy. Starting in Rome(4 days), Florence(4), and Venice(4). Have read alot of the Fodorite posts on Train travel and was planning on using only the trains to get from city to city. Here is our issue:

My niece wants to visit Pisa before going to Florence. Went to the Trenitalia website and found trains from Rome to Pisa on 6/27 but looks like there aren't any seats available to go from Pisa to Florence until the 6/28. All the buy icons say NO.(Are we reading it correctly?)

We rented a house and need to be in Florence by 18:00(6:00 pm). Was not planning on driving on this trip, but we will if necessary. Any Suggestions?

buymeaticket,
All the trains from Pisa to Florence are regional. There are no reserved seats. It is like bus tickets, buy your ticket, valadate it, find a seat or stand. They can't sell out because they are not selling for a specific train but a route.

Henry

Precisely as Henry says. And there are trains every half hour, so no worries.

But heed the advice to validate the ticket in the yellow stamping machines at the train station BEFORE you board the train. There is a hefty fine for riding a train without validating the ticket. Seriously.

For the ES trains you'll take from Rome/Florence/Venice, you will have reserved seats (they are mandatory and come with the ticket purchase) you do NOT need to validate the ticket, as they are valid only one that specific train.

Pisa is an easy day trip from Florence. In fact, many of the trains you might choose to get from Rome to Pisa actually go through Florence on the way. Rather than stop in Pisa along the way, I suggest you head straight to Florence, get rid of your luggage, and settle in. Visit Pisa one morning from Florence.

I agree with Ellen--make it a day trip and include Lucca.

If you make it a daytrip from Florence, you can catch a bus across from the Florence train station to Lucca. The bus lets you off a bit closer to the center. If you want to price any of the r trains (what you will likely take between Florence/Lucca/Pisa enter a date within 7 days.

And for day tripping from Florence by train you can change at Pisa Centrale and board a regional train and get off at the next stop - the sleepy Pisa S Rossore (name?) station that is within eyeshot of the Leaning Tower.

and from this station you also catch trains to Lucca, one of Italy's finest walled medieval towns, esp known for its many now truncated medieval towers of rich folks.

Thank you all so much!

Here in the Midwest we don't have trains except in places like Chicago so when I looked at the Trenitalia website it was a little confusing. Day Trip sounds like the way to go. We hadn't considered Lucca but it sounds like a good idea. Thanks again!