Train tickets and luggage storage in Italy
 

Two questions: First, are there secure lockers or storage facilities in most train stations to store luggage for a day? We are debating whether or not to stay a night in Siena or just spend a half day on the way to Florence from Rome.

Second, has anyone purchased a Rail Europe Trenitalia Pass Saver? I have quite a few questions about how that works if we need to use the high-speed train, too. Thanks!

If you have ANY Raileurope pass and want to let's say take the Eurostar from Rome to Milan, you still need to go to the ticket counter or to the automatic machines and pay for a SUPPLEMENTO EUROSTAR, which included a compulsory seat reservation. Only with this supplement can you access the high-speed trains. If you want to travel at night, also the wagonlits and the sleeperettes are extra.

There are some lockers in some stations, in Rome there is a luggage storage facility on the lower level, but in smaller station s there aren't. I think in Florence there are lockers or luggage deposits too. If there are not lockers you will find some deposits with personnel that will take your bags, you pay and they give you a ticket which you will return when you pick up your bags, so don't lose the receipt!

A RailEurope pass for Italian trains may or may not be cost-effective for you. It depends on how many journeys you are going to make and where to. I've never bought one myself because mathematically it worked out cheaper to buy point-to-point tickets. On the Trenitalia website you can check schedules and fares, and get a sense of how much it would cost to buy separate tickets, and then measure that against the cost of the pass.

Since as Batuffolina says, even if you have the pass, you'll have to go to the ticket counter/automatic machines to get the required seat reservation for the highspeed trains (and pay extra), so having the pass does not eliminate that step. Might as well buy point-to-point if it's cheaper to do so. Especially with the automatic machines, it's so easy, it's no trouble.

Thanks for the tips - we were wondering also if we should just wait and buy the tickets when we get there. Seems that November probably would not have all the trains sold out. Does the EuroStar connect Rome to Florence? One of their online maps shows the Cisalpino train connecting them - what's that?

You have your choice of trains going from Rome to Florence: the faster but more expensive ES train and the slower but cheaper Intercity train. Check trenitalia.com to get a sense of the schedules and fares. There are many departures from Rome to Florence every day, so waiting to buy a ticket at the station will not be a problem.

I don't think any Italian stations have lockers, but main stations have manual left luggage offices ("deposito bagagli" in Italian).

Sometimes there's a very big cue in the ticket-office in rome. If you can, is better if you buy your ticket from the website ("self-service" to pick-up your ticket in a yellow machine, "ticket-less" to go to the trein with your email receipt).
In spite of, the luggage storage in roma termini is fantastic, you'll see it.

fantastic and costs 3.5 euros i believe, for each piece no matter the size.

and alfb.. you meant to say "nevertheless", i think.