There are 2 of us going to Italy this March: 3 days in Milan, 9 days in Rome and 5 days in Florence.

Will it be okay to just worry about buying train tickets once we arrive or do we need to buy a railpass now to make a reservation. We don't care about the difference in cost. We just want to make sure we are able to get on the trains that we need going from city to citty.

You will not have any problem buying train tickets where you are in Italy.
In Milan (I suppose that this is your first stop) you can buy tickets for all your travels, in advance. I suggest you to have a look at timetable and to write down what trains exactly you want to take (as are long distances, you will take probably fast trains, that need seats reservation). Give the list of trains and dates to the person who sells tickets in the train station, so it will be easy , even you don not speak Italian.

Just buy them there. There's no need for a pass; just get point-to-point tickets.

You will absolutely have no problem IME getting between those cities even if you wait until the day of the train to buy your tickets and you are not nearly traveling enough I think to consider the Italy Railpass - you can buy all your train tickets at the Milan Airport train station and again put any angst to rest - with the ticket will come the needed seat reservation.

IMO pay the relatively little extra for first class as for the average tourist there is a huge difference - roomier seats, more empty seats, more place to easily stow luggage, etc. (This class thing is a matter of debate with plenty of Fodorites saying it is not worth it to pay the extra for first class and I heartedly, based on four decades of Italian train riding dispute that. On a trip of a lifetime pay the extra and go in the most relaxed way IMO.

For loads of info on Italian trains I always list these fantastic info-packed sites: www.seat61.com; www.rciksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and for schedules and sample fares www.trenitalia.com.

One problem with a railpass in Italy is that you still must pay an extra 10 euros for the mandated seat reservation so figure that cost in when comparing point to point tickets you'd buy there with those you'd buy there. Trenitalia.com has some online discounts but those seem nearly impossible to book if an American as many Fodorites have reported. But at the station in Milan ask for the cheapest first or second class ticket as some discounts may be availabel on site.

Bookmarking

Here's an informative site on taking trains in Italy: www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/index.htm.

I'm glad to see you're spending a relatively long time at your stops.

>>>>IMO pay the relatively little extra for first class as for the average tourist there is a huge difference - roomier seats, more empty seats, more place to easily stow luggage, etc.<<<

There is not a huge difference in 1st and 2nd cl on the AV/ES trains in Italy. It's certainly not like the big difference in economy and 1st class on long distance flights. 2nd cl on the AV/ES train is roomier/nicer than economy seats on a plane. Here are pictures of 2nd and 1st class on these trains (the first set of pictures are for the fast AV/ES trains which is what you would be booking).

http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.h...0trains%20like

Both your train rides are very short (Milan/Florence 1:45, Florence/Rome 1:35). No need to pay a 30% premium for 1st class on such short train rides unless you just want to as 2nd class is perfectly comfortable. There are usually two trains per hour on these routes earlier in the day and one per hour mid-day.

You don't need a pass. Just wait and buy point-to-point train tickets at the station when you're ready to go, those cities you mention are very common routes.

Usually the only difficult days to get train tickets in Italy would be on a holiday, so as mentioned you should have no problem - especially if you purchase all your tickets together (and Easter is not till April this year so you should be okay!). These links may give you more info on train travel, purchasing tickets, the difference between 1st and 2nd class, and what it's like to arrive at Roma Termini:

http://tinyurl.com/riding-trains
http://tinyurl.com/buy-train-tickets
http://tinyurl.com/1st-or-2nd
http://tinyurl.com/roma-termini

After 1-2 rides, you'll be a "train" veteran. Good Luck!

There is not a huge difference in 1st and 2nd cl on the AV/ES trains in Italy. It's certainly not like the big difference in economy and 1st class on long distance flights.>

Whilst the difference is not as great as on airlines (and that is a bogus comparison IMO) the difference is great enough that zillions of Italians every day pay more to ride in first class - there are several first-class cars on trains bourbon mentions and one wonders if what she says is true why they are STUPID enough to pay the difference. Are Italians idiots? No, of course they are not and at least IME of riding Italian trains annually for decades there is a significant difference - I mean like you can feed yourself perfectly well at McDonalds too so why go to a nice restaurant?

Americans, and perhaps others, can now take advantage of the etickets that are available from Italiarail.com

Although they sell the ordinary tickets, which are readily transferrable to other services etc, their site also has the ones Trenitalia offers under its latest "Mini" discount system (on journeys where such seats are available), which can save a considerable amount - as long as you're pretty certain you can catch specific trains, and don't mind the associated cost of missing them, since the refunds/exchange terms are a lot more restricted!

The rest of what follows is copied from a post of mine made elsewhere this morning... an example whereby, on a day trip from Rome to see Pompei, a couple might save €100 off the cost of the rail fare by booking ahead.

Peter
.
.
.
.
Here's what you'd be offered on a random day in February, if selecting the fastest trip they offer down to Naples... just 67 minutes on ESAV at 09:18....

pbase.com/isolaverde/image/131959315/original

That $27 is €20 or perhaps €21 today?

Less than half the €44 price if bought at the station on the day.

Although it is slightly more than the Mini price from Trenitalia at this moment.... €19... but not enough to quibble about, surely?

pbase.com/isolaverde/image/131959355/original

(If concerned that you may not use the ticket, check the terms... refunds of UP TO 50% if cancelling up to day prior, but make sure you know what would be at risk: obviously €20 or less in this case?)

Clearly their old system has now been rewritten.... it no longer looks like this, with the old Meno 15/30% discounts...

www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/130794930

This, from their FAQs, may clarify the e-ticket issue...

http://answers.italiarail.com/I-thou...ork-q1484.aspx

Brit-Ischia - great news for folks who want to have tickets in hand before leaving and also get a cheaper rate - and not have to deal with trenitalia.com which for years now has has legions of complaints from Fodorites - with things like the transaction appearing to go thru with credit card info and then just hearing nothing for days, etc. I'll check out italiarail.com myself and see how it works. Thanks for posting.