My wife and I are heading to Italy 10/20 to 11/2. Florence, Venice, then Rome. I've seen mixed messages, should we book train reservations ahead of time to travel between cities? We booked first class / reserved seats when in Japan and were really glad we did, as the 1 unreserved trip the car were extremely smoky. Thanks for the help!!

Do it 24 hours in advance in Italy---ask for the Amica fare.

Booking reserved seats, 4 to 48 hours will yield you some peace of mind. The Eurostar train between these three cities is ALL reserved, so even if you buy 30 minutes before, you still get a reserved seat, or no seat at all.

I wouldn't bother to do it before leaving for Italy. Plans can change.

Best wishes,

Rex

And smoking is forbidden on trains in Italy.

You don't need to book anything until you arrive. You can book through a machine at all the stations, or if you aren't sure, book through the ticket offices at any station (its like .50 euros more).