Disadvantages: if you MISS your reserved train (holding an ECONOMY or a SUPER ECONOMY ticket), even

Disadvantages: during heavy travel periods, you may not get your train of FIRST choice. However, high-speed ( Alta Velocita amsterdam hotels or AV ) Frecciarossa/Frecciargento trains between Rome and Florence run on average every 5-30 minutes, so this is usually not a big issue. Frecciarossa trains between Milan and Florence run HOURLY. At worst, you may need to take your second or even third choice of train, if earlier trains are sold out (in both first and second class), something which should occur only infrequently.
Disadvantages: Pay considerably more, for only marginal betterment of service. In a nutshell, first class seats on the AV trains amsterdam hotels have 8.5 centimeters more seat/shoulder room (since they are 3-across instead of 4-across), potentially up to 5 centimeters more leg room (but not always), and there is a complimentary beverage/snack/morning newspaper offered at the start of the trip. There is sometimes more room for luggage, primarily because there are fewer seats in first class, therefore fewer bags to stow. Also, first class railcars can be quieter (although not always so; some new Frecciarossa trains have a silence area in one first class railcar amsterdam hotels where cell phones are not allowed to be used). Solo travelers enjoy the fact that the first class railcars have an entire row of single seats on one side (whereas second class railcars have twin seats on both sides of the railcar).
Disadvantages: if you MISS your reserved train (holding an ECONOMY or a SUPER ECONOMY ticket), even by one second, you have a WORTHLESS ticket, and you must purchase a brand new, regular fare ticket. Furthermore, because (with the SUPER ECONOMY amsterdam hotels ticket) you can never bring forward amsterdam hotels your reservation to an EARLIER-departing train (nor make ANY changes whatsoever), you can't "hedge your bets" by intentionally reserving a very late-departing train, then plan on changing to an earlier-departing train if your plane arrives on time.
NOTE: You could hedge your bets with the BASE fare ticket, or the ECONOMY ticket, both of which are changeable: in the case of the BASE ticket, the change amsterdam hotels is FREE (if timely); in the case of the ECONOMY ticket, the change (if timely) results in an increased fare to the BASE fare rate (thereby entirely taking away the discount). Nevertheless, you still risk a FORFEITURE if your plane arrives VERY late, and you MISS your reserved train by more than one hour (with the BASE fare ticket) or even by one second (with the ECONOMY fare ticket).
OPINION: HERE, YOU VE GOT TO BE VERY VERY CAREFUL: I recommend amsterdam hotels NOT buying the ticket (at any fare) for travel on the day of arrival by plane, since you simply can t know if your plane will arrive late, or by how much!!!
EXCEPTION: If you re able to find a SUPER ECONOMY ticket for the LOWEST fare of 9 Euros, many people would be willing to risk a forfeiture for such an attractive low fare. Buy would you risk a forfeiture for a discounted fare of 19 or 29 Euros?
DILEMMA: these days, how can you be so sure that your plane won't arrive much later than scheduled? You could also hedge your bets , as described above, by intentionally booking a very late-departing train, then changing to an earlier-departing train if your plane arrives on time, but you still run the risk of a FORFEITURE if your plans go awry.
OPTION 4: if schedules are convenient, amsterdam hotels take one of the cheap, unreserved regionale veloce trains from Roma Termini to Firenze SMN, which run every two hours (this option is not available between Milan and Florence).
Disadvantages The "regionale veloce" train takes MUCH longer than the AV train (3.5 hours versus 95 minutes), makes MANY more stops, has no food/beverage service, occasionally has non-functioning air conditioning, and is not as modern, quiet and nice as the AV train. The "regionale veloce" has non-reclining seats in second class. Also, the AV train (but not the "regionale veloce") has a pulitore viaggiante on board, who is supposed to keep the washrooms relatively clean. Nevertheless, I find that the "regionale veloce" train (which uses refurbished Intercity railcars), to be quite acceptable as a cheap alternative to the AV train.
This posting does not discuss amsterdam hotels the new ITALO TRENO services. Consult their website to learn about the fare structure and forfeiture rules (which are similar, but not identical, to those of Trenitalia).
Remember that ITALO TRENO operates out of Roma TIBURTINA station (NOT Roma Termini), which means that you need to take the Trenitalia unreserved airport train from FCO which goes to TIBURTINA, not to Termini.
IMPORTANT: Always consult the Trenitalia and ITALO TRENO websites to consult the latest schedules, fares, and promotional schemes. The information above is correct as of the present date, but is naturally subject to change.
marking and again much thanks for comprehensive and objective - pointing out negatives as well as positive for the online discount tickets in Italy that all too often IMO are presented as a panacea - the only thing to do without talking about their drawbacks.
We are scheduled to arrive on Alitalia in FCO at 3:10 pm. To be honest, we know we will be very tired, (in transit about 20 hours at that point) and at our age that means not functioning amsterdam hotels as well as usual. amsterdam hotels We want to avoid crowds, gypsy "porters" and other boarding hassles. We are thinking of going to tiburtina and taking the Italotreno. Is it possible to buy their tickets at FCO or do we wait until we get to Tiburtina? We have also considered hiring Rome shuttle Limousine to take us the the train station. Does this strategy make sense for us?
Unfortuntely, I'm pretty certain that you can't buy ITALO TRENO tickets at Fiumicino Airport (unless their website says so, which I don't believe it does). Be careful that if you MISS the 17:10 train out of Tiburtina, you've got a wait of 150 minutes for their next train!!!
amsterdam hotels Remember amsterdam hotels that Trenitalia also has Freccia trains out of Roma Tiburtina Station amsterdam hotels going to Florence (make sure they go into Firenze SMN). That's good to know if you MISS the ITALO train at 17:10. Trenitalia also has the unreserved "regionale veloce" trains out of BOTH Termini and Tiburtina, but I assume you really want the faster train in your circumstances!!!
ITALO "BASE" fare tickets have the same "ONE HOUR GRACE PERIOD" as do Trenitalia "BASE" fare tickets, in case you MISS your reserved train, to re-book amsterdam hotels to a later-departing train (at no additional cost).
I see there is a Freccia trenitalia train leaving Rome Tib. at 17:55 arriving Firenze SMN one and a half hours later. I think what we should do is not buy tickets amsterdam hotels at FCO, but take the limo to Tib. and then book whichever train leaves first. This relieves my mind about this considerably.
Tiburtina station is also much much more relaxed than hectic Termini - lots easier to navigate with many fewer tracks and platforms on which to find your train. There are frequent commuter trains from the airport to Tiburtina station that may be quicker and certainly amsterdam hotels a whole lot cheaper than the limo that could get snarled in road traffic.