Plan a rail route. Tuscany's major rail hubs are Florence, Pisa and Grosseto, with Florence being the largest and most convenient for frequent rail connections to destinations both within and without the state, such as Rome, Milan, Bologna, and Genoa. Departures are from the historic Santa Maria Novella station. In addition to Florence, the Tuscan cities of Prato, Arezzo, and Chiusi are situated along the country's major north-to-south line, while Pisa lies along the line between Rome and Genoa. Check the rail map of Tuscany at the link below to aid in choosing your route through the province.
Locate your train. Find out the scheduled departure times either at the station (using the yellow or orange departure charts) or on-line at www.trenitalia.com. For major routes such as those connecting Florence to Rome or Bologna, you will have the choice of either Eurostar trains (Italy's premier service), Intercity Plus or Intercity trains. For regional destinations you will be on slower, local trains known as Regionale.
Choose your class. First class (prima classe) seats recline, have more space for luggage, are less likely to be full and sometimes include a meal. Second class (secunda classe) seats are slightly less comfortable and less expensive.
Buy your tickets. While this can be done at any station in Tuscany, it is advisable to buy your tickets in advance to avoid long lines at the tickets booths and ticket dispensing machines. You also may purchase tickets on-line through a travel agent (with added commission).
Reserve your seats. Just because you have a ticket does not mean you'll be guaranteed a seat on the train. It is especially difficult to obtain seats without reservations when traveling longer distances from Tuscany (for instance, overnight trips to Munich or Zurich) and when traveling during weekends or high seasons and summer months. Reservations are mandatory on Eurostar and Intercity Plus trains. They can be made at the train station, on-line at www.trenitalia.com or at a travel agency, and must usually be made at least one hour before the departure time.
Validate your tickets. Yellow validating machines can be found at the front of each station's platform. Simply insert your ticket to receive a stamp of validation which will include the date and time. Fines are in force for anyone failing to validate, although you can always try pleading the uninformed tourist if you are caught without a validation stamp.
