Train schedules are usually released 60-120 days before departure.
People Also Ask
Arrive at the train station with at least 20 minutes before departure. You don't need to worry about long security lines but you will need enough time to check the electronic boards which display the train numbers and their corresponding track number (or bin./binario in Italian).
Like I mentioned above, Italo is usually cheaper than Trenitalia but because the cabins on lower-class tickets aren't the most comfortable, I'll usually consider Italo only for trains that are less than 2 or 3 hours long unless the Comfort ticket class is cheaper than Trenitalia.
Italiarail shows a whole day's trains in the search results and can book up to 20 people at a time. Trenitalia's own website only shows a couple of hours-worth of trains at a time and can only book up to 5 people at a time.
Trains in Italy are generally good value; frequent, but of mixed reliability. The railway market in Italy has been opened to competition, so on some high speed routes you have the choice between "Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori" or "Italo" (privately owned) and "Trenitalia" (state owned).
Traveling by train in Italy means always traveling with carry-on luggage. You'll carry on board everything you have with you. It's your responsibility to bring your bags on board and stow them properly, which is a great incentive to packing light. There's no fee to bring luggage on the train.
ItaliaRail.com is the easiest and best site for booking Italy train tickets. It's cheaper then Trenitalia.com if there are 2 or more passengers. It's an online website that sells Trenitalia tickets in Euros, Pounds, and Dollars.
If you miss your train, simply approach the ticket counter, or Biglietteria, present your original ticket, and ask about your options. The representative will be able to advise you based on your individual ticket.
Most train travelers in Italy spend each rail-travel day taking relatively short rides on the Milan–Venice–Florence–Rome circuit. For these trips (most of which cost less than $50 for a second-class ticket), it's cheaper to buy point-to-point train tickets than a rail pass (since most cost more than $50 per day).