Getting around Italy by train is easy and a very good choice because in Italy trains work very well. There are various types of trains, from very fast ones to the slow regional ones and, very important, with regional trains you can also reach smaller towns and not just the big cities.
Florence is located in the center of Italy and is therefore the ideal place to move around to discover Italy: in about 2 hours with fast trains you can reach Milan, Rome and Venice.

In Florence there are a several train stations: the main one are Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Firenze Campo di Marte and Firenze Rifredi.
The Florence Santa Maria Novella station is the best connected and the most important one (in short, it is the central station of Florence). The other two are located a few kilometers away from the city centre and mainly serve local trains.

The Florence Santa Maria Novella station

The Santa Maria Novella station is located in the heart of Florence, a 5-minute walk from the Duomo.
It was built in 1934 by the Gruppo Toscano, a group of young architects fascinated by rationalist architecture, among whom Giovanni Michelucci and Nello Baroni stood out for their inventiveness and ability. Rationalist architecture is characterized by clean lines and great functionality.
The station is in fact a perfect union of tradition (see the use of the pietra forte – yellow sand stone – which is the same stone as the Gothic church of Santa Maria Novella which is right in front), modernity (see the glass of the cascade of light on the facade and the use of Pirelli rubber to attenuate the noise of the luggage carts) and design (see for example the rounded lines of the beautiful clock on the facade with curved glass to allow people to read the time from any point in the square).

Tip: Don’t miss to stop in the large waiting room dominated by high ceilings and slender columns. Its large windows allow natural light to filter inside, creating a truly welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy the blend of colors and perfect lines that the architects have created!

To start a train journey you must first know that there are various types of trains.
In Italy there are two high-speed train companies: Italo and Trenitalia.

The many types of trains

high speed train

• There are no big differences between the Italo and Trenitalia in terms of services: both have free wifi , restaurant cars, bar service.
  But ITALO has got high speed trains only  and only connects the most important cities. Instead Trenitalia also offeers regional trains. SO when booking with Trenitalia, keep in mind that Trenitalia high speed trains are called Frecce (Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, Frecciargento).

slow speed Regional and Intrercity trains

• They are less expensive and much slower, both because they travel at a lower speed and because they make many stops along the way.
  Seats are unassigned on regional trains, so first-come, first-served. On regional trian, used mainly by commuters, it might happen that the train is overcrowded and you cannot find seats. So these types of trains are to suggest if you are on low budget and don’t care about time or if you want to stop along the way.

How to go by train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rome

Rome’s most important railway stations are Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina. So trains leaving From Florence arrive in either one of the two. Roma Termini is the largest and most important, and is more central than Roma Tiburtina. The latter is however very convenient, and in any case the two stations are connected to each other by the underground line B in 9 minutes.

• high speed train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rome Ternini
  The journey from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rome Termini with high-speed trains takes about an hour and 40 minutes, and there are no intermediate stops.  The ticket price varies alot according to the season, the time you book and and the class.
• slow speed, regional trains from Santa Maria Novella to Rome Ternini
  The journey time from Florence to Rome with regional trains is about 4 hours. Most of the regional trains between Florence and Rome are direct trains, so no changing train at any station. Beautiful cities to stop during the train journey between Florence and Rome are Arezzo and Orvieto, both very ancient and rich in art, history, architecture.

How to go by train from Florence to Milan

Milan is a big and international city. Perhaps the only one in Italy. It is the city of business, fashion, shopping and of course, like all Italian cities, of art, architecture, and cultural events .

In Milano there are many train stations. The main one is MILANO CENTRALE.
Trains from Florence arrive there.

• high speed train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rome Terninito Milan Centrale
  The journey from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Milano Centrale with high-speed trains takes about two hours. When booking with Trenitalia be very careful on selecting the direct trian because with many trains you have to exchange train in Bologna. Istead with ITALO you get only direct trains.
• slow speed, regional trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rome Ternini to Milan Centrale
  I wouldn’t consider this solution because the journey becomes very long: from 5 to 6 hours and also because you have to change trains at least 2 or even 3 times

How to go by train from Florence to Venice

Venice is one of the few cities in the world where you don’t use conventional roads to get around. Venice is a lot of islands (about 100) connected by bridges. So Venice is canals and waterways and very small streets called calle.
It is a unique experience in the world.
The Venice central train station is VENEZIA SANTA LUCIA

• high speed train from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Venice Santa Lucia
  The journey from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Venice Santa Lucia with high-speed trains takes about two hours.
• slow speed, regional trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella to  Venice Santa Lucia
  As for going to Milan, also in this case I would not consider this solution because the journey becomes very long: about 4 hours and also because you have to change trains at least 2 or even 3 times.

Visiting Italy by train from Florence is therefore very easy. In about 2 hours of travel with high-speed trains, you can easily reach the historic centers of Rome, Venice and Milan. Furthermore, it must also be said that these trains have been reliable and punctual for many years now.
So if you don’t have time to dedicate to an in-depth visit to these cities and are thinking of a targeted visit to see an exhibition, or a special area or just to get the flavor of another place to visit more calmly on another trip then the train is definitely the best option.