Hi. We used trentitalia to book our train travel from Venice to Florence then onto Rome. It was fairly easy. I was a bit stressed about the trains but my kids were a great help. (This is what happens when your the mom.) The ticket agent booked our train and bus to Pompeii for us and it was great. In Florence we just went in and bought a ticket to go to Bologona for the day. Very simple.We did read lots of websites and all the info is overwhelming.My advice is relax your in Italy.

Enjoy,
Carolyn