Route ideas
Rome, Florence, Venice: an 8-day itinerary for a first trip to Italy
Rome-Florence-Venice isn't classic because it's a cliché — it's classic because it works: three cities linked by high-speed rail, each showing a completely different Italy.
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If you're going to Italy for the first time, your itinerary will almost certainly be Rome, Florence and Venice. That isn't a cliché — it's geography. The three cities sit on the same high-speed line, total train time from Rome to Venice is under 4 hours, and they offer completely different things. Rome is ancient scale and chaos, Florence is the Renaissance and walkability, Venice is a city plan like nowhere else.
How to split the days: how many nights where?
The most common mistake is giving the three cities equal time. They don't need the same number of days.
| City | Nights | Why this many? |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | 3 | The Vatican is a half-day on its own; the ancient centre is a full day |
| Florence | 2 | The centre is small and walkable; Uffizi and Accademia take a half-day |
| Venice | 2 | The island is small but crowded; one day for Murano-Burano |
| Time in transit | - | Under 4 hours of train in total |
Trains: how to book the high-speed services
Two rival high-speed operators run the Rome-Florence-Venice line, and the competition brings fares down sharply. Tickets go on sale about 3-4 months before departure; the cheapest fares are quota-based and the price steps up as they sell out.
| Leg | Duration | Booked early | Last minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rome → Florence | 1 hour 30 minutes | 20-35 € | 50-90 € |
| Florence → Venice | 2 hours 10 minutes | 25-40 € | 60-100 € |
| Rome → Venice (direct) | 3 hours 45 minutes | 35-50 € | 80-120 € |
- The station you want in Venice is Santa Lucia. Mestre is the mainland station; if your hotel is on the island, don't get off at Mestre.
- Florence's central station is Santa Maria Novella, within walking distance of the city centre.
- In Rome both Termini and Tiburtina are used; check which one is on your ticket.
- Cheap fares are usually non-changeable and non-refundable; if your dates aren't firm, work out whether the flexible fare is worth the difference.
Tickets you must buy in advance
Queueing in Italy is optional: almost every major museum sells timed entry. Buying those before you leave is the highest-return decision you'll make on the trip.
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel: book the first slot of the morning; the afternoon is a human tide.
- Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill: one combined ticket covers all three, and timed entry is required.
- Uffizi Gallery (Florence): timed entry — don't put it on a weekend.
- Accademia (Florence): Michelangelo's David is here. The visit takes 45 minutes, but the queue can run to 2 hours.
- St Mark's Basilica (Venice): entry is cheap, but a timed reservation wipes out the queue entirely.
How to extend the itinerary
- +2 days Naples and Pompeii: 1 hour 10 minutes by high-speed train from Rome; the ancient city and Italy's best pizza.
- +2 days Tuscany: use Florence as a base and day-trip to Siena and San Gimignano.
- +2 days Milan: 2 hours 25 minutes from Venice; fly home from Milan and close the loop.
- +3 days Amalfi Coast: crowded and expensive in summer, but Italy's most striking stretch of coastline.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights (open-jaw) | 130-220 € | 220-350 € | 350-550 € |
| Trains | 45-75 € | 75-120 € | 120-200 € |
| Accommodation (7 nights) | 280-450 € | 450-750 € | 750-1.400 € |
| Food and drink | 180-280 € | 280-420 € | 420-700 € |
| Museums and entry tickets | 70-100 € | 100-150 € | 150-250 € |
| Total | 705-1.125 € | 1.125-1.790 € | 1.790-3.100 € |
When should you go?
April-May and September-October are the best windows: mild weather, shorter queues, mid-range prices. July-August is both very hot and very crowded; daytime temperatures in Rome top 35°C and museum queues have no shade. November-February is the cheapest period, and Venice shows its misty, empty face in these months — though short-lived floods (acqua alta) can happen.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for Rome, Florence and Venice?
8 days is the ideal split: 3 nights in Rome, 2 in Florence, 2 in Venice. You can squeeze it into 6, but then you'd have to turn Florence into a day trip.
Which city should I fly into, and which should I leave from?
Flying into Rome and home from Venice (or the other way round) is the most efficient option. Returning to the same city adds a pointless 4-hour train journey on the last day.
Do I have to buy museum tickets in advance?
For the Vatican Museums, Colosseum, Uffizi and Accademia, yes. All four sell timed entry, and buying on the door in high season means a 1-3 hour queue.
Should I hire a car in Italy?
Not for this itinerary. All three cities are linked by high-speed rail, and most of the centres are limited-traffic zones (ZTL); driving in by mistake means a heavy fine. A car only makes sense if you're heading into the Tuscan countryside.
