Swap Day 7’s Tuscany day for the Cinque Terre
Train Florence → La Spezia (2h 15m, €25). Hike Monterosso → Vernazza → Manarola (4 hours). Train back to Florence by 9pm.
Swap Days 4–7 for the Amalfi Coast
After Rome (Day 3), train to Naples (1h 10m), then to Sorrento (1h on Circumvesuviana). Three days based in Sorrento doing Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. Then train back through Naples to Florence (5+ hours total but spectacular). Better for May–September.
If you have 14 days
Add Days 11–14: Bologna (2 days for food + porticoes) + Verona (for opera season) + Lake Como (1 day from Milan). Fly out of Milan instead of Venice.
If you have 7 days only
Cut the Florence Tuscany day trip (Day 7) AND merge Days 5–6 into a single 1.5-day Florence visit. Skip Day 4’s Pompeii option entirely. The result: Rome (3) + Florence (1.5) + Venice (2.5) + departure.
Total budget breakdown (mid-range)
| Category | Per person |
|---|---|
| Hotels (9 nights, mid-range €150 avg) | €1,350 |
| Trains (Rome → Florence → Venice) | €110 |
| Vaporetto pass + day-trip transit | €80 |
| Food (3 meals/day, mix of trattorias and cafés) | €500 |
| Activities + admissions | €220 |
| Buffer (gelato, taxis, splurges) | €200 |
| Total | €2,460 ($2,650) |
Excludes flights. Cuts to ~€1,850 if you stay in 2-star pensioni and skip 2 of the splurge dinners.
Pre-trip checklist
- 3 months ahead: Vatican early-entry tour, Borghese Gallery, top dinner reservations (Roscioli, Da Enzo al 29, Trattoria Sostanza)
- 1 month ahead: Trains (book on Trenitalia or Italo for 30%+ discounts vs. day-of), hotel reservations
- 2 weeks ahead: Day-trip tours (Pompeii, Chianti driver), Uffizi/Duomo timed entry
- On arrival: Buy a Roma Pass (€55 for 72 hours — covers transit + 2 free attractions + skip-the-line) if you’ll do 4+ paid sites
- Apps to install: Trenitalia, Italo, Google Maps offline (Rome, Florence, Venice), Splitwise (for trip cost-splitting)
FAQ
Is 10 days enough?
Yes for the Rome–Florence–Venice classic. Add a regional finale (Cinque Terre, Amalfi, or Tuscany) and you have 14 days, which is more comfortable.
Should I buy point-to-point tickets or a rail pass?
Italy rail passes are usually not worth it. Point-to-point Trenitalia and Italo tickets booked 30+ days ahead are 50–70% cheaper than day-of, and a 10-day trip rarely involves enough train segments to break even on a pass.
Should I skip Venice because of overtourism?
No, but visit smartly. Stay on the main island (not Mestre), arrive on a weekday, and walk the Cannaregio and Castello neighborhoods which 90% of visitors miss. The €5 day-tripper entry fee (introduced 2024) helps reduce peak-day chaos.
Where should I land and depart?
Open-jaw if you can: land Rome (FCO), depart Venice (VCE). Saves you a 4-hour Shinkansen-equivalent train back to Rome on departure day.
Article by FFU Editorial · Last verified: 1 May 2026 · Found a factual error? Email a correction and we’ll update within 48 hours.
The full Italy guide
- Italy country overview
- 30 best things to do in Italy
- Best time to visit Italy
- Where to stay in Italy
FFU Editorial Note: Train timetables cross-checked against Trenitalia and Italo; venue hours against official sites. Last verified: 1 May 2026.
The classic Italy trap is trying to do too much. Italy rewards staying in fewer places longer. Below: a 10-day route that covers Rome, Florence, Venice, and one signature regional finale (your choice — Cinque Terre, Amalfi, or Tuscany), with the move days designed so you arrive in time for dinner instead of dragging a suitcase across cobblestones at midnight.
Part of the FFU Italy cluster: Italy overview · 30 things to do in Italy · Best time to visit · Where to stay
The route at a glance
| Days | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Rome | Forum, Vatican, Trastevere, carbonara |
| 4 | Day trip OR move | Pompeii from Rome, OR move to Florence |
| 5–7 | Florence + Tuscany | Duomo, Uffizi, Chianti day trip |
| 8–9 | Venice | Gondola alternative, San Marco at midnight, cicchetti |
| 10 | Departure | Venice Marco Polo Airport |
Day 1: Arrive Rome
Land at Fiumicino (FCO) or Ciampino. Take the Leonardo Express train to Roma Termini (€14, 30 min) or a fixed-fare taxi (€55 from FCO). Drop bags at hotel — Centro Storico (between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona) or Trastevere is the right base.
Afternoon: Easy first walk — Piazza Navona, Pantheon (free), Sant’Ignazio (the trick perspective ceiling), espresso at Sant’Eustachio.
Evening: Aperitivo on Piazza Navona or in Trastevere. Dinner at a neighborhood trattoria — Da Enzo al 29 (book 2 weeks ahead) or any place with handwritten Italian menus.
Day 2: Rome — ancient + Trastevere
Morning: Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill (€18 combined, book the 9am slot). Allow 4 hours. Eat lunch at a market — Mercato Centrale Roma (Termini) or Mercato Testaccio.
Afternoon: Capitoline Museums (€16 — the original 1471 museum collection, where the Marcus Aurelius bronze lives) and the Bocca della Verità (free, the famous “mouth of truth” relief).
Evening: Dinner in Trastevere. Walk back across Ponte Sisto.
Day 3: Rome — Vatican + final Roman night
Early morning: Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel + St. Peter’s Basilica. Book the 7:15am early-entry slot online. Allow 5 hours minimum. St. Peter’s is free; the basilica’s dome is €10 to climb (551 steps for the cupola view).
Afternoon: Borghese Gallery (€13, must reserve at least a week ahead — Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne, Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath). Walk through Villa Borghese gardens to the Piazza del Popolo.
Evening: Aperitivo at Piazza del Popolo, then dinner at Roscioli (book 3 weeks ahead) — the wine list alone is a destination.
Day 4: Day trip: Pompeii + Naples (or transit to Florence)
Option A — Pompeii day trip: 6:30am train Rome → Naples (1 hour 10 min, €30 Trenitalia Frecciarossa). Naples → Pompeii Scavi on the Circumvesuviana (40 min, €3.20). Pompeii 4–5 hours. Pizza in Naples for lunch (Sorbillo or Da Michele). Back to Rome by 8pm.
Option B — move to Florence today: Train Rome Termini → Firenze Santa Maria Novella (1 hour 30 min, €40–€55 reserved). Arrive 1pm. Light afternoon walking — Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio. Dinner in Oltrarno.
The “move today” option is recommended if Pompeii is your priority — fit it in on a separate Naples-based extension instead.
Day 5: Florence — Renaissance core
Morning: Climb the Duomo (book the 8:15am slot, €30 combined Brunelleschi’s Dome + Baptistery + Bell Tower + Crypt). Allow 90 minutes for the climb.
Late morning: Baptistery (the Ghiberti gates), then Galleria dell’Accademia (€16 — book ahead) for Michelangelo’s David.
Afternoon: Uffizi Gallery (€25, book the 4pm slot — best light, fewer crowds). Allow 4 hours.
Evening: Aperitivo at Piazzale Michelangelo for the city sunset (free, and the view is the postcard). Dinner at All’Antico Vinaio (the famous panini stand, €8) or a sit-down trattoria — Trattoria Mario for Florentine steak.
Day 6: Florence — Oltrarno + free time
Morning: Cross the Arno into Oltrarno (the artisan side). Pitti Palace (€16) and Boboli Gardens (€10) — slower, quieter, Medici art collection.
Afternoon: Walk Via Maggio for artisan workshops (gold leaf, leather binding, restoration). Stop at Santo Spirito (Brunelleschi’s church, far less touristy than the Duomo).
Evening: Dinner at Trattoria Sostanza (1869, cash only — the famous “butter chicken”) or Coquinarius near Piazza Duomo. Walk through the Mercato di San Lorenzo at night.
Day 7: Day trip: Chianti or Siena
Option A — Chianti day: Rent a car (€60/day) or hire a wine driver (€180/day, splittable up to 4). Drive Florence → Greve in Chianti → Castellina → Siena. Stop at Castello di Brolio for tastings (€25 per person), lunch at an agriturismo, see Siena’s Piazza del Campo at sunset.
Option B — Siena alone: Train Florence → Siena (1h 30m, €10). Walk Piazza del Campo, climb the Torre del Mangia (€10), see the Duomo (€8). Late lunch back in Florence.
Day 8: Florence → Venice
Morning: Last Florence breakfast. Train Florence → Venezia Santa Lucia (2 hours, €45–€60 reserved on Frecciarossa).
Afternoon: Arrive Venice by 1pm. Vaporetto Line 1 down the Grand Canal to your hotel (50 min, €9.50 — the cheapest tour in Venice). Drop bags. Walk to Piazza San Marco. Climb the Campanile (€10) for the city overview.
Late afternoon: Aperitivo at a campo bar — Campo Santa Margherita has the best young energy, Campo dei Frari is quieter.
Evening: Cicchetti crawl through 4 bacari — Cantina Do Spade, Al Mercà, All’Arco, Bacareto Da Lele. €25 total. Walk back through the empty Piazza San Marco at midnight.
Day 9: Venice — Doge’s Palace + Burano
Morning: Doge’s Palace (€30 combined with Correr Museum and Marciana Library) — the Bridge of Sighs is here. Allow 3 hours.
Afternoon: Vaporetto to Burano (40 min) — the famously colorful fishing village, lace-making history, the leaning tower of San Martino. Lunch at Trattoria al Gatto Nero (book ahead).
Late afternoon: Back to Venice. Walk Cannaregio neighborhood (the Jewish Ghetto — the original, the word came from here in 1516).
Evening: Final dinner. Splurge at Osteria alle Testiere (8 tables, book a month ahead) or Antiche Carampane.
Day 10: Departure
Take the Alilaguna ferry to Venice Marco Polo Airport (75 minutes, €15) or a water taxi (€140 fixed). Both leave from the airport’s marina station. Allow 3 hours from your hotel to wheels-up.
You did Italy. Now plan the trip you want next — Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, the Dolomites — there are at least 5 more 10-day Italy trips waiting.
Variations on this route
Swap Day 7’s Tuscany day for the Cinque Terre
Train Florence → La Spezia (2h 15m, €25). Hike Monterosso → Vernazza → Manarola (4 hours). Train back to Florence by 9pm.
Swap Days 4–7 for the Amalfi Coast
After Rome (Day 3), train to Naples (1h 10m), then to Sorrento (1h on Circumvesuviana). Three days based in Sorrento doing Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. Then train back through Naples to Florence (5+ hours total but spectacular). Better for May–September.
If you have 14 days
Add Days 11–14: Bologna (2 days for food + porticoes) + Verona (for opera season) + Lake Como (1 day from Milan). Fly out of Milan instead of Venice.
If you have 7 days only
Cut the Florence Tuscany day trip (Day 7) AND merge Days 5–6 into a single 1.5-day Florence visit. Skip Day 4’s Pompeii option entirely. The result: Rome (3) + Florence (1.5) + Venice (2.5) + departure.
Total budget breakdown (mid-range)
| Category | Per person |
|---|---|
| Hotels (9 nights, mid-range €150 avg) | €1,350 |
| Trains (Rome → Florence → Venice) | €110 |
| Vaporetto pass + day-trip transit | €80 |
| Food (3 meals/day, mix of trattorias and cafés) | €500 |
| Activities + admissions | €220 |
| Buffer (gelato, taxis, splurges) | €200 |
| Total | €2,460 ($2,650) |
Excludes flights. Cuts to ~€1,850 if you stay in 2-star pensioni and skip 2 of the splurge dinners.
Pre-trip checklist
- 3 months ahead: Vatican early-entry tour, Borghese Gallery, top dinner reservations (Roscioli, Da Enzo al 29, Trattoria Sostanza)
- 1 month ahead: Trains (book on Trenitalia or Italo for 30%+ discounts vs. day-of), hotel reservations
- 2 weeks ahead: Day-trip tours (Pompeii, Chianti driver), Uffizi/Duomo timed entry
- On arrival: Buy a Roma Pass (€55 for 72 hours — covers transit + 2 free attractions + skip-the-line) if you’ll do 4+ paid sites
- Apps to install: Trenitalia, Italo, Google Maps offline (Rome, Florence, Venice), Splitwise (for trip cost-splitting)
FAQ
Is 10 days enough?
Yes for the Rome–Florence–Venice classic. Add a regional finale (Cinque Terre, Amalfi, or Tuscany) and you have 14 days, which is more comfortable.
Should I buy point-to-point tickets or a rail pass?
Italy rail passes are usually not worth it. Point-to-point Trenitalia and Italo tickets booked 30+ days ahead are 50–70% cheaper than day-of, and a 10-day trip rarely involves enough train segments to break even on a pass.
Should I skip Venice because of overtourism?
No, but visit smartly. Stay on the main island (not Mestre), arrive on a weekday, and walk the Cannaregio and Castello neighborhoods which 90% of visitors miss. The €5 day-tripper entry fee (introduced 2024) helps reduce peak-day chaos.
Where should I land and depart?
Open-jaw if you can: land Rome (FCO), depart Venice (VCE). Saves you a 4-hour Shinkansen-equivalent train back to Rome on departure day.
Article by FFU Editorial · Last verified: 1 May 2026 · Found a factual error? Email a correction and we’ll update within 48 hours.