Italy by train: 10 days from Rome to Venice

Rome, Florence and Venice are linked by fast, frequent trains: Italy is easy to visit without a car. This ten-day itinerary links the great art cities, with a stop by the sea.

Itinerary “Italy by train: 10 days from Rome to Venice” in Voyage : mon guide on iPad

Itinerary: Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice

  • Days 1 to 3: Rome: the Colosseum, the Forum, the Vatican and Trastevere
  • Days 4 to 6: Florence: the Uffizi, the Duomo, the Oltrarno, and a day in Siena or Pisa
  • Day 7: The Cinque Terre, by train from La Spezia
  • Days 8 to 10: Venice: the Grand Canal, St Mark’s, the quiet districts and the lagoon islands

When to go

Spring (April–June) and early autumn (September–October) are the best times: it is mild and queues are shorter. Summer is very hot and very busy in the cities.

Getting around

High-speed trains link Rome, Florence and Venice in a few hours. Buy those tickets in advance for better prices. Regional trains have fixed fares. In town, walk everywhere, and take the vaporetto in Venice.

Our tips

  • Book the most popular museums in advance, such as the Uffizi or the Vatican
  • By car, watch out for limited traffic zones (ZTL) in historic centres
  • Visit the best-known sights early in the morning
  • Stay near the stations to save time between cities

Plan this trip with Voyage : mon guide

Add each stop with its number of nights: the app creates the days and puts the whole route on an Apple Maps map. Keep museums, churches and trattorias you spotted in the ideas box, log flights, trains and rentals on the right day, then prepare the trip for offline use before leaving. Once there, Guide mode shows the current day and tonight’s hotel.

The trip itinerary on iPhone

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a car?

No: for these cities, the train is simpler and faster. A car is only useful for the Tuscan countryside.

Can I add Naples or the Amalfi Coast?

Yes, by adding three or four days after Rome: Naples is about an hour away by high-speed train.

Plan this itinerary with Voyage : mon guide.

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