Ultimate One Week Italy Itinerary for First Timers
Italy might just be my favorite country in Europe. But as much as I like love traveling Italy, several people I meet hate it! They find it too expensive, too touristic, or too this, that, and the other thing. Because of this, and because I hate to see tourists leaving one of my favorite destinations disappointed, I’m sharing how I would recommend spending one week in Italy as a first timer. I start with the high-level breakdown, and then include a day-by-day detailed itinerary.
Now, I have to warn you. This one week Italy itinerary is super detailed. Like, how-the-heck-do-you-have-time-to-write-all-this detailed. And I did that on purpose. You can go to any old website to get a vague “two nights in here” and “one night here,” bare-bones itinerary for Italy. But those itineraries don’t tell you what to do in each place, or how to get from each city to city. You’d have to go look that up after. But not with this itinerary.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is: you might absolutely want to save this for later right now by bookmarking it or saving it on Pinterest, just in case you don’t finish all in one go. Then, grab a cuppa, sit back, and let’s get to it!
Italy One Week Itinerary Summary
For a first time visit to Italy, I highly recommend visiting the “big three” of Rome, Florence, and Venice. I recommend spending three nights in Rome, two nights in Florence, and two nights in Venice.
| Days | City |
| Days 1 – 3 | Rome |
| Days 4 – 5 | Florence |
| Days 6 – 7 | Venice |
If you’re the average traveler with limited vacation days, I suggest breaking it down like below. This way, you only need to use five vacation days, but you actually get seven days in Italy.
Psst! Want to see even more of Italy? If you can finagle just three more vacation days, you can also visit Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Milan with ten days in Italy. And if you can add in another four days, you can also add Positano and the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompeii with two weeks in Italy. But if you can’t do more than one week in Italy, don’t worry – Italy is definitely a repeat-visit kind of destination!
Also! Be sure to check out my hotel and hostel guide to match this itinerary’s stops!
The Best Month to Visit Italy
The best time of year to travel to Italy is hands-down the shoulder seasons of April – May and September – October. You can see everything in mildly warm weather, but you can avoid the notorious crowds (And heat! And prices!) of the summer months. And while we’re here chit-chatting about weather – just a heads up that Venice is prone to flooding during rain!
How to Get Around Italy
One of the loveliest things about traveling Italy is how convenient it is to get around the country without a car. In fact, I totally believe trains are the best way to travel in Italy. This is particularly true for your first time in Italy. So, this one week Italy itinerary is completely car-free, relying solely on trains and water taxis.
One super important tip for train travel in Italy is to always validate your ticket! Otherwise, you will be fined, and lemme tell ya – the fines ain’t cheap. (Like, truly. These fines are low-key high-key robbery.) How do you validate your train ticket in Italy? Simply insert your paper ticket into the machines before you enter the train. It’ll make a noise and time-stamp your ticket. These little validation machines are usually at the entrance to each platform. If you have difficulty finding them, just ask a train station employee. If you buy your ticket online or via the mobile app – no need to stress!
Another tip for train travel in Italy is to always buy your long-distance train tickets online as soon as you know your travel dates! This way, you can purchase a Frecciarossa ticket (the faster kind of ticket) before the price gets too high closer to the travel date. If you are riding regional trains (which work fine for shorter distances), just buy them at the station on the day of, so you have flexibility in case plans change.
In this one week itinerary, I include all the details and prices for each time you’ll use public transport to move around Italy. I’ve got you covered! And if you still have any questions, feel free to book a call with me, and we can work on your Italy itinerary together.
Free Printable 1-Week Italy Itinerary E-Book
But you’re once actually in Italy, you definitely don’t want to be walking around on your cell phone all trip long, trying to get from each spot to the next. So, I’ve made a printable, condensed version of this post with every important detail from this seven day Italy itinerary you’re about to read. Just download the PDF, print it double-sided (so two pages total), and you’re good to go for your trip. It even has a map to help you visualize! Enter your email below and get the PDF sent straight to your inbox.
AND NOW, LET’S GET TO THE ACTUAL ITINERARY ITSELF
Beforehand, I just want to let you know you can do this itinerary in the order I have it or the reverse order. Just look up flights and see which direction is cheaper.
Rome
As the former capital of the Roman Empire and the current capital of Italy, Rome is a unique mix of old and new. Try to ignore the street vendors with zero concern for personal space selling selfie sticks and whizzing gadgets, and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with Rome.
How to Get to Rome
This is the start of your trip, so you’ll need to fly in. Rome has two airports, so be careful you fly into the correct one. The main international airport in Rome is Fiumicino (FCO). This airport is the further out one. To get to the city center from FCO, you have two options.
- Option 1: Take the train. Follow signs in the airport to the train platform. From FCO, take the Leonardo express train to Roma Termini train station. This costs €14 and will take 30 minutes. From Roma Termini, you can either walk to your accommodation, or use the Metro to take the subway if your accommodation is further away. Be very careful of pick-pocketers in this train station! Do not accept or ask help from anyone except official employees, and wear your backpack facing your front.
- Option 2: Take a taxi. Taxis from FCO into central Rome are a fixed fare of €55. Make sure you get into an official taxi at the taxi pickup line. They should accept card, and you can double check this as well as fare before getting in. This will take 30 minutes, just like the train.
- Option 3: Take a bus to Roma Termini train station. There are multiple options you can explore here. Some include Terravision, which offers a €6.50 ticket, and the ride takes 45 minutes.
Rome’s other airport is Ciampino (CIA). This smaller airport is actually slightly closer to central Rome. However, it is only used for budget airline flights within Europe, like RyanAir and EasyJet. If you’re flying here (or anywhere!) with RyanAir, definitely skim through my guide on how to not get ripped off! Once again, you have two options on how to get to central Rome from CIA airport.
- Option 1: Take a bus to (right near) Roma Termini train station. There are multiple options you can explore here. Some include SITBusShuttle for €6 one-way, or Terravision for €6.50 one-way if purchased online. This ride takes 40 minutes.
- Option 2: Take a taxi. Taxis from CIA into central Rome are a fixed fare of €40. Again, make sure you get into an official taxi at the taxi pickup line and confirm the fare before getting in. This ride takes 40 minutes.
What to Do in Rome (Three Days)
Below is exactly how to see Rome in three days. Take it easy on day one, since it’s the day you arrive on your flight. But feel free to interchange days two and three as works best for you. If you get in way too late on day one, you can tack it onto day three.
Day One
Walking straight through this route as I have it below is 30 min (2km or 1.25 miles), just to give you an idea of total distance on day one. Start at whichever end is closer to you.
- Scalina Spagna: The beautiful staircase known as the Spanish Steps gets busy in the evening as a popular hang-out spot.
- Trevi Fountain: This is Rome’s largest and most famous fountain. Stand with your back to the fountain and toss a coin in to guarantee a return trip to Rome (if you believe the legend).
- Pantheon: This famous Roman-temple-turned-church is €5 to enter, plus an additional €2 if you purchase in advance online from the official site.
- Piazza Navona: Several cafes line the edges of this beautiful square with three impressive fountains.
- Largo di Torre Argentina: This is where Roman senators assassinated Emperor Julius Caesar by stabbing him 23 times (dramatic much?) to death in 44 BC. You used to only be able to look down on it from above, but now you can enter. Tickets cost €7 in person, or €8 if you book online at the official site.
Day Two
- Colosseum: Perhaps the most famous landmark in Rome! Tickets are €18 and include this plus the next two sites. You can purchase in advance online from the official site. This price quote is the highest price, but those 25 years and younger get discounts!
- Roman Forum: This once-bustling site is now ruins of numerous important government buildings during the ancient Roman Empire. Walking around, it’s amazing seeing how huge the ruins are, and wondering how it must have been back then – almost 2000 years ago!
- Palatine Hill: This is where all the rich kids lived during the Roman Empire – the aristocrats and emperors and all that jazz.
- Arch of Constantine: This arc, built in 302 AD and the largest surviving one of its kind, is right outside the Colosseum.
- Via dei Fori Imeriali: This street connects the Colosseum to the next attraction below. You can look down on the Roman Forum from above on one side and view other incredible ruins on the other.
- Vittoriano: This huge, white, marble building almost doesn’t fit in with its ancient surroundings. It’s a memorial to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the united Italy as we know it today.
Day Three
- Vatican City: Did you know this is its own country? It’s the smallest country in the world, ruled by the Catholic Pope. There are basically three things to see while here: St. Peter’s Square, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Vatican Museums. St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter, but dress code is very strict. Make sure your shoulders and knees are covered. This goes for all genders and ages. There is a slow moving-crowd-slash-line to get in, but I found it moved quickly enough when I went. You can book in advance online for €7 if you would like to reserve a date and time, plus get a digital audio guide. Once inside the basilica, you can climb up to the dome for iconic views. To the right from the entrance, there should be a “Cupola” sign. Follow the sign until you get to the ticket office. There you can buy a ticket to either climb the whole way up for €8 or one to take an elevator part way for €10. You can book online for €17 and €22, respectively, if you’d like to secure your date and time in advance. The Vatican Museums house the world-famous Sistine Chapel. It costs €20 for entry, plus a €5 online booking fee if you book in advance on the official site, which I highly recommend you do. The Museums are closed Sundays, except the last one of every month. On that Sunday, entry is free. However, you can only enter with a guide that day. So, you end up paying €20 for a guided tour, even though the actual entry fee itself is free. Seeing Vatican City should take up a whole morning.
- Castel Sant’Angelo: Emperor Hadrian originally had this built as a mausoleum for himself and his family, but it’s since been used as a fortress, castle, and nowadays a museum.
- Wander: Explore on your own! Get lost! You’ve checked off all the “can’t miss” things everyone else does, but who wants their trip to be just the same as everyone else’s? If you just run around ticking off attractions, I’m not sure you’ll like Rome. But wandering it’s less-crowded streets, strolling along the river, popping into a random church – these are the things that will leave you loving Rome.
Florence
Florence conjures images of Renaissance paintings and fairytale Tuscan buildings. There are so many things to see here, but I think two days in Florence is the perfect amount of time for a first visit.
How to Get to Florence from Rome
Take an early, direct train from Roma Termini train station to Firenze S. M. Novella train station. This takes either 1.5 hours or 4.5 hours depending on what kind of train you take. If you are buying a ticket for the next morning, you can expect to pay €25 for a 4.5-hour Regional train or €55 for a 1.5-hour Frecciarossa train. If you are buying one month out, the price for the 1.5-hour Frecciarossa train drops to €20 – €30.
What to Do in Florence (Two Days)
Some people recommend purchasing the Firenze Card because it covers a lot of the main things in Florence. But for two days in Florence (or even three days in Florence), I am not sure the card is worth it. I actually recommend purchasing the Brunelleschi Pass instead. This pass includes entry into the Duomo, a climb to the Cupola (dome) of the Duomo, a climb to the Campanile (bell tower), entry into the baptistery, entry into the Duomo museum, and entry into the crypt beneath the church. It costs €30 which can be bought on the official website.
Now, let’s get to all the things to do in Florence in two days! I haven’t split it out into separate days here, because I think it’s better if you choose yourself. Would you prefer to visit one museum a day, or have one big museum day? Would you try to avoid climbing stairs twice in the same day, or are you up for the challenge? Would you enjoy a viewpoint for sunset, or prefer sunrise? Your answers to those questions will determine what things you do and see each day in Florence, so I can’t recommend that for you. Most attractions in Florence are pretty compactly located, anyway, so planning a route shouldn’t be too bad on the fly!
*You can skip items with an asterisk if you’re not interested. I’ve only listed them since they’re included in the ticket I recommended above. If you want a more-detailed breakdown of the below, check out my full travel guide to Florence things to do (complete with pictures of each attraction!).
- Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo): It’s the third largest church in the world and practically the symbol of Florence itself. Entry is free, but prepare for a massive line at least an hour long.
- Cupola: Bruneschelli’s Dome, named after the architect who designed it, is actually the most impressive part of the entire church. They literally had to invent new tools and architectural systems to create it. Definitely climb up the steps for the view from the top. You’ll have to select a specific time slot, though, when you buy your ticket! Otherwise, you will be turned away and asked to return.
- Campanile di Giotto: Yes you already climbed up the cupola, but there’s another viewpoint nearby! This time, the view is the cupola itself.
- Battistero di San Giovanni: This is the octagonal building right across the main cathedral. The Byzantine-like mosaic inside was actually pretty surprising to find, in contrast to all the typical-Renaissance paintings. Tourists will be snapping pics of the gold doors outside, but those are copies. The real ones are in the Duomo Museum!
- Duomo Museum*: Since you already paid, it might be worth a quick visit. It will help you understand why all this Duomo stuff in Florence is such a big deal!
- Crypt of Santa Reparata*: This is also included in the Duomo combo ticket, which was the only reason I saw it. But once I got there, it was actually cooler than I expected. It’s basically church ruins from 405AD inside the main church. The unfortunate thing about the crypt is that you have to wait in the same line as for the free Duomo entry. So definitely time these two activities together!
- Piazza della Repubblica: One of Florence’s main squares.
- Piazza della Signoria: The best part of this busy square is definitely the Loggia dei Lanzi. It’s basically a free, open-air museum of dramatic sculptures that really should be in one of the museums. (Like really though, I’m super surprised these are just out there!) Also in this square is a copy of the David statue, for those of you who don’t pay to see the real thang.
- Palazzo Vecchio: I didn’t enter except for the free courtyard. But it’s supposed to have a great view of the Duomo.
- Ponte Vecchio: This iconic bridge has become synonymous with Florence itself! It was originally a passageway so the Medicis (a super rich family that basically made Florence….well, Florence) didn’t have to walk with the commoners on their commutes to work from their
homepalace. Since then, shops have been added and create the look it has today. Prepare for some crowds! - Piazzale Michelangelo: The best viewpoint in Florence! It requires an uphill walk and is the furthest out you’ll get from the city center. So make the trek worth it Bring some snacks and hangout for a while like everyone else does.
- Accademia: Unfortunately, the only reason to enter this gallery is for one piece of art. The David.
Don’t at me, art fanatics.You decide if that’s worth it for you, but I have such FOMO that I had to pay €16 and see for myself. Book in advance at the official site for an additional €4 fee. - Uffizi Gallery: Uffizi means “offices” in Italian, and this building actually used to be the Medici’s offices. Nowadays, it’s a world-famous art museum. Its most-famous art piece is the Birth of Venus painting. Entry costs €25, plus €4 for the skip-the-line online booking fee on the official site.
- Vasari Corridor: Okay, so you know that iconic bridge I mentioned a few lines up? And the passageway inside? Well this is that passageway! You can enter it starting from the first floor of the Uffizi Gallery and walk across the Arno River via the inside of the Ponte Vecchio bridge. So cool! Entry to this corridor is purchased in combination with a ticket to the Uffizi for a combined price of €43, plus €4 for the required online booking fee on the official site.
- San Lorenzo Market: This is Florence’s most-famous market. Stop by here to shop leather and eat in the indoor food stalls.
- Santa Croce: I didn’t enter this church, since admission was not free. But I do think it’s in a picturesque area and warrants passing by.
- Palazzo Pitti: Normally, palaces are for royalty…but not in Florence! This palace belonged to the Medicis (shocker). I personally have seen way too many European palaces at this point. So I did not pay the €16 entry fee and simply observed from outside. However, I did regret not having arrived earlier in the day than I did, to buy a Boboli Gardens ticket (€10)! You can purchase online in advance from the official site (the same site as for the Uffizi) for an extra €3 fee.
Venice
Beautiful Venice is the perfect last stop for your week in Italy. It’s an insanely beautiful city built on canals, and it’s become famous amongst travelers for the chance to ride a gondola. As beautiful as Venice is, the crowds (especially in summer) can be brutal. Thus, I recommend knocking out all the main attractions at less-crowded hours. Then, spend the middle of the day exploring the rest of the city, where it’s much less crowded, but no less picturesque.
How to Get to Venice from Florence
Take the train from Firenze S. M. Novella to Venezia S. Lucia. For a direct, 2.5 hour Freccia train, expect to pay €26 if purchased a month in advance, but €59 if purchased the day before. If you use the slower trains, priced €26 – €33 and requiring one to two transfers, the travel time jumps to 4+ hours!
Once in Venice, you should get a vaporetto pass. Trust me – you don’t want to be lugging bags up and down those bridges! If you are 29 years-old or under, I highly recommend buying the Rolling Venice Pass. If only I had known about it earlier…! It costs €6, but in order to buy it, you must also purchase (at least) an unlimited three-day vaporetto pass, which is €27. With the pass, you also get discounts on many attractions, like a €12 – €15 discount on entry into the Doge’s Palace! The one-day transport pass alone costs €25, and the two-day pass costs €35, so you can see that getting the Rolling Pass quickly pays for itself. You can purchase these passes online or in person once in Venice.
What to Do in Venice (Two Days)
Venice is pretty small and easy to walk compared to Rome or Florence, so you should have no trouble “seeing everything” with two days in Venice. You’ll also be able to fit in a half-day trip to the Instagram-famous island of Burano. If you want a more detailed walkthrough (plus photographs of each of the below!), skim through my guide for the best things to do in Venice.
Day One
- Piazza San Marco: Venice’s main square is where a lot of the city’s (tourist) action is. Firstly, there’s the Basilica San Marco. It’s €3 to enter (shoulders and knees covered!), but there can be a very long line most hours of the day, so be careful what time you go. I went in the middle of the day when I saw it was shorter, and was in and out in 10 minutes! If you’d rather not risk it, you can book your time slot online during high season for an additional €3 more. Large bags are not allowed inside, but there’s luggage storage nearby that the basilica will tell you to use. Across from the basilica is the Campanile (the bell tower). You can take the elevator up it for €10 if purchasing in person, or pay a €2 booking fee to reserve online in advance. If you want to skip the line, it’s the same website as the Basilica. There’s also the Doge’s Palace. Entry is €25 if booked over 30 days prior (or €30 otherwise), but only €13 with the 29-year-old Venice Rolling Card I mentioned above. See the official site for more deets.
- Bridge of Sighs: Walk around the Doge’s Palace, making a left turn around the corner along the water. From the first bridge, you’ll spot the famous Bridge of Sighs from the left. It’s named so because it connects the prisons to the palace, and prisoners sighed while taking one last look over Venice as they walked through the bridge to their dooms.
- Rialto Bridge: If you haven’t figured out by now, Venice has a lot of cool bridges!
- Accademia Bridge: This was my favorite bridge, because it has such an amazing view.
Day Two
- Take a half-day trip to Burano and Murano: I wrote an in-depth guide on how to visit the islands from Venice, plus what each island is all about.
- Fondaco dei Tedeschi: This shopping center has free rooftop views of Venice, but you need to book in advance. It’s located right at the edge of the Rialto Bridge on Calle del Fontego.
- The Grand Canal: The iconic way to float around Venice is on a Gondola. This will set you back €80 per gondola (six people max) in the daytime, or €100 sunset and later. Prices are fixed, so check current gondola prices, and don’t let anyone overcharge you. If on a budget, you can instead just ride the vaporetto between San Marco and the train station. This will be “free,” since the vaporetto pass necessary for the Burano and Murano half-day trip is still valid!
How to Get Out of Venice
Like all good things, your epic one week in Italy has come to an end! You’ll need to get out of Venice. Venice’s international airport is Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE). There are a few ways you can get from Venice’s city center to VCE.
- Option 1: By water bus. From any of Venice’s Alilaguna water bus stops at San Marco, Rialto, Fondamenta Nuove, or Guglie, ride the water bus for €15. The ride takes up to 1.25 hours. Purchase tickets onboard the water bus or online. Private water bus rides are also an option.
- Option 2: By bus. From the Venice Piazzale Roma ATVO bus stop, ride the bus for €10. The ride takes 25 minutes. Purchase tickets at the ATVO ticket office in Piazzale Roma, from the automated ticket machine outside that ticket office, or online.
- Option 3: By taxi. The fare for this 30 minute ride from Venice Piazzale Roma is €40. Make sure you get into an official taxi. They should accept card, and you can double check this as well as fare before getting in. You can also purchase online in advance (select “Town > Venice (P.le Roma)” for Venice city center).
Hotel Recommendations to Match this Itinerary
It’s been my most-popular request, and I’ve finally completed it! I’ve created an Italy accommodation guide to match this itinerary. In it, I provide housing options that are perfectly located near each train and/or bus station that I use in this itinerary. That way, you don’t have to spend extra money on cabs but don’t have to drag your bag very far either. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Questions on this One Week Italy Itinerary?
If you’re planning your own trip to Italy soon and want some personalized advice, feel free to book a call with me. I love helping people plan trips – especially for Italy!
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Hi Travelista,
Thank you very much for the blog, I liked how detailed you were including pricing of some of the things and some tips. Appreciate it! 🙂
I am planning a trip with my girlfriend to Italy (5th – 12th Aug). We will be arriving CIA Rome Ciampino at 10 AM on the 5th August and essentially be having 7 full days like your itinerary suggests. Although we plan to cover Rome, Florence & Naples (instead of Venice) My GF doesn’t want to visit Venice for some reason which is fair enough I suppose. We are vegetarians and we were thinking of staying over in Rome for all the 7 nights ( do the usual touristy stuff) but take a day trip to Florence from Rome as well as Naples (GF wants to try the pizza from its origins ). I’m not sure if its feasible in terms of travel and tiredness but I would appreciate it if you could shed some light based on your experience. We are only flying from England so we wouldn’t be too tired in terms of flying in and out of Italy if that is of any significance :). Hoping to hear from you on your thoughts on our plan. Many Thanks 🙂
Srujan
Hi Srujan,
I’m glad to know you like the blog!
Naples and Florence are both 1.5 hrs on the fast train from Rome, so they are both within reasonable day-trip-able distance. The only question is how much you want to see and do in each city.
If you mainly want to visit Naples to try the pizza, then a day trip is more than enough time. So then the remaining question is how much you want to see in Florence. If you don’t want to enter anything (or maybe just one or two things) and just walk around, a day could be fine. If you want to see everything I list out here, you can always do two day trips, but then you need to decide if the extra train costs and extra transport hours (1.5 x 3 = 4.5 extra train hrs) are worth it vs flying into Florence and out of Rome or Naples, or the reverse.
So in short, totally doable, especially if you only want to visit Florence and Naples for one day.
I’m not vegetarian, but I eat pretty closely to vegetarian. And Italy is one of the easiest destinations I’ve visited for that, probably only second to India from the places I’ve visited so far!
Hope that helps!
– Em
I’d love your advice! We would like to go from Rome to Cinque Terre then Pisa or Florence. We have seven days. Travelling with my 2 teenage boys who get bored easily lol. Any suggestions? Thank you
Hi Dolores,
Thanks for the kind feedback on the site!
I’d suggest something like: Rome (3 nights) > train to La Spezia as base for CT day trips, otherwise continue from La Spezia to a CT town if you prefer (2 nights) > train to Pisa, stop, dropping off bags at train station, walk to tower, pick up bags, continue to Florence (2 nights)
I’m not sure if you’ve had a look at my Italy itinerary for 10 days, but there I suggest Rome > Florence > La Spezia/CT with a stop at Pisa. So the details for the train route between Florence and Cinque Terre and Pisa as well as luggage storage are all there. You can also just choose one, Pisa or Florence. Depending on your flight times and interests, you can also do 2 or 2.5 days in Rome and 3 or 2.5 days in Florence.
As for the boys, will they find museums/art boring? I think most people find the colosseum and formum cool for the gladiator and ancient Rome history. But maybe they don’t need to enter the Sistine Chapel, for example. Florence is also obviously known for art, so you will know if they’ll be bored in the Uffizi and Academia, though I will say the Academia can be made a quick visit to see just David whereas the Uffizi is a longer visit. They might enjoy climbing up the view points from the cupola, the campanile, and Piazzale Michelangelo. I think Pisa is fun for the silly photo opp, and Cinque Terre is great for those interesting in swimming and/or hiking (in addition of course to the cute towns), so you can add more time there if that fits their interests. You can fill any time from attractions you decide remove with things like cooking classes or food tours if you think that would entertain the boys more.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi, thank you for this detailed post. My partner and I are going to be in Italy from May 25th (landing in Milan) until May 31st (Flying out of Milan too). We’re hoping to see Como (May 25-27th), possibly Venice (May 27-28th), and Rome (May 28-30th). This has been a last minute decision so we only have about 5 days to plan everything. We are doing some research on transportation between cities, entry fees, time needed for each activity, places to eat on the go etc. and I’m wondering if you have any suggestions or tips on how we should go about creating the most efficient and realistic itinerary for our trip? Thank you in advance.
Hi,
If I’m understanding correctly that you have 6 nights, I think that would be too much moving over far distances, unless your flight on the 31st is late. In which case you could try something like: Milan airport private transfer to Lake Como base town of choice (2 nights) > train to Venice with connection at Milano Centrale (2 nights) > train to Rome (2 nights) > train Rome to Milan on same day as flight.
If you need to be back in Milan the night before the flight because it isn’t a late flight, another option could be to just day trip to Lake Como from Milan in stead of staying the night. That would make the travel day to Venice easier, since you don’t need the connection. Then you’d be able to get away with just one night if you just want to tick Venice off your list and do something like: Milan (2 nights, using one day to day trip to Lake Como) > Venice (1 night) > Rome (2 nights) > Milan (1 night).
Hope some of those ideas help!
– Em
Salut EM
Nous planifions aller en Italie fin juin. Notre arrivée et notre départ est à Rome. J’aimerais aller visiter Venise mais nous diposons de 8 jours. Est-ce que les cinq Terres est une meilleur options ,.
Hi Francine,
It really depends on your interests! When you say 8 days, do you mean 9 nights? If so, you could follow this itinerary I have and use the extra (8th) day to just take the fast train back from Venice to Rome at the end (it takes around 4 hours).
But if you prefer to see Cinque Terre this time (maybe to swim in the sea, or to hike) and can visit Venice in the future, you can do Rome (3 days) > Florence (2-3 days) > Cinque Terre (2-3 days) > back to Rome the final night.
The train journey from La Spezia (next to Cinque Terre) to Rome takes 3-3.5 hours, so you are actually not saving much time versus traveling back from Venice. So I would just decide based on which destination interests you more for this visit, rather than on which is physically further from Rome. You said you want to visit Venice, so I’d probably do that!
Hope that helps!
– Em
Thank you so much for your advise!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi Em,
In just about 60 days, my 15-year old daughter and I will be traveling to Europe from Midwest USA to backpack across Europe together. We purchased EuroRail passes last month so that we could be spontaneous with our destinations. Our original plan is to start in London, then France, followed by Spain then Portugal but she really wants to visit Italy. Unfortunately, everything I’ve read so far suggests avoiding Italy in the summer months. Would hate to travel all that way and have a miserable time in your favorite European country because we chose a destination with scorching temperatures.
Any suggestions on which cities to consider if looking for “milder” weather in Italy during late June / early July?
Thanks in advance, Julie B 😉
Hi Julie,
My jaw dropped a little while reading that – sounds so fun!!
Where in the midwest are you from? I lived just outside Chicago as well as in Columbus, so I know it gets more humid there than, for example, where I’m from in CA, where it’s dry heat. I’ve only been to Rome in proper summer (in August, all other places, I’ve visited in shoulder seasons), and it was 90s during my visit, but what I wasn’t used to was actually the humidity rather than the temperature itself. So the tolerability of the weather will depend a lot on your reference point! For me, it wasn’t anything to impede a visit if that’s the only time I would be able to go. But others used to milder weather might feel differently.
Also, I will say that my August in Rome was nothing compared to the Augusts I’ve experienced in Madrid, in case that was on your Spain list.
Things in Italy are generally warmer the further south you go, as well as the further away from the coast that you go (though Venice is known to be humid in summer although it is on the coast). So off the top of my head, I would say you could stick to the north and to parts near water? I really loved Liguria (the region with Cinque Terre, Genoa, Portofino, etc. though especially Cinque Terre and Portofino are very small and thus feel extra crowded in their town centers). I was also in Lake Como the first week of Sept and it was very mild (too mild, actually, lol, I was actually sad as I wanted to swim!).
But even if wanting to see spots inland (Rome, Florence), I will also say that you will never really know what weather you will get! A couple of summers ago, the whole continent suffered really extreme heat that started in late May and worsened as the summer went on. I remember it was over 100 in Madrid multiple days in May. The next year, it was mild in May and rainy in June. And last summer, it was so comfortable through June. So all that to say, you can always just get lucky or unlucky with weather! So if you are willing to just adjust your plans to it (hitting sun-exposed attractions first thing in the morning or last thing before they close, timing museum visits or naps back at the hotel or indoor lunches in the middle/hottest part of the day, making sure your accommodation has AC, etc.), then it can be manageable if you’re ok with that style of travel.
Quite a bit of rambling, but hope some of that helps!!
– Em
Gonna make this my bible during my soon to come trips to Italy and Spain! Thank you so much, I really appreciate your effort to make this as easy to digest as possible for first timers 😀 if it’s not big trouble to ask, I’d like to know a suggested budget for this itinirary and for the 10 days in Spain one… thanks again!
Hi Andres,
Thanks so much for letting me know it’s been helpful!
As for budget, it’s unfortunately quite different person to person!
I do included all attraction prices and transpiration prices in this itinerary, so that you can tally up the costs depending on which modes of transport you plan to use and which attractions you plan to enter.
But your biggest costs besides flights will of course be accommodation, and that is the most variable from person to person (budget, preferences, group size, season traveling, how far in advance booking, etc.). I do have a guide for Italy options and Spain options that match my itinerary stops and provide suggestions for various budgets, so maybe you can see the prices I list for your chosen budget (low/med/high) and tally that up?
For food, again it depends on preference – how nice the restaurant is and whether you are traveling at a slower pace, sitting down for 1-2 meals a day, or just having quick/simple meals in order to keep at a faster pace or spend less. I tend to do the latter and spend under €30 a day for food in Italy.
I’ve been asked about budget quite a few times now, so I think I will add it to my to-do list to sit down and calc a few ranges based on entering all attractions listed for a low/med/high budget. It probably will not be done for some time, but if your trip is not for a while, I can respond back to this comment and let you know when it’s live!
Sorry to not be of more help!
– Em
Thank you so much for all this information. We got back from Rome on Monday after a 4 day trip. It was absolutely wonderful. Myself, husband & 2 kids (7& 9byear old) think it was our best trip away . I’m now looking to spend a week in Italy at the end of June. We would be flying from Ireland. Can you make some suggestions of where to go, we’d like to spend a few days here & there.
Many thanks
Lorna
Hi Lorna,
You’re welcome!
I’d suggest visiting Florence and Venice. If you spent 4 days in Rome and felt that was a perfect amount of time, then you would maybe want to add an extra day to the two that I allot in this itinerary for Florence and maybe even the two for Venice. That would put you at three nights in each. With the extra 7th day, you could do a day trip from Florence. Some options are Pisa (which I detail how to get to from Florence in my two week Italy itinerary), Siena (I recommend by bus over by train), Cinque Terre (though it would be a very full day), Bologna, and San Gimignano (which I haven’t been to but have heard nice things about).
I will note that Venice doesn’t really have huge entry-attractions per se like Rome does, so you wouldn’t be super busy with three days but rather would have more time to walk around the narrow streets in the quieter neighborhoods and such. So just something to think about. Worst case, if you find yourself finished with the city in just two days, you could take a day trip to Verona from Venice.
Another option, if you want to “see as much as possible,” would be to do my ten day Italy itinerary but without Rome, which would then make it a one week itinerary. In that case, I’d do the order of Milan > Cinque > Florence > Venice or the reverse. That might be a lot of moving with two kids, but just wanted to throw it out there. If you don’t care for the few attractions in Milan, you could axe that and use Genoa or Pisa airports instead, to have Cinque Terre be a start or end instead of Milan.
Hope some of those suggestions help!
– Em
Hi Em, thank you for such a detailed itinerary for first timers like me. I will be travelling with my husband and a 4-year-old, during my birthday month (April) and unfortunately gonna be the easter weekend. Do you recommend we take trains or take taxi, in our case? I am worried about the safety and petty crimes. What do you suggest? Also, if i want to do some budget shopping, where can we look at? Thanks so much in advance for your kind help.
Hi SheerLL,
Glad to know you like it!
The trains I recommend in this itinerary are just between the cities, so a taxi would be too expensive/slow for that. But with a party of 3, taking a taxi between the city center and airport instead of using public transport probably makes sense.
If you mean within the cities, Rome has a metro, but it’s not really necessary to use it if you don’t mind walking (I only used it to go further outside the center or to do day trips). Florence and Venice are pretty compact, so easy to just walk assuming all in the party are able. And you can of course hail a cab in Rome or Florence if ever needing a quick ride home or somewhere further out with the kiddo.
As for pickpockets, you should be extra aware of your belongings anywhere that it is crowded, which includes metros. There are some groups that work in metros to try to offer you help buying a ticket while a friend pick pockets you, etc. But the same can happen outside of the metro (for example, don’t accept any plant/rose from anyone offering, it’s a distraction). I like to use a crossbody bag so that I can put my hand over it while walking through crowds. I also don’t use backpacks that have normal/outer zippers. I got one that has the zipper on the inside (the part that hugs your back). But besides that I don’t do anythings special.
Florence is known for some interesting markets. I mention the main one in the post, but there are also thrift ones and others if that interests you. But I’m not much of a holiday shopper so I’m not an expert on that!
Hope that helps! And happy early birthday! 🙂
– Em
Thank you so much Em for your quick response and early birthday wishes! I appreciate it greatly 🙂
If I may clarify,
1) If I take taxi from FCO airport to anywhere in Rome, the fare is still fixed at 55 Euros, or this is the base fare, with taxi meter pricing in addition?
2) If i have about 7-8 days, assuming first 5 days are the same as above, do you think a day trip is enough to cover Venice or Milan? Which is a must-visit-cum-stay overnight city, in your opinion?
3) May I know what do you mean by regional trains? Are you referring to the inter-countries trains (e.g. Italy to Switzerland) or inter-cities like Rome to Venice?
4) What modes of air/trains transportation we should be looking at when we enter/exit Italy, and where we should stay to minimize luggage hassle (the names of other various passes, if any, and their prices)? This is because my husband and i, we are both over 29 years old, so the Rolling Venice Pass may not be applicable to us. 🙁
Appreciate your kind advice in advance!
Hi SheerLL,
You’re welcome!
1) The fixed price is between the airport and central Rome (within the Aurelian Walls). You can read more at the official airport site.
2) For Venice, people do visit as a day trip. I think it’d be more enjoyable as an overnight, but it can be done. It’s 2hrs one way from Florence, though, so I think you’d need an early start and late finish. There aren’t many huge attractions per se in Venice, but I think time to walk around all the narrow streets, maybe ride a gondola, etc. is what’s most enjoyable. Milan’s main attractions are definitely “doable” in a day. It’s actually what I allocate to Milan in my 10 day Italy itinerary and my 2 week Italy itinerary. It’s 1.67 hrs one way from Florence, but I think Milan is more about seeing certain attractions than Venice, which, like I said, is more about taking in the beauty.
3) Regional is just a type of train within Italy. Italy has regions (Florence and Pisa are in the region of Tuscany, Venice and Verona are in the region of Veneto, etc.). Regional trains operate only within one region. So Florence to Pisa or Venice to Verona. You cannot go from Florence to Venice, for example, on a regional train. Other train types, like InterCity and Freccia, can cross over into multiple regions. Freccia trains are high speed trains and make less stops. Those Freccia are the only ones I recommend in this itinerary (besides the Leonardo express for those wanting to take the train from FCO to Rome).
4) I don’t recommend air transport in this itinerary, I recommend the Freccia trains to move from city to city and list the station names and time estimates. I have an Italy housing guide to match this itinerary. It gives suggestions for places of various budgets close to each train station, for those that want to follow this itinerary without spending on cabs every time they need to get from the train to the hotel. For Venice, on the same site as the Rolling Venice Pass, you can get a regular Venice transport/vaporetto (water taxi) pass. Or you can also just purchase in person once there. If you stay near the train station, you don’t really need it if you are able to walk, except for the day trip to Burano/Murano that I suggest in day 2 in Venice.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Thank you very much Em! Well noted and appreciate your kind advice! Will continue to research around these areas you recommend and wishing you have a great week ahead! Cheers! 🙂
You’re welcome! Have a nice week, too! 🙂
– Em
Hello That Travelista
I am planning a trip to Italy in May. My flights are book but nothing else. Looking to see if you’d like to help me put together a very budget friendly itinerary. We do not drink alcohol but would also LOVE some input on best food options. Here’s what I have
Departing United States on Sat. May 25th@ 6:00pm Arriving in Venice on Sun. May 26th @ 11:45am. I would basically like to do your One Perfect Week for First Timers Itinerary but start in Venice and end in Rome. I will be departing Rome on June 3rd @ 2:30pm on a flight heading to Thessaloniki. Greece. I would like to get input on transportation options from Venice airport to hotel – which has yet to be chosen, etc. Hope your willing to help.
Hi Amy,
I’m not sure if you mean a travel planning service outside of the type of questions I answer here in this comment section. If so, I don’t currently offer that at the moment.
But it sounds like you have 8 full days (1.5 more days than this itinerary!), so to start in Venice and end in Rome, I would just follow this exact itinerary but do the transportation backwards. For example, I say to take the 2.5 hour Freccia train from Florence to Venice. But you will just take a 2.5 hour Freccia train from Venice to Florence instead. Same for Rome, just reverse the order of the stations.
As for transportation options between Venice airport and hotel, I actually have a section in this post (at the very end of the Venice section) on the options available to you.
If your hotel is further away from the train station, you will probably use the water taxi system to get there either from the train area (if you take a cab or bus to the train area first) or from the airport if you choose to take the water taxi the whole journey. You will have to pop your hotel options into Google Maps and see the directions it suggests for you from the airport, in order to see how many transfers on water taxi lines and how far of a walk from the water taxi stop the hotel is. That way you can double-check that you are ok with getting to the hotel before your book it.
You can also check out my housing guide for Italy that I linked in the post. It matches this itinerary and offers suggestions near each train station. That way, you can just take the bus or a cab from Venice airport to the piazza near the train, avoiding navigating the water taxi system with your luggages. I have different budget options, so you can look at the ones for the budget you’d like.
With the extra day, you can add a day trip from Florence, for example Florence to Cinque Terre, or Siena, or Bologna or a tour into more rural Tuscany, or a day trip from Rome, for example Pompeii. Or you can use it as an extra night in Venice to catch up on some jet lag, etc.
I unfortunately don’t really have specific restaurant recs. I don’t really jot that down and I also just eat wherever is open/nearby/in my budget, so they aren’t special places. In my two week Italy itinerary, I list the typical foods from each city/region. So you might want to search the words “what to eat in Rome,” then Florence, and then Venice in that post to see what foods to try in each stop.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi! I love the itinerary and all of the details! The only thing I’m still confused about is how to get back to Rome at the end of the trip. For example, if I were to book a round trip flight to and from Rome, do I need to take a train back from Venice to Rome? Or is there a way to book the trip so I land in Rome and leave from Venice without just booking 2 separate one way tickets?
Hi Susan,
Glad to know you like the itinerary!
The itinerary is written so that you buy one flight into Rome and out of Venice (or the exact reverse), in order to save back tracking. You can do this on 2 separate purchases (if you are coming from within Europe already, that’s a valid option), but if coming from father away, in order to get the benefit of a “round trip flight,” you can actually book them as one purchase, like you suggested.
The option is usually called “multi-city” or “multiple journeys” or something like that, and it is one of the options to select alongside “one-way” and “round trip” when you search for flights. It typically ends up being the same or close to the same price as a round trip.
If round trip out of just one city still ends up being way cheaper, then yes, you would take a train (the fast train, which is ~4hrs) from Venice to Rome (or the reverse) at the end.
Hope that helps!
– Em
Hi! This itinerary is wonderful and so detailed, I love it!
I’m planning a trip for beginning of May with my husband and we are going for a week. I really wanted to see Venice and he wants to go to Rome. I wanted to try and add the Amalfi coast, but not sure if you have any recommendations? Not sure if that’s even a great time to go, but we were hoping to g to relax a couple days before heading home. We are thing 2 days in Venice, 3 in Rome and maybe 2-3 in Amalfi coast?
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Linda,
Thanks for the kind feedback!
Yes, you could do something like that if you’d like. The Amalfi Coast is a little bit of work to get to, so that’s why I saved recommending it for my longer Italy itinerary. But with 3 nights, or 2 if you are ok with just getting a bit of a taste for it by just seeing the main draw, then it’s definitely doable.
I’d suggest something like: fly into Venice (2 days) > fast train to Rome (3 days) > travel to Amalfi coast (2-3 days) > fly out of Naples (ideally) or Rome. Or the exact reverse.
The biggest thing for the Amalfi Coast is where you want to base yourself. In the longer Italy itinerary I linked, you’ll see I have transport deets for Rome to the Amalfi coast and also that I suggest Sorrento for a base and then day tripping around from there. This is mostly due to budget but also because it makes the journey from/to Rome reasonable without any private transport (which can also be pricey). But if you want to stay overnight in Positano, you might take the fast train from Rome to Naples and then a cab from Naples train station to your accommodation in Positano.
Hope that helps!
– Em