10-day itinerary for Italy: An affordable trip to Rome, Florence and Venice
When planning a vacation in Italy, it’s tempting to want to see and do it all. It’s very easy to over schedule your trip, especially on a tight time frame like a 10-day visit.
To really get into la dolce vita, it’s better to limit yourself to a few cities or towns and take your time in each one. Delays and unforeseen events (along with these common tourists mistakes) can derail even the best-planned schedules and cause stress, which is the opposite of what your vacation should be about.
If you’re planning to be in Italy for 10 days and want to see the best cities the country has to offer, while also leaving time to enjoy spontaneous events and relax, follow this itinerary. This schedule takes you through the greatest hits of Rome, Florence, and Venice for an unforgettable and affordable vacation.
In another post, we offer tips for exploring Italy by car, including small villages and towns. However, for this trip, we’re hitting up the country’s big three cities, so we’ll travel by high-speed train.
Day 1: Arrive in Rome
Fly into Rome, take the train in from the airport and spend the afternoon and evening relaxing.
Take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood of your hotel (we recommend staying at one of these budget hotels with central locations), and indulge in your first Italian meal. Roman food is unique to the rest of Italy, so ask your concierge or host for their recommendations on the best amatriciana or cacio e pepe in the neighborhood. If you find yourself near the Spanish Steps, you can try one of these restaurants.
Affordable hotels in Rome:
• Rome Hotels: 8 Charmers near the historic center under €100
• All budget hotels in Rome
The Duomo is the heart of Florence and must-see for your first day. Photo: Dennis Jarvis
Days 2 & 3: Explore Florence
You’ll see everything Rome has to offer soon, but today we’ll take a train to Florence, about two hours away from Rome’s Termini train station. Book these tickets well in advance for the lowest prices (from €17!) directly from Trenitalia, the national railway. (By the way, don’t be confused if you type “Florence” into the search and nothing comes up. You need to search for “Roma” to “Firenze.”)
Florence, the heart of Tuscany, is also one of the most beautiful and culturally important cities in the country. Arrive in the early afternoon and, after checking into your hotel, spend the rest of the day wandering around the famed Basilica (the “Duomo”) and climbing to the top. They even offer free Duomo tours. You’ll be hungry after the walk, and when in Florence, make sure to eat a panini or the famous dish, Bistecca alla Fiorentina! (Read more posts about eating for cheap in Florence.)
The next day is for sightseeing (Read: 5 ways to save on sightseeing in Florence). After a tasty breakfast, spend the day exploring Florence, whether you want to visit Michelangelo’s David sculpture in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, pore over art in the Uffizi Gallery, or shop for handmade leather goods and souvenirs.
Cheap hotels in Florence:
• All budget hotels in central Florence
• 5 Super cheap hotels in Florence with great locations
It’s hard not to fall in love with the Grand Canal in Venice. Photo: Gerhard G.
Day 4 & 5: Strolling in Venice
Head to Venice by train from Florence, a ride that takes approximately two hours. Again, book those tickets in advance through Trenitalia (and search for “Venezia”).
Once in Venice, you can immerse yourself in the romance of the canals and beauty of handmade blown glass. Venice is known for its seafood, so take advantage and feast on octopus and calamari. Unfortunately, Venice is also known for overpriced, tourist trap restaurants, so ask a local for recommendations or try one of these three Venetian trattorias that locals like. (Read more of our posts about food in Venice.)
When choosing a hotel in Venice, we like to go close, but not too close, to St. Mark’s Square. The Castello neighborhood is a nice option, with several affordable options that are tucked away and quiet-ish, but still super-convenient. Want a canal view? Consider these budget hotel picks. Want more options? Here’s a list of our favorite hotels in Venice and 5 cheap and charming hotels that we love.
On your second day in Venice, start your day at a delicious Venetian bakery, and then get ready for an unforgettable walk. From the Piazza San Marco (where every building turns a lovely shade of pink during sunset), to Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s brilliant Basilica, there’s plenty to do.
From our Venice sightseeing guide: visit these 10 sights for under €10, check out these lesser-known museums, hit up these 5 free sights, or take a walk through the Jewish ghetto.
Of course, one of the best things to do in Venice is sip a glass of wine while watching the gondolas glide by. You can also hop on a ferry, if a gondola ride is too expensive for your tastes. (It is for ours!)
Hotel picks for Venice:
• The top 7 budget hotels in Venice
• All budget hotels in Venice
Days 6 – 8: A Roman Holiday
Today, you’ll head back to Rome by train, passing through hill country and several castles along the way. It’s only three hours on the high-speed train from Venice, but the trip takes much longer on a regional train. (If booked in advance, the fast train will probably be about the same price as the slow one!)
When choosing a hotel in Rome, check out this list of our favorite budget hotels like Papa Germano. This includes several that are near the train station, as well as those in extremely convenient locations near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona and Spanish Steps. (See all recommended hotels in Rome.)
Once checked in, take a night stroll through the city. The piazzas are bustling until late in the evening, and the city sparkles at night. If you have time, visit the Trevi Fountain by moonlight.
Related:
• 25 Free things to see and do in Rome
• 10 Easy ways to save on your next trip to Rome
Plan what you want to see in Rome, and split it up over the next few days. A tour of the Vatican will take about half a day, as will a tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
Related:
• 10 Tips for visiting St. Peter’s Basilica & the Vatican Museums
• Rome’s 4 commonly overlooked treasures
But give yourself at least one day to explore Rome away from the big sights. Explore outdoor markets, shop for Italian fashion, relax in one of Rome’s many gardens and parks, and just wander along the city’s cobblestone side streets!
Don’t forget to eat lots of gelato and drink house wine! Seriously, the house wine is much cheaper and just as good as most of the bottled stuff. It’s local! And keep an eye out for these 5 iconic and affordable Roman dishes. (Read more about eating and drinking in Rome.)
The beautiful waters of Anzio, Italy are just a quick and cheap train ride away from Rome. Photo: Helen Cook
Day 9 – Day trip
If you’re in love with Rome, go ahead and spend another day checking more attractions off of your wish list.
If you’re up for something new, there are several fun day trips easily accessible from Rome. Whether you want to enjoy some sun at nearby beaches, the hillside villages of Castelli Romani, or the ruins of Ostia Antica (one of the best-kept secrets in all of Italy), getting out of the city is worth it to see a different side of Italy before you leave. Most trains depart from Termini Station.
Day 10 – Arrivederci Italy
Have one last cappuccino and cornetto for breakfast and you’re off! Of course, your memories from 10 days in bella Italia will last a lifetime.
Your Italy tips
Have you been to Rome, Florence or Venice? Tell us how you like to save when you are sightseeing (and eating!) during your trip.
About the author
That’s a great itinerary. But there is so much more to Italy: http://travelingprofessor.com/tours/tours-to-italy
Hi ,
We’re a family of 4 (me, my wife and my parents) from India planning to travel to Eu for fist time over a period of 13 days (all travel inclusive).
1. We’re slightly confused which all places to cover (some people told us to go to Italy and Switzerland, some said Italy, Croatia and some said Italy, Germany and Prague). Would you be able to pls advise us which one would you recommend us & key places within each region. Also, is there a way we can include PRague in our trip (have heard it’s really beautiful)
2. We wanted to include some driving as well (maybe over a period of a few days). I’ve heard that 1 way drop-off charges are too much & that would be a consideration for us. Also, would you suggest car or train travel (my worry is if we’d have 3-4 suitcases, would it be convenient to travel by trains?. I’ve driven by car in new zealand last year and it was really convenient and hence just want to check).
4. Money is also a decently important factor for us & hence we’d like to save wherever we can. Also, would you suggest end April or end May (which one would be a better season from cost & weather perspective)
We would extremely thankful if you could pls help & advise on this.
Thanks a lot
Abhay
To visit Florence it would take many days, this city is an incredible concentrate of artistic beauties, the old town itself is like an open-air museum.
How much $ to plan for 2Seniors and 2 adults June 2018. Florence, Venice, Rome, Pompei and Nice.
12 days. Flight from Atlanta, Georgia. Would like nice hotels, train prices, etc
Rebecca, a pity that you seemed to have left eurocheapo and started on your own. Since I had based my Italy itinerary based mainly your input ,I am posting herewith my own new blog diytravelexperiences.wordpress.com . Those interested in planning a DIY trip of 2 weeks to Italy may kindly visit my blog. Whilst I have some completed posts a few like “while in Rome….” is under preparation.
@Dhiraj Hazarika, I was trying to find your blog to read and couldn’t. Can you please post it again or email it to me at [email protected] Thank you!
Sorry Angela but I just visited this page after ages.
My blog is diytravelexperiences.wordpress.com
Hope you benefit from it.
Best
Dhiraj
I would substitute Tuscany or Cinque Terre for Florence, I didnt care for it all that much.
Perfect Itinerary. I found this helpful to plan my Italy trip.
Thanks for sharing.
Rebecca, in continuation of my earlier post, we added Milan to your itinerary since we had 13 days and had a flight out of there.
Rebecca, my wife and self would like to thank you for helping plan our maiden visit to Italy recently. Since we had 13 days we added Venice to our itinerary.Otherwise we followed most of our suggestions and had a great holiday. Keep up the good work.Next year we will probably do Spain and hope you have suggested itinerary for that country too.
Hi Dhiraj,
We’re so glad you enjoyed your trip to Italy. And yes, we do have an itinerary for Spain! http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/spain-itinerary-from-barcelona.html
Happy European travels,
Craig
Hi Dhiraj,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this itinerary and your trip to Italy! I recently started a custom itinerary business if you or your friends are ever interested. https://www.etsy.com/shop/CuriosityandaCarryOn?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Thanks for your kind words!
Rebecca
Great itinerary! Way to see the best of Italy. Florence is one of my faves, I could spend weeks there, so much to do. Here’s some things you must do if you are in Florence for a few days that are off the beaten path: http://www.tripchow.com/five-extra-things-must-do-in-florence/
Awesome..:) Thnx for the itenary..:)
Do you have a date beginning 9/26/16 for this tour?
Hi Joyce,
This is just a suggested itinerary that you can use to create your own schedule.
Thanks for your interest,
Craig
I really like your suggestions. I plan to go to Italy for ten days in October or November . Should I book my trip now?
Hi Diana,
You can probably find some great deals on hotels and airfare right now, but there also might be good sales coming up. It just depends how you like to travel. I like to plan far ahead and have my dates in the calendar locked up so I can start the fun part — researching all the cool things to do, see, and eat!
I stumbled upon your website and really like your suggestions and timing. I am headed to Italy in March. What about a day trip to Pompeii?
I am starting to plan my vacation. I think that your comments and recommendations are perfect.
Thank you!