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Train & Rail Tours in Italy

Relax and admire breathtaking views in Italy only accessible by train journey. With 40 Italy train tours lasting from 4 days up to 14 days, you're sure to find a railway carriage with your name on it on a route that will leave you speechless.

40 Train tour packages in Italy with 364 reviews

• Train & Rail
• Sightseeing

Highlights of Italy

Enjoyed Highlights of Italy tour this August. Especially enjoyed Venice, with its spectacle of grand piazza's, canals and inviting shops of amazing masks and general festive atmosphere. Found our tour guide Inga, both engaging and professional with many tales of interest. Cinque Terra, was also very memorable with it's beautiful mountain top towns and vivid blue seascapes, walking the trail was unforgettable. With a great bunch of fellow travellers this was one of the most enjoyable tours i have booked. Only disappointment was arriving in Mestre to Hotel Mondail and the associated Hotel.açcross the road, this put a damper on the start of the trip, but fortunately the standard of hotels improved as we travelled throughout Italy. Overall fantastic trip.

Eco-Comfort - Tour Of Italy By Train

Everything on the trip went off without a hitch. Great tours throughout! Due to high demand, getting the specific trip paperwork took longer than expected, but Tourradar helped push the local tour company to expedite— which I appreciated.

• €50 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• Christmas & New Year

Italy By Train

Well done booking the hotel , excellent service from hotel’s and people to pick us up from the airport and taking us back! Thank you! We enjoy it!

Venice, Florence and Rome escorted small group by train

Despite being a somewhat impromptu trip (booked this about a month before the tour started), the staff (shoutout to Martina and Constantino of course) were very quick to respond to my questions and requests when it came to adding the optional tours. The set-up process was very easy and tourradar's website is really easy to navigate and populate the needed information prior to the tour. As far as the tour itself, be prepared to see it all, although it's at a higher level. The tour is called "Meet and Greet Italy" for a reason, because you see a LOT in a very short window (my tour being a week). This has its pros and cons. You get a great overview of the cities/locations you visit with a splash of "we'll go into these couple of buildings/monuments). This is like the warmup to the follow-up tour you'd plan after. "Okay we'll take you to see all of Italy at a high level, and then if you want to come back to the places you like the most, then you can spend more time in one city to see for example all of the museums in Florence." It did give a good sense of "I saw enough of this city but I would like to go back to this one." The additional tour options are well worth it. At the time I am writing this, the USD and Euro are equal in value, so it was easy to justify/calculate the added costs. When in Rome right? Just know if you book these optional tours, that often leads to not having the time to explore certain parts of the city (again, seeing art museums in Florence for example). There are days where you will have to get up early (6:30AM) to start for the optional tours. We did get these nice breakfasts to-go for the early starts. Unfortunately (and this is SUCH a minor critique) we were not provided coffee, but my theory is this is because if everyone was chugging coffee, we'd have been late to everything because everybody had to go to the bathroom all the time. My recommendation: when your guide gives you the opportunity to get some coffee, take it. They are long day and a LOT of walking. Traveling between cities is a very streamlined process and the tour taking care of your luggage between locations is INCREDIBLY convenient (and we were reminded of this when we saw other tourists hauling their suitcases up and down the hilly streets of Rome for example). Constantino sends you the tickets prior, so be sure to screenshot the tickets when you have WiFi. The hotels we stayed at were a really nice quality, and in very convenient locations. Constantino as a tour guide is superb. The man is very polite, pleasant, and most importantly accommodating. Even when there are tours he doesn't lead, he is still pulling strings to ensure we had the best experience possible (for example, him requesting a tour guide Luca [another shoutout to Luca for a great Cinque Terre tour]). Constantino worked with individuals on the tour for special travel requests and accommodations. He coordinates all our communication through WhatsApp, so it's advised to download the app prior to being there and familiarize yourself with the app if you aren't already. Really impressive stuff and if you can ever ask for a guide, ask for Constantino, the Man with the Yellow Umbrella. Oh lastly, I went as a single person, so if you don't suffer from crippling FOMO, be prepared to see some lovey dovey action. If you're into that, then be prepared to AWWWW a lot. I only fell in love about 10 times in Italy. All in all, a FANTASTIC tour experience. This was my first guided tour, and the value you get for what you see is really class. Ciao!

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Italy By High-Speed Train

The tour was good, hotels were very nice and in safe areas. The tours were awesome.

Train tours Italy: Venice, Florence, Rome, Sorrento by train

Excellent value and our Guide, Constantino was knowledgeable and accommodated many little extras. Tino is good at what he does!

Italy Experience (8 destinations)

Italy Rail Express Tour

Antonio was a wonderful guide, taking care of the needs of our group with good humor, concern, and thoughtfulness. I so enjoyed my first dinner with our group when he arranged for an operatically trained singer at the restaurant to sing "Happy Birthday" to me!! Wow!! Herding a group of cats is no easy task, but Antonio did a masterful job of managing all of us, making sure we made our trains, checked in and out of our hotels, arrived at our various excursions on time, had occasional meals together, and enjoyed the magic of Italy. A few days longer to allow a little more time in some areas would be even better, and I hope Tour Radar can accomplish that! Wonderful experience!!

Alps By Bernina Train & Northern Lakes - 6 Days

All fine otherwise. Guide and driver great. Major drawback was Starhotels Crystallo hotel in Bergamo - very basic - no tea or coffee facilities in room - big issue with us- nil available in lobby to make a cup of tea. No way would I describe this hotel as 4* The 2 dinners we ate there basically unedible.

Venice to Rome by Rail

Rome & Gems of the Amalfi Coast - 2024

Sicilian Dream by Train

Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice in 7 Days

I went on a tour with italyonabudget Overall, it was okay What made it okay as opposed to amazing is the miscommunication, some things described on the itinerary were misleading and the guide agreed that it should not be worded that way so you're going to have to do a lot of research on your own due to this miscommunication, also some rude staff in the office at florence The point of a tour company is to make things easier for you, not more difficult so go ahead with them if you want, but it'll be easier for you just to do it on your own, you'll save money

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• In-depth Cultural

Independent Rome & Florence City Stay

Venice to Rome by Rail + Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast

What people love about train & rail tours in italy.

The tour itself was amazing! A lot of value for money. The tour guide did seem to be a bit annoyed at us at the end when we wanted to get transport back to the hotel, after walking over half a marathon. This is notable considering a few members had lower body injuries/ health concerns. Other than that, I really loved my trip. I made friends for life, memories I’ll cherish for years

Overall experience was excellent. The support staff was always available to answer any questions, as well as to provide vouchers for ad hoc optional tours that were selected during the excursion. Tour guides were knowledgeable. Hotels were very nice.

Overall what was on offer, was delivered. The hotels in Florence and La Spezia were hed out as 4 star, but e beieve they were at best 3 star. The hotel in One was advertised as 3 star and that was accurate.

Regions in Italy

• Central Italy (13)
• Amalfi Coast (5)
• South Italy (5)

Travel Styles

• Best Train Travel Companies
• Italy Travel Guide | All You Need to Know
• Itinerary Ideas for 10 Days in Italy, 2022-2023
• Best 7 Day Italy Itineraries 2024/2025 (with Reviews)
• Discover the Best Italy Vacation Packages 2024/2025
• What is the best time to visit Italy in 2024/2025?

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Follow this Italy itinerary by train with the Eurail Italy Pass and be in for a real treat. Take a memorable gondola ride along Venice's Grand Canal, set out on a shopping extravaganza in Milan, and tour Rome's magnificent monuments and museums. Reserve a seat on Italy's Frecce high-speed trains for a fast and comfortable journey between the country's major cities. Or, hop on board Trenitalia regional trains and visit Italy's authentic towns and villages. The Eurail Italy Pass gives you the freedom to travel around Italy at your own pace and along the route that you choose.

Itinerary in short

Cities visited in this itinerary:.

Click here or on the map to view this route in our Trip Planner

For this itinerary, we recommend:

• Eurail Pass: Italy
• Travel days:  4 days within 1 month

Most of the high-speed trains in Italy require reservations. These reservations are not included in your Eurail Pass. Make sure to book your seats in advance; there are limited seats available for Eurail Pass holders. It's also possible to avoid reservations altogether simply by taking  regional trains . 

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Milan, Italy

Milan is Italy's city of class and elegance, with some of Europe's best shopping. Head to Quadrilatero d’Oro for a retail experience to die for with all the major designers concentrated together, such as Prada, Giorgio Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana. By night, get tickets for an opera or ballet at La Scala (Teatro alla Scala) for a memorable night of entertainment from the country's most renowned performers. Leonardo da Vinci's 15th-century mural, The Last Supper,  is housed within the Santa Maria della Grazie church and is a must-see on a visit to Milan. Another top attraction to include is the magnificent Milan Cathedral – swoon at the Gothic architecture from the exterior and inside, marvel at intricate stained glass windows and a rich array of sculptures and paintings.

From Milan to Venice

Travel time:

Reservation needed:

Milano Centrale

Reservation required

Venice, Italy

Stazione di Venezia Mestre

If you're searching for an affair of the heart, Venice will reel you in with its artistic setting and labyrinth of enchanting canals. The best way to taste the city's riches is on board the iconic gondola. As you're propelled along the Grand Canal – Venice's most ancient water thoroughfare – admire views of grand Renaissance palaces and intricate arch bridges. Located just off the Grand Canal is Piazza San Marco , drawing in large crowds as well as musicians and artists. The square's centrerpiece is San Marco's Basilica – a fine example of Venetian-Byzantine architecture. The church is known as the "Church of Gold" thanks to its dressing of opulent gilt and intricate frescoes.

From Venice to Florence

Venezia Santa Maria

Florence, Italy

Firenze S.M.N.

Michelangelo's Statue of David is by far one of the most recognized sculptures on the planet and an absolute must-see on a trip to the Renaissance city of Florence. The original is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia with a replica standing in Piazza della Signoria. This Renaissance masterpiece represents the biblical hero, David, which is made of marble, and stands at an astounding 17 ft (5.17m). Another popular attraction is il Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) – its impressive dome is the symbol of Florence. Climb the 463 steps up to the top for a panoramic vista across the city. The route also takes you to the dome's interior, where you can get up close to Giorgio Vasari's incredible frescoes of the Last Judgment. Whether you’re an art lover, a history buff, or just a curious adventurer, Florence offers a celebration for the eye and palate.

From Florence to Rome

Rome, italy.

Roma Termini

Rome will be the highlight of your Italy itinerary. The Colosseum was the largest ever built in the Roman Empire and is regarded as one of the greatest examples of Roman architecture. Step into the core of the ancient amphitheatre to imagine the buzzing atmosphere of the chanting Roman crowds as barbarous fighting between gladiators took place. Within Rome sits the Vatican – the sovereign city-state packed with fascinating museums and imposing architecture. Take a tour of the Vatican Museums , which were established and developed over the centuries by the reigning Popes. In the Sistine Chapel, you'll see Michelangelo's remarkable frescoes that adorn the walls and ceilings—Nearby is St  Peter's Basilica – an impressive example of Renaissance architecture and the holiest Catholic site.

From Rome to Naples

Naples, italy.

Napoli Centrale

If you're looking for an insight into the real, gritty Italy of the south, Naples is your place. The city is Italy's third biggest and has some of the world's best opera houses and theatres. Head to the Bay of Naples for glorious views of Mount Vesuvius – one of Italy's three active volcanoes. Just a short boat ride away is the stunning Capri Island , where wealthy Italians spend their summer vacations. It makes for the perfect day trip from the hustle and bustle of Naples. Take a clifftop walk to admire views across the sun-kissed Tyrrhenian Sea, and be sure to enjoy a refreshing drink of fresh orange and lemon juice – made with fruit hand-picked from the island's groves. The boat ride to Capri is not included in your Eurail Pass.

Experience this itinerary with the Eurail Italy Pass!  

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Train Travel in Italy: The Ultimate Guide

Train travel in Italy is relatively easy, but may pose some challenges if you have never been to the country or if you are not used to this mode of transportation. This is why we have created this ultimate guide to traveling by train in Italy, which you can also print out and carry with you during your trip as a reference. 

Let’s look at the main points to consider. 

What is the Best Way to Get Around Italy?

Buying an italian train ticket, arriving at the train station in italy, safety at the train station.

• Types of Italian Trains
• Should I Book a First Class Ticket or a Second Class Ticket?  
• What To Do If Your Train is Canceled or Delayed

How to Pack for Train Travel in Italy 

• Train Travel Times for the Most Common Italian Routes  

The Most Important Train Stations in Italy

The train is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to travel around Italy, however this does not mean you have to do it all by train. Whether you use the train for all or part of your Italian trip depends on the itinerary that you are planning. If you do the classic Rome-Florence-Venice tour, then you can do it all easily by train, and it is the recommended option because the train stations in these cities are conveniently located in the city centers and you do not need a car to tour them. If you plan to visit the countryside or the mountains, you should consider renting a car as it gives you more freedom and flexibility. You can also combine different modes of transport: train between major art cities, a rental car for an on the road and to reach smaller towns and hilltop towns that may not be as well connected, plane if you need to go from the north to the south of Italy or vice versa. 

Most train stations in Italy are located in or very close to the city center (hence why many have ‘centrale’ in their name), so they’re very easy to reach, sometimes even on foot from your centrally located hotel. 

Where Italian trains are the best or only choice:

• Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Milan, Cinque Terre

Where Italian trains are better avoided:

• Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Sardinia, remote countryside

Where a car is a good option, but you can also get by with trains and buses:

• Tuscany, Umbria, the Dolomites 

You have two options to buy train tickets for your Italian trip:

• Buy your ticket online in advance via the train company’s website (Trenitalia and Italo), an intermediary like Italian train travel specialists ItaliaRail , or through your travel agent;
• Directly at the train station in Italy, either at the ticketing window or using the self-serve ticket machines (instructions are available in English and the machines accept credit cards).

We recommend buying your tickets in advance whenever possible so that you do not have to wait in line, deal with a machine if you’re in a hurry, you have more seat options, plus having your trip mapped out beforehand can save you precious time while in Italy.

As a general rule of thumb, the sooner you book, the cheaper the fare. Seniors and children (or family packages) generally have reduced fares on Trenitalia’s Frecce and Italo. 

*For more information about buying train tickets in Italy, see our dedicated feature .

First of all, always arrive early (at least 20 minutes before your train’s departure time). Train stations in major cities like Rome, Milan and Bologna are very big and you may have to walk five to ten minutes to reach your track ( binario in Italian). 

The first thing you want to do when you get to the train station in Italy is to find the electronic board with the trains departure information. There are several throughout the stations, with the bigger one in the main hall and ticketing area, and smaller ones on each platform, in underground passages and waiting areas.

The board has the following information:

• Type of train and train number ( treno )
• Train’s final destination ( destinazione )
• Departure time ( orario )
• Delay ( ritardo ) - expect a 5-10 minute delay as standard in Italy
• Information ( informazioni ) - this usually displays the intermediate stops of the train with arrival times and where the different classes are located scrolling by
• Platform number ( binario )

To identify your train, look for the train number on your ticket, as the destination shown on the board is the final one, but your destination may be an intermediate stop (which you will see in the part of the display that scrolls by). 

If your train does not have a specific train number, date and time printed on it, you must validate it before boarding . Look for a green, white or yellow electronic box and insert your ticket into it to get it timestamped (ie validated) before getting on your train (the validation lasts for six hours). This mostly applies to regional trains. You do not need to validate your ticket if you are taking a Freccia high-speed train or Italo train (see below for specifics). 

When at the platform, double-check that the train you are about to board is the right one by looking at one of the several boards positioned overhead along the track, it specifies train number and destination.

Also, make sure to board the correct carriage; the number is visible on the side of the train, on an electronic sign on the door, and before boarding, on a screen overhead. This way you will avoid creating more confusion and blocking aisles as you walk through carriages to reach your seat.  

Generally speaking, traveling by train in Italy is safe, but be vigilant of pickpockets and other petty criminals that may target disoriented travelers intent on finding their way through the station. Always carry your bag in the front, and consider investing in a money belt to place your passport, credit card, money and important documents. 

If your luggage on the train is not close to you (ie if it’s big you’re going to have to place it in the luggage area at the front or end of the carriage), take a look at it when the train stops at intermediate stations.

Do not accept help from strangers who may offer to carry your luggage or help you get a ticket at the ticketing machine. They may insist on getting a ‘tip’ from you once their ‘service’ is done and not leave until you do. Just send them away as soon as they approach you. 

Types of Italian Trains 

Two companies run trains in Italy: Trenitalia and Italo. For a long time, Trenitalia has been the only railway company in Italy and to this day it has the widest network and routes. Italo began operating in 2012, and offers high-speed service between major Italian cities. 

When traveling on Trenitalia, you have three different types of train to choose from which differ based on speed and price. 

Le Frecce - they are Trenitalia’s most modern, comfortable and fastest trains, which also means they cost more. They require advance reservation, have seat assignment, and provide most of the high-speed service on the main lines between Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Bari. 

There are three types of Frecce: 

Frecciarossa : the fastest and most expensive trains, traveling up to 300 km/h. They connect Italy’s biggest cities (Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome, and Naples), but not Venice. Frecciargento : these trains use both the high-speed and traditional lines; they are not as fast as the Frecciarossa and take you to main cities such as Florence, Bologna, Rome, and Naples, but not to Milan or Turin. They go to Venice and southern regions like Apulia and Calabria.

Frecciabianca : the slowest among the Frecce, they run on traditional lines and connect large and medium-sized cities in 14 of the 20 Italian regions (Valle d’Aosta, Trentino Alto Adige, Umbria, Basilicata, Sicily and Sardinia are not covered).

Intercity - these trains are less expensive than the Frecce ; they operate outside of the high speed line, therefore your trip will take longer. They connect medium to large cities across Italy, making few intermediate stops. It is not always possible to reserve your seat in advance. These trains are usually quite old and don’t have amenities like wi-fi and restaurant service, available on the Frecce .

Regional trains   - the cheapest option, these trains are used by locals to get to and from work and school, connecting minor towns and villages. You cannot reserve a seat in advance, therefore if you need to take a regional train, try to avoid rush hours. Coaches are mostly second class, with only one or two reserved for first (which in this case you may want to get). These are the trains you would take for example if you were going to the Cinque Terre or to Assisi.

General tip : use the Frecce to reach the biggest cities, then use regionali to move around the region to smaller centers (when possible - sometimes you will need to take a bus instead; sometimes renting a car will be the easiest option). 

Should I Book a First Class Ticket or a Second Class Ticket? 

All trains generally offer first class and second class, or, in the most modern trains, ‘standard’, ‘premium’, ‘business’, ‘executive’ (the most expensive, the less seats available and the less people around you). What corresponds to second class (or standard) on the Frecce and Italo is absolutely decent, but obviously more crowded, so if you wish for tranquility and silence, go for an upper class of service. You may want to step up to first class on the Intercity and regional trains.  

What To Do If Your Train is Canceled or Delayed 

When you travel by train in Italy, you should be aware that things don’t always go as smoothly as you may expect in countries such as, say, Switzerland or Germany. Try to remain patient as your train may be canceled or delayed because of a strike, an accident or repairs on the line. 

As reported on the Trenitalia website:

- if your Freccia train is delayed by 30 to 59 minutes, Trenitalia will issue a bonus equal to 25% of the ticket price that you can use for future purchases.  

- If your Freccia train is over an hour late when you get to your destination, you are entitled to a compensation equal to: 25%   of the ticket price for a delay ranging from 60 to 119 minutes; 50%   of the ticket price for a delay of more than 120 minutes. The compensation may be issued in the form of a bonus for a new ticket to be purchased within 12 months; cash if the ticket was paid cash or refund on the card that you used for payment.

You can request your bonus after 24 hours from the date of travel and up to 12 months, at the ticket office of any train station, online on the Trenitalia website, at the travel agency that issued the ticket, or by calling the Call Center. 

Use this page for reference .

Pack light! You don’t want to have to carry around a huge suitcase that is hard to lift and lower when you get on and off the train. Remember, there are a few steep steps up (and down) the train, there may be stairs to the platforms, especially in the older stations where you won’t find the automatic ones, and you may have to walk the distance in large train stations like Rome Termini or Bologna Centrale. 

Go for a light carry-on or even a backpack, this will be helpful in general as you may decide to also walk between your hotel and the train station. 

We have a great feature with general tips on how to pack for travel to Italy by Sarah Murdoch, a Rick Steves tour guide and Italy expert. 

Train Travel Times for the Most Common Italian Routes  

Rome – Florence 

1 hour 31 minutes (Frecciarossa – Trenitalia)  

1 hour 23 minutes (Italo)

Rome – Venice 

3 hours 45 minutes (Frecciargento – Trenitalia)

3 hours 45 minutes (Italo)

Rome – Milan 

2 hours 55 minutes / 3 hours 20 minutes (Frecciarossa – Trenitalia) 

3 hours 14 minutes (Italo)

Rome – Naples  

1 hour 10 minutes (Frecciarossa – Trenitalia) 

1 hour 20 minutes (Italo)

Florence – Milan 

1 hour 40 minutes (Frecciarossa – Trenitalia) 

1 hour 50 minutes (Italo)

Florence – Venice 

2 hours 5 minutes (Frecciargento – Trenitalia) 

2 hours 5 minutes (Italo)

Milan – Venice 

2 hours 23 minutes / 2 hours 35 minutes (Frecciabianca – Trenitalia) 

Milan – Naples 

4 hours 40 minutes (Frecciarossa – Trenitalia)

4 hours 31 minutes (Italo)

• Rome: Roma Termini
• Florence: Firenze Santa Maria Novella
• Venice: Venezia Santa Lucia
• Milan: Milano Centrale
• Naples: Napoli Centrale
• Turin: Torino Porta Nuova
• Bologna: Bologna Centrale 

Now that you know everything you need to know about train travel in Italy, enjoy the ride as you watch Italy’s beautiful scenery roll by!

For more Italian train travel, check our dedicated section , Italy by Train. 

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• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
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• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Rome to Pompeii Guided Tour with Wine & Lunch by High Speed Train

2. Semi Private Cinque Terre and Pisa Leaning Tower Tour from Florence

3. Scent of the Sea: Cinque Terre Park Full Day Trip from Florence

4. Lake Como, Lugano, and Swiss Alps. Exclusive small group tour

5. Bernina Express Tour Swiss Alps & St Moritz From Milan

6. Lake Como - Small Group Day Tour from Milan with Boat Cruise

7. Milan Bernina Scenic Train ride on the Swiss Alps. Small-Group

8. Day Trip from Rome: Amalfi Coast with Boat Hopping & Limoncello

9. Cinque Terre & Pisa Day Trip from Florence with Optional Hike

10. Bernina and Glacier Train Two Routes in One Day from Milan

11. Amalfi Coast Day Trip from Rome by High-Speed Train

12. Cinque Terre full-day trip from Florence

13. Best of Florence & Tuscany by High-speed Train From Rome

14. Cinque Terre by Train from La Spezia

15. High-Speed train Rome to Venice: Day trip & Happy Hour

16. From Milan: St. Moritz and Panoramic Bernina Express Tour

17. Pompeii & Herculaneum: High-speed Train from Rome + Pizza lunch

18. Ostia Antica Tour from Rome - Semi Private

19. Cinque Terre tour with limoncino tasting from La Spezia Port

20. Cinque Terre Tour Small Group Tour from Lucca

21. Lake Como Beautiful Landscapes. Small-Group

22. Swiss Alps Bernina Red train and St.Moritz tour from Milan

23. Tuscany Wine Tour from Rome

24. Cinque Terre tour in Small Group from Pisa

25. Private Tour: Cinque Terre from La Spezia

26. From Bologna: Guided tour of the Mosaics in Ravenna

27. Ancient Ostia Antica Semi-Private Day Trip from Rome by Train with Guide

28. Capri Island Boat Tour from Rome by Train

29. Classic Half-Day Wine Tour in Frascati

30. Tour Bernina Red Train And St Moritz from Milan

What travelers are saying.

• Edward M 1 contribution 0 4.0 of 5 bubbles Great introduction to Cinque Terre! Wonderful tour guide…attentive and very personable. A little more historical context would have been nice. But overall a great way to be introduced to Cinque Terre. Read more Review of: Cinque Terre by Train from La Spezia Written April 26, 2024 This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Italy train tours - 10 best railway journeys

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Carlo DeSando

Wonderful Time in Italy We were covered from the moment we landed in Rome. The drivers were great, the connections were flawless, and it was well-planned a...

Italy , with its rich history, stunning landscapes, and vibrant culture, is a dream destination for travellers. While there are many ways to explore this beautiful country, one of the most scenic and immersive ways is by taking an Italy train tour. You’ll find this country has an extensive railway network that connects cities, towns, and iconic picturesque countryside. Here’s our pick of the 10 best railway journeys in Italy.

How to plan a train tour of Italy

1. genoa to la spezia, 2. cinque terre express, 3. florence to venice, 4. venice to rome, 5. rome to siracuse, 6. trans-siberian of italy (ferrovia circumetnea), 7. bernina express, 8. trento to malè, 9. milan to bolzano, 10. rimini to lecce, tips for your italy train tour, tailor-made travel itineraries for italy, created by local experts.

8 days  / from 2622 USD

Experience the hit TV show 'The White Lotus' in Sicily

Stay in beautiful Taormina with gorgeous views of Mount Etna and discover Sicily, including famous filming locations. Go on exclusive wine tastings, discover the Greek theater in Taormina with a private guide, visit other Sicilian towns and enjoy the crystal clear water on this week-long trip.

8 days  / from 3258 USD

Enchanting Italian Lakes

Experience the picturesque lakes of Northern Italy, including Lake Garda, Como, Lugano and Maggiore; explore the charming Borromean Islands – former favourites of Ernest Hemingway – and stroll the romantic streets of Verona and Milan. All of this, and much more, with this self-drive trip!

16 days  / from 3258 USD

From Venice to Florence: A Grand Tour of Northern Italy

From the atmospheric canals of Venice and the picturesque coastline of Cinque Terre, to the trendy designer boutiques of Milan and the Renaissance-infused streets of Florence, Northern Italy has plenty to offer. Experience it all with this comprehensive trip.

Italy's extensive railway network offers you a front-row seat to the soul of the country.  Before we delve into the specifics of the most scenic train journeys Italy has to offer, here are some important things to consider while planning.

If the intricacies of planning seem daunting, check our tailor-made trip service . We can simplify the process and ensure a seamless and personalised tour, taking care of all the details for you. Also, don't forget to check our customisable Italy itineraries.

Italy Rail Pass

If you're planning to roam extensively, an Italy Rail Pass is your golden ticket. This pass grants you the freedom to hop on and off trains across Italy within a predefined time frame, unlocking an abundance of travel possibilities.

Advance ticket booking

For the most popular routes, especially those connecting major cities, it's wise to secure your tickets in advance. This guarantees the best fares and ensures you won't miss out on a seat. Italy's trusted railway system, Trenitalia, offers user-friendly online booking options.

Timetable checks

While Italian trains are renowned for their punctuality, it's a smart move to double-check the timetable before embarking on your journey. This simple step ensures a smooth and stress-free experience.

Consider a travel planner

Some may wish to forgo planning and instead opt to hire an expert to book train tickets and plan routes. Our tailor-made service puts you in contact with local travel experts. 

Train station in Manarola in Cinque Terre © Shutterstock

The journey along this coastal route tracing the Ligurian Sea is a visual symphony of landscapes. As you glide along the tracks, prepare to be enchanted by breathtaking vistas of the Italian Riviera, adorned with charming coastal towns and the iconic Cinque Terre, known for its picturesque houses perched daringly on cliffs.

For an up-close and personal rendezvous with the world-famous Cinque Terre, the Cinque Terre Express is your gateway. This dedicated train service links the five enchanting villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, nestled along the stunning Ligurian coastline.

Prepare to be spellbound as you traverse from Florence to Venice , meandering through the heart of the Tuscany and Veneto regions. This route is an artistic masterpiece, offering glimpses of rolling hills, expansive vineyards, and captivating towns, ultimately leading to the grandeur of Venice.

This scenic route seamlessly connects the mesmerizing canals of Venice with the historic streets of Rome . As you journey, you'll witness the ever-changing beauty of northern and central Italy, including the iconic Tuscan countryside.

For those yearning to explore the mesmerizing landscapes of Sicily , the train journey from Rome to Siracuse is a must. This odyssey unveils the transition from mainland Italy to the unique culture and natural wonders of the island.

Bernina Express ©  Peter Stein/Shutterstock

Embark on an extraordinary adventure known as the "Trans-Siberian of Italy," encircling the majestic Mount Etna in Sicily. This railway journey is a captivating exploration of volcanic landscapes, offering an exclusive glimpse into the geological marvels of the island.

Cross international boundaries as you hop aboard the Bernina Express. This train ride will sweep you through the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Swiss Alps and the Engadin Valley, showering you with panoramic views of towering peaks, gleaming glaciers, and pristine lakes.

Venture into the heart of the Dolomites by taking the train from Trento to Malè. This journey is a deep dive into stunning mountain vistas, captivating Alpine villages, and the promise of outdoor adventures in a breathtaking natural setting.

From the fashion capital of Milan to the cultural gem of Bolzano in South Tyrol, this railway journey offers a seamless blend of urban sophistication and Alpine magnificence.

Unearth the irresistible charm of Italy's southern regions by embarking on a train journey from Rimini to Lecce . Along the way, be captivated by picturesque coastlines, historic towns, and the rich tapestry of Southern Italian culture.

Italian Trento © Shutterstock

To take your Italy train tour to the next level, here are some priceless tips to keep in mind:

• Seat Reservations :  For a more comfortable and stress-free ride, especially on high-speed trains, consider securing seat reservations in advance.
• Travel Light: Italian train stations can get bustling, so pack light to ensure you move through the terminals with ease.
• Language: While English is commonly spoken, learning a few basic Italian phrases can enhance your immersion in the local culture and make interactions more enjoyable.
• Scenic Routes: Whenever possible, opt for daytime journeys along routes known for their scenic beauty. The views will leave you spellbound.
• Local Cuisine: Don't miss the opportunity to savour regional cuisine during your layovers in different parts of Italy. Each region has its own culinary treasures waiting to be discovered.

Let us plan your trip

Allow our team of local experts to plan incredible Italy adventures for you. Reach out to us at your convenience, and we'll create a personalised itinerary that you can fine-tune until it aligns perfectly with your preferences. Take a look at our pre-made Italy itineraries for ideas, and keep in mind that we can tailor all our planned routes to cater to your individual needs.

The Rough Guides to Italy and related travel guides

In-depth, easy-to-use travel guides filled with expert advice.

Travel advice for Italy

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Italy

• Eating and drinking in Italy
• How to get to Italy
• Getting around Italy: Transportation Tips
• Shopping tips for Italy
• Sports and Outdoor activities in Italy
• Travel Tips Italy for planning and on the go
• Best time to visit Italy
• How to spend 7 days In Italy - 8 unique itineraries
• The Best 10-Day Italy Travel Itinerary
• How To Spend 14 Days In Italy - 5 Unique Itineraries
• How to get from Rome to Florence

Find even more inspiration here

• Authentic Experiences
• Train Journeys
• Inspiration

written by Dre Roelandt

updated 26.09.2023

Dre Roelandt is originally from the United States but lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Dre is a freelance writer and artist with a passion for travelling. They are an in-house Content Editor at Rough Guides.

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7-Day Odyssey by High-Speed Train

Home > Italy Tours > 7-Day Odyssey by High-Speed Train

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Featured Hotels: Your Sanctuaries of Comfort and Elegance

Your 7-day Italian voyage is not just about the places you’ll visit but also about the quality accommodations where you’ll relax and rejuvenate. To ensure that your stay is as luxurious as the destinations themselves, we have carefully selected hotels that offer a sublime blend of comfort, location, and Italian charm. 

Rome: The Heart of Antiquity

Hotel conciliazione, orazio or similar.

Nestled in one of Rome’s most picturesque neighborhoods, these hotels serve as serene retreats, offering a harmonious balance of modern luxury and historic elegance. Close to iconic landmarks yet removed from the hustle and bustle, these accommodations are your perfect Roman abodes.

Florence: The Cradle of the Renaissance

Hotel executive (or similar).

Situated in the city that gave birth to the Renaissance, Hotel Executive brings you the best of Florence . Offering elegant rooms that are adorned with a touch of Florentine sophistication, the hotel places you in the ideal location to explore this city’s artistic and architectural marvels.

Venice: The Floating Dream

Hotel Antico Doge (or similar)

Located in a setting as magical as Venice itself, Hotel Antico Doge captures the timeless allure of this floating city. From the intimate rooms adorned with Venetian décor to the breathtaking views of the city’s labyrinthine canals, your stay here will be nothing short of enchanting.

Every hotel has been meticulously inspected to meet our high standards, ensuring that your Italian journey is complemented by stays that are as exceptional as the cities you’ll explore.

This 7-day package is carefully crafted to offer you the quintessence of Italy, ensuring each day is filled with awe, beauty, and a touch of la dolce vita.

Day 1: Touch Down in Rome and Settle into La Dolce Vita

Welcome to Rome , the Eternal City where ancient history and contemporary life blend seamlessly. Upon landing at the airport, you have two comfortable options to reach your luxurious accommodation:

• Make your way to the hotel independently : immersing yourself in the cityscape as you navigate the streets of Rome.
• Optional Private Airport Transfer: For an effortless transition, opt for our private airport transfer service. You’ll be greeted by a professional driver who will whisk you away in a premium vehicle directly to your hotel’s doorstep. Indulge in the comfort and convenience of this personalized service to start your Italian adventure on the right foot.

Once settled in, the rest of the day is yours to relax or start exploring. Prepare to drift into an Italian dream as you spend your first overnight in Rome , the perfect prelude to an epic 7-day journey.

Overnight Rome.

Day 2: Vatican Wonders: An Exclusive, Skip-the-Line Experience

Welcome to a day steeped in spiritual grandeur and artistic brilliance as you explore the Vatican City . Say farewell to long waiting lines, as we offer an exclusive skip-the-line access for a tour that promises not just sightseeing but an insightful experience.

Seamless Start: Hotel Pickup Service

Your day begins with unparalleled convenience. A dedicated driver will collect you from your hotel and escort you directly to the Vatican Museums, allowing you to relax and anticipate the wonders that lie ahead.

Artistic Odyssey: Vatican Museums Tour

Once inside, prepare to be dazzled by one of the most comprehensive art collections on the planet. Your expert guide will navigate you through the mesmerizing Gallery of Tapestries, the spellbinding Geographical Maps, and the artistically rich Raphael’s Rooms. Each hall and corridor offers a unique glimpse into the Vatican’s prestigious history and unparalleled artistry.

The Grand Finale: The Sistine Chapel

No visit to the Vatican is complete without beholding the awe-inspiring beauty of the Sistine Chapel. As you step inside, the splendor of Michelangelo’s masterpiece unfurls above you, offering an ethereal finale to your guided tour.

Discover Rome: Leisure Time

Following your enriching Vatican experience, the rest of the day is yours to explore the Eternal City at your own pace. Please note that the return to your hotel is on your own arrangement, allowing you the freedom to continue your Roman adventure as you wish. 

End your unforgettable day with a relaxing overnight stay in Rome, rejuvenating you for the excitements yet to come on this Italian odyssey.

Day 3: From Rome's Grandeur to Florence's Renaissance Beauty

First-class departure: private drive to roma termini.

Your morning kicks off with a smooth, worry-free ride. A private driver will pick you up from your hotel and escort you to Roma Termini train station. This personalized service ensures that your transition from Rome to Florence is as comfortable as it is efficient.

High-Speed Elegance: Train Journey to Florence

Board the state-of-the-art high-speed train and let the Italian countryside whisk by as you transition from one iconic city to another. The plush seats and exceptional amenities onboard make for a delightful travel experience, ensuring you arrive in Florence refreshed and excited.

Visit the Italian Rail official website for more information. 

Independent Arrival: Florence Hotel Check-In

Upon reaching Florence, proceed on your own to your pre-arranged hotel, conveniently located near the Santa Maria Novella Train Station. After check-in, the canvas of Florence is yours to paint.

Afternoon at Leisure: Discover Florence

The afternoon unfurls endless possibilities. Wander through winding cobblestone streets, discover artisan shops, marvel at Renaissance art, or simply bask in the ambient charm that pervades this magnificent city. Whether you opt for a laid-back espresso at a local café or a self-guided tour of historic landmarks, Florence is sure to captivate your heart.

Nightfall in Florence: A Restful Respite

Conclude your day of travel and exploration with a serene overnight stay in Florence. As you lay down, let the spirit of the Renaissance city lull you to sleep, recharging you for another day of Italian wonders. Overnight Florence.

Day 4: A Grand Tuscan Adventure: Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, and Chianti Winery Experience

Morning majesty: pisa’s architectural wonders.

Begin your day in the enchanting city of Pisa, home to the iconic Leaning Tower . Here, the Piazza dei Miracoli awaits, a stunning ensemble that includes the magnificent Baptistery and the awe-inspiring Cathedral. As you stand before these architectural marvels, you’ll truly grasp why Pisa has been a center of attention for centuries.

Idyllic Stopover: San Gimignano’s Medieval Allure

Next, journey through the idyllic countryside of Chianti, arriving at San Gimignano , often referred to as the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages” due to its skyline of medieval towers. Wander through its historic streets, soaking up the town’s unique atmosphere and breathtaking panoramic views.

Historic Exploration: Siena’s Unforgettable Legacy

Advance to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Siena , an ancient town rich in Etruscan history and medieval complexity. Through a guided walk, delve into Siena’s fascinating past, visiting landmarks like the opulent Duomo, the Baptistery, and the Torre del Mangia. Each step in this captivating city reveals another layer of its enduring rivalry with Florence and its proud, independent spirit.

Culinary Finale: Chianti Winery Experience

Your Tuscan odyssey concludes in the most delicious way possible—a visit to a renowned Chianti winery. There, you’ll be treated to an intimate wine tasting session, where the region’s most exquisite vintages will tantalize your palate. The lush vineyards and ambient cellar provide the perfect backdrop for this sumptuous experience.

Restful Retreat: Return to Florence

As the day draws to a close, return to your Florence accommodation for a peaceful overnight stay. Let the memories of your grand Tuscan adventure lull you into a restful sleep, recharging you for yet another day of Italian enchantment.

Overnight Florence. 

Day 5: From the Cradle of the Renaissance to the Queen of the Adriatic: Florence to Venice with Optional Private Boat Transfer

Self-directed departure: florence santa maria novella station.

Your day commences with a self-guided journey to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella Train Station. Here, you’ll board a high-speed train that stands ready to whisk you away from the heart of the Renaissance to the timeless allure of Venice .

High-Speed Luxury: Journey to Venice

Settle into your plush seat as the high-speed train glides effortlessly through Italy’s captivating landscapes. As you transition from the art-filled streets of Florence to the romantic canals of Venice , expect your excitement to grow with every passing kilometer.

Optional Luxury: Private Boat Transfer with Assistance

Upon your arrival at Venice Santa Lucia Station, choose between embarking on an independent journey to your hotel or opt for our exclusive private boat transfer. With this special offering, a professional assistant will greet you at the station and guide you to your private boat. Feel the cool breeze and marvel at Venice’s unique skyline as you’re seamlessly transported to your hotel’s doorstep.

Independent Arrival: Venice Santa Lucia Station

If you choose to proceed independently, Venice immediately entices you with its unique blend of history and waterways. The floating city offers a labyrinth of canals, historic landmarks, and hidden gems for you to explore.

Serenade Your Senses: First Night in Venice

After settling into your hotel, the evening is all yours to delve into Venice’s magical atmosphere. Whether you decide to take a romantic gondola ride, meander through the intricate alleys, or simply savor an alfresco dinner by a charming canal, Venice promises an unforgettable first night.

Repose in Venice: Overnight Stay

As the sun sets over the shimmering Venetian waters, retire to your comfortable abode for a well-deserved rest. Let the soft lull of distant serenades and the gentle sway of gondolas lull you into a peaceful sleep, eager for another day of Italian wonders.

Overnight Venice.

Day 6: Venetian Majesty Unveiled: The Legendary Venice Tour with Skip-the-Line Access

Seamless entry: st. mark’s basilica skip-the-line.

Begin your day in the magical ambiance of Venice, starting with a hassle-free, skip-the-line entry into St. Mark’s Basilica. Your expert guide will lead you through the ornate doors into a world where history and splendor coalesce.

Divine Narratives: Inside St. Mark’s Basilica

Be captivated by the Basilica’s incredible opulence, embodied in 8,000 square meters of shimmering golden mosaics that adorn its walls and ceilings. As you traverse this sacred space, your guide will peel back the layers of its rich history, touching upon its priceless artifacts like the iconic Horses of St. Mark. 

Elevated Perspectives: St. Mark’s Basilica Balcony

Ascend to the Basilica’s balcony, a vantage point that offers staggering views over St. Mark’s Square and the Venetian lagoon. Here, the grandeur of Venice unfurls before you, framed by the intricate details of the Basilica itself.

A Palace of Power: Doge’s Palace Exploration

Next, you’ll journey to the Doge’s Palace, a monumental building that was once the epicenter of Venetian government and power. With skip-the-line access here as well, delve into chambers lavishly decorated with works by Venetian masters, as your guide unveils the drama and intrigue that colored the city’s political landscape.

Historic Crossing: The Bridge of Sighs

A highlight of your tour will undoubtedly be crossing the legendary Bridge of Sighs, which connects the Doge’s Palace to the prisons. Your guide will regale you with tales of its poetic yet somber history, a passage that led convicts from judgment to incarceration.

Full Circle: Reflections and Rest

As your Legendary Venice Tour concludes, you’re left with a deeper understanding and appreciation of this unique city—a tapestry woven with threads of history, art, and culture. With your mind enriched and your soul touched by Venetian magic, you’re free to explore further or retire to your hotel for a restful night, carrying the day’s experiences into your dreams.

Overnight Venice. 

Day 7: Farewell to La Serenissima: Venice to Home with Optional Private Airport Transfer

Morning indulgence: a venetian breakfast.

Begin your final day in Venice with a sumptuous breakfast, featuring local specialties and flavors that encapsulate the essence of this remarkable city. As you savor each delectable bite, reminisce about the unforgettable experiences and discoveries that have adorned your Italian sojourn.

Optional Luxury: Private Boat Transfer to Venice Airport with Personal Assistant

For those desiring a seamless and luxurious transition to your onward journey, we offer an optional private boat transfer to Venice Airport. Your personal assistant will greet you at your hotel, escort you to your waiting private boat, and accompany you on a scenic, waterborne farewell to Venice. As you glide over the tranquil lagoon, relish these last exquisite moments in a city that has offered you so much.

Final Farewell: End of Services

Whether you opt for our private transfer service or choose to navigate your own way, we officially conclude our high-quality services after breakfast, leaving you free to cherish your final moments in Venice. 

Journey Home or Further Adventures

With your heart filled with cherished memories and your camera brimming with picturesque moments, you’ll proceed to your next destination—whether that is your journey home or an extension to further explore the wonders of Europe. 

As you part ways with Venice, you’ll carry with you not just souvenirs but a rich tapestry of experiences that will continue to warm your heart and spark your imagination for years to come. Though our formal services have ended, the emotional impact of your Italian odyssey will forever resonate. Arrivederci, and may the spirit of La Serenissima accompany you wherever your travels take you.

2024 Departure Dates

Departure schedule & blackout dates: plan your italian adventure with precision.

Crafting the perfect Italian journey involves more than just selecting your preferred destinations and experiences; timing is crucial. To aid you in planning your dream trip down to the last detail, here is our detailed departure schedule and a list of blackout dates.

Winter Whispers: January to March & November

Departure days:.

– Fridays & Sundays

Embark on a winter escapade through Italy’s iconic cities and relish the quiet charm and fewer crowds that this season offers.

Spring, Summer, and Autumn Radiance: April to October

– Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, & Sundays

From the blossoming beauty of spring to the warm golden hues of fall, this is the time to experience Italy in all its colorful glory.

Blackout Dates: Limited Availability

Please note the following blackout dates, when departures are not available:

– January: 1, 3, 5, 7

– February: 4, 5, 7, 9, 28, 29

– March: 29, 31

– April: 10, 11, 14, 15, 24, 29, 30

– May:   28, 29, 30 31

– June: 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 28

– July: 15

– August: 14, 15, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

– September: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11

– October: 30, 31

– November: 1

Planning around these dates ensures you can fully enjoy the wealth of experiences our packages offer, from cultural insights to natural wonders, all wrapped in the luxury and attention to detail that are the hallmarks of our services.

2024 Prices

**rates per person in euro.

These enhanced rates allow you to enjoy a more comprehensive experience of Italy’s enchanting locales, all while maintaining the quality of service that you expect.

June Special: Free Rome Airport Transfer!

Embark on a captivating 7-day odyssey that combines the luxury of high-speed train travel with the enchantment of Italy’s most iconic cities. As you step aboard state-of-the-art trains, prepare to be whisked away to the heart of Italian grandeur, where every destination is a treasure chest of culture, history, and artistry. 

Your journey commences in the eternal city of Rome, where you’ll marvel at ancient wonders and Vatican masterpieces. Then, speed ahead to Florence—a sanctuary for Renaissance art and culinary delights. Finally, surrender to the timeless charm of Venice, with its labyrinth of canals and ageless beauty. Each day unfurls new horizons, offering you an enriching tableau of experiences that will resonate long after you return home.

This specially curated tour is not merely a vacation; it’s a tapestry of unforgettable moments, intricately woven together by our expert planning and attention to detail. Are you ready to fast-track your Italian dreams?

What's Included

What’s included in your italian odyssey: a comprehensive overview.

Embark on a 7-day tour de force of Italy’s most enchanting cities, packed with a tapestry of experiences that promise to make this journey a memorable one. Here’s a breakdown of the services and experiences included in your package, thoughtfully curated to meet the highest standards of quality and comfort.

Accommodation: A Symphony of Comfort

– 2 Nights in Rome: Luxuriate in a finely appointed hotel, handpicked for its perfect blend of comfort and convenience, putting you in close proximity to Rome’s iconic landmarks.

– 2 Nights in Florence: Rest your head in the cradle of the Renaissance, in accommodations chosen for both their aesthetic appeal and their convenience.

– 2 Nights in Venice: Experience the romance of Venice with a comfortable stay in a hotel that captures the essence of La Serenissima’s timeless beauty.

Dining: A Culinary Journey

– Daily Breakfast: Start each day of your Italian adventure with a sumptuous breakfast, featuring an array of local and international delicacies to energize your explorations.

Experiences: A Rich Tapestry of Moments

– Small Group Tour – Vatican Odyssey: Get up close and personal with the gems of the Vatican, including the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Your experience starts with a convenient pick-up at your hotel and concludes with a drop-off at St. Peter’s Square.

– Private Transfer to Rome Termini: A seamless, private transfer service from your hotel to Rome Termini Station, allowing you to travel to your next destination in utmost comfort.

– High-Speed Train – Rome to Florence: Step aboard a high-speed train, complete with reserved seating, as you transition from Rome’s historic grandeur to Florence’s artistic splendor.

– Shared Tour – The Tuscan Quartet: Embark on an immersive tour through Tuscany, taking you through the delights of Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, and Chianti. This shared experience begins and ends at a centralized meeting point in Florence.

– High-Speed Train – Florence to Venice: Continue your journey in the lap of luxury, with a high-speed train trip from Florence to Venice, complete with reserved seats.

– Small Group Tour – Legendary Venice: Immerse yourself in Venetian magic with an intimate group tour, exploring key sights like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Meet your guide in St. Marco Square and conclude your adventure in the heart of Venice.

Not Included

What’s not included: comprehensive exclusions and additional services.

To offer you a transparent and well-rounded understanding of your 7-day Italian sojourn, it’s important to specify the elements that are not included in your package. Being well-informed helps you plan more effectively for an absolutely unforgettable experience.

Local Obligations: Civic Contributions

– City Tax: This local city tax is not part of your package and will be payable directly to the hotel upon your arrival.

Transfers & Transportation: Be In the Know

– Guide Meeting Transfers: Unless otherwise noted, reaching the meeting points for your guided tours will be your responsibility.

– Return Hotel Transfers: Transfers back to your hotel after guided visits are not included, unless specified differently in your itinerary.

– Station Transfers: The cost of transfers from/to train stations is not included, unless explicitly mentioned.

– Airport Transfers: The cost of transfers from/to airports is not included, unless explicitly mentioned.

– Travel Preparations: Extra Considerations

– Airfare: Your package does not include airfare to and from Italy. However, we offer complimentary airfare research services to find you the best prices and most convenient routes, to ensure your journey starts and ends on a high note.

– Travel Insurance: While not included in your package, travel insurance is strongly recommended for all of our trips to provide you with peace of mind should any unforeseen circumstances arise.

Knowing what’s not included allows you to make all the necessary arrangements in advance. This way, you can fully immerse yourself in the sumptuous experiences, breathtaking landscapes, and rich cultural tapestry that await you in Italy.

Introducing Our Complimentary Currency Converter for Travelers

Navigating foreign currencies can often be a confusing part of planning your dream vacation. To simplify this process, Italy4Real is delighted to offer our valued customers a Complimentary Currency Converter tool. 

One-Click Convenience

With just one click, you can effortlessly convert foreign dollar amounts into U.S. Dollar amounts. Whether you’re budgeting for your trip, shopping abroad, or reviewing your final invoice, our currency converter eliminates the hassle of manual calculations or web searches.

Reliable and Accurate

Our currency converter is updated regularly to provide you with the most current exchange rates. This ensures that you always have the most accurate information at your fingertips, allowing for more informed travel decisions.

To get started, simply visit our Currency Converter tool.  LINK https://italy4real.com/currency-converter/  

Thank you for choosing Italy4Real, where we make European travel not just memorable, but also simple and straightforward.

Notice to Our Valued Customers: Understanding Our Euro-Based Pricing

At Italy4Real, we strive to offer you the highest quality services at the best value. You may have noticed that our prices are quoted in Euros rather than U.S. Dollars. Here’s why this benefits you:

Best Price & Exchange Rate

Quoting in Euros ensures that you receive the most competitive and transparent pricing for your European travel experiences. Companies that quote in U.S. Dollars often include hidden markups to cover fluctuating exchange rates. At Italy4Real, we eliminate these unnecessary costs.

Expert Currency Monitoring

Our Travel Experts (T.E.) actively track the Euro exchange rate. They are committed to advising you on the optimal time to finalize your payment, maximizing your savings and peace of mind.

Complete Transparency

Your invoice will clearly indicate the current exchange rate, so you are fully informed about the exact amount you are paying. No hidden fees or surcharges—just the price as it is.

Flexibility in Payment

The U.S. Dollar to Euro exchange rate will only be locked in at the time of your final payment. This allows you more time to benefit from favorable exchange rates, should they arise.

By quoting in Euros, we ensure that you are getting the most for your money, without hidden costs or surprises. Thank you for choosing Italy4Real for your European adventures, where your experience and value always come first.

Understanding Room Types: What Do DBL, SGL, and TPL Mean?

When browsing through our tour packages, you’ll encounter abbreviations like DBL, SGL, and TPL. Understanding these terms will help you make the best choice for your travel needs. Here’s a quick guide to what each means:

DBL (Double Room)

A Double Room, abbreviated as DBL, is designed to accommodate two people. It generally features one double bed or two twin beds. This is the perfect choice for couples or two individuals comfortable sharing a room.

SGL (Single Room)

SGL stands for Single Room, which is intended for solo travelers. These rooms come with a single bed and are designed for one person. Choosing a Single Room ensures you’ll have a private space all to yourself during your trip.

TPL (Triple Room)

Triple Rooms, or TPL, are rooms designed for three travelers. They often feature either one double bed and one single bed or three single beds. This is a convenient option for families or small groups of friends traveling together.

Each room type comes with its own pricing, reflecting the number of travelers it can comfortably accommodate. We hope this clarification enhances your trip-planning experience. If you have any more questions, our Travel Experts are always here to help. Thank you for choosing Italy4Real, where your dream European vacation becomes a reality.

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The Best of Italy by Train: A Two Week Itinerary

You have just two weeks in Italy and want to make the most of your time.  The perfect Italy trip will have you seeing as much as possible but not heading home feeling like you need another holiday to get over the holiday.

This is where touring Italy by train is the perfect choice for you. So, I’ve put together what I think is the perfect two week Italy itinerary by train.

If you’re from the US, Australia or maybe other parts of the world, you will know that our countries long distance rail systems are not what you would call efficient, time or money saving. Visit Europe or Asia and you will wonder why we just can’t seem to get it right because really it seems so simple over there.

Europe is perfect for train travel and travelling around Italy by train is no exception. Their services are fast, efficient, reasonably priced and generally run on time.

Being able to hop on the train in the centre of one place and arrive in the centre of another in a matter of hours is much more convenient and less stressful that negotiating busy airports or driving long distances and having to find a parking spot. The seats and carriages are clean and comfortable plus you get to spend some time relaxing and gazing out the window watching the stunning scenery pass by.

Italy’s train network runs to every major city and most smaller cities and towns making it easy to get from place to place. There is a lot to see in Italy but with only two weeks you will need to be selective in the places you visit.

This Italy train itinerary takes in four of the country’s major cities, one small town, one stunning coastal region, offers plenty of time for day trips to nearby regions and allows you just enough time to see the major sights in each place without making you rush around from place to place.

Italy Train Two Week Itinerary

Train Tickets

While travelling by train is never going to be as cheap as taking a bus, or in some cases flying with a budget airline, it is going to be more comfortable, scenic and time saving.

There is a lot of debate about whether purchasing a rail pass is the most cost effective option when travelling by train in Europe. Really, it all comes down to the amount of travel days you plan on taking during your trip.

For this exact itinerary above (not including day trips), you will have five travel days, Rome to Assisi, Assisi to Florence, Florence to La Spezia, La Spezia to Milan and Milan to Venice. Here are the average prices based on one adult travelling alone for both point to point tickets and rail pass.

Point to Point – Adult point to point tickets including seat reservation fee where applicable for all of the five journeys – 1st Class €145.00* or 2nd Class €95.00*.

Rail Pass – Adult Italy Rail Pass for five days of travel in a one month period – 1st Class €376.00* or 2nd Class €282.00* plus seat reservation fees where applicable.

The cheapest option by far for this itinerary is to purchase point to point tickets .

To research more and purchase point to point tickets or rail passes, click on one of the links below for your home country.

Alternatively, tickets are available at all Trenitalia train stations across Italy on the day or in advance but prices will likely be higher and there may not be availability for specific trains, especially high speed services.

For a comprehensive guide to Europe train travel I recommend The Man in Seat 61 . Or for an accurate one stop shop of Europe train timetables check out the German Bahn website.

* Prices correct as at time of publishing.

Days 1 to 3 – Rome

To start your 2 weeks in Italy by train, arrive into Rome on day 1. This itinerary assumes that you arrive in the morning giving you three quarters of a day to start seeing the sights.

Rome is the capital of Italy and once capital of the Roman Empire. This sprawling city is famous for its Roman ruins, incredible architecture, collection of world class artworks and home to the worlds smallest country, Vatican City.

What to See & Do in Rome

Vatican City – The home of the pope and the catholic church. Inside you will find incredible architecture and world class art including Michelangelo’s famous painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Wait times to enter the museum and Sistine Chapel can be long if you don’t have a pre-purchased ticket. Get it here.

The Colosseum – The largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire and the world. While not still in tact today, it still gives a fascinating glimpse into its past.

Roman Forum – As the heart of ancient Rome, the Forum was, and still is, one of the most celebrated meeting places in the history of the world. Your ticket to the Colosseum also includes entry to the Forum where you can wander around the ruins and take a walk up Palatine Hill for views over the Forum and the city.

Save money and time waiting in queues by pre-purchasing a combine Colosseum and Roman Forum priority entry ticket here . Or join this very affordable guided tour with expert guide.

The Pantheon – One of the best preserved Roman buildings remaining in the world. What is most incredible about the Pantheon is that most of its original features remain including the marble floors.

Spanish Steps – The worlds most famous staircase is constantly abuzz with people day and night.

Trevi Fountain – Do as the legend says and throw a coin in the fountain to ensure you one day return to Rome.

Piazza Navona – The city’s most beautiful square, featuring three spectacular fountains and surrounded by some of the city’s best baroque architecture.

Rome’s Hop-On-Hop-Off bus is one of the best I’ve taken around the world. The routes cover everything you could possibly want to see in Rome and passes last for 24, 48 or 72 hours giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace. Pre-purchase your tickets here to avoid the queues and save.

Where to Stay in Rome

Here are three accommodation options to suit all budgets that I recommend you check out. All are centrally located, highly rated and come with excellent facilities.

Budget – Hotel Domus Praetoria

Mid-Range – Sophie Terrace Hotel

Luxury – Anantara Palazzo Naiadi

Read More About Rome

30 Things to Do in Rome

Day 4 – Assisi

Train: Rome to Assisi – approx. 2 hours with about half a dozen direct departures each day. Take an early morning departure from Rome giving you most of the day in Assisi.

Assisi is a small town perched high on a hill in the region of Umbria approximately half way between Rome and Florence. It is a UNESCO World Heritage listed town that is famous for is magnificent medieval architecture and for being the birth place of Saint Francis.

What to See & Do in Assisi

Rocca Maggiore – Hike up to the ruins of a castle perched high above the town. It was rebuilt in the 14th century but originated from the times of Charlemagne.

Basilica of Saint Frances – Construction began on the basilica two years after the death of Saint Francis in 1228.  The complex consists of two churches built on top of one another with frescoes on the walls dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Saint Francis is buried in the crypt under the basilica.

A walking tour that includes a visit to the Basilica with an expert guide is a great way to understand the history of this great town in a short amount of time. You can book in advance here to avoid missing out.

Piazza Santa Chiara – Perfect place for views over the Umbrian countryside and olive groves below. It’s always buzzing with visitors and locals. Also check out the basilica of the same name in the square.

Piazza del Comune – Take a seat on the stone steps of the Temple of Minerva for some people watching while eating a gelato.

Wander the streets – The most rewarding of these things to do in Assisi is simply wander its steep cobblestone streets, stopping in local artisan and food stores and admiring the pink hued architecture of this beautiful town.

Where to Stay in Assisi

Budget – Hotel La Fortezza

Mid-Range – Hotel Porta Nuova

Luxury – Nun Assis Relais & Spa Museum

Day 5 to 7 – Florence

Train : Assisi to Florence – approx. 2.5 hours with about half a dozen direct departures each day. Take an early morning departure from Assisi to maximise your time in Florence.

Florence is a Renaissance city in the heart of one of the most beautiful regions in the world, Tuscany. It is home to some of Italy’s most incredible churches and some of the worlds most famous works of art.

What to See & Do in Florence

Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore – This massive cathedral in the heart of Florence is a must see for it’s pink and green marble exterior, interior that holds 20,000 people and bell tower which you can climb for panoramic views over Florence. Skip the queues and get your entry ticket here in advance.

Piazza della Signoria – The heart of Florence’s old town. Visit to see the free open-air sculpture gallery including a copy of Michelangelo’s David and to check out the impressive medieval Palazzo Vecchio.

Pont Vecchio – Florence’s first bridge built over the Arno river in 1345 and the only one that survived WWII bombing of the city. It is lined with shops selling gold and silver jewellery. Make sure you view it from one of the adjacent bridges as well as walk over it.

Galleria delgi Uffizi – Home to the world’s most important collection of Renaissance art including painting, sculptures and tapestries from medieval times up to the modern day. At the busiest times of year, you can’t get into this gallery without a pre-booked ticket, purchase it here to avoid missing out.

Galleria dell’ Academia – If you want to see the original Michelangelo’s David, then this is where you will find it. Along with this famous statue are paintings and sculptures from the 13th to 16th centuries as well as a collection of instruments started by the Medici family. Get a timed entry ticket here to avoid the queues at Florence’s most popular attraction.

Mercato Centrale – If your looking to do a bit of shopping in Italy then this market in Florence is the perfect place to purchase genuine leather goods, souvenirs, antiques and food.

Day Trip to Tuscany – Enjoy a day outside of the city visiting some of the wineries and hill towns this region is famous for. This tour is very well rounded with visits to both big and small towns in Tuscany and a Chianti winery. Book it here.

Italian Cooking Class – Food in Italy is life and there is no better way to experience the Italian way of life than with a food market and cooking class. On this tour you will spend over five hours with a local chef, visiting the local market to source ingredients, cooking with them to make delicious Italian food and finally sitting down to enjoy eating what you have made.

Where to Stay in Florence

Budget – Hotel Por Santa Maria

Mid-Range – Hotel Calimala

Luxury – Portrait Firenze Lungarno Collection

Read More About Florence

Things to Do in Florence

Day 8 to 9 – Cinque Terre

Train: Florence to Le Spezia – approx. 2.5 hours with about half a dozen direct departures each day. Take a mid afternoon train from Florence, arriving in Le Spezia (the best town to base yourself for walking Cinque Terre) early evening. Get a good nights rest ready for a day of walking.

Cinque Terre translates to Five Lands and comprises the five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Each charming and colourful village clings to the cliff face overlooking the ocean and is accessible only by boat, train and on foot.

What to See & Do in Cinque Terre

First thing in the morning, head to La Spezia train station and go to the tourist office on platform number one and purchase a €16.00 Cinque Terre hiking and train pass. This gives you access to Cinque Terre National Park, unlimited train travel between La Spezia and the five Cinque Terre towns plus free entry to a selection of museums and attractions in the towns for a full day (multi-day passes are also available).

Once you have your ticket, take the train to the first town, Riomaggiore. From there you have three options in terms of exploring these five villages which are all easily achievable in one full day. This is one of the most spectacular ways to see Italy by train, so make sure you nab yourself a window seat on the left of the train.

Option 1 – Train – You can continue to take the train from village to village using your pass getting off in each village to explore and then taking the train back to La Spezia at the end of the day.

Option 2 – Walking – This is the most popular option but does require a moderate to high level of fitness to complete the whole track in one day. There are four walks, one between each of the villages, and each one has a different degree of difficulty based on how steep and long the trail is. All four walking trails are not always open due to landslides and weather conditions and information on these closures will be given to you with your ticket.

Here is a brief description of what to expect on each trail.

Riomaggiore to Manarola – The easiest and shortest of the trails. It is relatively flat and takes the average walker around 20 minutes.

Manarola to Corniglia – A bit more challenging. The walk takes about 45 minutes and is mostly skirting along beaches before climbing up to Corniglia.

Corniglia to Vernazza – Arguably the most challenging of the four trails. This trail takes about 90 minutes and requires a lot of walking up and down. But you are compensated for your hard work by the best views the Cinque Terre has to offer.

Vernazza to Monterosso – Pretty close in toughness as the trail before but this time a bit more flat. You’ll be rewarded with stunning views back on Vernazza.

You would then take the train back to La Spezia from Monterosso at the end of the day.

Option 3 – Combination of Both – If you don’t think you are fit enough to conquer the whole trail then you have the option of combining both walking and taking the train. The first trail, from Riomaggiore to Manarola is a simple flat walk that is suitable for most fitness levels. And if after completing that section, you feel up to it, you can continue on to Corniglia by foot or just jump on the train. Then taking the train back to La Spezia at the end of the day.

As for things to do in Cinque Terre other than hiking, there isn’t anything specific that I would suggest you see. Instead wander up and down the cobblestone lanes checking out the small churches, local food and artisan stores. Stop for a meal (the seafood here is amazing!), coffee and gelato in the restaurants and cafes. And of course enjoy a well deserved swim at the beach in Monterosso at the end of your day.

An alternate option is to explore the Cinque Terre by boat on a day trip from Le Spezia. Spend the day swimming, snorkeling, admiring the views and exploring the villages on foot on this full day eight hour tour .

Where to Stay in La Spezia

Budget – Hotel Birillo

Mid-Range – Monteverdi Resort

Luxury – Poet Hotel

Day 10 to 12 – Milan

Train: Le Spezia to Milan – approx. 3-3.5 hours with around 10 direct departures each day. Take an early morning train from Le Spezia to maximise your time in Milan.

Milan is often overlooked by visitors to Italy in favour of visiting some of the more historic cities and regions. But this shouldn’t be the case. It’s a city full of beautiful Renaissance architecture, incredible cathedrals, world class works of art and it is one of the fashion capitals of the world. It’s also the perfect place to base yourself for day trips to the Italian Lakes and Southern Alps region.

What to See & Do in Milan

Duomo of Milan – The largest gothic cathedral in the world can be found right in the centre of Milan. Construction began in 1386 taking 500 years to complete. It’s an impressive sight both inside and out plus it offers a great vantage point from the roof (get your roof top entry tickets here to avoid the queues).

Santa Maria delle Grazie – Home to Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper fresco. If you want to see this incredible work of art it is necessary to book in advance . One option is to visit on a guided tour where you will get to see this incredible work of art with an expert.

Sforza Castle –  Situated in the centre of the city is Milan’s Castle which is home to a bunch of art museums including one containing Michelangelo’s last sculpture. Even if you don’t want to visit the museums, the castle is a great place for a stroll through the courtyards and surrounding parklands or to see the very animated fountain out the front.

La Scala Opera House – Italy’s finest opera house can be found in Milan. If you can’t afford the exuberant prices to see a show then you can enter the museum during the day on a tour ( book here to avoid missing out) to see paintings, musical instruments and get a glimpse at the stalls and backstage areas.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – This huge glass roofed shopping arcade links Duomo Square with La Scala. The stores you will find inside are mostly high end fashion brands and expensive cafes. Take a wander through to admire the roof and the mosaic tiles.

Day Trip to Lake Como – An easy 30-45 minutes train ride from Milan is spectacular Lake Como . When you get off the train and Como Nord Largo (beware, there is three train stations in Como), hop on one of the ferries that goes up and down the lake stopping at the small towns along the way and passing houses owned by Clooney and Branson just to name a few. It’s a beautiful day out with mountain peaks and sheer cliff faces towering over the lake. Hop off at the town of Bellagio, at least, and explore it’s cobblestone streets and charming stores and cafes. An alternative to the train is an organised day trip which you can book here .

Where to Stay in Milan

Budget – Hote Mignon

Mid-Range – Hotel Ritter

Luxury – Mandarin Oriental Milan

Day 13 to 14 – Venice

Train: Milan to Venice – approx. 2.5 hours with at least one direct departure each hour. Take an early morning train from Milan to optimise your time in Venice.

Italy’s sinking city, Venice , is made up of 118 islands connect by bridges and separated by canals, and is literally sinking into the marshy ground it was built on. It’s a city renowned for it’s beauty, architecture and artworks and is best experienced without a map, getting lost in the maze of cobblestone streets and diverse neighborhoods .

What to See & Do in Venice

Piazza San Marco – The city’s largest square and main meeting place. It is surrounded by cafes, shops, museums and some of the city’s best architecture. Beware of the very tame pigeons!

Basilica San Marco – Located in Piazza San Marco, this basilica is one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the city. Inside you will find incredible mosaics and paintings by some of the areas best artists. This ticket will give you direct access to the Basilica and the opportunity to take in the incredible views from the Terrace.

The Grand Canal – This is the main and largest canal that snakes it way through the centre of the main island. It’s always busy with boats and barges running up and down carrying goods and people from dock to dock. A great way to do a quick sightseeing tour is by jumping on a vaporetto (Venice’s public transport) at one end and hopping off at the other.

Doge’s Palace – Once the residence of Venetian leaders, now a museum where you can get a glimpse at some of the rooms used in it’s day including stately reception rooms, offices, living quarters, prison cells and torture chambers. This reserved entry ticket will allow you to skip the queues on entry.

Rialto Bridge – This ornamental stone bridge spans the Grand Canal and is the most popular of Venice’s bridges. It’s a very lively spot where you will find shops and markets lining the bridge.

Take a Gondola Ride – While prices for a private gondola ride are close to €100.00 these days, to me, it is still worth the cost for this quintessential Venetian experience. If your lucky to get a chatty gondolier, he will entertain you with stories and maybe even serenade you as you punt along the canals. Most gondola’s seat 6-8 people, so sharing with others is a great way to save money. Booking ahead here will ensure you don’t miss this must do Venice experience.

Explore the Islands – Just a short boat ride away from the main island of Venice are a number of popular islands you can explore. Murano is know for it glass makers, Burano it’s canals lined with coloured houses and lace making and Lido is lined with beaches, restaurants and shopping. You can reach all of these islands from the ferry terminal near Piazza San Marco or you could join a  guided tour to see it all with a local!

Where to Stay in Venice

Budget – Hotel ai do Mori

Mid-Range – Hotel Bel Sito e Berlino

Luxury – Hotel Danieli, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Read More About Europe

First Timers One Month Europe Itinerary

Have More or Less Time?

There are so many more hidden gems in Italy outside of what I have mentioned above. If you have more than two weeks in Italy then you can extend your stay in two ways. Firstly, you could allocate additional time to some of the places I mentioned above allowing you to go at a more relaxed pace and see more in each destination. Alternatively, why not add a destination or two to your Italy train itinerary. Here are a few suggestions:

• Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast
• The Dolomites

Finally, if you have less than two weeks to spend in Italy, check out my Italy 10 Day Itinerary . You’ll get to see the highlights of this trip in a few less days.

A few things to note:

• Flying into one city and out of another will save you time rather than having to double back to your original destination to fly home. The way airlines work in terms of pricing these day you should not be penalised for doing this.
• Pack light. A backpack or light weight soft case is a good option as it makes getting on an off trains much easier.
• Discounts are available on train tickets when traveling in groups of 2 or more, as a family unit, or for people aged under 26. Prices for point to point tickets above are averaged and may be cheaper or more expensive depending on how far in advance you book and whether there is a sale on at the time.

Over to you!

What is your favourite part of this Italy by train itinerary or where are you most keen to visit?

Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

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302 thoughts on “The Best of Italy by Train: A Two Week Itinerary”

I love Italian trains- the choice between high speed and cheaper local trains make it the perfect way to see the country! I haven’t been to Cinque terre yet but it’s on my list- all the little towns look so gorgeous.

Totally agree Hannah. Hope you get to visit Cinque Terre soon.

I am traveling Italy in august. Is it good time to travel?

Hi Ali! August is when i visited Italy and found it to be a great time of year. It can be quite hot though but that also means really great weather. Dont hesitste to contact me if you have any more questions about your exciting trip!

Thank you Jen for your prompt reply.

I am flying into Venice and Leaving out from Rome, Is it a good Idea?

My pleasure Ali. Yes that sounds like a very time effective way to go. Saves you from having to backtrack to your starting point. What cities, towns or regions are you planning to visit?

Hi, I need some help planning my italy itinerary. I found cheap tickets to naples and going back to the us from naples. I know there will be back tracking, but wanted to know if this was ok. I have about 12 days (including travel) in September. Any advise would help.

Hey Rakesh, Backtracking won’t be a problem as Italy is relatively small so doing a loop would be fine. I’d be happy to help you put together an itinerary that would suit you. Email me what you have so far and we can go from there. [email protected] Cheers Jen

hi Jen, Great itenary!! We are a family of 3 and visiting italy for 12 nights in June first fortnight. Flying into rome and out of venice Any suggests on itenary – rome 3 days Florence 2 days Venice 2 days What else we can do in 4 days ..?

Hi Meenu, Glad you like the itinerary. I would suggest for 12 days, following the same itinerary I have suggested above except remove Assisi and this will give you 12 days. Hope you have a great time! Cheers Jen

Great itinerary tips! I feel the same way about the train – it my favorite mode of transportation in Italy (and Europe).

Thanks Elena. The only way to train in Europe I think.

Great itinerary! We took a train through Italy on a similar route back in 2007 and it was one of the best experiences – great way to get around the country. Though we missed Assisi so may have to get back!

Thanks Megan. I think visiting Assisi is a definitely a good excuse to go back to Italy.

Hi Jen! Are you still giving advice on Italy Itineraries?

Hi Deb, Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to advise. Cheers Jen

This is awesome! I love the way this post is crafted – it’s really nice and easy to read for it being a lengthy post full of information. The galleries of images is a nice break from text, as are the headings. Perfect summary here!

Thanks Alli, appreciate your feedback.

I love trains! They were my favorite way to get around Asia. I definitely miss cheap, efficient transportation now that I’m back in the States.

Me too except I’m in Australia. Not much in the way if cheap and reliable transport here.

Hello Jen- I’m interested in a well priced package that spends 3 days in Milan, 3 in cinque terre… I’d like to extend the trip and spend some days in the Tuscany region would this be possible if we are leaving from Milan or is it too out of the way?… I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks, Lis

Absolutely not! Italy is a reasonably small country and with the addition of high speed trains, it makes it easy to get around quickly. I would suggest at least 3 days in Tuscany, maybe basing yourself in Florence and then taking a day trip to the other towns and the countryside.

OH this sounds so lovely right about now! Great tips for my someday trip to Italy! 🙂 -Alexandra

Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

Thanks Alexandra. Hopefully someday comes soon for you!

I love the way you display your pics on your blog! I agree with you on flying in into one city and flying out of another, it saves a lot of unnecessary traveling. Thank God for low-budget airlines 🙂

Thanks so much Els. Budget airlines are so great yet so bad all at the same time!

Great itinerary! Although I could spend months in Italy and not run out of things to do, this would be a great trip for a first time visit with the limited time most of us had. And I loved traveling Italy by train – it was so easy and the views were amazing!

Thanks Amy. I agree, Italy offers infinite options for travellers an using there trains just makes it easier.

I love Rome, but I think the Cinque Terre is my favorite part of Italy. We stayed in Vernazza and took the train and hiked to the other towns. We ate some of the best food in Vernazza too. Such a beautiful area.

It certainly is Katherine. I remember eating really fresh seafood and pasta.

Hello We are planning our trip to Cinque and I’m not sure what would be the best route coming from Venice and thinking about spending a day in Florence and then to Cinque… what do you suggest? and also is La Spezia the stop for Cinque Terre? and how would we get into Vernazza from the station? Thank you so much!

Hey Quena, Just one day in Florence won’t give you much time when you factor in the 3-4 hours it will take you travelling to and from it on the trains. I’d suggest giving it at least one night if not more. La Spezia is the largest town close to Cinque Terre and is known as the gateway to the region. You can choose to stay there and day trip along the coast or transit through there to access the train that runs along the Cinque Terre. As for getting into Vernazza, just take the train from La Spezia and the station is right in the town. When you get off, everything is less than a few minutes walk away. Hope this helps and that you enjoy this beautiful part of Italy. Cheers Jen

This is such a lovely post. I think I can plan my entire trip based on the details shared here. Thank you so much 🙂

That is great to hear Deepti. Hope you enjoy your trip!

Indeed a great itinerary and comes very handy for people who are venturing into Europe travelling for first time. I loved trenitalia trains and used them during my travels in Italy way back in 2009. They are the best way to see Italy. We did not see a lot of the places, but mostly explored the iconic cities only. Would love to go back there and explore Tuscany, Sicily, Assisi and the Amalfi coast.

Thanks Anu! I love the trains in Italy and Europe. Hope you get to visit some other parts of Italy soon!

Ughh all your Italy posts are giving me major travel envy! 😀 This is such a useful guide. I would love to go to Milan!

Thanks Jessica! Just writing them made me want to go back.

I love this itinerary. Italy is definitely on my bucket list.

Thanks Ashley. Hope you get to visit Italy soon.

We are hoping to travel to Rome for 3 nights then take a train to Florence for 2nights then head to Pisa for the morning on the way to la spezia. I have read on other websites that luggage can be stored at Pisa centrale train station. Do you recommend this? We just want to see the tower before we head to Cinque Terre later that day. We will be travelling with our 2 boys (10 & 13). We also planned to buy our tickets at the stations as we weren’t sure what times we wanted to travel. Do you recommend this in September or is it best to book ahead?

Hi Melissa,

Yes, there is a luggage storage option at Pisa Centrale Station where you can store your bags for an hourly fee. Another option which would cause you less hassle is having your bags transferred from Florence direct to La Spezia. With two teenage boys, this may be a better option.

You shouldn’t have any problems buying your tickets at the stations on the day as it is the shoulder season meaning it shouldn’t be too busy. Try not to travel during morning and evening peak times otherwise you may find yourself standing all the way. Mind you they are only short journies.

I hope you and your family have an amazing time and please let me know if you have any more questions and report back about your trip when you return, I’d love to hear all about it.

Thank you Jen,

That’s something I didn’t know about. I will definitely look into it.

Great advice

My pleasure Melissa. If you have anymore questions don’t hesitate to ask. Happy planning and travels!

I like This website.It is very helpful website.Really very good

Thank you Alina.

What a helpful blog! Gosh, I am so lazy in comparison when it comes to planning. I will be back for some more tips for sure. Cheers,

Thanks Jenn! Glad I could be of help to you.

I’m planning a 2 week trip around Italy in February and can’t tell you how much this helped me! It’s so hard planning a trip for such a short amount of time with oh so many things to do haha

I was wondering if you have been down to the south of Italy at all? A place called Lecce? I have a friend who lives there so it’ll be visiting her and wondering any recommendations you might have for that area? (if you have been)

Also with the low budget airlines mentioned, are there any good ones you recommend?

Thanks Kirstie. I’m so glad that this post has helped you. I have never been any further south than Sorrento unfortunately so I can’t really provide you with any recommendations for Lecce. Lonely Planet http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/puglia/lecce/things-to-do has a good guide on things to see in Lecce you can check out.

As for budget airlines, they are all much the same. If you are flying from the UK or within Europe flight time is short so it’s easy to make to with little leg room and slightly uncomfortable seats. My tip is to pick the airline that offers you the cheapest price with flight arrival and departure times that are convenience to you.

Feel free to email me if you have any more questions. Happy travels!

Great thankyou heaps again!

Jen & Kirstie I was about to comment that an itinerary of Italy that doesn’t go south of Rome is very much a glass half empty. travelling in the south is harder – it is poorer and the infrastructure isn’t as good but for many it is more Italian – more passionate, more crazy and more intense. And Lecce is was of the jewels of Italy not to be missed. There are many others in the south and Sicily well that might just be the best of the best!

Thanks Simon. This itinerary is purely based on my experience. I would love to one day explore further south.

This is awesome! We are meeting family in Italy in March for 10 days and this itinerary will help tremendously. 🙂

Glad I could help Sarah. Happy travel in Italy!

This is a great itinerary that includes a lot of wonderful spots of Italy, it is a bit fast pace for me but still lovely. Train travel is one of my favourite, but there might be a cheaper way to move around the country, it’s car-sharing. We’ve been using it a lot recently but it means being a bit more flexible which it might not necessary go with a thigh schedule.

Thanks for the tips.

Hi Jen I came across your forum and thought I’d pick your brains. My hubby n I are heading to Europe thus year middle of August and have just booked a cruise out if Athens for 10 nights ending in Venice then off to lake Como for 4 nights THEN what do you suggest for the next 3 weeks before heading back to Aust. ( never been to Europe) would like Rome , Switzerland , Paris. Ideas appreciated from anyone and also DONT WANT IT RUSHED …… Cheers

Hi Cheryl! What an exciting trip you have planned. Id be happy to pass on some advise and will send you an email with a few suggestions shortly.

Hi Jen ! I’m traveling to Italy this June with my family starting from Venice and my return flight is from Rome we have 2 weeks can u please let me know which places to go after Venice and what traveling method should we use thx.

Hey Sally! Thanks for stopping by. You trip is going to be amazing. Italy is auch an incredible country. I suugest 3 nights in Venice to really soak it up then onto florence for another 2-3 nights. From there you can do a day trip to Tuscany which is just lovely. Back track a little to Cinque Terre to walk or take the train to the five towns. You’ll need 2 nights there staying in either Le Spezia or one of the five towns depending on your budget. Finish up in Rome for 5 nights. There is heapd to see in Rome and you can take a few nice day trips from there to Orvieto and/or Assisi. I suggest you do all of this by train with maybe the odd day trip tour thrown in. Trains are incredibly easy to use in Europe and drop you right in the heart of each city so its super convenient too. Feel free to drop me an email with any other questions you might have. Im move than happy to help. Happy travels!

Hi Jen, your itinerary to see the best of Italy in 2 weeks is very helpful. My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy this April for 2 weeks to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We were thinking of visiting Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Capri islands. But your suggestion of seeing Cinque Terre is very interesting. We will be travelling from India (Bangalore). Is April a good time to visit Italy? Any more suggestions about the places we could cover in 2 weeks?

HI Gayathri. Congratulations on the anniversary, A visit to Italy is a really nice way to celebrate. Your itinerary sounds great and April will be a really nice time as the weather will be warming up but not too hot and you should get lots of sunshine. My only suggestion would be maybe staying in Sorrento rather than Naples. I don’t know if there was something specific you wanted to see in Naples but from Sorrento you can easily get to Capri as well as Pompeii and the incredible Amalfi coast which is my favourite place in Italy. Happy planning and feel free to email me if you have any more questions. [email protected]

Jen, thank you so much. I would surely like to visit the Amalfi coast, but my only constraint is time. Your advice to go to Sorrento and then to Capri is well taken. I would include Pompeii if I can make it a day trip from Sorrento, is it possible? Thank you. Gayathri.

My pleasure Gayathri. From Sorrento it is an easy to do half or full day trips to Pompeii, Capri and Amalfi Coast. Viator is a great website for finding tours. Here is a link to my affiliate page http://www.partner.viator.com/en/14046/ Feel free to email me [email protected] if you want more help picking tours or with any other travel planning questions and I’ll be happy to help!

Jen, thank you so much. How safe is Rome and South Italy from your experience? I am getting a lot of reports that pick-pocketing and purse snatching are rampant, especially on trains.

Thanks again for all the information.

Hi Gayathri, Petty crime like pick-pocketing etc can happen anywhere in the world, and Italy is no exception. Where there is tourists there is petty crime. It is completely unavoidable and not something you should be worried about. My advise is to never carry too much cash or valuable items with you and make sure you know where your belongings are at all times. Never put your wallet in your back pocket. On the trains keep your bags close or within eye sight. There are racks above the seat that will fit large packs (we put 15kg, 60L packs up there no worries) and racks at the ends of the carriages for larger bags. I really hope this assures you that there is nothing to be concerned about and just enjoy your trip. Cheers Jen

Hi Jen, We are back from our two week trip to Italy and we had a wonderful time. Your advice and itinerary were very helpful. Thank you so much. We started from Venice, went to Sienna and then to Florence, then Rome. From Rome we went to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius too. The weather was excellent throughout. I took your advice and booked the tours on Viator – they were really good. Thanks once again. Gayathri.

Oh I am so glad to hear that you had a great time Gayathri and that my itinerary and advise was helpful. Feel free to get in touch anytime when planning your next adventure!

Such great guide! I love it =) We have only been in Rome and then the Marche region.. This opened up my eyes for the rest of Italy, love this country!

Thanks Jessica. Hope you get to explore more of this wonderful country soon.

Do you have any recommendations for a driver for hire for a family of 6? We plan on being in Tuscany as part of our trip in early August.

Hi Steve This isn’t something I have personal experience with but I can certainly ask around with some other travel bloggers and see if I can get a recommendation for you. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Cheers

Excellent, thank you.

Hi Steve, One of my fellow traveller’s has come through for you. She has used Alessandro twice now and he comes highly recommended. You can find his Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/alessandrocammilliwinetours?fref=ts Hope this help. Cheers Jen

Thank you for the great tips! I will be traveling with my family to Italy for 2 weeks in December 2015. We are 8 people. I would like to follow your suggested itinerary; however, is it also doable in December (winter time)? Also, we will arrive in Rome and have to fly out of Rome too. Thanks in advance for the help!

Hi Lala, Sounds like your going to have an amazing family vacation. Because of Italy’s Mediterranean location it doesn’t get as cold as some other parts of Europe however the can still get pretty chilly in the north of the country around the Alps. This shouldn’t cause you any problems travelling in December. In fact I imagine it will be much quieter than in summer. As for finishing up in Rome that it easy. All you have to do is take the train back to Rome when your finished in Venice. The journey is about 3 hours 45 minutes and there are services about once an hour with no changes required. I hope this has been of help and do let me know if you have any more questions. Happy planning and travels. Cheers

How long is the train from Rome to Cinque Terre? Both by slow and express train, also what would be the prices for both options?

Hi Keven, The fastest way to get from Rome to Cinque Terre is by direct train to Le Spezia and then change to a local train to the towns along the Cinque Terre. This will take you around 4-4.5 hours. The slower way would be to make an additional change in Florence. The journey for this would be around 1 hour more. In terms of prices, this is depend greatly on the time of the year, day of the week and what class you wish to travel in. You can find links under the Train Tickets section above to my suggested ticketing agents relevant to your home country. Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any more planning questions and I’ll be happy to help. Happy travels. Cheers Jen

I came across your forum and found it great helpful. we couple are planning to travel italy for 2 weeks in dec 2015. we wanted to visit Rome , naples (Pompei, sorronto and Amalfi) Florance, Pisa and Milan and venice and if posible to Rimini as well. ( but i dont think we have enough time for rimini). our plan is to travel by train to these places. we are from melbourne and our starting point is to Rome and return filght from Venice. Now my concern is if we should go for point to point train tickets or for a rail pass. As far to understood rail pass doesnt do reservation and not sutiable for this trip. What you do recon ? Any suggestion on my plan ? can i plan somthing better ? And also is there any necessary to book a car or can we manage all places by train ? This is our first trip to italy for both of us and we are very much excited about our trip :).. Cheers, Vandhana.

Hi Vandhana Your trip sounds really exciting! I think your itinerary is perfect but you may struggle to fit in Rimini. My suggestion would be to spend more quality time in a few places rather than trying to fit in as many as possible. And arriving in Rome and departing Venice is a very smart thing to do saving you time and money having to double back to your starting point at the end of the trip. With your train tickets you do have two options. Point to point and a pass. Before you book either option make sure you check the prices as a pass is not always cheapest. It depends greatly on how many segments you travel and what type of trains you travel on. Fast, express trains that require reservations cost more. Seat reservations can be made on top of your pass and cost extra. I highly recommend checking out the RailPlus website for more details on rail tickets. Their customer service team are extremely helpful with answering questions and assisting you with making bookings and seat reservations. I use them when I travel by train. I definitely think the train is the way to go. If you had a car you would likely find it a hassle to park in just about every place your visiting and once your in a city for a few days a car is useless as public transport in Italy is efficient. Please don’t hesitate to email me [email protected] if you have any more questions or just want to bounce ideas off me. Happy travels and planning! Cheers Jen

Thank you Jen. I will check the Railplus website for the train details and take ur advice to spend quality time in few places rather than rushing up. Thank you for great tips 🙂

Good luck and feel free to contact me at any time with questions.

Jen, this post is excellent! Easy to follow and rich with informations! Your itinerary is really good as well: you touch some within the best places to see in Italy. I’m hope you had a good time and that you will be back.

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide me with those lovely comments Carlotta. I love Italy and do very much hope to visit there again someday.

Hi Jen I would like to train travel Italy in June. Would I be able to find accommodation each day as I travel or do you think that would be difficult? Julie

Hi Julie, It is difficult to say for June as it is coming into peak season. I believe you would have more chance in June than say July or August (peak season). What you could try is booking online a few days in advance when you have more of an idea of what your plans are. This will most certainly guarantee you to find something. Also try to avoid being in places when there are events or festivals happening. Accommodation disappears months in advance when things are going on. Happy planning! Cheers Jen

my wife and I will be staying with family in Tuscany for a week. Would it be possible to do some of these as day trips from tuscany?

We will be there mid september

Absolutely, getting to places like Florence, Siena, Pisa and Lucca (just to name a few) are really easy from Tuscany for day trips. For places further afield you could still do it in a day but in my opinion it wouldn’t be worth it. You could try some overnight trips if you did want to travel outside of Tuscany. Happy travels.

Hi Jen, thank you for this amazing write up 🙂

My friend and I are travelling Italy in mid-May onwards for 2 weeks, and we are so excited, we don’t quite know where to start! Likely to have our tickets in and out of Rome, and I am so happy to have seen this site, sheds a lot of light 🙂

Question though, how many days in advance should we be booking our train tickets? Is purchasing on the go advisable though, or should we book months in advance (given that its mid-March now)

Hey Alyssa. Thanks for getting in touch. Just got your email and I’ve just replied.

Thank you for such wonderful information! Planning a two week Italy/Paris trip, post high-school graduation with my daughter, flying into Athens and flying out of Paris. As we plan to spend most of our time in Italy, this itinerary is perfect — thank you! two general questions: (a)do you have any thoughts/suggestions on train travel from Italy to Paris? (b) Is there a particular site you recommend for lodging information in Italy? Thank you again for taking the time to post all this wonderful information – it’s truly invaluable to those of us visiting a country for the first time.

HI Elli, Sounds like a great way to celebrate your daughters graduation. From Milan in Northern Italy there is a direct overnight train that you can get to Paris which takes around 10 hours. You’ve got the option of doing the journey in an ordinary chair or having a sleep cabin. There are both private and shared cabins onboard. From anywhere else in Italy you are looking at 14 hours at least with multiple changes required. Flying might be the best option here. As for booking sites, this will depend entirely on where you are from as each country has its own agencies. If you are in Australia I recommend RailPlus.com.au. Accommodation will depend entirely on what your budget and style is. If you are after cheap then you can find hostels on HostelWorld.com. Most hostels are more than dorms and offer private rooms with private bathrooms. You get lots of inclusions, with some even offering free wi-fi which you would usually have to pay a hefty fee for in ordinary hotels. Feel free to email me any time with more questions or just to run any ideas you have by me. Cheers Jen

Jen, this is incredible! I’ve been procrastinating planning my trip because I was just too overwhelmed. Your itinerary is so incredibly helpful, I feel as if I have an idea of what I’ll be doing now. Can’t thank you enough!

Can I ask your expert opinion? You mentioned above the Amalfi Coast was your favorite however, this will be my first trip to Italy. Do you recommend hitting the tourist sites or sacrificing some to tour the Amalfi Coast? I’ll have 2 weeks in early September. I would love to fly into Milan to Venice, La Spezia, Florence, Tuscany, Rome – just like you suggest. Is it much trouble to reach Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast? Do you think I’ll be able to manage it all? I’ll be flying out of Rome. Or I can swap and begin in Rome and fly from Milan…

Thank you so much!

So glad to help Lindsey! It is pretty simple to get from Rome to Sorrento and 1-2 nights there would be enough for you to see the Amalfi Coast on a ferry for the day. If you love stunning coastline and relaxed villages then you will love Amalfi. While Milan is nice, Italy has so much more to offer. My advise would be to skip it and allow yourself more time to get to Amalfi or spend more time in Rome, Venice or Florence. While it might be a little hectic fitting in Rome, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre and Amalfi, it is most certainly doable with enough time to see the main sights and a few off the beaten path ones as well. Feel free to email me any time if you want to chat further. [email protected] Cheers Jen

Great itinerary tips here! I’m planning for a trip to Italy this August with my family and am definitely coming back to your page when I really start planning for it! A quick question for now, my brother is a wheelchair user. Will it be convenient for him to take trains in Italy? Any other tips regarding the accessibility of Italy? Thanks in advance! 🙂

Hi Joyce. Thanks for your kind words. I have no idea about travelling in a wheelechair but a good friend of mine does. I’ve messaged him and will let you know if he can help soon. Cheers Jen

This is amazing, thank you for the great itinerary! My wife and I are going on a 2-week vacation in Italy this August (our first time in Europe too). So this is such a big help, we’re so excited! Our itinerary begins with 4 nights in Venice, 4 nights in Florence, and capped off with 5 nights in Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore).

We plan to visit the museums/galleries, churches/historical sites, and lots of walking around during our stay in Venice and Florence. We’d book ourselves a half-day Chianti wine tour as well. But after that, we’d just relax by the sea and absorb as much of the coastal villages during our loooooong stay in Cinque Terre.

We haven’t reserved rooms nor bought plane tickets yet so our plan is completely flexible as of this moment. But are we staying at each city too long? Should we insert another city in our plan? What do you think?

So glad you found this helpful. Your itinerary sounds really great and nice an relaxing. If you wanted to fit one more place in then I would suggest Rome. You could take 2 nights from Cinque Terre and one each from Venice and Florence to do 4 nights in Rome. If you decide to do this I suggest flying into Venice and out of Rome to avoid having to back track. If you want a really relaxed trip with lots of time to just chill then I think what you have already is just perfect.

If you’re looking for places to stay I have just created a new page that is full of my recommendations based on my experience. You’ll find it here https://thetrustedtraveller.com/where-to-stay/ .

Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any follow up questions or want to run anything by me. I’m always happy to help!

Hi there–

I have the age old question of luggage. I’m traveling in Italy for about 3 and a half weeks this summer with my mom. I’ll be in Milan, Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre, Rome, Naples. I always debate whether or not to take a bag with wheels or a backpack. We will be traveling internally exclusively by train. Do you still recommend a backpack over a bag with wheels? Lost of cobbled streets? Stairs with no alternative but to carry bag? I’d hate to be schlepping a bag on my shoulders the whole trip but I will if it seems that it is easier than struggling with a rolley bag.

I am more partial to a backpack for trips where I will be moving from place to place so that is what I would suggest for your trip (which sounds great BTW). There are also bags that are backpacks but also have wheels which give you the freedom to do both, however as you can image the bag weight alone is quite heavy without all over your stuff in it.

If you do go with a backpack I have a few tips for taking some of the weight off your shoulders. – Pack smaller bottles of toiletries with just enough in them to last your whole trip. – Carefully consider what items of clothing you pack ensuring that each item goes with at least two others and can be used for multiple occasions. – Consider investing in some quick dry clothing that you can wash in the hotel sink. – As much as we love out electronic devices these days, avoid taking too many as each one is extra weight you have to carry.

I hope you have a really great time in Italy.

Thank you so much for such an informative article, it’s a life saver for first time visitors to Italy like us. We are planning a trip either beginning of August or mid September (still trying to decide, since we don’t like hot wheater) for about two weeks, and your itinerary sounds great, except that we would love to spend a couple of days on a beach. Which beaches would you say are must see in Italy and how would you change your itinerary to make this happen? Thank you in advance!

I am so glad this itinerary has helped you.

Firstly if you don’t like the heat I would recommend September over August. We were in Italy in August and it was very hot.

I have a few suggestions for you to spend a couple of days on the beach. You could add a few additional days in Cinque Terre. The town, Monterosso, has a lovely beach. Or from Rome you could travel south to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento where you could stay a few days and enjoy the villages with nice beaches. Both of these options could be done within the two weeks with a few adjustments to the rest of the itinerary.

Alternatively, if you have some additional time, I have heard only great things about Sicily, which would require a bit more effort to get to, but you’d be rewards with some of Italy’s best beaches.

Good luck with you trip planning and please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any more questions as I am always happy to chat travel!.

I am travelling with my wife and two kids 6 & 12 on june 8th for 2 weeks. I will be flying into venice and leaving out from Rome. Any thoughts how do I plan for my trip?

Hi Ajoo, You kids must be excited for the trip! This itinerary is a great place for you to start as it is two week exactly and you could do it in reverse order, starting in Venice, ending in Rome. I’d be happy to answer any more specific questions you have as you go about your planning. Feel free to email me [email protected] at any time. All the best with your planning. Jen

Nicely done—great descriptions and concisely presented. I’m using this as my template for a trip in September.

Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Don. I am so glad that you have found this post useful. All the best with your travel planning.

can you tell me the total cost of 2 weeks trip for Italy for couple?

Hi Attique, The cost would vary depending on the level of comfort you’d prefer for accommodation, things you’d like to see and do and what sort of places you’d like to eat at. I’d be happy to discuss this further with you if you’d like to email me [email protected] and I with a few more details I could help you out with an overall cost. Cheers Jen

I am looking to take my family of 5 to Italy in March 2016. We will be there for approximately 10-11 days depending on the flights we get. It will be over Easter, so I am not sure if it would be worth the experience to be in Rome/Vatican City then, or to avoid it. Also, we would like to hit Rome, Naples, Florence, and Venice. What is the best way to do this, and is it any better flying into Venice and traveling south or vice versa Rome and head north.

Hi Matt! I think arriving at either Rome, Venice or Naples and leaving from the opposite will be your best bet and I don’t think it will matter which direction you go (north to south or south to north) unless there is something specific you want to see and do on a specific day. As for being in Rome for Easter, I personally haven’t been there over the Easter break but know people who have and they very much enjoyed the experience of seeing the Pope on his Easter parade through the city. However, if you want to avoid the crowds, then I would avoid Rome for the Easter weekend. Feel free to email me anytime if you have any more travel planning queries and I’ll be more than happy to help. [email protected] Cheers Jen

So excited to find this itinerary!! Planning a trip for our 30th wedding anniversary. We’ve been to Venice so may just cut that part out. Do you feel this itinerary does allow for some ‘down’ time to relax? Or should I add a day or two? Also, what would be a good amount to budget for lodging and food each day? Not looking for anything fancy. Just clean. Thanks so much!!!!

Hi Tina, I’m so glad this itinerary is useful to you and congratulations on the big anniversary. I hope you have a wonderful trip. To answer your questions I’d say if you cut out Venice as you said, this would give you more down time in other places. Maybe add an additional night or two in the Cinque Terre region or add a few nights stay outside of Florence in Tuscany. Both are regions you can really relax and get away from the crowds for a bit. As for a budget for accommodation and food, this will depend entirely on your personal preferences and standards. You can check out my Where to Stay page https://thetrustedtraveller.com/where-to-stay/ for the places I suggest and this will be a good starting off point for you. Feel free to email me ( [email protected] ) if you want to chat further about this and I can guide you in the right direction for your budget. All the best. Cheers Jen

This is awesome!! Thanks so much for this. I would have done an organised tour (which I really didn’t want to do) if not for this information. I’m going to be doing a three and a half month trip to Europe next year starting in London flying from Sydney on April 9th, and Italy will make up 18 nights of my trip. I’m going to be doing lots of big cities, and was thinking that while I’m in Italy I might try staying in some smaller places. I don’t really want to visit Milan, but I was going to as it seemed convenient to follow your logical route and because I want to go to Lake Como. I was given some advice that it might make more sense to actually stay in Lake Como instead of Milan, and I found what looks like a great hostel in Mennagio. What do you think of this? Also I’m considering actually staying at one of the Cinque Terre towns, instead of La Spezia which you suggested. I realise I’d need to catch a train to La Spezia then a small regional one into CT. I found again what looks to be a good hostel in Manarola. Should I take a night off Florence or Rome to stay the night in Assisi or is it possible to stop on the way through?

This is my intended route for Italy starting from mid May 2016, flying in from Nice, and flying from Rome to Athens to continue my trip. The number is the nights I will stay in one place for and brackets is transport to the next place. 3 – Venice (train) (stop at Verona on the way) (day trip with Italy on a Budget to the islands) 2 –Mennagio (Lake Como) (instead of Milan) (train) to La Spezia then regional train to CT 2 – Manarola (Cinque Terre) – (train) 42 total nights 4 – Florence (day trip to Pisa, Siena, Grapes Tuscany tour by Italy on a budget to Tuscany) stop in Assisi on the way (train) 4 – Rome 3 – Italian Adventure with Italy on a Budget- Rome to Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi and Rome

Hey Brooke! What an adventure you are going to have next year. It all sounds really great. If you want to get out of the big cities and spend some more time in the smaller towns then I would definitely agree with the advise that you have been given in regard to staying in Lake Como rather than Milan and staying in Manarola rather than La Spezia. Milan, while a nice city, is really just another big Italian city and if your only reason to go there is to visit Lake Como then definitely go with the Lake Como option instead. Your itinerary sounds good and you are definitely going to be seeing lots of the country, making the most of your time with day trips. For Assisi, I would recommend trying to fit that in on the way through rather than loosing a night in Rome or FLorence. It is a really nice little town but you can quite easily see its highlights in a few hours. Good luck with putting together the rest of your trip and please do not hesitate to email me ( [email protected] ) at any time if you have any more questions or just want to bonce ideas off me. Cheers Jen

Thanks heaps Jen!! I’m so excited, this will be my first trip solo, and first time to Europe. and this plan is the result of 2 months of research (I mean for my whole trip). I think I’ve nearly got my whole trip route planned now, and I can focus on choosing places to stay, putting together ideas for what I want to do when I’m in each place (I don’t want to waste time doing this when I’m away so I plan on having a big numbered list to choose from which will be flexible to take on board advise from other travelers and locals when I am there) and I’m waiting on the release dates for tours next year. Have you had any experience with Italy on a Budget? All the reviews on Tripadvisor look great. Do you think starting in Venice in mid May would be a good time to go? I might take you up on that offer and email you my whole itinerary, but I understand you would be really busy.

Thanks for all your help

Thanks you for posting this blog myself and my partner are going to follow it to a t, the only difference is we want to spend two night in Amalfi Coast but not sure what part we don’t won’t to go too far south could you recommend somewhere please.

Thanks, Dee

Hey Dee, Glad the itinerary is useful for you. You have two options for the Amalfi Coast. Stay in the town of Sorrento and then take a day trip along the Amalfi Coast either by boat (my preference) or by bus. You can easily see the coast and stop in the towns of Amalfi and Positano on a day trip. Or you can stay on the coast itself in either Amalfi or Positano. This option would be a little more expensive but give you the freedom to explore a little more. Feel free to email me if you’d like to discuss more. Cheers Jen

I m in love with the way you have written out the itinerary.. m travelling with my family including my 6 yr old to Italy for 12 days in August. Currently we have 4 nights in rome, 2 nights in la spezia to visit cinque terre, 4 nights in florence and 2 nights in venice. thereafter we continue for a week to switzerland. I have a few questions, what is the best way to see rome, i wanted to plan some day trips, but the guided tours seem too expensive. Is there another option? Also we want to visit Naples/ Amalfi coast what would be the best way to do this? Lastly i know buying point to point train tickets would be cheaper in italy, but since we are going to switzerland after, would having a eurorail global pass make sense? thanks for your help

Hey Nimeesha, Thank you for your kind words about my itinerary. I am so glad that you have made the choice to travel to Italy and Switzerland as they are both really beautiful countries with lots to see and do. You itinerary sounds great so far. Rome is an easy city to get around on the metro and a lot of the sights are easy to walk to from one another. Alternatively the open top hop-on-hop-off bus is a cheaper than taking a city tour and offers a good route through the city allowing you to hop on and off as many times as you like over the 1, 2 or 3 days. You can find more info about that here http://www.partner.viator.com/en/14046/tours/Rome/Rome-Hop-On-Hop-Off-Sightseeing-Tour/d511-6980ROME If you have the time, you can add an additional 2 nights to your trip to explore the Amalfi Coast and Naples area. You can take a train from Rome to Naples, change to a local service which will take you to Sorrento, a nice place to base yourself for exploring the region. From Sorrento you can do boat trips along the coast stopping in the towns of Amalfi and Positano. You can also make a stop on the train to/from Sorrento to explore Pompeii for an hour or two. For your tickets, it will depend entirely on how many segments (travel days) you will be doing in total. If you use the link under tickets in this post you can compare the cost of a pass that will cover all your segments with the cost of purchasing point to point tickets. Don’t forget to factor in seat reservations for both options if you want a reserved seat. I hope this has been of assistance and please feel free to email me ( [email protected] ) should you have any follow up questions or want to run anything by me. I am always happy to hear from fellow travels. Cheers Jen

Just wanted to drop a quick note and say bravo on this piece. It has helped my husband and I immensely and although we are taking a slightly different route by train, your recommendations and tips are very beneficial.

Thank-you and keep up the great work. I’ll be sure to visit your site next time we travel for great advise and tips!

Regards, Hilary

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this note Hilary. It means a lot to me to be able to help people plan their travels and I am so glad this info was helpful to you and your husband. Please don’t hesitate to contact me again in the future should you need any further tips or advice.

Hi Jen, do you think this itinerary will work for when I go in December?

Hi Zuhairi,

This itinerary can absolutely be done at any time of year. Italy is a great country to visit all year round.

All the best with your trip!

Do you know how much the trip would roughly cost for 2 teenagers aged 18 planning to go this December?

Hi Zuhairi, It will depend entirely on what type of accommodation you choose and what type of meals you are expecting to eat. Feel free to email me with more detail and I’ll be happy to help you work out a budget. [email protected] Cheers Jen

I am in the first stages of planning a trip to Paris (7-10 days) and then training through Italy. I am so pleased I came across your site. Great information to help my planning. A few questions. If we took existing suitcases would these prove too much of a hassle on trains? A backpack wouldn’t be enough room as we will be going out for dinner where husband will need to wear a suit etc. Also, I have this vision of sitting outside in a small village having a wonderful local meal and enjoying a wine looking out at the Mediterranean and relaxing. Would you suggest Cinque Terre or Amalfi coast as the best place to be able to do this. Rome is for rushing to see all the sights and I want to balance the big cities with down time in smaller places to soak up atmosphere. I wasn’t looking at Milan but Lake Como looks stunning. I would love to see some alps so would you suggest travelling through Switzerland on the way from Paris to Venice or spending time in Lake Como with its view of the alps. If Switzerland, where would you suggest to visit for 1 or 2 nights. Thank you for the great information you give out. This is going to be my go to site now.

Thank you for the kind words Lorraine. It is very nice for me to hear that this information is useful to others when planning their trips. Below are the answers to your questions. Feel free to email me ( [email protected] ) if you have anything to follow up or want to run more ideas by me. I’m always happy to help.

If you limit yourself to one suitcase each and one small carry-on type backpack or handbag, you should be fine getting on and off the trains. Try not to overload the suitcases to much so they aren’t too heavy and so that you have room to bring home anything you might like to purchase along the way.

If I had to choose between the Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast I would choose Amalfi every time. I was blown away by it’s beauty more so than Cinque Terre. However if you like hiking then Cinque Terre might be more suitable for you as you can do the walk between the towns. Both you can do exactly what you are visualising.

Lake Como is indeed beautiful and does give you the chance to see the Alps. It is easy to get around the lake on a hop-on hop-off boat and the little towns are really beautiful and nice to explore on foot.

I do really love Switzerland but think it deserves more time than just a night or two so I would go with the Lake Como option for this particular trip. However if you do really want to visit Switzerland, Interlaken is beautiful town completely surrounded by the mountains. Or Lucerne is also nice, but bigger, and is a great place for day trips up into the mountains. (A little more info on Switzerland https://thetrustedtraveller.com/travel-guides/switzerland-travel-guide/ )

Another alternative would be the town of Annecy in the French Alps right near the boarder of Switzerland. It is one of my favourite places in Europe and would fit nicely in your trip with a balance of biggers cities and smaller towns. (More info on France, including Paris and a bit on Annecy https://thetrustedtraveller.com/travel-guides/france-travel-guide/ )

Hope this has helped and please don’t hesitate to let me know if I can help you in any other way with your trip.

Thank you so much for your ideas. Annecy looks postcard perfect. That’s the trouble with Europe – so many beautiful places and so little time (and money) I will be reading all of your Europe guides to gain more for information. Working out the most cost effective versus must see way to train from Paris to Rome will take some time but I do enjoy the research. Im sure I will have more questions later but thank you for the help you have already given esp regarding the baggage and also Amalfi v Cinque Terre. I will definitely be adding in somewhere near alps – just not sure yet if French, Italian or Swiss. cheers Lorraine

I’m going Italy for two weeks next year July by myself, this itinerary helped a lot, but I’m slightly worried about the budget for the whole trip.

Hi Jettson, Glad this itinerary has helped. Your budget will depend entirely on what type of accommodation you stay in, where you choose to eat and how many paying attractions you want to visit. Feel free to email me [email protected] will more info on these things and I’ll be able to help you out with a budget.

Hi! i’m planning a trip to Switzerland and and Italy for this winter. I’ll be spending 2 nights in Zurich, 2 nights in Lucerne, and a night in Zermatt for the Switzerland leg. For the Italian leg i’ll be spending a night in Venice and 3 nights each in Milan, Florence, and Rome. Do you have any suggestions of what i should do in the winter?

Hi Trisha, Thanks for your comment. Your trip sounds so exciting. Europe in the winter is supposed to be beautiful. For Italy, much of what you can do in Summer, you can do in Winter. Here is a link to everything we have done in Italy ( https://thetrustedtraveller.com/tag/italy/ ). For northern Italy and Switzerland, winter sports like skiing, snowboard, sledging etc are all very popular and easy to arrange when you are there. If you are there around Christmas time, Europe’s Christmas markets are amazing so see if you can visit one of them maybe in Zurich or Lucerne. From Lucerne I highly recommend taking the cog train and gondola to Mt Pilatus ( http://www.pilatus.ch/en/ ). Hope this helps and that you have a great trip. If you have any specific questions please feel free to email us ( [email protected] ). Cheers Jen

This is great! I’m planning on going to Italy for my next big trip. Just out of curiosity, what was your budget approximately for this?

Thanks Natasha. Glad you have found it useful. You budget will depend entirely on the type of accommodation, food and activities you do. I’d be happy to advise you more on this through email if you’d like to email me a bit more details about these things. [email protected] . Cheers

Please add me to your mailing list.

Thanks Gillian

Thanks Gillian. I have just added you.

Hey Jen! My husband and I were hoping to visit Italy this summer– but we were looking at those guided tour groups that already plan out the hotels/travel arrangements to help prevent a planning headache. I was wondering if touring by yourself instead of with a group is the cheaper option? Plus I want to visit Cinque Terre– and I can’t find a group tour that visits there…

Overall we want to see Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Rome. Wondering if you could give advice on traveling (like how many nights to stay in each place). My email is: [email protected]

Would love to hear some advice! Thanks!

Hi Anna, It would definitely be cheaper to travel independently than with a group. While I do like group tours from time to time, travelling independently gives you far more freedom. As for how many night to say in say place, this would depend on what you wanted to see and do in each place. A few rough numbers i’d suggest would be 3 nights each in Venice and Florence, 2 in Cinque Terre and 4 in Rome. Of course if you are wanting to see more than just the famous sites, i’d allow a bit more time. Hope you have a great time in Italy and feel free to email use with any follow up questions. Cheers Jen

Hey Jen, I was looking at doing a family (w 3 kids 16,20,22) trip to Italy in June over 14/15 days. Becoming too overwhelming and expensive. Thinking of hitting Venice, Florence, AmafiCoast, Latina(family 2 to 3 nts), Rome but Cinqua Terre sounds pretty cool. Do you have the perfect itinerary? Considering arr/dep Milan since a lot cheaper. Would love your help, John

Thanks John. The itinerary in this post would be my perfect itinerary for Italy. If your going to add Latina I would suggest dropping something off my itinerary as it will be pretty full on. Maybe the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre because they are quite similar. Arriving into Milan would be easy to just take the train straight over to Venice in a few hours. Hope this helps and don’t hesitate to email us with any follow up questions.

Hello Jen, I have enjoyed your blog and appreciate yours and others comments. Can you advice on this itinerary liosted below? Is train travel best? I noted a Venice to Rome train that takes over 6 hours but travels at night from 12:21 am to 6:35 am. I figured we could sleep on train and then have plenty of time to get from Rome Train Station to the Airport for 2pm flight out. What is best way to get from Rome Termini to the Airport?

We have 2 weeks but first week is dedicated to family reunion in Campbobasso and transportation is provided. I am a single father going with my 4 children age 24 to 17.

Here is a loose itinerary:

Aug 1-3 Rome Aug 4-7 Compobasso Aug 8-9 Florence Aug 10-11 Coastal area North of Rome (Cinque Terre or Pisa or both????) Aug 12-13 Venice Aug 14 sleep on train from Venice to Rome??????? Aug 15 Depart Leonardo di Vincvi Rome Airport at 2pm.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Joe Liptow

Hi Joe, Thanks so much and I am so glad you have found this info useful. Travelling by train overnight is a great way to save money on accommodation. So if that is something you are comfortable with then I’d say go for it. From Rome Termini you can take the Leonardo Express train from platform 24. Departures are every 30 minutes. The train is the easiest and quickest way to get around and will work perfectly for your itinerary. Your itinerary looks good. Only suggestion I would make is visiting Cinque Terre only, not Pisa. With only two days you will need the time in Cinque and Pisa really is just a tower. Hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to email us should you have any follow up questions. ( [email protected] Have a fantastic trip! Cheers Jen

Jen, your site is tremendously helpful! My husband and I will be in Italy at the end of August. We will be coming from Morocco where we will be visiting our daughter for about a week so that unfortunately cuts our time Italy. If we have only 11/2 week in Italy what would you suggest cutting out? We are physically fit and like to walk/hike and although we don’t want to miss some of the tourist things that are a MUST we are not interested in visiting a bunch of museums/churchs… we are more interested in the romance of Italy and the beautiful scenery and people. I am thinking the Amalfi Coast sounds wonderful as so does Cinque Terre, but would you do both? It is my husbands first trip there so I don’t want to miss some of the major landmarks though either. Thanks so much! Kelly

Hi Kelly, Thanks so much! If you like to walk and the outdoors I would definitely leave in Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast. I would suggest cutting Florence as it is mostly about churches and art galleries, although it is still a pretty and interesting city. Hope this helps and if you ever need anything else, please don’t hesitate to email me [email protected] . Cheers Jen

Hello Jen, My family is planning to visit Italy for the 1st time in June for 2 weeks and would love some guidance. We will be traveling with our 4 and 8 year old boys. We are thinking of starting in Rome and heading towards Venice. Is this a good idea? What would be your suggestions of places to see on our way to Venice? Should we go a different direction? Would love to squeeze an a beach day in the middle to make the boys happy 🙂 I also would like to go to Ampli but probably to far the other direction right? Do you suggest us traveling by train? Also would you suggest using a tour guide in any of the cities we visit?

Thank you for your help.

Hi Malika, Thanks for you message. I would suggest doing exactly as the itinerary above suggests except skipping Assisi for Amalfi coast. The kids can have a beach day in either Amalfi or Cinque Terre too. Also train would definitely be the easiest way to get around, just make sure you don’t bring too much luggage as you will have to carry it all with you. IN the cities, keep an eye out for free walking tours. They are a great intro to each city and the guides are always very good because they work for tips only. Hope this has been of some help to you. Cheers Jen

Thank you Jen for all the tips 🙂 We are starting in Rome- When should be our stop to Amalfi coast? Should that be a couple days trip? We will skip Assisi.

I’d suggest spending your time in Rome and then moving onto Amalfi coast from there and then making your way north again. You’ll need at least 2 nights there.

Hi Jen, I really love your site. I’m planning on going to Italy with my 2 friends early september time for about 2 weeks of travel. We have just started looking into it and are just starting to figure out the places we want to go to. Do you think Venice, Verona (max 1/2 day), Milan, Florence (into Cinque Terre for a day or so), Rome and then into Naples to see Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri is doable? I realise our time is quite limited and we do have a lot on our list, or would you recommend taking some places out and spending more time in others, if so which would you suggest? Any help would be much appreciated!

Hi Hazel, Thanks for your kind words. Two weeks is the perfect amount of time to see the highlights of Italy. Here is what I suggest based on the places you mentioned you’d like to visit: Venice – 3 nights – half day trip to Verona Cinque Terre – 2 nights Florence – 3 nights – day trip into Tuscany Rome – 4 nights Sorrento – 2 nights – visit Pompeii on the way there and day trip Capri and Amalfi coast. So a total 14 nights. I suggest skipping Milan unless something there really interests you, we found it to be the least interesting place we visited in Italy. There also isn’t a lot to see in Naples itself so I’ve suggested to base yourself in Sorrento instead. I hope this helps and if you have any other questions I am always happy to help, just drop me an email [email protected] Cheers Jen

We are planning a trip to Italy and have devoured your site. It is wonderful. Two quick questions:

1) Do train tickets need to be purchased in advanced? For an exact time? 2) When getting off the train, are there taxis to get us to the hotel OR prearrange transfer?

Thanks for any help, I am sure I will be continuing to ask questions.

Hi Shawn, So glad that you found our site useful. Here are the answers to your questions: 1) No you are not required to make reservations in advance. Although it would be recommended depending on the time of year you are travelling. If it is peak season over summer you may find yourself having to wait a few hours at the train station for an available seat. Outside of this you would be ok to make reservation at the station on the day. 2) The train stations in Europe are usually right in the heart of the city centre so you can either walk (if your accommodation is close enough), take public transport like subway, bus or tram or you can take a taxi which are readily available at all train stations. Hope this has helped! Cheers Jen

I’m planning to follow your itinerary for my trip to italy. But i would be going from mid december to end december, which is winter. Do you think that’s still a good idea?

Hi Jen! This is great information! very helpful! We are planning a trip to Italy We are flying into and leaving from Rome, so there will be some back tracking involved (16 nights total that includes the last night we have to be back in rome). We are travelling with our 5 and 8 year olds. We were thinking of 5 nights in rome, 2-3 in Florence, 2 in Cinque Terre, 2-3 in venice, 2 in Sorrento. We are wondering weather to go to Sorrento first from Rome, then make our way back to Rome or Florence and up north or the other way round. Since we have to leave on July 4rth morning 10:30AM flight, we either have to spend our last night in Rome, or consider an itinerary in which we take an overnight train back to Rome. Any suggestions? Total 16 nights, including the last night back in Rome. Also we really wanted to go to Lake Como but it looks like we have to pick between amalfi and Como. Thanks!

Hi MD, Thanks and glad you found the post helpful. Firstly, you’re itinerary sounds pretty good and I wouldn’t change it really. I’d suggest visiting Rome first then heading to Sorrento then Florence as you will probably be a little tired and jetlagged when you arrive. If you had to rush off to Sorrento straight way you probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much. Also Lake Como as well would be a stretch and from our experience, the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre are more enjoyable. Hope this helps and feel free to email us any time with followup questions ( [email protected] ). Cheers Jen

Jen thanks so much for your reply. We have 7 nights which we have to split between Florence, CT and sorrento. Any suggestions? I was thinking 2 in CT, 3 in Florence and 2 in sorrento, but I am confused between sorrento and Florence depending on things to do. Thanks again!

No worries. I think those numbers are good if you only have 7 days. You can walk (or take the train) the Cinque Terre easily in one day so two nights is perfect. In Florence, 3 nights will give you time to take a day trip to Tuscany while also checking out the best of the city itself. And 2 nights in Sorrento can be spent exploring the Amalfi Coast on a day trip or visiting Capri. This is still going to be tight though so if you can manage another few nights it would make it more comfortable, but certainly do-able with what you already have. Hope this has helped.

This is just awesome. We are planning to spend two and 1/2 weeks in Italy. With this itinerary I now know where to start. Is Tuscany doable with this itinerary or Pisa or Pompei? I have no idea how far away things are.

Thanks Kelly. Glad we could help. You could easily take day trips from Florence to visit Pisa and Tuscany and from Rome to Pompeii. If you’d like specific recommendations, feel free to email me. ( [email protected] ) Cheers

We are planning our trip to Italy using your suggested Itinerary exactly how you presented it on your web site. However, we would like to do one side trip to the Alps on the Bernina Express at the end of our trip from Venice. Is there any easy way to get to Tiriano WITHOUT going back to Milan? It seems like SO much time on a train.

We will be spending an overnight in CHUR and then coming back to Milan for our flight home. There is a train for Tiriano to Milan but I can’t find one from Venice to Tiriano.

Thanks for your message and I am so glad you have found our itinerary useful.

Unfortunately I don’t have good news for you. There is no direct train from Venice to Tirano. You will have to travel via Milan.

If you have any more questions about your trip, don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] .

All the best.

Jen –

Your website is amazing and so helpful. I’m literally writing you sitting in La Spezia per your recommendation of Cinque Terre, waiting for the rain to clear up. I’ll be using your website for most, to all of our future travel plans!

I wanted to reach out to you and let you know that the Fiat 500 Touring Club tour we took in Florence was absolutely out of this world awesome. If you are ever back in Florence I’d recommend that you do it and any travelers looking on this website should do the same!

Also in your comment sections you may want to consider having the most recent comments show at the top rather than the bottom (I’m on an IPad, so I’m not sure if it is my device, but I’d like the most recent stuff at the top).

Thanks so much for your lovely comments and feedback Zac. I am so glad you are enjoying your trip and that we were able to help you with it. I hear it has been raining quite a bit lately in CT, so fingers crossed you will get some sunshine before you move on.

I will absolutley check out that tour next time we are in Italy!

And I will look into the comments order issue. Thanks for making me aware!

All the best!

Great website. We didn’t know where to start but when we came across this website it all made sense. This would be our (DH with 6yrs old and 8yrs old kids) first ever visit to Italy and we are very excited.

We were wandering if you could help us with some questions below. We have booked the flights – flying into Milan (29 Jun) and flying out of Rome (13 July) for a total of 14 nights. Would this itinerary work for the flights above. We love travelling by train and like all your suggestions and recommendation. We are not too big on architecture and museums but love sightseeing and being out and about. So we are planning exactly as you suggested but in reverse due to flights – 3 days in Milan, 3 days in Venice, 2 days in CT, 3 days in Florence and 3 days in Rome in that order. Is this doable? Would the trains work in that sequence. The trip from Venice to CT being the one that I am not too sure about. We are open to rearranging the itinerary that suits the trains and logistics accordingly.

We were hoping to spend more time around Lake Como rather than Milan itself. You have given some wonderful ideas for Venice so we wont change anything there. But kids wanted to see the leaning tower in Pisa which seems to be on the way from La Spezia to Florence. Would you advise a quick stopover to Pisa (drop the luggage at train station) on the way back to Florence or should we head straight to Florence and then do the day tours from there. May be day tours of Tuscany including Sienna, San Giminagno and wineyards. Would 3 days be enough in Florence with this?

We were also thinking of skipping Assisi altogether and heading straight to Rome from Florence so its not too hectic. Not sure if that is the right decision as Assisi seems like a nice place but we are just being mindful that we would be not as energetic towards the end of the trip.

Sorry if these are too many questions but I am just encouraged by your kind and lovely nature well reflected in your replies to similar question above.

Hi Nav, Thanks so much and we are so glad this was useful for you. You itinerary sounds perfect and will work in that order for the trains and it is also perfect for optimising your time. Stopping in Pisa on the from La Spezia to Florence is easy as there is lockers at the station. There are multiple stations at Pisa. You want to get off at Pisa S.Rossore as this is the closest to the tower itself. A day trip into Tuscany would compliment 3 days in Florence perfectly. And yes three days would be plenty of time. I think skipping Assisi is fine and will definitely help slow the pace of the trip down and give you more time in lovely Rome. If you need anything further, don’t hesitate to email me ( [email protected] ) and I’d be happy to help. Have a great trip! Cheers Jen

We have now finalized the itinerary and looking forward to the trip.

Many thanks for all your help.

No worries Nav. Glad to have helped. And we’d love to hear from you after your trip too to tell us all about it!

My family is planning a European vacation, mainly in Italy, but with other destinations such as Croatia and Switzerland. We had originally thought of renting a car, but the train sounds attractive to make the best of our time. We will have about 4 weeks. I’m wondering, do you know if there is a boat/ferry service from somewhere in Italy to Croatia, or is a flight or train more suitable?(just to save time). We also have to think of cost, given the length of time we are away and # of people we are buying tickets for. Is there a site that I can visit to find out about these low cost flights? Also, if we were to to go Europe in April or May, would we be limited as to attractions that are open? We can do later in summer but we’d rather go at a time where there are fewer tourists if possible, but don’t want to find that we’re unable to get in to see things we want.

Hey Janet, Your trip sounds great. We’d love to visit Croatia ourselves someday. For the ferries there are services and you’ll find all you need to know on this page http://www.croatiaferries.com/italy-ferries.htm For flights we use and recommend Skyscanner to compare prices. Flying may be quicker to get from Italy to Croatia. April/May is an excellent time to visit Europe. Everything will be open as usual and you won’t have crowds like you do in summer. The weather should be good also but the night may still be a little cool in some places further north like Switzerland. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction to get started on your planning. And don’t hesitate to reach out should you have any more questions. Cheers Jen

This was soo helpeful!

I am planning a trip to italy myself and this helped cut down some time!

I am planning way ahead and using 1 day to travel — even by train. & doing 2 full days in each location — is that too much? by doing this my trip is 4-5 days longer because of travel. for ex: rome to florence — travel 10th — get there on the 10th and stay until 13th

any suggestions?

Thanks Amrit. Glad you found this useful. I’d say that you don’t need a full day to travel. For example, the train journey from Rome to Florence is only just over an hour. So you could leave Rome at 8am and be in Florence just after 9am with the full day ahead of you. This will give you more time in each place.

Hello! I’ll be travelling to Italy this November 2-12. I have 10 full days. This is my first solo trip so I am excited and terrified at the same time. I was planning to go Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Venice. But friends have been telling me that November is not a good time to visit Venice (extremely cold, knee high floods). Do you recommend anywhere else? I’m from Manila so I fear for the cold weather. haha Should I consider Naples and Cinque Terre?

Hey Kat, You must be so excited! Italy is amazing and I am sure you will love it. And go on you for going solo too! November is when the weather starts to get cooling in Europe. The further south you are the less effected you will be. So with that in mind, I suggest the Amalfi Coast. It is not too far from Rome and the weather will be better than what it would be in Venice. Although just to warn you, it still won’t be warm. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful and there is lots to do there like cruising the coast, exploring to little towns and checking out the Isle of Capri and grotto. I suggest basing youself in Sorrento and taking day trips from there. I hope this help and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions.Hope you have an amazing time! Cheers Jen

Thanks for the itinerary we are about to head to Italy. Our plan is to go from Venice to Rome and we will probably skip Milan and go to Bologna instead. Have you been to Bologna? Any suggestions?

Hey Ben, That sounds like a good plan. We haven’t been to Bologna sorry but would love to visit it someday. Have a great time in Italy, I am sure you guys will love it! Cheers Jen

Can i just say your post is AMAZING! it’s my first time to italy for my honeymoon and this is perfect! can’t wait for my trip and jsut want to say thank you for making it so easy 🙂

Love, tenny

Thanks Tenny! I am so glad you found this useful and I hope that you have the most amazing honeymoon.

Jen, how is renting a car? I am flying into Milan and I want to travel to both Rome and Venice. Would it be more feasible to rent a car?

Hi Jennifer, I definitely think taking the train is much cheaper and more convenient. Firstly, you can’t drive a car in Venice as there are no roads so you’d be paying for parking the entire time you were there. Secondly, in Milan and Rome you’d also be paying a premium for parking and would be better utilising the excellent public transport systems both cities offer. Finally, you’d need to factor in petrol costs and traffic in Milan and Rome. If you don’t plan to visit rural areas where the train doesn’t go, I always recommend taking the train. Hope this helps. Cheers Jen

Definitely recommend the train…..much more relaxing, and when you get to cities like Rome you don’t want to be driving!

Couldn’t agree more Gloria!

We are planning a trip to Italy next October or November. We will have 14 or 15 nights in Italy. We will be flying into Rome and out of Venice. We want to see Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice. We would like to spend a few nights in Montepulciano. What would be your recommendation for getting around in Tuscany? Should we rent a car for this portion of our trip? If we rent a car, where would be a good place to pick up and drop off? I have heard they advise against driving in Florence. And in what order would you do this? Tuscany, Florence and then Cinque Terre and then to Venice?

Hi Wendy. Your trip sounds exciting! For your car in Tuscany, you could pick up in Sienna which is easily reached by train from Florence or Rome. Otherwise there are some great day trips from Florence that will allow you to see the highlights of Tuscany too. Also the order you have mentioned is perfect and makes sense. It is exactly what I would do. Hope you have a great time!

Hi Jen! If we have about 7 days could we do Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome??

Hi Katy, That will be very tight. Rome itself needs at least 3 days. I would suggest removing one of the places or adding an extra 2-3 days to your trip if possible.

Hi Jen, Thanks for the lovely article and insight; question 1. If you were to skip one/two destinations from the list and add the Amalfi coast in here and still fit them in a 15 day itinerary what would be your recommendations please?

Thanks Parya. If I had to pick two places to remove in place of the Amalfi coast it would be Assisi and Milan. Both I loved but the Amalfi Coast is really something special. Hope this helps.

Hi Jen, what a fabulous article! You have truly given me some real inspiration, thank you!! The only question I have, is if I were to miss out Rome (as I’ve been there a number of times, I have a family member who lives there) where would you suggest I spend the additional few days? Thanks again for all your help.

Thanks Hayley. Appreciate your lovely comment. I would highly recommend the Amalfi Coast/Sorrento area if you haven’t already been there. It is one of the most stunning parts of the country and if you love beaches and the relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle then you will love it. Alternatively, if your more of a countryside person, a few days exploring Tuscany would be a great option too. Hope this helps and hope you have an amazing time in Italy!

Hi Jen! This article definitely sparked an interest in us! My wife and I will be doing 2 weeks in Italy in mid-April. We will be arriving in Naples and departing out of Venice 15 days later. I love your article, but figured we would like to streamline/tweak things a bit. We really want to do Naples, Rome (spent 3 days there a couple years ago and want to explore so much more of it), Bomarzo – The park of Monsters, Florence, Parma (1 day I’m guessing is enough), and Venice. Any advice you have for us as far as itinerary and such would be AWESOME!

Hi John. I am so glad you found the itinerary useful! On paper, your itinerary looks good to me however I haven’t personally visited some of those places so I can’t comment on how much time you will need in each place. If you have any specific questions about Rome, Florence, Venice or getting around Italy in general, I’d be happy to help where I can. Happy travels!

Hi, I am just in the beginning process of planning out trip to Italy this summer. We will be traveling with a check-in sized bag. How will that work out when traveling from city to city via train? Are there overhead storages available? Do they have to get checked into a certain area on the train? Would it be safe? Are there extra charges to have luggage on board? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Hi Christine, There are no porters or checked luggage on trains in Europe so whichever luggage you take, you have to be prepared to carry it around yourself. So when you pack, make sure you think about this. On the train there are overhead racks for smaller bags (will fit 60L pack or smaller) and luggage areas at end of each carriage where you can store larger suitcases. If you are taking a larger bag, I recommend taking a padlock and chain to secure your bag as the racks are not monitored. I’ve never had an issue but I have heard of others having their bags tampered with or stolen. If you are really worried my best advice is to take a smaller bag that you can store overhead. Hope you have a great trip!

Hi Jen, I just came across your article while searching for a “Budgeted” Italy itinerary and i appreciate all the information you have shared. I am planning for a solo Italy trip in October 2017 for 10 days from India. My main reason to go there is to visit the St Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel and the Shrine of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina located in the town of San Giovanni Rotondo (SGR). Rest of the beautiful places (Florence, Venice, Milan etc) are also on my list and yes i wouldn’t mind exploring them considering the days i have in my hand. It would be great if you could help me plan a good itinerary and suggest the best possible places to cover during my stay in Italy and yes to make the most memorable trip ever 🙂

Thanks & Regards, Merlyn.

Hi Merlyn, I’d be happy to help. Please email me [email protected] with what you have so far and I can help you from there. Cheers Jen

my husband and I are planning our first trip to Italy next year. Is there any problem with doing this itinerary in reverse?

Hi Jenni, Absolutely not. This is just a guide so feel free to change it around however it works best for you. Have a great time! Cheers Jen

Is there a website or a way you recommend to save money buying a lot of train tickets around Italy? I am flying into Rome and out of Milan. I am interested in also seeing Naples, Pompeii, Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Venice. I only have two weeks, though. Is this enough time to do all of those via train? I couldn’t find a way to buy a cheap rail pass covering unlimited 2 weeks of travel. Is there a way to do that? THanks! Kateri

Hi Kateri, Thanks for your comment. A rail pass will likely be the cheapest way to go for this journey. Depending on which country you are from will depend on what is available and at what price. If you use the links provided in the post above that are specific to your country or region, you will be able to find out more information. Or feel free to email me and can provide you with more info. Cheers Jen

I would definitely do this itinerary with some of my favorite places to stay, great post Jen

Thanks Noel!

Wow great tour!

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Italy in September and I don’t know where to begin with my planning. It can be a little bit overwhelming planning a trip to a place you’ve never been. We are staying for 13 full days( 15 total but considering those travel days) flying into Rome and leaving from Venice. In between we’d love to see Florence , Milan, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, and Tuscany . Are we in over our heads? Any suggestions you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Amelia, I can totally understand how it can feel overwhelming planning a big trip like this. I too feel like this with new places and that is why I wrote this post and all the others on this blog, to help people cut through the overwhelm. The itinerary I have outlined above would definitely work for you with a few adjustments. Change Asissi for Amalfi Coast and take a day off Rome and you should be able to fit it all in. It will be pretty hectic but if you only have 13 days then this will allow you to see the highlights of each place. If you wanted to travel at a slower pace, I would suggest just selecting 3-4 places from the list and spending more time there. Hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any follow up questions. Happy travels! Cheers Jen

We went back to the drawing board with our itinerary… 15 days and 13 nights total in Italy, flying into Rome and out of Venice. So far we are thinking 3 nights Rome, 3 nights in Florence (with a day trip to Tuscany) , 2 nights in Cinque Terre, 2 nights in Milan – with the possibility of a day trip to Lake Como and we are also thinking to spend a few hours at QC Termemilano ( the spa ) then ending it off with 3 nights in Venice. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated or if you feel it could be mapped out any better please feel free to let me know !

Hi Amelia, I think this sounds like a well balanced plan with enough time to see the highlights in each place. Except for maybe Milan if you want to do the day trip as well. Although if your main motivation for visiting Milan is to day trip to Lake Como and you don’t mind missing out on Milan, then that is fine also. Have a great trip! Cheers Jen

Hi Jen, Love all your information above! Not sure if you still look at the comments, I just have a couple questions. Firstly our flight was booked going into Milan and returning from Rome. 14 days total. From Milan do you suggest CT first and then onto Florence or Venice first? We were originally thinking of Florence and renting an apartment for 8 days and then doing a series of shorter trips to CT and Venice. Secondly my wife and I have traveled to Italy before. This trip is more for our teenage kids. It seems their patience may run low after a few of the gallerias and cathedrals. Anywhere you suggest they can blow off some steam? Thank You!

Hi Anil, Thanks for the comment. Happy to help where I can. From Milan I would suggest visiting Venice fist then CT and then Florence. Basing yourself in Florence may be a good idea although you would be spending a lot of extra time travelling to and from places. City bike tours are great for teenage kids. They get to be active, tire themselves out and the parents get to see the sites. I one day bike tour in Tuscany from Florence may also be a great thing the kids will love. In CT the walk between the towns is good for all ages and I guarantee the kids will be exhausted at the end. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, I’d be happy to help where I can. Have a great trip. Cheers Jen

Dear Jen, Great Post. Congratulations! My brother (27) and myself (31) are planning our maiden trip to Italy around July for 2 weeks. We will be travelling from Kolkata (India) and my top priority is to taste all the Classical Italian food as it is my passion and profession for life. Could u suggest a clever itinerary to experience the maximum (food and must visit places to have a selfie 😏) and possibly where to start and end to fly back home stuffed with “The Been there , Tasted That” pride😁 P.S. my lil bro has No idea about this.. but I m sure he will understand 😉 Thanks.

Hi Kezang. Thanks for your message and kind words. You have definitely chosen the perfect country to explore if you love food. I would recommend my itinerary about for a first-time visitor to the country. You will be able to taste all that great food and see most of the major sites as well. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Have a great time. Cheers Jen

Hello would you recommend also going to the south of Italy within a two week tour? Like the Amalfi Coast (Positano)?

Hi Claudia, You would be very tight with time if you tried to fit in another stop. I would suggest if the Amalfi Coast is somewhere you would really like to go, that you either add an extra 2-3 days to your trip or take out something else from the itinerary and replace it with the Amalfi coast. Cheers Jen

We are doing 9 nights in Italy with 3 nights in Venice, Florence and Verona.

We are looking to a day trip out of each of the three places, thinking Lake Garda, Wine Trip in Tuscany and then not sure where from Venice?

Do you have any ideas and also how is best to book these?

Hi Lauren, For Venice I would spend the 3 days hopping between the islands like Murano and Burano near Venice. They are all easy to access on public transport from Venice at stops along the Grand Canal. For booking the other two day trips, I would suggest checking out Viator.com. They have a big range of day tours available and I have never had a problem booking with them. Have a great trip! Cheers Jen

Thanks for the detailed itinerary Jen. I shall surely plan my itinerary based on the pointers mentioned by you.

THanks Jesal. Enjoy Italy!

This is a great site. Thank you making it easier for us to plan our trip to italy for the first time with your receommended itinerary and other info. Questions: 1. If we skip Milan is there a train from La Spezia to Venice or it is better to train back to Florence, stay another night there, and then train to Venice from there? 2. We are trying avoid peak summer time. Is April or May a good time to go there?

Thanks Bill appreciate the comments. Here are answers to your questions: 1. Via Florence would be the long way. You can travel to Venice with one train change in Milan (6 hours travel time) or with two changes via Parma and Bologna (5 hours travel time). I recommend bahn.de website for timetable info. 2. Shoulder season (March/April/May and Sept/Oct/Nov) are my recommended times to visit. The weather is still relatively good and mild and there are less crowds about. Hope this helps and have a great trip!

Hi Jen, Just dug up my last inquiry with you way back in 2017 and decided to just tuck this question to it. We just got back to planning our italy trip which we postponed due to the pandemic. We are now scheduling it for Sep 2022 next year. I have a question: originally we are thinking of doing the exact itinerary you have proposed above. But then we thought of splitting our trip and make the second half a cruise. But then, to not extend our trip so much we would need to remove Cinque Terre, Milan (and Lake Como) for our trip. This is the land/cruise combo itinerary we are looking:

Train: Rome, Assisi, Florence, Venice Cruise: Venice, Split, Kotor, Corfu, Naples, Rome

as oppposed to originally:

Train: Rome, Assisi, Florence, Cinque Terre, Milan (and Lake Como), Venice

What do you think? Is it worth substituting CT, Milan and Lake Como with a cruise with the above port stops?

Thanks for your input.

Thank you Jen for the wonderful itinerary. This is a perfect plan for a two week trip to Italy. Thank you for providing every single detail in the plan. Very helpful.

Thanks Madh. Glad I could help.

Thank you for this fabulous post! The husband & I would like to go to Italy for our honeymoon in December this year, and we were looking at tour packages but nothing has really caught our fancy yet. I suggested touring ourselves and this itinerary is really a great place for us to begin!

From what you suggest, staying at Florence is a good base for visiting other smaller towns? We both don’t speak Italian, would this pose a problem travelling in this country? Especially when taking trains – we somehow have problems with that sometimes 🙂

Appreciate your advice!

Hi Joy, So glad you found it helpful and congrats on your upcoming nuptials! Florence is a great place to base yourself for day trips. You can visit Tuscan countryside and towns, Pisa, Lucca and many more places quite easily either by organised day tour or on your own using the train system. Language will not be a problem as most signs in also in English. I recommend learning a few simple phrases in Italian to help you get by, however it isn’t necessary. The first time I visited Italy I didn’t speak the language and got by just fine. Hope you have an amazing trip!

Hi Jen can you give me some advice for 10 night itinerary – may skip Rome – want to focus on Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre and maybe Lake Como/Milan – is this doable in 10 nights/11 days??

Thanks Much!

Hi Elaine, Once you take Rome and Assisi out of this itinerary ti works perfectly for 10 days! Cheers Jen

Great travel blog!!!. I was looking for exactly this kind of detailed travel plan which not only covers the stops but the local attractions as well. Thanks for putting it all in one place.

My wife , I and our young daughter will be in Italy for 14 nights and 15 Days. We like historical sites .

1. I would like to visit a few more places Like Pisa (which I can cover on the way to CT from Florence) ,Siena and Orvieto. Please help me to add this places in my itinerary. 2. To save time , I planning to start from Rome in early morning and reach Assisi around 10 AM and leave for Florence in the evening. Would that be very hectic ?

Regards Anirban

HI Anirban, Thanks for the compliment. I am glad you found this useful. I would be cautious about loading too much into the trip as you will b exhausted and spend very little quality time in each place. You could definitely do a day trip to Siena and Tuscany from Florence. There are lots of historical sites in Rome, were you not planning to spend time there? Cheers Jen

Thanks for your response. I just booked tickets to Rome. We will stay 15 nights and 16 days at Italy.

Here is our tour plan.

Day 1-4 Rome; Will reach at 9 AM Day 3 Orvieto Day 4 Assisi Day 5-6 Siena & San Gimignano Day 7-9 Florence Day 10 Pisa; Start early morning from Florence and will spend the day in Pisa and reach La Speiza in the Evening Day 11 -12 Cheque Terre Day 13-15 Venice; Day 13 will start from La Speiza and reach Venice in the afternoon Day 16 Return to Home

Please let me know how it’s looking ?

Sounds perfect to me Anirban! I couldn’t have planned it better myself!!! Enjoy your trip.

Thank you so much for this itinerary suggestion. I am travelling to Italy in August and will be staying for 16 nights and will have 15 full days to explore this beautiful country. The most common advice I read on internet forums is that don’t try to cram everything in one visit but I have an illness which restricts my travelling and therefore would like to make the most of my visit because there may not be another opportunity to visit Italy again for me. I am quite an inexperienced traveller so any advice will be gratefully received.

My itinerary (so far) is looking like this:

Day 1 – Arrive in Milan (5pm), stay in Milan

Day 2 – Explore Milan, travel to Lake Como (late afternoon), stay in Lake Como

Day 3 – Explore Lake Como, stay in Lake Como

Day 4 – Early morning train to Venice, explore Venice, stay in Venice

Day 5 – Explore Venice, stay in Venice

Day 6 – Explore Venice, travel to Bologna (pm), stay in Bologna

Day 7 – Explore Bologna, travel to Florence (pm), stay in Florence

Day 8 – Explore Florence, stay in Florence

Day 9 – Explore Florence, stay in Florence

Day 10 – Day trip to Siena, travel Rome (pm), Stay in Rome

Day 11 – Explore Rome, stay in Rome

Day 12 – Explore Rome, stay in Rome

Day 13 – Explore Rome, stay in Rome

Day 14 – Travel to Naples (early train) explore Naples, travel to Amalfi Coast (pm), stay in AC

Day 15 – Explore Amalfi Coast, travel back to Naples Airport, stay at Naples airport

Day 16 – Early morning flight back home

Do you think this itinerary is doable, or would you cut some places out?

Thanks so much, Jen.

Hi Sajid, You itinerary looks great! Yes it is a little packed full but if this is your one and only opportunity to visit Italy then I say make the most of it. Only thing I might change would be more time in Amalfi Coast. You could take a night from Florence or Rome. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful and there is much to see there. It would be a nice relaxing way to end your trip. I hope you have a lovely trip and do wish that you return to good health one day soon. Cheers Jen

Thanks Jen. I really like your posted trip. I am considering following this exact itinerary (with an added day trip to Pompeii) this June with my wife and two teens. But I have one major question about travelling by train. We will have 4 standard 22inch rollerboard suitcases. What do we do with them in Assisi, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice when we arrive before check in times at our VRBOs? I don’t want to be dragging those down the streets all day before we can check in!

Hi Nick, Most train stations have luggage storage for a fee. These is also a baggage transfer service in Italy. Google Bagaglio Facile. Basically your bags are delivered door to door so you don’t need to worry about lugging them around. Hope this helps and that you have a great trip! Cheers Jen

Hi Jen Im planning to visit Italy in March. Would it be a suitable time to visit Italy. My plan is to stay for 15 days kindly guide me on the best 15days visit plan. Thanks and rgds Sami Khan

Hi Sami, March would be a nice time to visit and the itinerary I have outlined below is what I suggest. It is perfect for 15 days! Have great trip! Cheers Jen

This is a wonderful itinerary. I wish we could do it all. However we can only stay 10 days. Do you have a suggestion on what to change?

Hi Julie Of course, I suggest removing Assisi and Milan. All of the other places are so rich with history and full of stunning things to see and do. While I loved Assisi and Milan, with 10 days this is what I suggest. Hope you have a great trip! Cheers Jen

I am looking forward to visiting Italy this summer (late June-July) with my husband and adult son. Initially we wanted to revisit Paris for 3 days, but it seems like there’s so much to see and do in Italy that perhaps we should spend the entire 15 days there. I would appreciate your help with my itinerary. We would love to spend 3 days in Rome, 1 in Milan, and 2 days in Venice and Florence. I can’t decide between Amafi Coast or Cinque Terre. We are foodies and also on a tight budget. Help!

Hi Venita! Sounds like a great trip you have planned. Personally I would spend your time in Italy,as you mentioned you have visited Paris before. There is a lot of amazing things to see in Italy that you can easily fill your time. If I had to choose between Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre, I would choose Amalfi. It is honestly one of the most stunning parts of the world I have visited. That’s not to say that Cinque Terre isn’t also fantastic, but if I had to pick one, then Amalfi would be it. Have a great trip! Cheers Jen

Hi Jen – love your itinerary and we are basing our trip around it. I note you mention getting a morning train from La Spezia to Milan but the earliest I can find for a Monday in August is 12.38pm. Should I be looking somewhere else? Thanks

Hi Sally, Schedules are different on different days and at different times of the year. I’d suggest just getting a train as close to the morning as you can. Have a great trip! Cheers Jen

Hi Jen. I’m so glad I read this first as I’m just starting my research. My family of 6 (including 2 kids and 2 grandparents) will be in Italy from 8-21 June. We will be landing in Milan and departing from Milan as well. Booked the tickets last year as there was an airline promotion so unfortunately we won’t be able to land in Rome first. We definitely want to cover Rome, Pisa, Venice and Florence and Lake Como. Can you recommend an itinerary route that will work best for us? Many thanks!!

Hi Flora, No worries at all if you can’t start and finish in Rome. You can do exactly the same itinerary I mention above just start and finish in Milan instead. It work just the same. Have a great trip! Cheers Jen

I’m in my 60’s and visiting Italy is my all time bucket list item. Planning our first trip ever to Europe and it sounds so daunting. Your itinerary sounds perfect! Only one question – what is typical check-in time for hotels in Italy? When we arrive at any of these destinations do we have to drag our luggage around for a good portion of the day before check-in time? Doesn’t sound like fun.

Hi Jessica, It is a very daunting processing organising travel, but I am here to make it easier for you Check in time is typically around 3pm. Sometimes you can get into the room earlier. However, if you can’t, all hotels have a luggage room where you can store your luggage if you are early. No need to drag your bag around until check-in time. If you are staying in something like Airbnb which doesn’t have a reception, then you will find luggage storage at all major train stations in Europe too. Hope this helps and don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help with anything else. Cheers Jen

I am so happy to have found your site! It is well-written, thorough and takes the “overwhelm” out of planning our first trip to Italy. We will have two weeks late September/early October. Our plan was to stay in the north — Venice, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Florence/Tuscany and fly out of Milan. In your opinion, is it a mistake to avoid Rome (we’re averse to huge crowds). Also, what are your thoughts about an overnight side trip to the French Riviera (Monaco, Nice etc.)?

Thank you so much for your lovely site and attention to detail!

Hi Trudy, Thank you for the lovely compliments. I am glad you have found this useful. If Rome isn’t your thing, then I say skip it. Travel is about doing what you want to do. It costs a lot of money, so follow what feels right for you. Take what others say as suggestions. For the French Riviera, you would be a very limited on time for an overnight trip. It will take hours to get there and back. Maybe look at Genoa in Italy as an alternative? It is closer to your route, just as lovely as the French Riviera and much quieter. If I can help with anything else, don’t hesitate to ask! Cheers Jen

Hi Jen, my husband and I will be traveling to Rome in September. We wanted to take a one day train trip to Venice, how long is the train ride? And how much? We would like to return back to Rome before dark if possible.

Hi Sandy, It is a long way to go for a day trip! Train time can range form 3.5 – 4.5 hours depending on the train. If you wanted to arrive back before dark, you’d have maybe 2 hours in Venice which means you would see virtually nothing. Sorry for the brutal honesty, but I wouldn’t want you to do something that wouldn’t be worth it. How long are you in Italy for? Maybe you can factor in some time for an overnight trip to Venice at the very least? Cheers Jen

Best site ever. We arrive 11 sept 2018 for 23 days. I have done Italy twice so what u say is so true. Last time went to Florence for five days and left after 17. I am leaning towards Foggia and eastern coast for few days but will still start in Florence as have done Rome and find it easy to do all the north with trains. Naples etc of course are fabulous and will finish week in Sicily so hope the east will be good.

Thanks Mike! Sounds like you are an Italy expert!!!! Love the idea of spending time in the east and I have been dying to visit Sicily so would be interested to hear what you think when you return. Have a great trip!

Hi Jen, Thank you for creating such an easy to read site with so many helpful tips! I especially love how you answer the comment section, as many of your answers have helped me out. I am planning a trip to Italy in late July/August and getting a bit overwhelmed. I am focusing more on outdoor, nature/scenery locations and love beaches. I have already been to Rome and have my heart set on the Amalfi coast and Cinque Terre. I am trying to spend the majority of my time near the water and looking for more of a relaxed vacation where I can enjoy each location properly.

I am flying into Venice and leaving from Rome.

Day 1- Leave for Europe (night flight) Day 2-5 Venice Day 6 Leave Venice for Cinque Terre Day 7-9 Cinque Terre Day 10 Leave Cinque Terre for Florence Day 11 Florence Day 12 Leave Florence for Amalfi Day 13-17 Amalfi Day 18 Leave Amalfi for Rome Day 19 Rome Day 20 Fly Home

My questions are: 1. Will travelling between Venice and Cinque Terre take too long? Should I stop somewhere? 2. How do I know if a train is a high speed train? 3. Does this look like a relaxing itinerary or should I take out/add something? 4. Should I stay in Sorrento for a couple days or will the Amalfi coast have beaches?’ 5. Can I take out Florence and instead head from Cinque Terre straight to Amalfi Coast?

Thank you in advance!! You are awesome : ) Laila

Hi Laila, Thanks for your comment and glad you have enjoyed this itinerary and comments. Your itinerary sounds fantastic. Plenty of time to relax and see it all. I love that you are spending more time in most places. Answers to your questions are below: 1. Will travelling between Venice and Cinque Terre take too long? Should I stop somewhere? The train will take about 5 hours with one change. I don’t think an overnight stop in between is needed here. 2. How do I know if a train is a high speed train? Once you have done the research on the trains you will be catching, i suggest Google search to find out if they are high speed or not. 3. Does this look like a relaxing itinerary or should I take out/add something? I wouldn’t change a thing! You have allowed plenty of time in each place with priority given to the coastal towns. 4. Should I stay in Sorrento for a couple days or will the Amalfi coast have beaches?’ The beaches are better on the Amalfi Coast than in Sorrento. If you plan to spend a lot of time on the beach then stay in Amalfi or Positano. I personally loved spending the night in Sorrento because the town has such a great atmosphere in the evening. 5. Can I take out Florence and instead head from Cinque Terre straight to Amalfi Coast? Yes you could take out Florence if you want to spend more time elsewhere. Alternatively, a smaller town in Tuscany might be more your speed. This would give you some time to get out in nature as well. Siena is one, although still quite big but very beautiful. Maybe San Gimignano. Hope this helps and have a great trip! Cheers Jen

Hi Jen thank you so much for your wonderful trip description, I am so thrilled to go to Italy this July for two weeks. I wanted to ask you since I see your trip started in Rome and everyone recommends flying into Rome from NY, I was thinking to start at Rome and fly out of Venice back to NY would that be just as fine. Also I read that it is advised to purchase a city pass to get quick access to museums and other sites, what would you recommend? We love art and wanted to see as much as possible, Thank you.

Hi Victoria, Thanks so much! Yes, as the itinerary suggests above, to make the most of your time I suggest flying into Rome and out of Venice. A city pass is a great option if you are going to access lots of the included activities on it. Cheers Jen

Thank you, Jen, for all this wonderful information. Planning a trip to Italy in September and you have helped immensely!

Great to here thanks Beth!

Love your recommendations and feedback to all the comments folks have thrown your way. We are planning a trip for 6 to 8 of us in early June 2019. We are trying to maximize 2 weeks, but not also over whelm ourselves. We are working on the two options and looking for what makes most sense between the two when it comes to utilizing the train system to get around and explore.

Proposal 1 Day 1 Sunday: Arrive in Venice in the morning/Explore and sleep in Venice Day 2 Monday: Explore Venice, sleep in Venice Day 3 Tuesday: Train to Vernazza (Cinque Terre area), sleep in Vernazza Day 4 Wednesday: Explore Cinque Terre, sleep in Vernazza Day 5 Thursday: Train to Florence via Pisa, sleep in Florence Day 6 Friday: Explore Florence, sleep in Florence Day 7 Saturday: Train to Sorrento to get transportation Praiano sleep in Praiano Day 8 Sunday: Explore Coast sleep in Praiano Day 9 Monday: Explore Coast sleep in Praiano Day 10 Tuesday: Look to book car and then train to Rome Via Pompeii, sleep in Rome Day 12 Wednesday: Explore Rome, sleep in Rome Day 13 Thursday: Explore Rome, sleep in Rome Day 14 Friday: Explore Rome, sleep in Rome Day 15 Saturday: Fly home

Proposal 2 Day 1 Sunday: Arrive in Venice in the morning/Explore and sleep in Venice Day 2 Monday: Explore Venice, sleep in Venice Day 3 Tuesday: Train to Vernazza (Cinque Terre area), sleep in Vernazza Day 4 Wednesday: Explore Cinque Terre, sleep in Vernazza Day 5 Thursday: Explore Cinque Terre, sleep in Vernazza Day 6 Friday: Train to Sorrento via Pisa to get transportation to Praino and sleep in Praiano Day 7 Saturday: Explore Coast sleep in Praiano Day 8 Sunday: Explore Coast sleep in Praiano Day 9 Monday: Explore Coast sleep in Praiano Day 10 Tuesday: Look to book car and then train to Rome Via Pompeii, sleep in Rome Day 12 Wednesday: Explore Rome, sleep in Rome Day 13 Thursday: Explore Rome, sleep in Rome Day 14 Friday: Explore Rome, sleep in Rome Day 15 Saturday: Fly home

HI Michael, Thanks for you message. happy to help where I can. The major difference I can see with these two is that in the second option you are skipping Florence in favour of more time in Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast. I guess the decision is down to which you would prefer to do more. If you like being by the water more than in a city full of museums then option 2 would be the best choice. If you want more variety from the trip then I would go with option 1. For option 2, I question whether you will have enough time to stop in Pisa. I would suggest looking into this a little more to see if it is viable. You also mention in both itineraries about booking a car. What are you going to use this for? If it is to drive to Rome, you could easily take the train. Once you arrive in Rome, traffic and parking will be an issue if you have a car. I hope this helps and if I can help with anything else, don’t be afraid to ask. Cheers Jen

Thank you for the feedback and response, the discussion for the car is to get transportation (private driver or taxi) for travel to and from a larger coastal city where there is a train to the smaller town of Praiano for our stay in Afani coastal area.

Hi Jen, I’m from Canada and really want to plan a trip to Italy. Your site was the first one I looked at and looks great. Are there alot of foodie spots on this tour as I’m very interested in the food culture there. Thanks Lisa

Hi Lisa, Italy is foodie central! Everywhere you go you will find amazing food. Just be sure to choose restaurants away from the tourist hot spots. Look to backstreets and unexplored local only areas and you will find great places to eat. Cheers Jen

Hi Jen, Great post and information! I am planning a solo trip to Italy this winter over the Christmas/New Year holidays (12 days) and was having trouble with finding ideas on itineraries. Needless to say – I LOVE your site. Great read and pictures, plus the comments are super helpful. I like your posted itinerary, with the exception of starting in Venice and ending in Rome while skipping Assisi. Do you (or any readers) have any suggestions on where to spend New Year? I will likely be spending Christmas in Budapest and then head over to enjoy Italy (which has been on my bucket list for YEARS). I know I won’t get to see everything this trip, but it will leave me wanting to come back again. Which is fine and dandy. Best!

Thanks Liz. Glad you have found this so useful.

Any of the bigger cities like Rome, Florence or Venice will have big fireworks displays, concerts and organised events for New Years. I guess it depends on what you are after. If you want to go to a club, Florence has good ones. If you want to be out on the street, Rome or Venice might be better. I think anywhere you be will be different from where you come from, so will be a great experience for you.

Hope you have a great trip!

Very helpful information — thanks for doing so much legwork for the rest of us. We have 10 days and will focus on Rome (6 days) and the Amalfi Coast/Pompeii (4 days). It’s our first visit to Italy, but I prefer going to fewer places with more depth. But, what do you think about a 1-day trip by tour bus to Assisi from Rome? The train-bus seems like a lot of work for a single day, and maybe the amount of time in Assisi isn’t very different on a tour vs. having to meet the train and bus schedule. Thanks.

Hi Kevin, Thanks for your compliments. A tour to Assisi could work. Another alternative could be a day trip to Orvieto. It is only just oven an hour from Rome by train and is similar to Assisi in that it is a hill town with lots of historic buildings, a beautiful cathedral and interesting local stores and restaurants. I actually enjoyed Orvieto more than Assisi as it was not at all crowded. Hope this helps! Cheers Jen

I’m going to Italy for 12 days and while I want to go to Rome, Florence and Pisa, I’m not sure if I should go to Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre. Which one is better travelled with family? I’m leaning towards Amalfi Coast but not sure who easy it is to go from town to town.

Hi Elli, How old are the kids? If they are teenagers and good walkers then Cinque Terre. If they are younger suggest Amalfi. Cheers Jen

Excellent detailed information of Italy. I am planning around 15-17 days tour to Italy in May 2019. Would like to visit scenic places more than museums kind of. Please help with the itenarary.

Hi Jyoti, All my suggested itinerary is above in the post including additional places to visit if you have more time. Please let me know if you have any specific questions and I’d be happy to help. Cheers Jen

We are travelling to Italy in May with our daughter graduating from HS before she heads off to college arriving in Venice and leaving from Rome. Here is my itinerary. PLEASE any suggestions or changes? We think we will take backpacks (60L??) and travel high speed train. Venice 2 nights Verona 2 nights Lake Como 1 night Rapallo 3 nights Florence 2 nights Assisi 2 nights Rome 3 nights This blog is so awesome.

Hi, I found it very interesting and loving the blog tips from you! Valuable tips to plan your trip to Italy and avoid beginner mistakes. Congratulations on the site and this post will help a lot of people !!!

Hi – we are doing round trip to/from Rome, woukd you please advise what is the best way to travel between Venice and Rome? Train vs Air by local airlines? Thank you so much

Hi Kat, Definitely train. It is just a few hours and drops you right in the centre of both cities. More convenient than flying. Cheers Jen

Hi Jen, We are coming to Italy in Sept. What would be your advise on budget hotels or guest houses. We are flying into Genoa(2 nites) then going to Cinque Terre (2 nites) Then onto Rome. (4 nights.) Thank you, Jim

All my suggested hotels are in the post above.

Hi Jen, We are traveling to Italy in Sept. 2019. We are flying into Genoa staying 2 nights then heading to Cinque Terre. We are planning to spend two days and exploring the 5 villages. Where would you suggest we stay in Cinque Terre? After Cinque Terre we head to a timeshare near Arezzo. Thank you for your advice, Jim

Hi Jim, Thanks for your message. I suggest as I mention above that you stay in Le Spezia which is just outside of Cinque Terre. It is cheaper and very easy to access all the towns from there. Cheers Jen

Greeitngs Jen,

We booked our 15 days trip in Italy arriving in Rome on September 20th and returning (from Rome) on October 5th.

What itinerary would you suggest given that we are obligated to come back to Rome for our return flight?

This is our first time in Italy.

Thank you so much for your input!

Francis Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Hi Francis, You can stick with the same itinerary, just on the last day take the train back to Rome. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get to the airport if doing this on the day of your flight. Otherwise take the train the day before and stay and extra night in Rome. Cheers Jen

Thanks Jen!!!

Hello, I’m going to Italy the last 2 weeks of June. I’m starting in Venice then going to Meta for 2 nights. I want to go through Cinque Terre then spend some time in Florence, Rome and Dolomites. Is there a way to go through Cinque Terre from the south then go straight to the Dolomites? I’ve heard it’s best to rent a car to go to the Dolomites. Thanks! Great blog!

Hi Elena, You’ll be able to take a train from Le Spezia if hiring a car isn’t for you. You may need to make a change of train during the journey but that is very easy to do in Italy. Cheers Jen

I love your itineraries! We are traveling to Austria for an event for 9 days and following this up with Italy for our 25th anniversary. We have never been to either country before. We plan to leave Vienna on the morning of the 2nd and fly home out of Rome on the afternoon of the 11th.

Our plan is: 2 nights(2,3) – Cinque Terre( Monterosso(old town)) (either train from Vienna to Montorosso or fly to Milan and train to Montorosso??) 4 nights Sienna(4,5,6,7)with: 1- day & 1/2 in Sienna 1 -day trip into Florence to see the market and a couple sights 1- day rent a car to visit a few small tuscan towns i.e. Voltera, Montecino? 3 nights Rome(8,9,10) Fly home afternoon of 11th

What do you think and do you have any suggestions, I’m really not sure (We are thinking Sienna as a base vs Florence as we will have a lot of a large city with Rome right after.)

thanks so much, Jan

Hi Jan, That sounds like a great trip and your plan definitely makes sense to me. I like that you will be basing yourself in Sienna instead of Florence, there is a lot to see in Tuscany. Cheers Jen

hi Jen, I am traveling to Italy in may of 2020 with your two week itinerary, and I have already purchased air line tickets. Should I book the hotels now… for each of the nights needed? also, should I book my train tickets now as well? also, i have downloaded to my phone both.. Rail Europe and Rail Planner..do they work together?

just need your help on clarifying these questions for me.

Thanks Charlie

Hi Jen! Thank you for the amazing itinerary guides! I wish that i read this before my 16 Day Itinerary Italy trip last year because theres a lot of tips that i can use. Thank You again.

Hello Jen, Thanks for sharing your travel expertise and experience. We are planning our 1st trip to Italy, with 14 days to travel(not counting flight time) we arrive in Rome and leave from Milan; we like your itinerary but would like to make some adjustments: skip Assisi and add more night in Cinque Terre(its my husband must do) My question is can we book train from Cinque Terre to Venice? Im trying not to back track to Milan if I don’t have to. We appreciate and value your opinion.

Thanks for sharing this amazing Italy itinerary as I am going to Italy next week so it will help me a lot.

Hi Jen, I love your post, SO helpful! I am just starting to plan a trip to Italy in September or October of 2020. There will be 4 adults. The cities I would like to visit are Florence, Rome, Naples, the Amalfi coast and Sicily. I’m also interested in Malta (I just did my dna and found out I’m 27% Malta) but if the costs are high for that island I will omit it. We plan to be there two weeks. Would you have suggestions on how much time to spend in each place? Also what cities to stay in so that we can easily access the other locations? We do not want to be moving hotels every two or three nights. Any other info would be very helpful. Thank you, sue

Hello Jen Your itinerary is fantastic. We are taking our 10 children from Australia to Italy for 2 weeks in June July. and will pretty much follow your itinerary. Should we get eurail passes or just book trains when we get there ? The passes seem pretty expensive for 12 people.

Thanks Bill! 10 kids, wow, that is going to be a big trip for you all. If you are going to follow the itinerary exactly then it is likely that the pass will be the cheaper option. However if you do travel on the slower trains then it may work out cheaper as the slower the train the cheaper the ticket.

Thank you for this wonderful article. It was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I spent our 30th anniversary in Italy. We flew into Naples, went to Positano by private driver, and then took the train from Naples to Rome, then to Florence, then to Venice. We hope to return in 5 years for our 50th anniversary. I told my husband I’d like to travel by train to all the parts of Italy we haven’t seen. That would be Assisi, Cinque Terre & Milan from your two-week itinerary. Would it be best to fly into Milan and travel south? How would we add Sicily and do you recommend any of the east coast of Italy?

The terrific post with an itinerary is excellent. I appreciate you sharing this very useful information.

Hi Jen, I would love to organise a trip to Italy with my husband and daughter. We are in our 60s and my daughter in her 30. I have to ask, is it safe to travel on your own in Italy? Regards Mary

Hi Mary It is absolutely 100% safe. You should always take precautions when you travel because you are in an unfamilar place. I have never had any safety concerns in Italy.

I first left this comment in March 2022 but never received a reply: Thank you for this wonderful article. It was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I spent our 30th anniversary in Italy. We flew into Naples, went to Positano by private driver, and then took the train from Naples to Rome, then to Florence, then to Venice. We hope to return in 5 years for our 50th anniversary. I told my husband I’d like to travel by train to all the parts of Italy we haven’t seen. That would be Assisi, Cinque Terre & Milan from your two-week itinerary. Would it be best to fly into Milan and travel south? How would we add Sicily and do you recommend any of the east coast of Italy?

Hi Jen, How would recommend incorporating the Amalfi coast into this trip ?

Hi Kelly, You could definitely add the Amalfi Coast to the trip after Rome as it is easy to get to by train.

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Italy Tour by Train – 7 days

7 days independent tour of italy. if you’re traveling between italian cities, the best in stress-free is to journey by train. enjoy the ride, look out at the lovely landscape, and even take a nap while you’re whisked from one city to another..

• First Class

Gondola Ride

City Visited

Venice, Florence, Roma

Train Tickets

All Year Round

€  690

The amazing world famous penisula and also the one with an unique, eclectic and rich History, Traditions and Gastronomy: this is Italy!

If you’re traveling between Italian cities, the best in stress-free is to journey by train. Enjoy the ride, look out at the lovely landscape, and even take a nap while you’re whisked from one city to another.

Hop on one of high-speed trains, which will get you where you’re going quickly, in comfort and with locals!

Season: all year available on request 6 nights/7 days Venice (2 nights) Florence (2 nights) Roma (2 nights)

Hotel:  First Class Properties used for this tour Airline Tickets:  not purchased by us

LAND: Venice airport LEAVE : Roma airport

First Day: Arrival in Venice Second Day: Venice Gondola Ride AM. PM relax in Venice Thirth Day:   Venice > Train to: Florence Fourth Day:  Florence on your own or Optional Day Tours Fifth Day:  Florence > Train to Roma Sixth Day:  Roma on your own or Optional Day Tours Seventh Day:  Departure from Roma

Featured Properties Used Venice: Hotel Venezia or NH Laguna Palace Florence: Hotel NH Florence Roma: Hotel Vittorio Veneto or Hotel Roma Centro or Hotel Giustiniano Hotel subject to availability at time of booking. No space has beenb held and all is subject to availability at time of booking

TOUR CODE:  TREIT7

• Category Art and Culture , Multi Day Tours of Italy
• Location Venice
• Hotels First Class
• Gondola Ride Included
• City Visited Venice, Florence, Roma
• Train Tickets Included
• Departure All Year Round
• Venice Guided Walking Tour
• Venice Islands: Murano, Burano, Torcello
• Florence Guided Tour and Villa Medici
• Cinque Terre
• Parmesan Cheese and Modena Vinegar
• Siena and San Gimignano
• Tuscany Cheese and Wine
• Roma Guided Walking Tour
• Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basiica
• Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
• Amalfi Coast
• All sightseeing & visits as per itinerary
• First class accommodation
• Meal as per Description
• Admission fees
• Airport transfers
• Beverage and meal not specified
• Fee for luggage handling fee at hotel
• Gratuities and tips
• Intercontinental/Local Flights
• Licensed Tourist Guide
• Optional Excursions
• Travel Insurance

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Italy Tour by Train – 7 days – from Roma

• Roma, Florence, Venice

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• Milan, Venice, Florence, Roma

One-week Italy by train itinerary

Posted on Last updated: October 2, 2023

Explore Italy by train in just one week on this rail itinerary packed with culture, history, food and wine as you travel across the country from Venice to Sicily via Florence, Rome, Naples and Sorrento.

* This site contains affiliate links , where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

Feast on fabulous Italian culture, history, food and wine on this journey across Italy by train. This rail trip takes you from the top to the toe of Italy in one week, sampling some of the highlights of one of my favourite countries in the world along the way.

Starting among the canals of Venice, you’ll head south to experience Renaissance art in Florence, 28 centuries of history in Rome, delicious pizza in Naples, sunset views in Sorrento and temples and beaches in Sicily. This Italian rail itinerary will show you which trains to take, how much they cost, how to book and what to see and do at each stop.

Day 1: Venice

Start your Italy by train adventure with a full day in Venice. You might have to dodge the crowds at St Mark’s Square, the Doges Palace and Rialto Bridge, but Venice still has plenty of charm to go around. Climb to the top of the Campanile for a bird’s eye view of the city from its tallest point, admire the Bridge of Sighs and watch the gondoliers in action.

You’re guaranteed to get lost in Venice’s confusing maze of canals and bridges, so embrace it and see what you can discover – a tucked-away chapel, crumbling palazzo or shady square to stop in for an Aperol Spritz and some tasty cicchetti bar snacks.

Venice is built on 118 islands, so take to the water to explore, whether in a traditional gondola or on one of the vaporetto public water buses which shuttle people around the city and out to the islands – choose from Lido with its sandy beach, Murano with its glass-makers, Burano with its brightly painted houses or Torcello with its historic cathedral.

Where to stay in Venice: Live like a Doge for the night in a restored 12th-century palace – without too much of a regal price tag – at the Hotel Antico Doge *, close to the Rialto Bridge. Inside the hotel’s lavish interiors feature antique furniture, original paintings, chandeliers, gilt mirrors and jewel-coloured brocade fabrics.

Day 2: Venice > Florence

Early the next morning, take a 2-hour high-speed Frecciarossa train to the Tuscan capital Florence, departing Venezia San Lucia at 07.26 and arriving into Florence Santa Maria Novella at 09.39. Then spend rest of your day in Florence exploring the city (if you need to store your bags, there’s a left luggage office near the station at 1a Via Valfonda).

The birthplace of the Renaissance is heaven for art and architecture lovers, with its cobbled streets, grand palazzi , frescoed churches, museums and galleries. Admire artworks by Carvaggio and da Vinci at the Uffizi Gallery ( book in advance * if possible as queues are crazy in high season) or visit Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia.

Climb up the 436 steps to the top of the Duomo or check out the views over Florence’s rooftops from the Piazzale Michelangelo. Or cross the River Arno on the city’s most famous bridge – the Ponte Vecchio, a covered bridge lined with shops dating back to 1350. And try fresh local produce at San Lorenzo Market, the city’s oldest and largest food market.

Where to stay in Florence: The 4-star Hotel Santa Maria Novella * is only five minutes’ walk from the train station. Its 71 rooms are spread across three townhouses, and come with marble bathrooms and splashes of colour. There’s also a sauna and gym, a bar and a rooftop terrace which looks down on the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

Day 3: Florence > Rome

The following day, take a short 90-minute train journey to Rome. High-speed trains run from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station to Rome Termini around every 15 minutes, so you can decide how early a start you want to make. There’s so much to see in Rome that one day is never going to be enough, so choose a few highlights to focus on.

This audioguide walking tour * takes you through some of the city’s iconic landmarks, from Piazza del Popolo to the Colosseum. Explore more Roman sites at the Pantheon and Roman Forum. Or head to a another country with an afternoon in Vatican City, where you can admire artworks at St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums.

Tick off some of the classic Roman experiences – throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, climb the Spanish Steps, listen to street performers in Piazza Navona and stroll through the gardens of Villa Borghese. Or head across the River Tiber to the bohemian neighbourhood of Trastavere with its boutique shops and terrace bars – perfect for a sunset aperitivo .

Where to stay in Rome: The eco-friendly Beehive is a luxury hostel close to Rome Termini station, with a mix of dorms and private rooms with shared or en-suite bathrooms, a courtyard garden and cosy lounge. The friendly owners also run a bagel business and organise communal dinners, aperitivo evenings and cookery classes.

Day 4: Rome > Naples > Sorrento

Follow the coast south on the 70-minute high-speed train journey to the gritty city of Naples, departing Rome Termini at 08.00 and arriving at Naples Centrale at 09.13. Store your bags at the station for the day and explore the historic buildings of the centro storico before lunch – Naples is famous for its food and is where pizza was first created.

Then head underground to explore the network of catacombs and wartime shelters underneath the city streets. Or visit the Museo Archeologico Nazionale to see some of the archaeological treasures unearthed from sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Next catch a train to from Naples Garibaldi station (located beneath Naples Centrale) to Sorrento. It takes around 70 minutes by Circumvesuviana local train or 45 minutes on the Campania Express tourist service (which only runs from April–October).

Circumvesuviana trains are fairly basic and can get pretty busy, but the views of Mount Vesuvius and out across the Bay of Naples make up for it. Campania Express trains come with a few more extra frills like air conditioning and luggage storage.

Aim to arrive into Sorrento in time for sunset and head to the clifftop Villa Communale Park where you can watch the sun dip down into the bay before dinner. And make sure to leave room for the amazing local gelato from Gelateria Davide.

Where to stay in Sorrento: If you feel like splashing out, the uber-stylish Maison La Minervetta * is built into the cliffs above the port of Marina Grande, just outside the centre of Sorrento. Owned by an interior designer, it mixes whitewash and splashes of colour, with multiple terraces to soak up the view – one with a whirlpool bath – and a private beach.

Read more: Sirens and sunsets: The best things to do in Sorrento

Day 5: Day trip from Sorrento

Spend the next day exploring Sorrento or head out into the Bay of Naples, with a good range of day trips to choose from. You can take the Circumvesuviana train north to visit the ruined Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii , which were buried and preserved underneath metres of volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

It takes 25 minutes to reach Pompeii Scavi or 45 minutes to Ercolano Scavi. Or you can catch a bus from either station to Vesuvio National Park. Once you arrive it’s a 20-minute walk to the edge of the crater for steaming vents and panoramic views.

Or take a boat from Sorrento and explore some of this beautiful stretch of coastline’s islands and cliffside towns. Ferries run along the Amalfi Coast * to the towns of Positano and Amalfi. Or you can visit the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida and go shopping with the A-list, visit the dazzling Blue Grotto sea cave or soak in thermal baths.

Read more: 9 of the best day trips from Sorrento

Day 6: Sorrento > Sicily

Make an early start for a long travel day to Sicily. First take the Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento back to Naples, allowing time to change stations before catching the 09.50 InterCity train from Naples Centrale south along the coast to Sicily.

It’s one of Europe’s most unusual train journeys as the whole train gets on board the ferry for the short journey across the Straits of Messina to Sicily. Once you’re back on land, the train carries on through Sicily where you have a choice of final destination.

There’s the resort town of Taormina (arrival 16.40) where you can visit the Greek amphitheatre and relax on the beach at Isola Bella with a lemony granita (crushed ice). Or you can carry on to Catania (arrival 17.25) where you can explore the city’s spectacular Baroque architecture, shop the street markets and learn to cook like a Catanian.

The train splits into two sections in Sicily, so as well as heading south to Taormina and Catania, you could also head east to the city of Palermo (arrival 19.25). Palermo is Sicily’s capital, a buzzing city famous for its imposing cathedral, puppet theatre shows, lavish Teatro Massimo opera house and the creepy catacombs with their mummified bodies.

Where to stay in Sicily: In Taormina, the small but perfectly formed Hotel Taodomus * in the heart of the historic centre comes with a small terrace and honesty bar. In Catania, the historic 4-star Palace Catania * has a knockout view of Mount Etna from its roof terrace and restaurant. Or in Palermo, the Casa Nostra Boutique Hotel * is close to the cathedral with a terrace, outdoor pool and some rooms with balcony spa baths.

Read more: Churches and cannoli: The best things to do in Catania

Day 7: Sicily

Spend the final day of your Italy by train trip seeing more of Sicily – and make sure to eat a few cannoli before you leave. If you’re flying back home, both Palermo and Catania have international airports which are connected to each city by bus. Or you can pre-book a transfer to either airport with an English-speaking driver though Welcome Pickups .*

If you’ve got more time to spare, there’s plenty more to see in Sicily – you can climb Mount Etna, visit the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, take a boat out to the volcanic Aeolian Islands, explore the Greek and Roman ruins in Siracusa and hike through the Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro nature reserve.

Or if you fancy adding another country onto your trip, ferries run between Sicily and Malta once or twice a day. Take a train or bus to Pozzallo in the south-east of Sicily, where the ferry takes around 90 minutes to reach the harbour in Valletta .

How much does it cost?

When you’re planning a European rail trip, you can either book individual tickets or get a railpass, which can be a better deal if you’re under 28, want more flexibility or are booking late. Here’s how the prices break down for the two different options on this route.

Individual tickets

Ticket prices vary depending on how early you book, with a limited number of cheap tickets available. So book as early as possible (on most routes you can book 3–4 months in advance) but beware these tickets are non-transferable so you’re tied to a specific train. Using the cheapest fares, the cost of trains on this route starts at €79 per person.

• Venice > Florence: from €19.90
• Florence > Rome: from €19.90
• Rome > Naples: from €9.90
• Naples > Sorrento > Naples: €9 (can’t be booked in advance)
• Naples > Sicily: from €19.90

The railpass option

There are also various rail passes available through InterRail (for European residents) and Eurail (for non-European residents), which cover individual countries or the whole region and are valid for different periods of time, varying from four days to three months.

The Italy by train itinerary involves four travel days in one country, so the best option is the One Country Italy pass for 4 travel days within 1 month . This pass costs €153 for adults, €126 for youths (aged 12–27) or €138 for seniors (aged 60+) in second class.

As well as the pass, you also need to pay an extra compulsory reservation fee if you’re using Italy’s high-speed, long-distance trains or sleeper services. For this trip, the extra fees come to €42, broken down as below, meaning the overall railpass cost starts from €168.

• Venice > Florence: €10
• Florence > Rome: €10
• Rome > Naples: €10
• Naples > Sorrento > Naples: €9 (Circumvesuviana trains aren’t covered by railpass)
• Naples > Sicily: €3

Reservations can be made at any train station or online through the InterRail/Eurail reservations service for a fee of €2. I’ve recommended the quickest and easiest routes. But you can often avoid reservation fees by taking local trains which usually don’t require reservations – though they’re likely to be slower with more changes along the way.

How to book

There are a variety of websites where you can book European train journeys, but often the best deals are though the official railway company sites for each country, which is Trenitalia for Italy. The site is available in English, but you need to use Italian place names (so that’s Venezia instead of Venice, Firenze instead of Florence, Napoli instead of Naples, etc).

You can also book tickets for train travel in Italy with Omio * or The Trainline . The advantage is these sites are in English, you can see prices in €, £ or $, use international credit cards and print or use mobile tickets, but they do both charge a small booking fee.

Don’t want to do it yourself? You can also book this One-week Italy by train itinerary * as a package through our partners Byway, the world’s first flight-free holiday platform, which includes transport and accommodation.

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Wednesday 23rd of March 2022

Coming in July. Can’t wait to use your suggestions.

Lucy Dodsworth

Thursday 24th of March 2022

Fantastic, hope you have a wonderful trip!

Michelle (@littlewanderblog)

Monday 18th of January 2021

Great article! This trip is one of my bucket list ventures! I once went to Rome to Venice on the train, spending 3 nights in each place, but definitely would love all the sights listed on this one! Michelle

Monday 25th of January 2021

Thanks Michelle, hope we can both get to Italy again before too long!

Jan (@Chimptrips)

Wednesday 29th of April 2020

Hi Lucy - This sounds like a great trip and a good way to see lots of Italy. We had planned to take the train from Rome to Naples at Easter, but will just have to go another time! Jan

Wednesday 3rd of June 2020

Ah hope you get to do the trip sometime soon, that's a great journey!

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Travel the length of Italy on this epic rail adventure, taking in ancient monuments, gorgeous coastline and famous cuisine as you explore Rome, Venice, Florence and Sicily.

Italy Train Tours

From the tranquil shores of picturesque Lake Garda to the wonders of ancient Rome, Italy is a remarkable destination, bursting with unrivalled history, culture and natural beauty. As the pleasant warmth of the Mediterranean sun begins to appear, awakening the country and bringing stunning wildflowers into bloom, there is truly no more delightful time to visit Italy than in spring. With late departures still available on many of our magnificent tours to Italy, book your holiday with Rail Discoveries today and experience this captivating country for yourself.

Italy remains to be one of our favourite destinations. From the soaring peaks and glimmering lakes of the north, to the serene coastline and ancient cities of the south, there is always something for the discerning traveller in Italy. With late departure still available on the following tours, be sure to book now for your very own Great Rail Adventure into Europe’s classic destination.

Famous for the food, the scenery, and the gorgeous warm climate that stretches throughout most of the year, Italy is an utter favourite for holiday destinations throughout the world. Discover the magnificent sparkling lakes, the incredibly ancient cities, and the wonderful welcoming atmosphere of the place on a holiday by rail.

Kick back with a cappuccino beside glittering lakeshores, traverse the shimmering canals of Venice and explore the ancient ruins of one of the world’s most iconic empires on a Great Rail Journeys’ Italian adventure. Get a taste of the Dolce Vita on the two following Italian tours, both of which feature brand new lower prices for 2019 departures - take a look below for more information and book your Italian sojourn today.

World-class art, architecture and gastronomy; Italy needs little introduction. Whether it’s the northern delights of Venice, Milan or Lakes Como and Garda, the undulating hills of Tuscany and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the heart of the country, or the southerly gems of the Italian Riviera and the impressive ‘heel’ of Puglia; from top to toe, there are hidden treasures and famous attractions alike to discover and admire in Italy.

Relax with an espresso in a quaint piazza, take a step back in time in ancient Rome, explore the labyrinthine canals of Venice, or discover the breathtaking villages of the Cinque Terre. Join us on one of our new 2021 Italian escapes and let us introduce you to the very best of this enticing destination, from exciting gastronomy, world-renowned art and breathtaking landscapes, to off-the-beaten-path gems you’ll never forget.

Combine Italy’s loveliest lake with a day of spectacular scenery in Switzerland.

Pretty Lake Orta is one of Italy’s lesser-known treasures. It’s not as big as Lake Garda or as glitzy as Lake Como – but what it lacks in size and celebrity sightings, it more than makes up for in charm. Cobbled streets are lined with traditional osterias and quiet cafés, while crowd-free walking paths reveal stunning vistas. The lake is also a great starting point for day trips into the Swiss mountains. The best way to explore is by train – and that’s exactly what we’ll do on our holiday here. We’ll follow the tracks through the mountains from Visp, gaze up at the Matterhorn from Zermatt, and ride the rack railway to Gornergrat for photo-worthy glacier views.

It’s a long and busy day, full of incredible sights and scenes – the perfect contrast to our leisurely days beside the lake.

'La Dolce Vita'

From the centuries of spellbinding art, architecture and culture found in its handsome cities to its world-class culinary delights, let yourself be swept away by the charms of Italy.

Bursting with historical treasures, grand architecture and cultural riches, Italy has inspired those who have visited it for centuries – so why not make it your turn next? Our holidays immerse you in the best of Italy; rub shoulders with locals in the old-world villages of Calabria, fall under the spell of the 'Floating City' of Venice, or journey through landscapes plucked straight from an oil painting.

Italy is one of our most captivating destinations. From enchanting cities - some seem like living museums of art and history - to sublime lakes and mountains or sun-baked shores, Italy has it all. October is the perfect time to experience this wonderful country - days are milder than summer, so sightseeing is cooler and there are fewer crowds.

Discover Italy

Sunny Sorrento or unspoilt Puglia? The Colosseum in Rome or the Doge’s Palace in Venice? Find the Italian getaway that suits your interests – or sample a little bit of everything on one of our longer itineraries. Discover Italy by rail, the only way to travel and see the heart of Southern Europe.

Tour Itineraries:

The Italian Riviera - Lake Garda All Inclusive - Top to Toe of Italy - Tuscany and Venice - Sirmione on Lake Garda - Rome, Sorrento & The Almalfi Coast - Italian Explorer - Best of The Italian Lakes - Puglia & Basilicata - Magic of Sicily - Lake Como All Inclusive

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Ultimate Italian escape: Venice to Rome by rail

7 night escorted rail tour from venice to rome.

Enjoy 8 days traveling first class via train across Italy. Your package vacation will include visits to Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Rome. This package also includes a hotel-to-hotel luggage service and city center accommodations at 4* hotels with breakfast. Your package will include tours, dining and cultural experiences highlighting the best of Italy.

What does my rail package include:

• Tour leader: Professional English and French speaking guide for the entire duration of the tour
• Centrally located hotels (walking distance from train station except in Florence) : 4* with continental buffet breakfast
• First-class train ticket: On high speed-train
• Hotel-to-Hotel luggage service: We collect and deliver client’s luggage directly from hotel to hotel
• Unlimited internet connection: A personal Wi-Fi receiver allowing you constant access to the internet
• 11 meals: 7 continental buffet breakfast, 1 dinner, 1 lunch with wine tasting, 1 local street food testing with wine, 1 special dinner with wine included. 

4* Accommodations:

• Venice 1 night Hotel Maison
• Florence 3 nights Hotel Home
• Rome 3 nights Bettoja Collection

Included activities and excursions

• Venice: “Cicchetti” guided walking tour in Venice, Gondola ride
• Florence: Best of Florence guided walking tour, Tuscan dinner with “bistecca”, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and Chianti guided tour with lunch and wine tasting
• Rome: Best of Rome walking tour, Guided visit of Vatican Museum entrance fees included, Farewell dinner with wine in Frascati

Important information:

When you book a package with ItaliaRail you have two options: Pay now or Buy later: 

PAY NOW OPTION:

In order to confirm your reservation, full payment should be paid by credit card at the time of booking. Your reservation will be confirmed once payment is received. Vouchers and other travel documents will be issued by the InterRail, LLC Customer Satisfaction agent only if full payment for the Services has been received. It is the responsibility of the Customer and of the travel agent to ensure that the information shown on all travel documents is accurate and consistent with the reservation. Package rates are based on double occupancy.

BUY LATER OPTION: 

The option “ buy later” does not guarantee or confirm your reservation on the selected rail package. At any time the selected package can become sold out without notice. A reservation will only be finalized and confirmed once payment is made in full. The payment will be required on the 42nd day before departure.

Cancellation and Trip modification policy: 

43 days or more prior to departure:100% refundable

42 days or less prior to departure: 100% non-refundable

100% cancellation fee for no shows or if cancellation is made after travel is scheduled to begin

• No refund for unused portions of the trip

Venice | 1 nights

Arrival in venice - walking tour, wine tasting, and a gondola ride.

After making your own way to the hotel you will meet your tour guide to begin your Italian vacation. You will begin by learning the rich history of Venetian cuisine while tasting local tapas ( Cicchetti ) and sipping on local wine on a private walking tour; You will have the opportunity to learn the fascinating history of Venetian characters like Casanova or Titian while sampling some of the most delicious Venetian street food.

Overnight at your 4* hotel.

Florence | 3 nights

Florence -   tuscan dinner with bistecca fiorentina.

Take the morning to enjoy Venice on your own schedule before boarding an afternoon train to Florence. After a 2-hour high-speed train journey, you will arrive in Florence. Here you will enjoy an in-depth guided walking tour where you will discover the Best of Florence . By moonlight, you will visit Piazzale Michelangelo with its amazing view over the city, the Ponte Vecchio, the famous Uffizi courtyard, the amazing Brunelleschi’s Dome which overlooks the Baptistery’s golden “Gates of Paradise”. After the tour, you will enjoy an exclusive dinner in the heart of Florence and a typical Florentine-style T-bone steak. 

Overnight at your hotel.

Florence -  day tour of Tuscany including Chianti wine tasting and lunch

After breakfast, you will begin your Tour of Tuscany .  Beginning in Pisa, you will visit the stunning Piazza dei Miracoli, to admire the Baptistery, the Cathedral and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower. Enjoy a typical Tuscan lunch in a wine bar or restaurant sampling renowned local wines and traditional Tuscan dishes. After lunch, the wonders continue with a visit to San Gimignano, the splendid Medieval town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then following the panoramic roads of the Chianti region, you will get to Siena, the city of the Palio Horse Race. 

Florence - Day of leisure with optional activities

Take today to create your own schedule or sign-up for one of the optional tours suggested by your guide. Your tour options include exploring a trip to the Accademia Gallery to see the statue of David or visit the Uffizi or you can also choose to tour the Cinque Terre. Please note, there is an additional charge for these tours. 

Overnight at your hotel in Florence.

Rome | 3 nights

Rome -  best of rome day tour.

After breakfast, you will travel to Rome via first-class on a  high-speed train. Once in Rome, you will take a guided tour of the Eternal City with the option of visiting the Vatican Museums (please note there is an additional charge for this tour). You will have the opportunity to visit the Sistine Chapel and view ancient sculptures, tapestries, medieval maps, paintings, and precious relics. With skip-the-line, you’ll have direct access from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica. Here you’ll see Michelangelo’s ‘Pietà’ and the incredible bronze altar. After a quick break, stroll the alleys of Baroque Rome and marvel at its most iconic sights (Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and more).

Rome - Day of leisure with optional activities

On this day you will have the option of creating your own schedule or taking an optional guided tour. Take this opportunity to visit the Colosseum and a tour of Ancient Rome. If you are more interested in local art and history you can visit the Borghese Gallery. You also have the option of taking an authentic pizza-making class. If you’d like, you can end your day at a local restaurant where you can sample local dishes and wine. Please note, there is an additional charge for these tours.

Rome - Day of leisure with optional activities including a special dinner in Frascati

After breakfast, you have the morning to enjoy Rome on your own. In the late afternoon, you will board a regional train and take a 30-minute journey to the town of Frascati. Set in the Castelli Romani area, Frascati has been chosen through the Centuries by Popes and the aristocratic families for their summer residences. Frascati will give you a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the Eternal City as a special souvenir and a special dinner in a typical “Fraschetta”. The fraschetta in Frascati is uniquely Italian, and something you should try at least once in your life. Here you will drink wine and sample local dishes in a friendly atmosphere. After dinner, you will take a train back to your hotel in Rome.

After breakfast, the end of services.

Rail Packages Terms of Service

ItaliaRail.com (the “Site”) is a website owned and operated by InterRail, LLC (“InterRail”, “we”, “us” or “our”). Please read these Group Terms of Service (collectively with ItaliaRail’s Privacy Policy, the “Terms of Service”) fully and carefully before using the Site and the services, features, content, or applications offered by the Site for rail packages. These Terms of Service set forth the legally binding terms and conditions for your use of the Site and the Group Booking Services purchase.

These Rail Packages Terms of Service are applicable to Rail Packages Booking Services purchased via ItaliaRail.com, and apply to all services booked therein.

By using the Services in any manner, including but not limited to visiting or browsing the Site, you agree to these Terms of Service and all other operating rules, policies, and procedures that may be published from time to time on the Site by us, each of which is incorporated by reference and each of which may be updated from time to time without notice to you.

Certain of the Services may be subject to additional terms and conditions specified by us from time to time; your use of such Services is subject to those additional terms and conditions, which are incorporated into these Terms of Service by this reference.


These Terms of Service apply to all users of the Services, including, without limitation, users who are contributors of content, information, and other materials or services, registered or otherwise.

ARBITRATION NOTICE AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER: EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF DISPUTES DESCRIBED IN THE ARBITRATION SECTION BELOW, YOU AGREE THAT DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND US WILL BE RESOLVED BY BINDING, INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION.

1.1 ACCURACY OF HOTEL INFORMATION:

InterRail, LLC uses a third-party content provider to provide some enriched hotel information. We make every effort to ensure that the hotel information described online is current and accurate and updates are posted on our website when new information is made available. However InterRail, LLC cannot be responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions contained herein. Hotel information contained in the rail packages are provided as a guideline only and should be verified directly with other available sources such as the hotel's website. All hotel descriptions on this site are accurate at the time of posting. For reasons beyond InterRail, LLC’s control, changes that affect hotel descriptions may occur. Any modification will be updated on ItaliaRail.com and will be communicated at the time of booking. In the event of any discrepancy between the information on our website or other materials, the information on our website shall prevail.

1.2 IF WE MODIFY YOUR BOOKING: 

Sometimes, reserved accommodations may no longer be available for reasons such as unexpected maintenance or hotel overbooking. In such cases, substitute accommodation of equal or greater quality will be provided. If, after confirmation, InterRail, LLC makes a hotel change we will contact you at the earliest convenience upon receipt of notification from the concerned supplier prior to your departure.  If the customer requests the change and there’s a price difference, the client will have to pay the difference and if he is under 35 days even cancellation penalties of the hotel that has been changed.

2. Luggage handling

InterRail, LLC is not liable for any delay, loss or damage that may occur to luggage. Please note that baggage and property are at the owner’s risk at all times unless the worry-free luggage service is included in the traveler’s packages (Escorted packages only). If you experience an issue with your luggage, please notify your Tour Leader as soon as possible so we can take action accordingly. 

3. Travel insurance 

InterRail, LLC highly recommends the purchase of travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against unexpected events, namely trip cancellation, loss of, or damage to baggage, as well as insurance covering medical and hospitalization costs abroad. InterRail, LLC does not offer travel insurance, please contact your travel agent or your personal insurance company for more information on the various insurance plans available

4. Customers with special needs or dietary specifications  

Customers requiring special services, assistance or dietary specifications while traveling must advise us of all specific needs at the time of booking or at the earliest convenience so that we can inform our suppliers for any special policy eventually provided by their conditions. 

5. Trip delay / Missed Departures

5.1 TRIP DELAY

Train travel, as well as other forms of transportation, is subject to delays and service disruptions. InterRail, LLC is not responsible in whole or in part for any delays, delayed departures or arrivals or missed carrier connections or for the loss of any purchased services that cannot be used as the result of delays or service disruptions. 

5.2 MISSED DEPARTURE

5.2.1 Train departure: The customer will have to purchase a new rail ticket through our third-party supplier. In case the new rail ticket does not allow arrival on time for the scheduled tours or activity in the arrival city, the customer will not have the right to any reimbursement for the lost activities.

5.2.2 Rail package departure: 100% penalty for all the unused services. Customers attending an individual rail package can communicate with YourItalianFriend service for further details.

6. YourItalianFriend®

YourItalianFriendTM: Our exclusive assistance services to participating customers. It is a “one-on-one” real-time support experience for our clients, making their holiday hassle-free. The service is available seven days a week to receive assistance, to get information, and to personalize your vacation with additional activities or experiences.

From December 2019 till March 31st, 2020:

Concierge service is available from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm CET

Emergency service is available from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm CET

From April 1st, 2020 onwards:

Emergency service is 24h 

7. Local holidays in your destination:

Please be aware that Italy has its own local holidays, holiday closures, etc. such as Holy Week. Please check the blackout dates for every purchased tours on our website to be aware of any holidays that may affect your vacation. Here are some examples of the most popular tours.

Vatican Blackout Dates

Closed: Every Sunday (except the last Sunday of each month)

Colosseum Blackout Dates

Closed: December 25, January 1, May 1.

Uffizi Gallery Blackout Dates

Closed: Every Monday, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th.

The option “ buy later” does not guarantee or confirm your reservation on the selected rail package. At any time the selected package can become sold out without notice. A reservation will only be finalized and confirmed once payment is made in full. The payment will be required on the 42nd day before departure.  

9. Cancellation and Modifications/ Change fees  

9.1 CANCELLATION:

No refund for unused portions of the trip.

9.2 MODIFICATION /  CHANGE FEES:

If you wish to make a change less than 43 days before departure to a confirmed booking, a service fee of $50USD per person and price increases will be charged for all other changes.  No refunds will be issued for any difference on a lower-priced alternative. If the change is made to room occupancy and results in a higher rate, the remaining travelers are responsible for the additional rate applicable for the revised occupancy In some cases, supplier fees may be 100% of the services provided.

10. Pricing and exclusions

10.1 PRICING:

Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy and for travel in low season. Seasonal surcharges may apply. Limited seat/spaces and all pricing is subject to change and availability without notice. 

Prices are based in Euro (€) at the time of quoting, converted at the prevailing foreign-exchange rate as determined by ItaliaRail. Price quotations are subject to change without notice until a booking has been confirmed.

10.2 EXCLUSIONS:

Prices do not include tips/gratuities to tour leader, drivers or local guides; airport transfers; Hotel city taxes are the responsibility of the traveler and must be paid directly to the hotel (average 4 euro per day); passport and visa fees; and personal insurance; any items of a personal nature; taxes or duties; “Anything not mentioned in “Price Includes”; and any beverages, food, baggage and transfers not specifically listed under "Inclusions" on the product pages of the Website.

11. Eligibility

You represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age. We may, in our sole discretion, refuse to offer the Services to any person or entity and change its eligibility criteria at any time. You are solely responsible for ensuring that these Terms of Service are in compliance with all laws, rules, and regulations applicable to you and the right to access the Services is revoked where these Terms of Service or use of the Services is prohibited or to the extent offering, sale, or provision of the Services conflicts with any applicable law, rule, or regulation. Further, the Services are offered only for your use, and not for the use or benefit of any third party.

12. Products and Services Sold Through ItaliaRail.com

Unless differently indicated in the information sent at the time of reservation, we sell products and services provided by third parties (Principals), Each purchase of a Principal’s product or service is subject to that Principal’s rules or restrictions for each such product or service. Please review these rules and restrictions when you enter into transactions on our website. You are solely responsible for ensuring that your purchases with any Principal abide by these rules and restrictions, including terms or conditions of purchase set forth in the fare rules or contract of carriage. 

We expressly disclaim any responsibility for any losses, damages, inconveniences (including, without limitation, any and all delays, cancellations, and missed connections) or other concerns related to your purchase or attempt to purchase any tickets, other travel-related products or services, or any other product or service that may be accessed, made available or disclosed through the ItaliaRail.com website.

You agree that your access to and interaction with rail passes, tickets travel option and booking information available through the ItaliaRail.com website is at your own risk, and InterRail will have no liability with respect to the acts, omissions, errors, representations, warranties, breaches, or negligence of any Principal.  

For European Union customers, under certain conditions, the Rail Packages might be subject to certain provisions of Directive 2015/2302/UE, as implemented in the relevant member state. 

It is your responsibility to control your email and/or mailing address, verify that you have correctly received the ticket you purchased and contact us promptly at [email protected] for any problem. You agree that we will not be responsible for any problems or losses, including but not limited to the loss of the product you purchased, deriving from you not having done so.

13. Content

Definition. For purposes of these Terms of Service, the term “Content” includes, without limitation, information, data, text, photographs, videos, audio clips, written posts and comments, software, scripts, graphics, and interactive features generated, provided, or otherwise made accessible on or through the Services. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Content” also includes all User Content (as defined below).

User Content. All Content added, created, uploaded, submitted, distributed, or posted to the Services by users (collectively “User Content”), whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole responsibility of the person who originated such User Content. You represent that all User Content provided by you is accurate, complete, up-to-date, and in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. You acknowledge that all Content, including User Content, accessed by you using the Services is at your own risk, and you will be solely responsible for any damage or loss to you or any other party resulting therefrom.   We do not guarantee that any Content you access on or through the Services is or will continue to be accurate.

Notices and Restrictions. The Services may contain Content specifically provided by us, our partners, or our users, and such Content is protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, or other proprietary rights and laws. You shall abide by and maintain all copyright notices, information, and restrictions contained in any Content accessed through the Services.

Availability of Content. We do not guarantee that any Content will be made available on the Site or through the Services. We reserve the right to, but do not have any obligation to, (i) remove, edit or modify any Content in our sole discretion, at any time, without notice to you and for any reason (including, but not limited to, upon receipt of claims or allegations from third parties or authorities relating to such Content or if we are concerned that you may have violated these Terms of Service), or for no reason at all and (ii) to remove or block any Content from the Services.

Territorial Restrictions. The ItaliaRail.com website is controlled and operated by InterRail from its offices in the United States of America. InterRail makes no representation that materials available on the ItaliaRail.com website are appropriate or available for use in other locations, and access to them from territories where their contents are illegal is prohibited. If you choose to access our website from other locations you do so at your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws. You agree to abide by applicable export control laws as well as all other applicable laws and regulations of the United States, and each of its states, localities, and territories. 

14. Rules of Conduct

As a condition of use, you promise not to use the Services for any purpose that is prohibited by these Terms of Service. You are responsible for all of your activities in connection with the Services.  

You shall not (and shall not permit any third party to) either (a) take any action or (b) upload, download, post, submit, or otherwise distribute or facilitate distribution of any Content on or through the Service, including without limitation any User Content, that:

infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity, or other right of any other person or entity or violates any law or contractual duty (see our DMCA Copyright Policy in Section 7 below);

you know is false, misleading, untruthful, or inaccurate;

is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, deceptive, fraudulent, invasive of another's privacy, tortious, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, offensive, profane, contains or depicts nudity, contains or depicts sexual activity, or is otherwise inappropriate as determined by us in our sole discretion;

constitutes unauthorized or unsolicited advertising, junk or bulk e-mail (“spamming”);

contains software viruses or any other computer codes, files, or programs that are designed or intended to disrupt, damage, limit or interfere with the proper function of any software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment or to damage or obtain unauthorized access to any system, data, password or other information of ours or of any third party;

impersonates any person or entity, including any of our employees or representatives; or

includes anyone’s identification documents or sensitive financial information.

You shall not: (i) take any action that imposes or may impose (as determined by us in our sole discretion) an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our (or our third-party providers’) infrastructure; (ii) interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Services or any activities conducted on the Services; (iii) bypass, circumvent or attempt to bypass or circumvent any measures we may use to prevent or restrict access to the Services (or other accounts, computer systems or networks connected to the Services); (iv) run any form of auto-responder or “spam” on the Services; (v) use manual or automated software, devices, or other processes to “crawl” or “spider” any page of the Site; (vi) harvest or scrape any Content from the Services; or (vii) otherwise take any action in violation of our guidelines and policies.

You shall not (directly or indirectly): (i) decipher, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, or otherwise attempt to derive any source code or underlying ideas or algorithms of any part of the Services (including without limitation any application), except to the limited extent applicable laws specifically prohibit such restriction, (ii) modify, translate, or otherwise create derivative works of any part of the Services, or (iii) copy, rent, lease, distribute, or otherwise transfer any of the rights that you receive hereunder. You shall abide by all applicable local, state, national, and international laws and regulations.

We also reserve the right to access, read, preserve, and disclose any information as we reasonably believe is necessary to (i) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, (ii) enforce these Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations hereof, (iii) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues, (iv) respond to user support requests, or (v) protect the rights, property, or safety of us, our users, and the public.

15. DMCA Copyright Policy

InterRail has adopted the following general policy toward copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ( http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/legislation/dmca.pdf ). If you believe that material or content residing on or accessible through Company’s websites or services infringes a copyright, please send a notice of copyright infringement containing the following information to the Designated Agent listed below:

A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright that has been allegedly infringed;

Identification of works or materials being infringed;

Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing including information regarding the location of the infringing materials that the copyright owner seeks to have removed, with sufficient detail so that Company is capable of finding and verifying its existence;

Contact information about the notifier including address, telephone number, and, if available, e-mail address;

A statement that the notifier has a good faith belief that the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and

A statement made under penalty of perjury that the information provided is accurate and the notifying party is authorized to make the complaint on behalf of the copyright owner.

Please contact the Designated Agent to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement for Company at [email protected], or at:

InterRail, LLC

15 Hancock Avenue

16. Third-Party Services

The Services may permit you to link to other websites, services, or resources on the Internet, and other websites, services or resources may contain links to the Services. When you access third party resources on the Internet, you do so at your own risk. These other resources are not under our control, and you acknowledge that we are not responsible or liable for the content, functions, accuracy, legality, appropriateness, or any other aspect of such websites or resources. The inclusion of any such link does not imply our endorsement or any association between us and their operators. You further acknowledge and agree that we shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such website or resource.

17. Warranty Disclaimer

We have no special relationship with or fiduciary duty to you. You acknowledge that We have no duty to take any action regarding: 

Which users gain access to the Services;

What Content you access via the Services; or

How you may interpret or use the Content.

You release us from all liability for you having acquired or not acquired Content through the Services. We make no representations concerning any Content contained in or accessed through the Services, and we will not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, copyright compliance, or legality of material or Content contained in or accessed through the Services.

The products are provided “as is”, “as available”, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of title, non-infringement, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and any warranties implied by any course of performance or usage of trade, all of which are expressly disclaimed. We, and our directors, employees, agents, suppliers, partners and content providers do not warrant that: (i) the services will be secure or available at any particular time or location; (ii) any defects or errors will be corrected; (iii) any content or software available at or through the services is free of viruses or other harmful components; or (iv) the results of using the services will meet your requirements. Your use of the services is solely at your own risk

18. Indemnification

You shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless us, our affiliates, and each of our and their respective employees, contractors, directors, suppliers, and representatives from all liabilities, claims, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, that arise from or relate to your use or misuse of, or access to, the Services, Content, or otherwise from your User Content, violation of these Terms of Service, or infringement by you, or any third party using your identity in the Services, of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity. We reserve the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will assist and cooperate with us in asserting any available defenses.

19. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall we, nor our directors, employees, agents, partners, suppliers or content providers, be liable under contract, tort, strict liability, negligence or any other legal or equitable theory with respect to the services (i) for any lost profits, data loss, cost of procurement of substitute goods or services, or special, indirect, incidental, punitive, compensatory or consequential damages of any kind whatsoever (however arising), (ii) for any bugs, viruses, trojan horses, or the like (regardless of the source of origination), or (iii) for any direct damages in excess of (in the aggregate) of the greater of (a) fees paid to us for the particular services during the immediately previous three (3) month period or (b) $500.00.

20. ARBITRATION CLAUSE & CLASS ACTION WAIVER – IMPORTANT – PLEASE REVIEW AS THIS AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 

Arbitration. You agree that all disputes between you and us (whether or not such dispute involves a third party) with regard to your relationship with us, including without limitation disputes related to these terms of service, your use of the services, and/or rights of privacy and/or publicity, will be resolved by binding, individual arbitration under the American arbitration association's rules for arbitration of consumer-related disputes and you and we hereby expressly waive trial by jury; provided, however, that to the extent that you have in any manner violated or threatened to violate our intellectual property rights, we may seek injunctive or other appropriate relief in any state or federal court in the state of new york. Discovery and rights to appeal in arbitration are generally more limited than in a lawsuit, and other rights that you and we would have in court may not be available in arbitration. A party who intends to seek arbitration must first send to the other, by certified mail, a written Notice of Intent to Arbitrate ("Notice"). The Notice to InterRail should be addressed to: 15 Hancock Avenue, Newton, MA 02459 ("Arbitration Notice Address"). The Notice must (a) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and (b) set forth the specific relief sought ("Demand"). If we do not reach an agreement to resolve the claim within 30 days after the Notice is received, you may commence an arbitration proceeding. You may bring claims only on your own behalf.  Neither you nor we will participate in a class action or class-wide arbitration for any claims covered by this agreement to arbitrate. YOU ARE GIVING UP YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE AS A CLASS REPRESENTATIVE OR CLASS MEMBER ON ANY CLASS CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE AGAINST US INCLUDING ANY RIGHT TO CLASS ARBITRATION OR ANY CONSOLIDATION OF INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATIONS. You also agree not to participate in claims brought in a private attorney general or representative capacity, or consolidated claims involving another person's account, if we are a party to the proceeding. This dispute resolution provision will be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and not by any state law concerning arbitration. In the event the American Arbitration Association is unwilling or unable to set a hearing date within one hundred and sixty (160) days of filing the case, then either we or you can elect to have the arbitration administered instead by the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services. Judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having competent jurisdiction. Any provision of applicable law notwithstanding, the arbitrator will not have authority to award damages, remedies or awards that conflict with these Terms of Service. You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of, related to or connected with the use of the Services or these Terms of Services must be filed within one (1) year after such claim of action arose or be forever banned.

Severability. If the prohibition against class actions and other claims brought on behalf of third parties contained above is found to be unenforceable, then all of the preceding language in this Arbitration section will be null and void. This arbitration agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with us. 

Moreover, some jurisdictions do not permit mandatory arbitration of consumer disputes or choice of governing law, so this clause may not apply to you if your case falls within one of these jurisdictions.

21. Governing Law

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including its conflicts of law rules, and the United States of America.

22. Modification

We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to modify or replace any of these Terms of Service, or change, suspend, or discontinue the Services (including without limitation, the availability of any feature, database, or content) at any time. We may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to parts or all of the Services without notice or liability. While we will timely provide notice of modifications, it is also your responsibility to check these Terms of Service periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Services following notification of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes, which will apply to your continued use of the Services going forward. Your use of the Services is subject to the Terms of Service in effect at the time of such use.

23. Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement and Severability. These Terms of Service are the entire agreement between you and us with respect to the Services, including use of the Site, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals (whether oral, written or electronic) between you and us with respect to the Services. If any provision of these Terms of Service is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms of Service will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. The failure of either party to exercise in any respect any right provided for herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder

Force Majeure. We shall not be liable for any failure to perform our obligations hereunder where such failure results from any cause beyond our reasonable control, including, without limitation, mechanical, electronic or communications failure or degradation.

Assignment. These Terms of Service are personal to you, and are not assignable, transferable, or sublicensable by you except with our prior written consent. We may assign, transfer, or delegate any of our rights and obligations hereunder without consent.

Agency. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship is created as a result of these Terms of Service and neither party has any authority of any kind to bind the other in any respect. 

Notices. You agree that, unless otherwise specified in these Term of Service, all communications under these Terms of Service will be made through email. Electronic notices should be sent to [email protected].   

No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any part of these Terms of Service shall not constitute a waiver of our right to later enforce that or any other part of these Terms of Service. Waiver of compliance in any particular instance does not mean that we will waive compliance in the future. In order for any waiver of compliance with these Terms of Service to be binding, we must provide you with written notice of such waiver through one of our authorized representatives.

Headings. The section and paragraph headings in these Terms of Service are for convenience only and shall not affect their interpretation.

Contact. You may contact us at the following address: 

P.O.Box 428

Franklin, Ma

Effective Date of Terms of Service: [December 13, 2019]

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