If you have 10 days
Keep Rome, Florence and Venice (4, 3 and 2 nights) and skip the Cinque Terre and Milan. The train between Florence and Venice takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Trip itinerary · Italy
Italy in two weeks: Rome, Florence, the Cinque Terre, Milan and Venice by train
Fly into Rome, fly out of Venice, and let Italy’s trains do the driving: five very different places in 13 nights, with a sensible day of travel between each and no rental car to park.
See the routeThe route at a glance
- 1Rome4 nights
- About 1.5 hours
- 2Florence3 nights
- About 3 hours
- 3Cinque Terre2 nights
- About 3 hours
- 4Milan2 nights
- About 2.5 hours
- 5Venice2 nights
Why this route
Why this route
This route runs south to north along the places most first-time visitors dream about: the monuments of Rome, the Renaissance in Florence, the pastel villages of the Cinque Terre, Milan’s cathedral and design, and Venice at the end, where it is hard to be disappointed. Every move between cities is by train, and none takes more than about three hours.
It is a trip of five bases, not five checklists. Each stop gets enough nights to settle in, and we only suggest the kinds of things you could do there, so you can decide later how packed you want your days to be.
The journey
Rome → Venice
- Rome → FlorenceTrain · About 1.5 hours
- Florence → Cinque TerreTrain · About 3 hours
- Cinque Terre → MilanTrain · About 3 hours
- Milan → VeniceTrain · About 2.5 hours
Why it is on the route
Four nights is the right amount for the headline sights without rushing: ancient Rome, the Vatican and the old center, with an evening or two left over just to wander. Rome is big, so pick one neighborhood as your base and use the metro or your feet for the rest.
Things you could do
- The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
- The Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica
- The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain
- An evening in Trastevere
- The Borghese Gallery and its park
- Cycling or walking the ancient Appian Way
Day trips
- Ostia Antica, the ancient port town, an easy train ride away
- Tivoli and its villas and gardens
Getting to Florence
Rome → FlorenceTrain · About 1.5 hours
Take a high-speed train from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella. They run all day, and you do not need to arrive early.
When to leave: Mid-morning after check-out, so you reach Florence around lunchtime and can drop your bags before check-in.
Other options
- Regional train Slower, at around 3.5 to 4 hours, but flexible, with no seat reservation.
- Car About 3.5 hours; only worth it if you also plan a Tuscany road trip.
- Reserve a seat on the high-speed trains. Regional trains do not need a reservation, but paper regional tickets must be validated at the platform machine before you board, or you can be fined.
- If you drive, Florence’s historic center is a restricted traffic zone (ZTL) where unauthorized cars are fined, so park outside it.
Why it is on the route
Florence is compact and walkable, so three nights covers the center comfortably and leaves a day for the countryside. It is also the easiest base in Italy for a Tuscany day trip without a car.
Things you could do
- The Duomo and Brunelleschi’s dome
- The Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia
- The Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno artisan streets
- Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo
- The Boboli Gardens
Day trips
- Siena or San Gimignano by bus, or both on a small-group tour
- Pisa by train in about an hour
- A Chianti wine-country tour
Getting to Cinque Terre
Florence → Cinque TerreTrain · About 3 hours
Take a train to La Spezia Centrale (direct, or with a change in Pisa), then a local train to the village where you are staying.
When to leave: In the morning, so you arrive in the early afternoon with time to wander before dinner.
Other options
- Car About 2 hours of driving, but the villages are car-free and parking nearby is limited, so the train is easier.
- Keep a small day bag handy: the last stretch involves stairs and slopes, and large suitcases are a hassle.
- On the regional trains you will take here, paper tickets must be validated at the platform machine before you board, or you can be fined.
Why it is on the route
Two nights is enough to visit the villages by train and walk one stretch of the coastal path, conditions permitting. Base yourself in one village, or in a nearby town if rooms in the villages are scarce, and move around by local train.
Things you could do
- Riding the local train between the five villages
- Walking a section of the coastal trail (check which sections are open)
- Swimming off the beach at Monterosso
- Sunset in Manarola
- Tasting the local sweet wine, Sciacchetrà
Day trips
- Portovenere by seasonal boat, or by bus from La Spezia
- Lerici and the Gulf of Poets
Getting to Milan
Cinque Terre → MilanTrain · About 3 hours
Take a train from La Spezia or Levanto to Milano Centrale, usually direct or with one change in Genoa.
When to leave: Mid-morning, to reach Milan in the afternoon in time for check-in.
- Intercity trains require a reserved seat, which you get when you buy your ticket.
- Local trains between the villages and La Spezia or Levanto run all year, with extra services added in the main season.
Why it is on the route
Milan is the practical hinge between the coast and Venice, and two nights gives you the cathedral, the arcade, and time for Leonardo’s Last Supper if you book early. It rewards a slower, café-and-design kind of visit.
Things you could do
- The Duomo and a walk across its rooftop
- The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
- Leonardo’s The Last Supper (tickets are limited, so book well ahead)
- The Brera district’s galleries and streets
- Aperitivo along the Navigli canals
- The Sforza Castle and Parco Sempione
Day trips
- Lake Como by train, with a ferry between the lakeside towns (it takes most of a day, so it replaces your full day in the city)
Getting to Venice
Milan → VeniceTrain · About 2.5 hours
Take a high-speed train from Milano Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia, which drops you right beside the Grand Canal.
When to leave: Late morning, so you arrive in Venice for lunch and can leave your bags before check-in.
- Venice has no cars. From the station it is a short vaporetto ride or a walk, so travel light.
Why it is on the route
Venice rewards staying overnight: the best light and the quietest lanes come early in the morning and after the day-trippers leave. Two nights is enough to see the main sights and to get pleasantly lost.
Things you could do
- St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, and the Doge’s Palace
- A vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal
- The Rialto Market (the fish market is closed on Sundays and Mondays)
- Wandering Cannaregio and Dorsoduro
- A boat out to Murano and Burano
Day trips
- Torcello and its cathedral by boat
- Verona or Padua by train
With more or fewer days
If you have 3 weeks
Add Bologna for food (2 nights), a Tuscan hill-town base such as Siena (3 nights, which replaces the Siena day trip from Florence), and an extra night each in Rome and Venice.
Before you book
- Train times and frequencies change by season and day, and temporary works can affect lines, so check the current timetable and service notices before you book. The durations here are approximate.
- Strikes sometimes disrupt Italian trains. Keep your first and last days flexible, especially around your flights.
- The Cinque Terre trails can close after heavy rain. Ask locally which sections are open.
- This is a route outline, not a day-by-day plan. Dayworthy can help you turn it into one that fits your dates and pace.
Published: · Updated:
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