Rome
The Colosseum and its surroundings
Go in at the first hour. By afternoon the stones of the Forum are hot and crowded. Close the evening in Trastevere, away from the ancient quarter.
Europe
Italy
Long tables, short distances, and the pleasure of slowing down together.
- Best time
- April–June, September–October
- Daily budget
- 110–170 €
- Language
- Italian
- Currency
- Euro (€)
Italy is the easiest home a group trip can have, and the plan that comes apart the fastest. You each arrive with a list: the Colosseum, a bridge, a gondola. The list is fine. Set the pace wrong and the city turns into a queue.
This guide was not written so you can count three cities as seen. On a first visit, give Rome two full days, Florence a day and a half, and Venice a single day that starts early. Whatever time remains belongs to getting lost in the neighborhood you chose.
July and August run hot in the south, and the coast is crowded. Spring and autumn are more generous to walking and to long dinners.
Places to see
Rome
Trevi and the side streets
The fountain is a photograph. The Rome that stays with you is the gelato counter and the small squares two streets behind it. Move the group on from the fountain.
Venice
Rialto, early
The bridge fills by noon. The two hours after sunrise are the stretch when the canal still looks like a city.
Florence
The Duomo ridge
If you want to climb the dome, book the ticket days ahead. If you skip the climb, the riverbank and Oltrarno tell the same city in a quieter voice.
Things to do
Lingering in one neighborhood
Leave the idea of a new district every day. Trastevere in Rome, Oltrarno in Florence, and Dorsoduro in Venice can each hold an afternoon.
The high-speed train
Rome to Florence takes about an hour and a half. A morning train leaves the afternoon for walking in the city you have just reached.
A courtyard in place of a museum
If someone among you is tired of museums, let it go. A courtyard in Florence, or a church courtyard in Rome, still belongs to the day.
A dash for the coast
With five days, leave Cinque Terre off the list. It wants two days of its own. The walk from Manarola to Vernazza refuses to be rushed.
Food
Cacio e pepe
Rome’s pasta of cheese and black pepper. A tourist menu that promises a bit of everything is less honest than a small osteria with four or five pastas.
Cicchetti
In Venice, keep the evening from depending on a single restaurant. Small bites and a glass at the bar, beside the canal, make the better rhythm.
A shared table
In Florence a thick-cut steak is enough for two. A good evening in Italy is a table that runs long, more than it is one famous plate.
Getting around
Walking is the cleanest plan inside a city. Between cities, the high-speed train tires you less than a car.
- Direct flights from Istanbul to Rome or Milan often take around three hours.
- Between Rome, Florence, and Venice you ride Trenitalia or Italo. Buy the weekend train a few days ahead.
- Venice has no cars. If you arrive by car, leave it in Mestre and take the train or a vaporetto.
- The metro is useful in Rome, though most of the center is a walk. Download a taxi app for the ride home at night.
Where to stay
Three hotels in three cities means carrying the suitcase every day. Think again about any stop under two nights.
Rome
Monti and Trastevere make the walk home at night easy. Around Termini the rooms look cheaper, and the nights feel heavier.
Florence
Rooms at the foot of the Duomo have the view and the noise. Between Santa Croce and the river, you sleep better.
Venice
Rooms pressed against San Marco are expensive and crowded. Dorsoduro and Cannaregio keep more of the morning quiet.
A working travel budget
Per person, for a mid-range room and a day of spending. Museum days and high-speed train tickets push the range up. A mid-range day: 110–170 €.
Budget
90 €
A shared apartment, a slice eaten standing at lunch, one good plate at night. Keep museum days scarce.
Comfortable
150 €
A small hotel near the center, one museum or one train a day, and dinner sitting down.
Refined
240 €
A good address, tables you have booked, and room to change a high-speed ticket.
Sample routes
7 days · First-time groups of 2–6
The classic line: Rome, Florence, Venice
- Days 1–2 Rome The first morning in the ancient quarter, the afternoon lingering in Monti. On the second day, Villa Borghese or Trastevere. Leave room for one of them.
- Days 3–4 Florence The morning train. The afternoon on the river and in Oltrarno. The next day, one museum, and the rest on foot.
- Days 5–6 Venice Arrive before noon. Rialto in the first light, an afternoon of getting lost, cicchetti in the evening. On the sixth day, an island, or only a square.
- Day 7 Buffer Shift back toward Rome or Milan according to the flight home. Leave this day free of a new city.
4 days · Anyone who would rather keep the same suitcase
One city: four days in Rome
- Day 1 The center A Colosseum morning, then a stop at the fountain and a seat in Monti.
- Day 2 The river Trastevere and a market. Close the evening early.
- Day 3 One museum The Vatican or the Borghese. Give them separate days.
- Day 4 Spare time A coffee you go back to, rather than a shopping list. A good trip needs an empty hour.
Good to know
- A Schengen visa depends on your nationality. Before you leave, check the current rule and how long an appointment takes.
- Lunch is gone before 1 p.m., and kitchens can close through the late afternoon. If you want to eat, plan lunch on time.
- Fountain water is drinkable. Bottled water quietly swells the daily budget.
- In churches, shoulders and knees still need covering. A thin scarf takes almost no room in a suitcase.
- Tipping is not required. If the bill shows “coperto”, that is the cover charge. You do not owe a second percentage on top.
- In summer the air-conditioning is not the same in every hotel. Ask before you book.
