One week in Italy: a multi-city route
Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan by high-speed rail.
Photo by Ananthan Loggi on Unsplash
Interactive map of the route. The full stop list below works without it.
Owned inter-city distance across covered legs: 682.4 km
How do you spend a week in Italy?
A northbound rail route through the four cities that earn a first trip to Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. High-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains link every leg, so you never need a car, and booking ahead keeps each ride short. All four cities carry Wayside walking tours, so every stop has a ready route through the streets.
- Day 1 to 3
Start with the ancient city
Start in Rome because the city concentrates more walkable history per block than anywhere else in Italy. Spend the first morning on the ancient walk from the Colosseum through the Forum to the Palatine Belvedere, then use an afternoon for the Baroque Heart: Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. On a second day, cross the Tiber for the Trastevere climb to the Janiculum view, or take the Capitoline and Ghetto descent to Tiber Island. Stay near the center so you can walk most of it.
- TransitThe high-speed run from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, with advance one-way fares from about €17 to €19.SourceOmio Frecciarossa routes
- TicketsA standard Colosseum ticket costs €18; book a timed entry ahead to skip the longest line.SourceVisitarItalia 2026 budget guide
Rome one-day itineraryRome walking tours
Next leg · 233.8 km
- Day 3 to 5
The Renaissance core between two rail legs
Florence is the compact Renaissance city where the Duomo, the Uffizi and Michelangelo's David sit within a walkable center. Start with the Duomo to Ponte Vecchio walk down Via dei Calzaiuoli, then pick a second route by mood: Medici San Lorenzo and San Marco covers Michelangelo's tombs and David, while Santa Croce and Sant'Ambrogio pairs the great tombs with the east-side food market. For the quieter left bank, take the Oltrarno Artisans and Santo Spirito route through the workshops, and save the San Niccolò to San Miniato climb for the evening view over the red roofs. Reserve the Uffizi and the Accademia ahead; the center is small but the queues are not.
- TransitItalo runs about 11 direct trains a day from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Venezia Santa Lucia in about 2 hours, from €18.90 one way.SourceItalo Treno
- TicketsThe Uffizi full ticket costs €25; book a timed entry weeks ahead in high season.SourceVisitarItalia 2026 budget guide
Florence one-day itineraryFlorence walking tours
Next leg · 203.4 km
- Day 5 to 7
Two nights on water
Venice is the one city on this route with no cars, and the best move is to stay on or near the main island so you can walk it at dawn and after the day-trippers leave. The San Marco and La Fenice tour covers the square, the basilica and the opera house, while Rialto Market to the Frari pairs the morning fish stalls with Titian and Tintoretto. For a quieter day, follow Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto north, or Dorsoduro Art and Waterfront west to the Accademia and the Zattere. A vaporetto day pass covers the Grand Canal and the outer islands of Murano and Burano. The city's tourist tax adds a small nightly cost; pay it at check-in and keep the receipt.
- TransitFrecciarossa and Italo trains link Venezia Santa Lucia to Milano Centrale in about 2 hours 16 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, with advance one-way fares from about €19 to €22.SourceOmio Frecciarossa routes
- CostVenice adds a tourist tax of roughly €4 to €7 per person per night depending on season and accommodation.SourceVisitarItalia 2026 budget guide
Venice one-day itineraryVenice walking tours
Next leg · 245.2 km
- Day 7 to 8
End with the Duomo and Leonardo
End in Milan because it is the strongest northern hub for flights and the fastest route back out of Italy. Walk the historic core from the Duomo's rooftop across the Galleria to La Scala and Piazza Mercanti, then choose between Brera's art quarter and the Navigli canals for the evening. Book The Last Supper timed entry weeks ahead; the fresco is the one sight here that sells out completely. Wayside's Milan tours cover the core, the fortress to park axis, Brera, the canals and Leonardo's city.
Less time?
Short on time, drop Milan and fly out of Venice, or cut Florence and take the direct Rome to Venice high-speed service. The shorter version still gives you the strongest first-time spine.
Planning your route
Can I do this whole route by train?
Yes. High-speed Frecciarossa and Italo trains link every leg, and each ride is roughly two hours or less, so no car is needed inside the cities. Book seats 2 to 3 weeks ahead for the lowest fares.
SourceItalo TrenoTrenitaliaWhat should I book before I leave?
Book high-speed train tickets, the Colosseum, the Uffizi, the Accademia and The Last Supper as soon as your dates are fixed. Venice hotels and central Florence rooms also sell out early in high season.
Which direction should I travel?
South to north works well, ending in Milan for the widest flight options, and the reverse is equally easy because the trains run both ways all day.
More of Italy
- Walking toursWalking tours in ItalyItaly is where three thousand years of stone, art, and food sit side by side, and where a morning train moves you from an imperial arena to a Renaissance dome to a city built on water. Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan are the covered cities on Wayside, each with walking tours that get you past the ticket lines and into the streets. Rome carries the ancient and Baroque center; Florence carries the Duomo, Michelangelo's David and the Oltrarno workshops; Venice carries San Marco, the Rialto and the quieter canals; Milan carries the Duomo, Leonardo's Last Supper, and the Navigli canals. This page routes all four by high-speed rail, northbound, so you can walk the best of Italy without renting a car.
- Know before you goItaly essentialsThe national basics for Italy: entry rules, the euro, trains between cities, plugs, holidays, and when to go.
Do it yourself
Follow it in the app
Walk Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan now, each with its own Wayside walking tours.
Provenance · last verified August 20, 2026
Researched and routed by Wayside, with inter-city detail checked against the source.
SourcesVisitarItalia 2026 budget guideTrenitaliaSeat 61Lonely PlanetOmio Frecciarossa routesItalo Treno
Photo by Ananthan Loggi on Unsplash