Best of Italy in One Week: Self-Launched (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Land at Marco Polo (VCE) and take the Alilaguna water bus to the city (~£13, 60–75 min) or the ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma (~£9) if you're staying near the station. Dump your bags and do the free self-guided walk: start at Rialto Bridge, wander the alleyways to St Mark's Square, gawp at Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs from the outside, then loop back via the Accademia area and Dorsoduro for sunset. San Marco basilica entry is free but queues are long — book the £2.50 timed skip-the-line slot on the official basilica site if it's a peak day. Eat cicchetti standing at a bacaro in Cannaregio (small plates £1.50–2.50 each) to keep food costs down.

🚌Alilaguna or ATVO bus from airport, then everything on foot

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Cannaregio/Santa Croce (e.g. And Venice Surf Hotel or Generator Venice), ~£30–40/night

• →Self-guided walk: Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Square, Doge's Palace exterior, Bridge of Sighs
• →Cicchetti crawl in Cannaregio

Buy the ACTV 24-hour vaporetto pass (~£20) — it covers all three islands and pays for itself in three trips. Line 12 from Fondamente Nove to Murano (glass furnaces, free demo at some workshops), then Line 12 on to Burano (lace museum and the famous candy-coloured houses — best light mid-morning) and finally Torcello for the near-empty Byzantine basilica (£4 entry, worth it for the mosaics). Bring a packed lunch from a Venice bakery or eat a cheap trattoria set menu on Murano. Back in Venice by late afternoon; evening is free for a gondola ride if you want one — join a shared 30-min traghetto-style ride (~£25–35 via GetYourGuide) rather than a private £90+ gondola.

🚌24-hour ACTV vaporetto pass (~£20)

🛏Same Venice hostel/guesthouse

• →Murano glass workshops
• →Burano coloured houses and lace museum
• →Torcello basilica mosaics (£4)
• →Optional shared gondola ride

Book an Italo or Frecciarossa high-speed train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (~£20–35 if bought 2–4 weeks ahead; ~£45 last minute). Journey is 2h05–2h15. Check into your hostel near SMN station, then self-walk Florence: Duomo exterior, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, and the Oltrarno lanes. In the late afternoon climb to San Miniato al Monte (free church, great city views) via Piazzale Michelangelo — about 30 minutes uphill from the river. Sunset there is the classic free Florence experience. Book Uffizi or Accademia (David) for tomorrow morning if you want them — Accademia is ~£15 via the official site, GetYourGuide or Klook.

🚌Trenitalia/Italo high-speed Venice–Florence, ~£25

🛏Hostel dorm or budget B&B near Santa Maria Novella, ~£30–40/night

• →Self-guided walk: Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio
• →Walk up to San Miniato al Monte for sunset views

Regional train from Firenze SMN to Pisa Centrale takes ~50–60 min and costs ~£8 each way (buy on the Trenitalia app or at the machine, no need to pre-book). From Pisa Centrale it's a 20-minute walk to the Campo dei Miracoli. Entry to the Cathedral is free with a timed (free) ticket from the official Opera della Primaziale site; climbing the Leaning Tower is ~£18 and sells out — book ahead online. Skip the paid 'Pisa tour' add-ons: the square itself, the Baptistery exterior and the walk along the Arno are the real draw. Back to Florence by late afternoon; spend the evening in the Santo Spirito square with an aperitivo (£5–7) and a cheap trattoria dinner (£12–15).

🚌Regional train Florence–Pisa return, ~£16 total

🛏Same Florence hostel/B&B

• →Campo dei Miracoli and free-entry Pisa Cathedral
• →Optional Leaning Tower climb (~£18, book ahead)
• →Santo Spirito evening aperitivo

Frecciarossa or Italo Florence–Rome takes 1h35 and costs ~£25–40 booked ahead. Drop bags at your hostel near Termini, then take Metro A to Ottaviano for St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica — basilica entry is free, but the security queue can be 45+ min, so go early afternoon and dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees). Dome climb is ~£8 in the lift + stairs combination, paid on site. If you want the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, book the official skip-the-line ticket (~£17 plus £5 booking fee) or a GetYourGuide entry slot well ahead — do it on a separate morning if you're short on time, as it needs 3 hours. Evening: cheap pizza al taglio or a Testaccio trattoria (£10–14).

🚌High-speed train Florence–Rome ~£30; Metro A ~£1.50 per ride

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Termini/Monti, ~£30–40/night

• →St Peter's Square and Basilica (free entry)
• →Optional St Peter's dome climb (~£8)
• →Optional Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel (~£22 booked online)

Book the official combined Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill ticket on the Parco Colosseo site (~£16, 24-hour validity as in the original itinerary) or via GetYourGuide if the official site is sold out (~£25–30 with a guide/audio). Entry is timed to the Colosseum, but the Forum and Palatine can be visited either side of it — allow 3–4 hours total. Afternoon: walk the Pantheon (free), toss a coin at the Trevi Fountain, and finish at Piazza Navona. Evening in Trastevere across the river for cheap trattoria food (£12–15) and a wander through the lanes — the best free Rome evening.

🚌Walking plus a couple of Metro/bus rides (~£3)

🛏Same Rome hostel/guesthouse

• →Colosseum with timed entry
• →Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
• →Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona walk
• →Trastevere evening

Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a last free sight — the Aventine Keyhole view of St Peter's, or the Basilica of San Clemente with its underground layers (~£8). Getting to Fiumicino: Leonardo Express from Termini is ~£12.50 (32 min) or the slower FL1 regional from Trastevere/Tiburtina ~£7. Ciampino is served by the Terravision/SIT buses (~£6). Build in 2 hours before a short-haul departure.

🚌Leonardo Express ~£12.50 or FL1 regional ~£7 to Fiumicino

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Optional Aventine Keyhole and San Clemente basilica