Best of Italy: Self-Launched Edition (Rome to Rome, 11 Days)
11 days · Italy
Insight Vacations charges £3,795
No-markup version: ~£1,015 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of Insight Vacations' 11-day "Best of Italy" coach tour — same headline route (Rome, Vatican, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Assisi, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii) rebuilt around trains, regional buses, public ferries and self-bookable skip-the-line tickets. You book everything yourself: hostels and budget guesthouses instead of tour hotels, €10-25 entry tickets instead of escorted visits, and a €2 vaporetto instead of a private boat. Expect roughly a third to a half of the coach-tour price, with far more freedom — and a bit more admin. All figures are approximate backpacker/mid-budget rates in GBP and assume a solo traveller sharing a dorm or budget double.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rome — Trastevere evening
Rome
Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express train into Termini (~€14 / £12, 32 mins) or the cheaper regional FL1 to Trastevere (~€8). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Monti or Trastevere. Skip the tour's welcome dinner and instead do a self-guided evening food wander: supplì and pizza al taglio in Testaccio or Trastevere (~£15), then a cheap spritz on Piazza Trilussa. Book Vatican Museums, Colosseum and Pompeii tickets online tonight — Vatican slots sell out.
🚌Leonardo Express or FL1 regional train from Fiumicino, then metro/walk
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Monti/Trastevere (~£30/night)
- →Self-guided Trastevere food wander
- →Book Vatican Museums, Colosseum and Pompeii tickets online
Vatican & Ancient Rome
Rome
Pre-book the Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel skip-the-line entry direct on museivaticani.va (~€20 + €5 booking) or via GetYourGuide for an early-entry slot (~£25-35). Note: the Bramante Staircase is only accessible on special guided tours — not a self-bookable standard entry. St Peter's Basilica is free (queue early, dress code enforced). After lunch walk the Circus Maximus — Arch of Constantine — Colosseum circuit; book Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine combined ticket (~€18) for a set time, and just admire the exterior if you'd rather save. Evening: Pantheon (~€5), Trevi Fountain coin toss, Piazza Navona.
🚌Metro Line A to Ottaviano plus walking; day ticket ~€7
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Monti/Trastevere (~£30/night)
- →Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel (self-booked ticket)
- →St Peter's Basilica (free)
- →Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill ticket
- →Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona walk
Rome to Florence via Chianti
Florence
Take a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train Rome–Florence (~£25-40 booked ahead, 1h35) — cheaper regional options exist if you route via a change. Drop bags at your hostel near Santa Maria Novella. Recreate the tour's Tuscan picnic yourself: a day-trip bus or regional train to Greve in Chianti (~£10 return) for a self-catered picnic of pecorino, salami and Chianti from the village butcher (~£12). Back in Florence, wander the leather market streets around San Lorenzo (free) — the tour's gold demonstration is replaced by free browsing of the Ponte Vecchio workshops.
🚌High-speed train Rome–Florence (~£30) + regional bus to Chianti (~£10)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Santa Maria Novella (~£28/night)
- →Greve in Chianti DIY picnic
- →San Lorenzo leather market and Ponte Vecchio workshop browsing
Florence: Duomo complex & Renaissance core
Florence
Book the Brunelleschi Pass on the official Duomo site (~€30) for the dome climb, Giotto's Campanile, Baptistery and Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Alternatively the cheaper Ghiberti Pass (~€15) covers Baptistery and museum. Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio's courtyard are free. Add the Accademia (~€16, pre-book — David sells out) and consider a late-afternoon regional bus to San Gimignano (~£8 return, 1h) if you want the hill-town detour. Dinner: a lampredotto sandwich from a street stall (~£6).
🚌Walking; optional regional bus to San Gimignano (~£8)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (~£28/night)
- →Brunelleschi/Ghiberti Duomo Pass
- →Accademia & Michelangelo's David (pre-booked)
- →Piazza della Signoria & Palazzo Vecchio
- →Optional San Gimignano half-day
Florence to Pisa to Venice
Venice
Early regional train Florence–Pisa (~£8, 1h). Left luggage at Pisa Centrale (~€4) then walk 20 mins to Piazza dei Miracoli — free to enter the square, tower climb from €20 (book ahead), Baptistery €7, cathedral free with a timed pass. Then train Pisa–Venice (Frecciarossa via Florence ~£30-40, 3.5-4h, or cheaper via Bologna). Check into a hostel in Cannaregio or Santa Croce — the quiet, affordable side of Venice. Evening: cicchetti crawl along Fondamenta della Misericordia (~£15).
🚌Regional train Florence–Pisa (~£8), high-speed Pisa–Venice (~£35)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Cannaregio (~£32/night)
- →Piazza dei Miracoli & Leaning Tower (exterior free / climb optional)
- →Pisa Baptistery & Cathedral
- →Cannaregio cicchetti crawl
Venice: San Marco & the lagoon
Venice
A 24-hour ACTV vaporetto pass (~€25/£21) replaces the tour's private boat. Hit St Mark's Square early: St Mark's Basilica is free (€3 to skip the queue online) and the Doge's Palace ticket is ~€30 (or €25 combined with Museo Correr). Walk the Bridge of Sighs from outside for free. Gondola: the official rate is €90 per 30 mins for the whole boat — split between 4-5 people from a hostel or pre-book a shared gondola on GetYourGuide (~£30 pp). That's where the serenade premium goes. Then take vaporetto Line 1 down the Grand Canal and hop to Murano (free glass-blowing demos at many furnaces) for the glass demonstration experience without the tour arts centre.
🚌24-hour vaporetto pass (~£21); Line 1 and Murano ferries
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Cannaregio (~£32/night)
- →St Mark's Basilica (free)
- →Doge's Palace & Bridge of Sighs
- →Shared gondola ride
- →Murano glass-blowing demo
Venice to Assisi
Assisi
Train Venice–Assisi (via Bologna/Foligno or a bus to Perugia then local train, ~£25-35, 4-5h). Assisi is compact and walkable — check into a small guesthouse or pilgrim-style budget hotel inside the walls (~£30). Basilica of St Francis is free; the lower church frescoes are the draw. Walk to Santa Maria degli Angeli (~3km downhill) for the Porziuncola chapel, free entry. Do the old-town orientation yourself with a free map from the tourist office — the layout is simple and signposted. Evening: Umbrian lentils and a glass of Sagrantino (~£14).
🚌Train Venice–Assisi with changes (~£30)
🛏Budget guesthouse inside Assisi old town (~£30/night)
- →Basilica of St Francis (free)
- →Church of St Mary of the Angels / Porziuncola (free)
- →Self-guided old town walk
Assisi to Sorrento
Sorrento
Long travel day: regional train Assisi–Foligno–Rome, then Rome–Naples high-speed (~£35 total if booked early), then the Circumvesuviana commuter train Naples–Sorrento (~€4.90/£4, 65 mins). Check into a hostel or budget B&B (Sorrento is pricier — dorms ~£30, private budget rooms ~£60). Sunset from Villa Comunale terrace over the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius is free. Book tomorrow's Capri ferry and a Pompeii ticket tonight. Eat away from Piazza Tasso: a margherita in the side streets is ~£9.
🚌Trains Assisi–Rome–Naples (~£35) + Circumvesuviana to Sorrento (~£4)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget B&B, Sorrento (~£32/night)
- →Villa Comunale sunset terrace
- →Book Capri ferry and Pompeii tickets
Capri day trip
Capri
Public ferries from Sorrento Marina Piccola to Capri run frequently (~€40-45 return, ~£37, 20 mins) — book on the Caremar or NLG sites or just buy at the port. On arrival, the funicular up to Capri town is €2.20, and the open-top convertible taxis are ~€20 to Anacapri — the funicular is the budget version of the same experience. Walk Via Tragara and the Gardens of Augustus (~€2). Blue Grotto rowboat is ~€18 plus entry if the sea is calm. Skip Positano for Capri time, or come back via a Sorrento–Positano bus (SITA, ~€2.50) another afternoon. Return ferry and a cheap seafood pasta dinner (~£15).
🚌Public ferry Sorrento–Capri return (~£37) + funicular and island buses (~£6)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget B&B, Sorrento (~£32/night)
- →Capri town & Gardens of Augustus
- →Anacapri and optional Blue Grotto
- →Via Tragara coastal walk
Pompeii to Rome
Rome
Circumvesuviana or Campania Express from Sorrento to Pompeii Scavi (~€3-8, 30-40 mins). Pre-book Pompeii skip-the-line entry (~€18, plus €3 if using a timed online slot) and download the free official app or a Rick Steves audio guide — or join a shared 2-hour small-group tour on GetYourGuide (~£25) for the guide-quality of the original tour. Allow 3 hours: Forum, bathhouses, patrician villas, the frescoed House of the Vettii. Optional: climb Vesuvius by bus from Ercolano (~£22). Then train Pompeii–Naples–Rome (~£30). Celebration dinner in Rome: a four-course trattoria meal with local wine (~£30) plus a free opera recital at Sant'Ignazio or a €15 church concert instead of a private performance.
🚌Circumvesuviana to Pompeii (~£6), intercity train Naples–Rome (~£30)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Rome (~£30/night)
- →Pompeii archaeological site with audio guide or shared tour
- →Optional Vesuvius summit bus
- →Trattoria celebration dinner & church concert
Depart Rome
Rome
Final morning: coffee and a cornetto standing at a bar (~£3), a last wander through Campo de' Fiori market, then Leonardo Express or FL1 back to Fiumicino (~£12). If you have a late flight, the Capitoline Museums' free first-Sunday entry or a €5 Monti mooch fills the gap nicely.
🚌Leonardo Express or FL1 to Fiumicino (~£12)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Campo de' Fiori market
- →Optional Capitoline Museums or Monti wander
Self-launched vs. Insight Vacations
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Insight Vacations | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,015 | £3,795 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,780 per person (73%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Insight Vacations-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,015
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Italy: Self-Launched Edition (Rome to Rome, 11 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,015 per person for 11 days in Italy. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Insight Vacations?+
Yes — Insight Vacations charges around £3,795 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,015 — a saving of roughly £2,780 (73%) per person.
How long is the Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Italy.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Italy, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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