Italy by High-Speed Train: Rome to Venice (Self-Launched)
7 days · Italy
Flag Travel Holidays charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£735 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Flag Travel Holidays' 7-day Rome–Florence–Venice high-speed rail trip. You'll book your own Frecciarossa/Italo trains (or the slower, cheaper Regionale where it makes sense), stay in well-located hostels and budget guesthouses instead of 4* hotels, and book the same Vatican, St Mark's/Doge's Palace and Tuscany day tours individually through GetYourGuide or directly with the operators. Same route, same headline sights, roughly half the price — with the freedom to slow down, eat better and skip what doesn't appeal. All figures are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rome — Trastevere & Centro Storico on foot
Rome
Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express train into Termini (€14, ~32 min) or the cheaper FL1 regional to Trastevere (€8). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Termini or Monti — both are walkable to the Colosseum and have good metro/tram links. Spend the late afternoon wandering: Pantheon (free), Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, then cross the river into Trastevere for a cheap dinner of supplì, pizza al taglio and a carafe of house wine (£12-15). Book your Vatican ticket online tonight for the earliest slot on Day 2.
🚌Leonardo Express Fiumicino→Termini €14 (~£12); walking + metro day ticket €7 (~£6)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Termini/Monti (£28-35/night)
- →Pantheon (free)
- →Piazza Navona & Campo de' Fiori
- →Evening walk in Trastevere
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's
Rome
Book the official Vatican Museums skip-the-line entry direct at museivaticani.va (€20 + €5 booking) for the first slot of the day — go straight to the Sistine Chapel before the crowds build, then work back through the Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps and Raphael's Rooms. Alternatively a GetYourGuide small-group guided entry runs about £45-55 if you want the commentary. Afterwards walk round to St Peter's Basilica (free entry, security queue; dome climb €10). Afternoon free: Castel Sant'Angelo, the Spanish Steps or just a long lunch. Evening: cheap trattoria dinner near Monti (£15).
🚌Metro A to Ottaviano €1.50; walking
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Termini/Monti (£28-35/night)
- →Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel skip-the-line entry (€25 / ~£21 direct, or ~£50 with GetYourGuide small-group guide)
- →St Peter's Basilica (free) and optional dome climb (€10)
- →Monti neighbourhood evening
High-speed train to Florence — Duomo, Oltrarno & sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo
Florence
Book a Frecciarossa or Italo Rome Termini→Firenze S. Maria Novella about 1h35 (book 3-4 weeks ahead on Trenitalia or Italo for €25-35; the slower Intercity is €20 but ~2h45). Drop bags at a hostel near Santa Maria Novella or in Oltrarno, then walk the historic centre: Duomo exterior (free), Baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio. Skip the €30 Uffizi unless you're keen — or pre-book a timed entry for a quieter late slot. Climb to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset, then cross to Santo Spirito for dinner and a spritz in the square (£15-18).
🚌Frecciarossa/Italo Rome→Florence €25-35 (~£22-30); city walking + bus
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Santa Maria Novella/Oltrarno (£30-38/night)
- →Duomo & Piazza della Signoria walking loop
- →Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno artisan streets
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset
Tuscany day trip: Siena, Chianti wine tasting & San Gimignano
Siena / Chianti / San Gimignano
Two ways to do this DIY. Cheapest: regional bus 131R Florence→Siena (~1h15, €5-8) with a cheap Siena Cathedral + Piazza del Campo morning, then bus back and do Chianti by local bus (less practical without a car). Easiest and closest to the original: book a small-group GetYourGuide Tuscany day tour from Florence covering Siena, a family-run Chianti vineyard lunch with wine tasting, and San Gimignano — about £65-85 including lunch and tastings, pickup near the station. Either way you get the same three stops plus the scenic drive. Back in Florence by evening; grab a lampredotto sandwich or a casual pasta dinner (£12).
🚌GetYourGuide small-group minibus tour from Florence, or regional bus 131R (€6 each way)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Santa Maria Novella/Oltrarno (£30-38/night)
- →Siena walking tour & Piazza del Campo
- →Siena Cathedral visit
- →Chianti family vineyard lunch + wine tasting
- →San Gimignano medieval town
Train to Venice — Cannaregio, Rialto & aperitivo on the canals
Venice
Frecciarossa Florence→Venezia S. Lucia is about 2h05 (€25-40 booked ahead) — direct, no changes, arriving right on the Grand Canal. From the station it's a short walk or a €9.50 vaporetto ride to your hostel; skip the expensive water taxi (~€60+). Stay in Cannaregio or Santa Croce for better value than San Marco. Afternoon: wander to the Rialto Bridge, the quieter back streets of Cannaregio, and the Jewish Ghetto. Evening: bacari crawl — cicchetti and an ombra of wine at 3-4 bars, roughly £15-18 total. Book St Mark's Basilica + Doge's Palace combo tickets online tonight.
🚌Frecciarossa Florence→Venice €25-40 (~£22-34); vaporetto single €9.50 or 24h pass €25
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Cannaregio/Santa Croce (£32-40/night)
- →Rialto Bridge & Grand Canal
- →Cannaregio and Jewish Ghetto walk
- →Bacari cicchetti crawl
St Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace, then lagoon islands
Venice
Book the St Mark's Basilica skip-the-line entry direct (€3-6 online) for an early slot — the golden mosaics, the Horses of St Mark and the balcony over Piazza San Marco are all included. Then the Doge's Palace + Correr combo (~€30 online) takes you across the Bridge of Sighs into the prisons; a GetYourGuide guided combo of both sites is about £55-65 if you want the history explained. Afternoon, use a vaporetto 24h pass to hop to Murano for the glass furnaces and Burano for the coloured houses (Line 12 from Fondamente Nove, ~45 min). Dinner back in Cannaregio (£16).
🚌Vaporetto 24h pass €25 (~£21); walking
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Cannaregio/Santa Croce (£32-40/night)
- →St Mark's Basilica skip-the-line entry with balcony access
- →Doge's Palace & Bridge of Sighs with prisons
- →Murano and Burano island hop
Last morning in Venice & departure
Venice
Early coffee and pastry standing at a bar (€2-3 — sit down and it triples), a final wander over the Accademia Bridge and through Dorsoduro, and a look at the Tre Ogetti bookshop or the Salute. Then get to Marco Polo airport: Alilaguna boat from Fondamente Nove (~€15, 40 min) or bus 5 from Piazzale Roma (€10, 20 min) — much cheaper than a water taxi. If you're staying on, swap the last day for Verona (1h10 by regional train, ~€9) or Padua.
🚌Alilaguna boat to Marco Polo airport €15 (~£13) or ATVO bus from Piazzale Roma €10
🛏—
- →Dorsoduro and Accademia Bridge walk
- →Final Venetian breakfast at a local bar
Self-launched vs. Flag Travel Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Flag Travel Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£735 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,015 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Flag Travel Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£735
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 Italy by High-Speed Train: Rome to Venice (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £735 per person for 7 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 Flag Travel Holidays?+
Yes — Flag Travel Holidays charges around £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £735 — a saving of roughly £1,015 (58%) per person.
How long is the Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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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