Four cities, one direction, no backtracking
Your trip at a glance
Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento in 14 days, travelling south by train with three transfer days.
Route and nights in each base
- Venice3 nights · Nights 1–3Cannaregio
- Florence3 nights · Nights 4–6Centro Storico
- Rome4 nights · Nights 7–10Monti
- Sorrento3 nights · Nights 11–13Sorrento
Day 14 is departure, with no extra hotel night.
- Length
- 14 days / 13 nights
- Transfer days
- Day 4: Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (allow 4–5 hours hotel to hotel); Day 7: Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Roma Termini (allow 3.5–4.5 hours hotel to hotel); Day 11: Roma Termini to Sorrento (allow 5–7 hours hotel to hotel).
- Arrival
- This version assumes Venice Marco Polo.
- Departure
- This version assumes departure from Naples airport.
- Car
- No car needed
- Getting around
- High-speed train, then Circumvesuviana and ferry
- Hotel allowance
- €100–€200 per room, per night (example: two adults sharing one room). An editorial allowance for the room only, not the trip cost; the full budget is below.
- Pace
- Busy: early starts and several moves. Full, with three transfer days
- Physical demands
- Walking: long days on foot (our estimate). Steps and slopes: many steps and bridges. Luggage: 3 hotel changes with luggage.
Book these first
- First Open-jaw flights (into Venice, out of Naples) and all four rooms; compare an extra night in Rome if you want a slower pace.
- Then Timed entries for the Doge's Palace, Uffizi, Accademia, Colosseum and Vatican Museums, once your dates are fixed.
- Once dates and route are settled High-speed train tickets for Days 4 and 7: compare Trenitalia and Italo for your dates and book once their tickets are on sale. Then the Naples connection and ferries for Days 11-13.
Nothing here is booked for you. Book once your dates are fixed, and check each official site for current rules and prices.
Who it suits
First-time visitors with two weeks who want Venice, Florence, Rome and the Bay of Naples in one direction, by train.
Not for anyone who dislikes moving: there are four hotels and three transfer days.
- Trip PDF
- The PDF is the original 14-day sample itinerary. It is not an export of a trip you have customized. Free with your email: the download starts straight away and we email you a link to it (7 pages, 19.8 KB).
- Saved trip
- Your own editable copy in Build My Trip. Saving asks only for your email, so we can send you a link back to it; there is no password or account. Each overnight base is its own stop with its own nights, so you can change one without the others. The sample here stays as it is.
- Excel planner
- A workbook made from your saved trip, not from this sample. Download it from Build My Trip once the trip is saved; anything still missing is marked in the file.
Day by day
These are suggestions, not reservations: nothing here is booked for you. Check opening days and ticket availability for your own dates.
Venice
Day 1 Arrive in Venice
Make your way to your accommodation by water bus or on foot from the nearest stop, and leave luggage if the room is not ready. Take a short walk around Cannaregio and have an easy dinner. A late arrival simply means skipping the walk.
Planning note: No fixed booking today. Count the walk from the stop to your door, including bridges.
Day 2 St Mark's and the Doge's Palace
Make St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace your main sightseeing block, early in the day before the square fills. Allow roughly 3–4 hours in all. Keep the afternoon for a long lunch and a slow walk back through Cannaregio.
Optional or alternative
- A ride the length of the Grand Canal on a water bus is a simple way to see the palazzi without a guided tour.
Planning note: Check the opening days and ticket scope for the Doge's Palace and the basilica before you go.
Day 3 Islands or an open day
Take a boat to the lagoon islands of Murano and Burano, or keep the day open and wander Cannaregio. Choose one and leave the other unplanned. Pack tonight for the train.
Planning note: Island services are fullest from April to October; check the timetable for your date.
Florence
Day 4 Train to Florence
Venezia Santa Lucia → Firenze Santa Maria Novella
About 2h15, direct high-speed service · Allow 4–5 hours hotel to hotelTake the high-speed train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze S.M.N. Allow most of the morning for the transfer, leave luggage if the room is not ready, and take a short walk through the historic center. Keep the evening easy.
Planning note: Allow time to carry luggage over Venice's bridges to the station or boat stop.
Day 5 Uffizi and the center
Make the Uffizi Gallery your main sightseeing block, with a timed ticket booked ahead. Allow roughly 3 hours inside. Spend the afternoon walking the historic center and crossing the river for the Oltrarno.
Optional or alternative
- Climbing the Duomo dome is a separate timed ticket; add it only if you have the energy and a clear slot.
Planning note: The Uffizi is €25 on the day or €29 bought before the day (booking ahead costs more), €16 from 16:00; closed Mondays. Check the exact ticket scope before booking.
Day 6 David and an easy afternoon
See Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Gallery with a timed ticket, then keep the afternoon loose. A viewpoint above the river is a pleasant end to the day. Pack tonight for the train.
Optional or alternative
- A day trip to Pisa is possible by train but takes a day you may prefer to keep loose.
Planning note: The Accademia is €20 plus a €4 booking fee, closed Mondays; book ahead for your dates, as timed slots fill earlier than the Uffizi's in busy months.
Rome
Day 7 Train to Rome
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → Roma Termini
About 1h40 (1h35 at best), direct high-speed service · Allow 3.5–4.5 hours hotel to hotelTake the high-speed train from Firenze S.M.N. to Roma Termini, then the metro or a taxi to your accommodation. Allow the morning for the transfer, leave luggage if the room is not ready, and keep the evening easy.
Planning note: Cavour is the nearest metro stop for Monti.
Day 8 Ancient Rome
Make the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine your main sightseeing block. Allow roughly 3–4 hours plus entry and rest breaks. Keep the afternoon flexible for lunch and a wander back through Monti.
Optional or alternative
- Underground or arena access is an optional upgrade, not guaranteed standard admission.
Planning note: Choose the ticket scope first.
Day 9 Vatican Museums
Allow roughly 3–4 hours for the Museums and Sistine Chapel, plus travel and security. After lunch, choose a relaxed walk or a rest.
Optional or alternative
- St Peter's Basilica is optional and requires separate time and access checks.
Planning note: Check Sunday and holiday closures; swap Days 8 and 9 if needed.
Day 10 The old center, unhurried
Walk the historic center at an easy pace. The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain sit within a short walk of one another. Leave the day loose, with a long lunch and no more than one timed entry. Pack tonight for the train south.
Optional or alternative
- Borghese Gallery is a timed-entry visit; substitute it for a morning block if it appeals, and book ahead.
Planning note: The Pantheon costs €7 since 1 July 2026 (free under 18, and on the first Sunday of the month). The Trevi Fountain's inner viewing area costs €2 for non-residents of Rome (since 2 February 2026); the view from the piazza stays free.
Sorrento
Day 11 Rome to Sorrento
Roma Termini → Sorrento
Train to Naples (about 1h15), then Circumvesuviana or ferry · Allow 5–7 hours hotel to hotelTake the train from Rome to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana or a ferry on to Sorrento. This is a long day: leave in the morning, allow for connections and luggage, and keep the afternoon free.
Planning note: In the summer season (until 18 October in 2026) Trenitalia sells one combined Frecciarossa plus FrecciaLink bus ticket from Rome to Sorrento, about 3 hours. Otherwise there is no through-ticket: keep the Naples connection simple with a rail ticket to Naples, then a separate ticket for the Circumvesuviana (Garibaldi to Sorrento takes 69 to 75 minutes, roughly every 36 minutes) or the ferry.
Day 12 Capri or the Amalfi Coast
Take a ferry to Capri for the day, or go along the Amalfi Coast by ferry (to early November) or coastal bus instead. Choose one and leave the other. Book a morning departure and expect queues.
Optional or alternative
- A boat tour around Capri is an option if the sea is calm.
Planning note: Fast boats cancel first in rough seas; check the operator's notice on the day. Service is reduced in winter.
Day 13 Pompeii or a free day
Take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii for a half day, or keep the day open for the old town. Go early, bring water and a hat, and expect uneven ground and little shade.
Optional or alternative
- Herculaneum is a smaller alternative on the same railway line.
Planning note: Check opening hours and the current ticket type for Pompeii before you go.
Departure
Day 14 Depart from the coast
Leave enough time for the journey from the coast to the airport and your airline's recommended check-in window. This is a long morning: allow for the Circumvesuviana or the ferry and the connection.
Planning note: This version assumes departure from Naples airport. Confirm the first service and allow a generous buffer.
Transport / practical logistics
Getting between cities and around
Three transfer days, one direction. Train running times are only part of a transfer day. The hotel-to-hotel allowances below are editorial buffers, not timetables.
| Leg | On the way | Allow in your day |
|---|---|---|
| Day 4: Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze S.M.N. | About 2h15 Direct high-speed service | 4–5 hours Hotel to hotel |
| Day 7: Firenze S.M.N. to Roma Termini | About 1h40 Direct high-speed service | 3.5–4.5 hours Hotel to hotel |
| Day 11: Roma Termini to Sorrento | Train to Naples (about 1h15), then Circumvesuviana or ferry Through-ticket only in summer (to 18 October in 2026); otherwise separate tickets | 5–7 hours Hotel to hotel |
Book the right stations
High-speed tickets are for a specific departure with a reserved seat; compare Italo and Trenitalia for your actual dates and choose a fare whose change conditions suit you. Book once your route is settled rather than relying on same-day bargains. Use Venezia Santa Lucia for a stay in historic Venice, rather than ending at Mestre on the mainland.
Airport transfers are separate
- Arrival: This version assumes Venice Marco Polo. Compare the airport bus plus local transport with an airport boat service, and check how far your hotel is from the nearest stop. The ATVO bus takes about 20 minutes to Piazzale Roma; Alilaguna (€18) takes roughly 1.5 hours to San Marco. Allow for baggage and delays before any onward booking.
- Departure: This version assumes departure from Naples airport. Allow most of the morning for the road or ferry-and-rail journey from the coast, plus check-in and security; confirm the first service if your flight is early. Airport transport is not included in the intercity allowances.
Getting around each place
- Venice: Walking and vaporetti are the main options. Boat services extend beyond a simple Grand Canal crossing. Compare individual tickets with a pass; airport services have separate coverage rules.
- Florence: Many central sights can be combined on foot, but luggage, cobbles, heat and mobility needs change the practical distance.
- Rome: Combine walking with the metro, buses or an occasional taxi; the Colosseum and the Vatican are on opposite sides of the city.
- Sorrento and the coast: The old town is walkable. The coast road is narrow and busy in summer, so buses and ferries can run slow, and seasonal ferries stop or reduce in winter; check the operator's timetable for your date and the day's sea conditions.
A route with less friction
Travel light, plan a station arrival buffer, and leave room for lunch on moving days. With four hotels, pack for the long days: travel light, check lift access at hotels and bridge crossings in Venice, and keep one day bag with everything for the transfer. This version flies into Venice and out of Naples; if you fly in and out of the same city, add the journey explicitly.
No rental car is needed. A private water taxi, gondola ride or boat excursion is optional and needs its own budget.
What to book, and in what order, is listed under Book these first.
Budget / transparent assumptions
Estimated budget
A budget you can reconcile. Illustrative allowances for two adults sharing one room, 13 nights and 14 calendar days. All figures are EUR. These are editorial planning scenarios built from Voyaren's 2026 cost data where it has figures (items marked general allowance are not from Voyaren's cost data), not checked hotel quotes or live ticket prices.
| Category and basis | Lower | Upper |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, Venice 3 nights × €100–€200 per room (mid tier) | €300 | €600 |
| Accommodation, Florence 3 nights × €100–€200 per room (mid tier) | €300 | €600 |
| Accommodation, Rome 4 nights × €100–€200 per room (mid tier) | €400 | €800 |
| Accommodation, coast 3 nights × €150–€280 per room (mid tier) | €450 | €840 |
| Food 14 days × 2 adults × €60–€100 (casual meals plus one nice dinner) | €1,680 | €2,800 |
| Intercity rail: Venice to Florence 1 leg × 2 adults × €25–€80 | €50 | €160 |
| Intercity rail: Florence to Rome 1 leg × 2 adults × €27–€110 | €54 | €220 |
| Rome to Sorrento 1 leg × 2 adults × €30–€150 (train plus Circumvesuviana or ferry) | €60 | €300 |
| Airport transfers 2 journeys × 2 adults × €15–€30 (general allowance) | €60 | €120 |
| Local transport 14 days × 2 adults × €5–€10 (general allowance) | €140 | €280 |
| Core sights Venice €40–€45, Florence €49–€53 (Uffizi €25–€29 plus Accademia €24), Rome €47–€70 (including the Pantheon at €7), per adult | €272 | €336 |
| Capri ferry Round trip, 2 adults × €40–€49 (NLG €44 return or Caremar about €34.80, plus the €5 landing fee) | €80 | €98 |
| Accommodation taxes 13 nights × 2 adults × €3–€10 | €78 | €260 |
| Subtotal | €3,924 | €7,414 |
| Contingency 10% of subtotal | €392 | €741 |
| Total for two travelers | €4,316 | €8,155 |
Per person: €2,158–€4,077.50 for the trip.
Daily equivalent for two travelers: €308.29–€582.50 across 14 days.
What this does and does not cover
The core-sights allowance covers the Doge's Palace, St Mark's, the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, the Vatican Museums, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. Optional activities with their own line, already included in the totals (delete the line if you skip the activity): the Capri day (the Capri ferry line) and the Borghese Gallery (counted only in the upper end of the Rome range). Optional activities not priced anywhere in this budget: the Pompeii day (Pompei express ticket €20 per adult) and the Duomo dome climb in Florence. Confirm the exact basket and booking fees. Premium guided tours, upgrades and private transfers may exceed these allowances.
Excluded: Flights, insurance, shopping, major alcohol spending, extra nights and excursions not listed above. Any date-specific access charge should be checked separately. Accommodation taxes are a general allowance, not a statement of municipal rates. Avoid counting taxes twice if included in your hotel quote.
Use the range as a starting point. Replace each allowance with actual quotes before booking. The low scenario requires all categories to land near their lower allowances; popular dates and central hotels can exceed the upper scenario. Arrival and departure each receive a full-day food allowance to leave some flexibility.
This is a fixed illustrative example. The Trip Budget calculator gives its own estimate for the route and choices you enter, so the two will not always match.
These allowances are editorial estimates, not quotes or live prices, built from Voyaren’s researched cost tables (compiled 19 September 2026 from 2025–2026 sources). This itinerary was last reviewed on 9 October 2026.
More about this trip
Why this route works
The Grand Tour runs in one direction: north to south, from Venice to the Bay of Naples. Starting in Venice means the most delicate arrival comes first, and ending on the coast gives the trip a slow finish. There are three transfer days (Days 4, 7 and 11) and four hotels. Rome gets four nights because it is the biggest city and the best base for a day trip; the other three get three.
Where to stay
- Venice: Cannaregio. A quieter, more residential district with canalside walks and good everyday restaurants. Expect bridges and steps; check the walk from the station and the nearest water-bus stop.
- Florence: Centro Storico. Convenient for the main sights; compare nighttime noise and the walk from Firenze S.M.N.
- Rome: Monti. Walkable to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, with independent shops, wine bars and local trattorias. Some streets are steep and uneven; check the exact address and the walk from the Cavour metro stop.
- Sorrento: Sorrento. A walkable town on the Bay of Naples with a Circumvesuviana station and ferries to Capri. Sorrento is the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, not on it. Check the walk from the station to your hotel.
Seasonal and traveler variations
This is a fast-moving itinerary: four hotels in 13 nights. If it feels like too much, drop one base and give the others the nights, rather than shortening every stop. A day trip is not included. With a spare afternoon, add breathing room rather than another museum.
Dates matter: No departure date is assumed. Spring and fall are the most comfortable; summer is hot and busy, winter has short days and reduced coast services. This route flies into Venice and out of Naples, so it uses an open-jaw flight. Check current schedules and ticket details before booking.
This is the standard 14-day, 13-night example. If your trip is a different length, change the nights in Build My Trip, treat any extra days as a slower pace, and review the day-by-day plan again rather than squeezing these 14 days into fewer.
Summer is hot and crowded in every city; winter has short days, possible high water in Venice and reduced ferry service on the coast.
- Honeymoon: Upgrade the Venice and coast rooms and drop one sightseeing block per city; keep the open days.
- With children: Reduce to three bases by cutting Florence or Venice, and give each remaining city an extra night. Four hotels in 13 nights is a lot with children.
- Winter: Ferry service on the coast is reduced and days are short; plan the coast around the train and bus, and check Venice for high water.
- Value-minded: Choose a budget room band and the regional trains where they are practical; the three high-speed legs are the largest transport cost.
Accessibility and walking, in detail
An official source says that part of this route is not step-free. No itinerary here has been verified as step-free. The notes below show what official sources say about each part of this route; where a part is not listed, no official information was found. Check each leg, each sight and your accommodation before you rely on it.
- Walking effort
- Not yet verified Walking effort is an editorial estimate: no official source gives daily walking distances for this route. Four hotels and full sightseeing days on foot, with Venice's bridges, Rome's hills and cobbles and coast steps.
- Stairs, slopes and uneven surfaces
- Not step-free Not step-free: Venice on foot: bridges. Partly verified: Pompeii accessible route. Not yet verified: Castello and Cannaregio bases: area-level step-free route, Roman Forum and Palatine, Rome streets, hills and cobbles (Monti, Aventine, Testaccio, old centre). Optional, not counted: Herculaneum. Some official pages could only be read through a search engine's copy and need a re-check. Sources: Comune di Venezia – Citta per Tutti / Ufficio EBA (checked 2026-10-10); Comune di Venezia (checked 2026-10-10); Parco archeologico del Colosseo (checked 2026-10-10); Roma Capitale / Zetema (Turismo Roma) (checked 2026-10-10); Parco Archeologico di Pompei (checked 2026-10-10); Parco Archeologico di Ercolano (checked 2026-10-10)
- Step-free transport
- Not step-free Not step-free: Circumvesuviana: Napoli Garibaldi and Ercolano Scavi stations. Partly verified: Sala Blu assistance: lead times and channels, Trenitalia high-speed/long-distance wheelchair access, Italo wheelchair access, Roma Termini station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, Venezia Santa Lucia station, Napoli Centrale station, Rome metro stations used for sights, Circumvesuviana: Napoli Porta Nolana and call-to-book service, Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station (Circumvesuviana), Bay of Naples ferries: Caremar, Bay of Naples ferries: SNAV and NLG, Alilaguna (airport/lagoon boats), Venice vaporetti, landing stages and water buses, Venice Marco Polo airport assistance. Not yet verified: Rome Fiumicino airport assistance, Naples airport. Some official pages could only be read through a search engine's copy and need a re-check. Sources: RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) (checked 2026-10-10); Trenitalia (checked 2026-10-10); Italo – NTV (checked 2026-10-10); RFI (checked 2026-10-10); RFI (checked 2026-10-10); RFI (checked 2026-10-10); RFI (checked 2026-10-10); ATAC (Rome public transport) (checked 2026-10-10); EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno) (checked 2026-10-10); EAV (checked 2026-10-10); EAV (checked 2026-10-10); Caremar (checked 2026-10-10); NLG – Navigazione Libera del Golfo (SNAV statement: https://www.snav.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PMR-28-8-2020.pdf) (checked 2026-10-10); Alilaguna (checked 2026-10-10); ACTV/AVM (public transport operator); Comune map https://www.comune.venezia.it/sites/comune.venezia.it/files/page/files/Mappa%20Venezia%20Accessibile%20giugno%202017%20ITA.pdf (checked 2026-10-10); Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) (checked 2026-10-10); Comune di Venezia (map, 2017) (checked 2026-10-10); GESAC (airport operator) (checked 2026-10-10)
- Accommodation
- Not yet verified Depends on the property you choose. Italian hotel star ratings do not guarantee a lift or a step-free entrance: ask the property about lifts, steps at the entrance and the route from the nearest stop before you book.
- Attractions
- Partly verified Partly verified: Burano and Torcello islands, St Mark's Basilica, Vatican Museums, Accademia Gallery (David). Verified: Doge's Palace: regular visit. Not yet verified: Venice St Mark's area from Giardinetti/Vallaresso stops, Colosseum, Uffizi Gallery. Optional, not counted: Galleria Borghese (optional). Some official pages could only be read through a search engine's copy and need a re-check. Sources: Comune di Venezia – Citta per Tutti (checked 2026-10-10); MUVE Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (checked 2026-10-10); Procuratoria di San Marco (checked 2026-10-10); MUVE (checked 2026-10-10); Parco archeologico del Colosseo (checked 2026-10-10); Musei Vaticani (checked 2026-10-10); Gallerie degli Uffizi (checked 2026-10-10); Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (checked 2026-10-10); Galleria Borghese (Ministero della Cultura) (checked 2026-10-10)
Sources and review date
- Voyaren cost data (accommodation, attractions, tax) (data/italy-costs.json, compiled 2026-09-19)
- Voyaren city-transfer data (Florence to Venice, Rome to Florence, Rome to the coast) (data/city-transfers.v1.json)
- Voyaren ferry data (Sorrento to Capri) (data/ferry-days.v1.json, compiled 2026-09-25)
Content last reviewed: 2026-10-09.
Suggested activities are ideas, not reservations, and nothing on this page is booked for you. Times, closures, ticket rules and prices change, and the budget is an illustrative planning allowance rather than a quote, so check current details before you book. This page has no affiliate or booking links; see our affiliate disclosure for how Voyaren is paid elsewhere on the site.