Two classic cities, spending where it counts
Your trip at a glance
Three nights in Rome and three in Florence, with the paid sights chosen on purpose and the free ones doing the rest.
Route and nights in each base
- Rome3 nights · Nights 1–3Testaccio
- Florence3 nights · Nights 4–6Centro Storico
Day 7 is departure, with no extra hotel night.
- Length
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Transfer days
- Day 4: Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (allow 3.5–4.5 hours hotel to hotel).
- Arrival
- This version assumes Rome Fiumicino.
- Departure
- This version assumes departure from Florence airport.
- Car
- No car needed
- Getting around
- On foot and one train; no car
- Hotel allowance
- €80–€140 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
- Balanced: full days with breathing room
- Physical demands
- Walking: a few hours on foot on sightseeing days (our estimate). Steps and slopes: some steps and slopes. Luggage: 1 hotel change with luggage.
Book these first
- First Flights and both rooms; budget-band rooms near a metro stop or the station go first.
- Then Timed entries for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, the Vatican Museums and one Florence gallery.
- Once dates and route are settled Compare a high-speed fare with a regional ticket for Day 4, and confirm Pisa trains.
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
Couples, friends, solo travelers and families who want the classic Rome and Florence sights and are watching what they spend.
It shows where money goes, not a guarantee that a room or fare at the budget end will exist for your dates.
- Trip PDF
- The PDF is the original 7-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 (5 pages, 13.8 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.
Rome
Day 1 Arrive in Rome
Transfer to your accommodation, leave luggage if the room is not ready, and take a short walk around Testaccio. Have an easy dinner and an early night. A late arrival simply means skipping the walk.
Planning note: No fixed museum booking today.
Day 2 Ancient Rome
Make the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine your main paid sight. Allow roughly 3–4 hours plus entry and rest breaks, and go early in summer to avoid the heat. Spend the afternoon on free sights: piazzas, fountains and churches.
Optional or alternative
- Underground or arena access is an optional upgrade, not guaranteed standard admission.
Planning note: Choose the ticket scope first.
Day 3 Vatican Museums and free Rome
Allow roughly 3–4 hours for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, plus travel and security. After lunch, spend the afternoon on the Trevi Fountain and a long walk through the old center. A picnic lunch keeps the day cheap.
Optional or alternative
- St Peter's Basilica is optional and requires separate time and access checks.
Planning note: A morning slot does not mean admission before public opening. Check Sunday and holiday closures.
Florence
Day 4 Train to Florence
Roma Termini → Firenze Santa Maria Novella
About 1h40 by high-speed train (1h35 at best); regional trains take longer · Allow 3.5–4.5 hours hotel to hotelTake a train from Roma Termini to Firenze S.M.N. Book ahead for a cheaper fare; a regional train costs less but takes longer. Leave luggage if the room is not ready, then walk through the historic center.
Planning note: Compare an advance fare with a regional ticket; the cheapest high-speed fares sell out and are tied to one departure.
Day 5 Florence on foot
Choose one paid gallery: the Uffizi or the Accademia. Spend the rest of the day on free sights: the Duomo's exterior, the Oltrarno, the markets and a viewpoint above the river at sunset.
Optional or alternative
- Climbing the Duomo dome is a separate timed ticket; skip it if you are watching the budget.
Planning note: Book ahead for your dates; timed slots fill earlier in summer.
Day 6 Day trip to Pisa
Take a regional train to Pisa for the Field of Miracles and the Leaning Tower. Allow a half day, then return for an easy evening in Florence. The tower climb is a separate ticket, so choose it only if it matters to you.
Optional or alternative
- A Chianti wine day needs a car or a guided tour and is not in the budget.
Planning note: Pisa's trains run frequently; check the timetable and ticket type for your day.
Departure
Day 7 Depart from Florence
Allow enough time for the journey to the airport or station and your airline's or train operator's recommended check-in window. A last coffee in the center is optional only if your departure time allows.
Optional or alternative
- A last coffee in the center is optional only if your departure time allows.
Planning note: This version assumes departure from Florence airport. Rework the transfer for Pisa or a train departure.
Transport / practical logistics
Getting between cities and around
Simple to get around. Train running times are only part of a transfer day. The hotel-to-hotel allowance below is an editorial buffer, not a timetable.
| Leg | On the way | Allow in your day |
|---|---|---|
| Day 4: Roma Termini to Firenze S.M.N. | About 1h40 High-speed; regional trains take longer and cost less | 3.5–4.5 hours Hotel to hotel |
Book the right tickets
High-speed tickets are for a specific departure with a reserved seat, and the cheapest advance fares sell out and have strict change rules. A regional train costs less and takes longer, with no reserved seat. Compare both for your actual dates and book once your route is settled.
Airport transfers are separate
- Arrival: This version assumes Rome Fiumicino. Choose rail or an official taxi and include the onward journey to your hotel. Allow for immigration, baggage and delays before any onward booking.
- Departure: This version assumes departure from Florence airport. Tram T2 from Peretola Airport to the Alamanni – Stazione S.M.N. stop takes about 20 minutes, and a single ticket is €2.00, valid for 90 minutes. Allow for the journey, check-in and security; confirm the first service if your flight is early. Pisa is the alternative gateway and needs its own transfer. Airport transport is not included in the intercity allowances.
Getting around each city
- Rome: Combine walking with the metro, buses or an occasional taxi; the Colosseum and the Vatican are on opposite sides of the city.
- Florence: Many central sights can be combined on foot, but luggage, cobbles, heat and mobility needs change the practical distance.
A route with less friction
Travel light, plan a station arrival buffer, and leave room for lunch on moving days. Choose a hotel near a metro stop or station, since a short walk can save a taxi, and pack a refillable water bottle in summer.
No rental car or coastal ferry is required. A guided Chianti tour 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, 6 nights and 7 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 6 nights × €80–€140 per room (budget band) | €480 | €840 |
| Food 7 days × 2 adults × €40–€60 (casual meals) | €560 | €840 |
| Intercity rail 1 leg × 2 adults × €27–€110 | €54 | €220 |
| Airport transfers 2 journeys × 2 adults × €15–€30 (general allowance) | €60 | €120 |
| Local transport 7 days × 2 adults × €5–€10 (general allowance) | €70 | €140 |
| Core sights Colosseum 24-hour pass €18, Vatican €20 (€25 with the online booking fee), Trevi €2, one Florence gallery €24–€29 (Accademia €20 plus €4 booking; Uffizi €25 on the day or €29 booked ahead), per adult | €128 | €148 |
| Pisa day trip Regional train, 2 adults × €17–€40 round trip | €34 | €80 |
| Accommodation taxes 6 nights × 2 adults × €3–€8 | €36 | €96 |
| Subtotal | €1,422 | €2,484 |
| Contingency 10% of subtotal | €142 | €248 |
| Total for two travelers | €1,564 | €2,732 |
Per person: €782–€1,366 for the trip.
Daily equivalent for two travelers: €223.43–€390.29 across 7 days.
What this does and does not cover
The core-sights allowance covers the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, the Vatican Museums, the Trevi Fountain and one Florence gallery, with a Pisa day trip. 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, the Duomo dome climb in Florence, 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
Rome and Florence are an easy pairing for a value-minded week: one short train, walkable centers, and many of the best things free or cheap. This itinerary spends on the two sights most people come for (the Colosseum and the Vatican, then the Uffizi or the Accademia) and fills the rest with walking, markets and a day out of town. There is one transfer and two bases. Value here means choosing where to spend, not a promise of cheap rooms or fares: prices move with dates, and the figures below are examples.
Where to stay
- Rome: Testaccio. A local neighborhood known for its food, a short metro or bus ride from the main sights, often better value than the old center. Compare the walk to the Colosseum and the metro stop.
- Florence: Centro Storico. Convenient for the main sights; compare nighttime noise and the walk from Firenze S.M.N.
Seasonal and traveler variations
This itinerary stays in two cities, with a day trip to Pisa from Florence on Day 6. A Chianti day needs a car or a guided tour and is not in the budget. The cost-saving choices have trade-offs: a regional train is cheaper and slower than a high-speed one, a room further from the center is cheaper but adds walking, and picnic lunches save money but give up some of the long lunches. With a spare afternoon, add breathing room rather than another paid sight.
Dates matter: No departure date is assumed. Shoulder months often cost less than July and August, but weather, festivals and prices still vary and nothing here guarantees a price. Check current schedules and ticket details before booking.
This is the standard 7-day, 6-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 7 days into fewer.
Summer is hot and crowded in both cities. Winter days are short. Prices vary by date in every season.
- Solo: A single room is often priced close to a double, so the room line does not halve; consider a hostel or private room, and check safety and late-night routes.
- Friends or families: Share a larger room or an apartment where the rate allows; compare the per-person price before choosing, and check child ticket rules.
- Cost-saving trade-offs: A regional train saves money and takes longer; a room away from the center saves money and adds walking; picnic meals save money and trade away some restaurant time.
- Summer or winter: Summer is hot and costs more; winter is cheaper but days are short and some hours are reduced.
Accessibility and walking, in detail
Voyaren has checked some of this route against official sources, not all of it. 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. Three sightseeing days on foot in each city, and one train day.
- Stairs, slopes and uneven surfaces
- Not yet verified Not yet verified: Roman Forum and Palatine, Rome streets, hills and cobbles (Monti, Aventine, Testaccio, old centre). Some official pages could only be read through a search engine's copy and need a re-check. Sources: Parco archeologico del Colosseo (checked 2026-10-10); Roma Capitale / Zetema (Turismo Roma) (checked 2026-10-10)
- Step-free transport
- Partly verified Partly verified: Sala Blu assistance: lead times and channels, Trenitalia high-speed/long-distance wheelchair access, Italo wheelchair access, Trenitalia regional trains: low floor / platform access, Roma Termini station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, Rome metro stations used for sights. Not yet verified: Rome Fiumicino airport assistance. 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); Trenitalia (checked 2026-10-10); RFI (checked 2026-10-10); RFI (checked 2026-10-10); ATAC (Rome public transport) (checked 2026-10-10); Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) (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: Vatican Museums, Accademia Gallery (David), Pisa, Piazza dei Miracoli (day trip). Not yet verified: Colosseum, Uffizi Gallery. Some official pages could only be read through a search engine's copy and need a re-check. Sources: 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); Opera della Primaziale Pisana (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 (Rome to Florence) (data/city-transfers.v1.json)
- Voyaren day-trip data (Pisa) (data/day-trips.v1.json)
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.