Italy’s most iconic cities form what many travelers call the “Golden Triangle” – Venice, Florence, and Rome. Each city offers a unique slice of Italian culture, from Venice’s romantic canals to Florence’s Renaissance masterpieces and Rome’s ancient wonders. Here is some advice we’ve gathered from our year-long planning of traveling between these three cities.
Planning Your Route
We found the most efficient route is to start in Venice and work your way south. High-speed trains connect all three cities, making travel between them straightforward and relatively affordable. Here was our personal timeline:
- Venice: 3 days (2 nights)
- Florence: 4 days (with a Tuscany region day trip)
- Rome: 5 days
Transportation Tips
Italy’s train system is your best friend on this route. We booked all of our tickets through Trenitalia:
- Venice to Florence: ~2 hours
- Florence to Rome: ~1.5 hours
Pro tip: Book tickets in advance for the best prices, but avoid locking yourself into too rigid a schedule. Regional trains offer flexibility, while high-speed trains save time but require reservations. We were able to do some last-minute changes to our trains when we got there earlier than expected, or if our train was delayed (one was while we were waiting on the platform, that’s how close it was!) Also check dates for train strikes in advance to avoid any confusion before you book!
Venice: The Floating City
Where to Stay
VRBO was our go-to for this entire trip to have a truly authentic experience. Each of our hosts was so eager to help us get there and recommend places that weren’t tourist traps. We also found it so convenient to message our Venice host when we arrived and needed help understanding the transportation! In case you run into the same dilemma, here is how we got out to Venice:
-Landed in VCE (Venice Marco Polo Airport)
–Took the public bus from airport to Piazzale Roma (a Venice plaza with connecting trains, buses, and the vaporetto/water taxi)
-Our next step was to take the water taxi to our correct stop and then walk to our rental. This is where we got confused, and it was late. We thought there was only ONE place to board the water taxi and so we purchased a ticket at the kiosk (we should have done the 3 day pass but we didn’t know if we’d need it, so we bought a one day pass.) We walked right out to get the next boat without understanding the routes. We needed to get on either 1 or 5.1, but we got on 2. The number is on the front of the boat usually, and while some of their routes overlap, our stop was NOT on boat 2’s route! We got off at another stop that boat 1 also stops at, and got to our destination from there. Not only are there different boats, there are different docks, and some docks have the other boats if yours isn’t listed. It sounds confusing but it is super easy once you know all of this – and if you’re worried, just do like we did, and ask the person docking the boat if it will be arriving at your stop!
-If you don’t plan to use the water taxi outside of your arrival and departure, it’s actually SUPER cheap if you just buy a one way ticket through an actual person at a desk. Keep going to other stations until you find someone if its not late at night. It was so much cheaper than a day pass but the kiosk doesn’t offer it!
Must-See Sights
- St. Mark’s Basilica (free entry, arrive early)
- Doge’s Palace (worth the splurge)
- Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal
- The colorful island of Burano
- Coffee and pastries: Pasticceria Alla Bragora was a bakery right by where we stayed and had amazing pastries and coffee for 1-2 euros, but get there in the morning!
Budget Tips
- Get lost in the smaller canals rather than booking up your whole stay
- Purchase a vaporetto pass for unlimited water bus travel if you’ll be exploring
- Eat at bacari (local wine bars) for cheap cicchetti (Venetian tapas)
Florence
Where to Stay
We stayed within walking distance of the not only the train station, but also the major art galleries, and it was PERFECT! I have pinpointed the vicinity in a VRBO search if you would like to search the same area!
Essential Experiences
- Uffizi Gallery (book ahead directly through b-ticket)
- Accademia Gallery (this is the location of Michaelangelo’s David – also book this on the official b-ticket site)
- Duomo climb for city views
- Ponte Vecchio (you can actually see great views of this from the Uffizi gallery – pair these on the same day since they’re so close together!)
- San Lorenzo Market for affordable local food
- Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset
- We took an amazing day trip through the Tuscany region – Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena! We were able to walk to the meeting point and board the tour bus, which was super convenient!
Money-Saving Strategies
- Consider the 5 day museum pass if planning to visit multiple museums
- Take advantage of free first Sundays at state museums
- Enjoy aperitivo hours for dinner alternatives
Rome
Accommodation
Termini and Monti areas offer the best balance of location and value. We booked the Termini area because of the close proximity to the train station and other sites. We were able to walk to everywhere except for the Vatican!
Must-Visit Sites
- Colosseum & Roman Forum – we got an excellent guided tour for this! I highly recommend this to really get the full history of all 3 sites.
- Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel – we booked a tour of this directly through the Vatican; the official site is at https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home/calendar/visit/Biglietti-Musei
- Pantheon
- Trevi Fountain (morning is the best time to avoid crowds!)
- Spanish Steps (don’t sit on them!)
- Trastevere neighborhood (some of the best restaurants!)
- Taste a Roman Maritozzi at a local bakery (a type of cream filled sweet bread)
Want to try making Maritozzi at home? Check out this recipe!
Budget Hacks
- Book Colosseum/Forum tickets online to avoid tours
- Visit the Vatican Museums on the last Sunday of the month (free entry)
- Fill your water bottle at Rome’s many fountains
- Explore markets like Testaccio for affordable local food
General Tips for All Cities
Money Matters
- Budget €50-70 per day including accommodation
- Always carry some cash despite card acceptance – especially coins, some restrooms require small change
- Look for “aperitivo” deals for affordable dining
- Consider cooking some meals in VBRO/AirBnB kitchens
- Use the app FreeNow to order taxis – you can see the price in advance
Cultural Notes
- Learn basic Italian phrases
- Embrace the slower pace of life
- Many shops close for riposo (afternoon break)
- Dress modestly when visiting churches
Practical Advice
- Get an Italian SIM card for data
- Download offline maps
- Book major attractions in advance
- Travel light – you’ll be walking a lot. You also won’t want to be carrying large suitcases around. We rely on our carry-on Osprey bags – we used the Fairview 40 (women’s) and the Porter 46 for Dad! They were carry-on compliant on our international flights as well, avoiding the need for any checked luggage.
- Consider shoulder season (April-May or September-October) for better prices and weather
The Traveling Homeschool 