Notes / Italy by train in 8 days — what it really costs
Italy by train in 8 days — what it really costs
Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan on high-speed trains. The fares, sight tickets and daily costs we have checked, plus what is not included.
This eight-day route links four classic Italian cities on high-speed rail: three nights in Rome, two in Florence, two in Venice and one in Milan. Because the fast trains run city-centre to city-centre in under two and a half hours per leg, you spend your mornings in museums and piazzas rather than airport queues.
The three high-speed train legs
All fares below are per person in standard class and were checked in October 2026. Italy has two competing high-speed operators—Trenitalia (Frecciarossa) and Italo—so booking early makes a large difference.
- Rome to Florence: 14.90 to 55 EUR, about 1 hour 30 minutes. The low end is an advance Italo fare; the high end is a near-term Frecciarossa base fare (EveryRail, updated September 2026; Seat61 quotes a 55 EUR base fare).
- Florence to Venice: 15 to 70 EUR, about 2 hours. Advance tickets start around 15 to 19 EUR, while same-week bookings reach 57 to 70 EUR (EveryRail and ItalyPlanner).
- Venice to Milan: 19 to 85 EUR, about 2 hours 15 to 30 minutes. Advance Italo fares start at 19 EUR; last-minute standard tickets sit around 52 to 85 EUR.
Added up, the three train legs come to 48.90 to 210 euros per person, depending on how far ahead you book.
Sights to book ahead
Several of the busiest sights on this route use timed-entry slots that sell out weeks or months in advance:
- Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill 24-hour ticket (18 EUR per adult, checked July 2026); Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (20 EUR entry, or 25 EUR with online booking, checked October 2026).
- Milan: Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper at Santa Maria delle Grazie (15 EUR per adult including the reservation fee, checked October 2026—slots release months ahead); Duomo di Milano Combo Stairs ticket (22 EUR before the 1 to 1.50 EUR online fee).
Stays, food and what the total leaves out
In Rome, Florence and Venice, our checked double-room rates run from 80 to 130 EUR a night on a budget and 150 to 250 EUR a night mid-range (before municipal tourist taxes of roughly 4 to 10 EUR per person per night). Daily food ranges from 25 to 40 EUR per person on a budget to 55 to 85 EUR mid-range.
One caveat when you open the 8-day Italy trip planner: Milan's hotel stay is not in our checked price table yet, so the planner marks Milan's stay as Not included rather than guessing a number.