Quick answer
For a first trip, spend 3 nights in Milan (with a day on Lake Como), 2 in Venice, 2 in Florence and 2 in Rome, then fly home from Rome. Each move is a direct high-speed train: Milan to Venice in about 2.5 hours, Venice to Florence in 2h13 and Florence to Rome in about 1h35. Book trains and the big museums before you fly.
Train times and fares were checked on 5 October 2026 on Trenitalia and Italo, and museum rules on the official sites. Fares change every day, so treat them as a guide to what booking early saves.
The route at a glance
This plan flies into Milan Malpensa and home from Rome Fiumicino, an open-jaw ticket, so you never travel back the way you came.
| Days | Base | Nights | How you get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Milan, with a day trip to Lake Como | 3 | Malpensa Express from the airport, about 51 minutes |
| 4 and 5 | Venice | 2 | Train from Milano Centrale, 2h27 to 2h34 |
| 6 and 7 | Florence | 2 | Train from Venezia Santa Lucia, 2h13 |
| 8 to 10 | Rome | 2, fly home on day 10 | Train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, about 1h35 |
Ten days gives each city two full days at most, which is enough for the main sights if you book them ahead. If you want a slower pace, drop one city and add its nights to another, or follow the northern lakes variant below.
A useful start day is Friday. Milan then falls on Friday to Sunday, Venice on Monday and Tuesday, Florence on Wednesday and Thursday and Rome on the weekend, which keeps you away from the Monday closures of the Last Supper and the Uffizi.
Days 1 to 3: Milan and Lake Como
Land at Malpensa and take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale, about 51 minutes and €15 one way. Our Malpensa to Milan guide compares it with the buses, and the Milano Centrale guide shows where the metro is when you arrive.
Day 1. Spend the afternoon around the DuomoMap. A Duomo and Museum ticket costs €10, and the rooftop terraces cost more; our Duomo tickets guide explains which ticket to buy. Walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIMap to Piazza della Scala. For dinner, I avoid the restaurants around the Duomo and walk to another neighborhood; our best restaurants in Milan list is sorted by area.
Day 2. See the Last SupperMap (book weeks ahead, see the checklist below) and walk 15 minutes to Sforza CastleMap, whose courtyards are free. In the evening, go to the Navigli canals for aperitivo. Our 2 days in Milan itinerary has the walking order and times, and what to eat in Milan covers risotto, cotoletta and panettone.
Day 3: Lake Como. Direct Trenord trains run from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino in 64 to 65 minutes for €7.40, about 16 a day. From Varenna, a central lake ferry day pass costs €17.50, and the regular boats need no booking. Cross to Bellagio in 15 minutes for the Villa Melzi gardensMap (they close for the season on 1 November), or stay in Varenna for Villa MonasteroMap. Our Lake Como day trip guide has the full plan, and the Varenna and Bellagio guides cover each town.
Varenna, on the eastern shore of Lake Como, about 65 minutes from Milano Centrale by direct train.
For your Milan base, our guide to where to stay in Milan explains which areas suit early trains; staying near Centrale makes day 4 easy. Getting around the city is simplest by metro, covered in our Milan metro guide.
If you would rather see the sea than the lake, direct InterCity trains reach Monterosso in about 3 hours, so our Milan to Cinque Terre guide explains when a day trip works and when a night on the coast is better.
Days 4 and 5: Venice
Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa runs 13 direct trains a day from Milano Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia, taking 2h27 to 2h34, and Italo runs 7 more, taking about 2h15. Booked five weeks ahead, the cheapest Frecciarossa fare on 5 October 2026 was €19.90, against €49 for the next day. Our Milan to Venice train guide has the details.
Venezia Santa Lucia, where the high-speed trains from Milan and Florence end.
Take a morning train and you have most of day 4 in Venice. Spend it around Piazza San MarcoMap and the Grand Canal, and keep day 5 for walking the quieter districts away from the square.
Venice tested a day-tripper access fee in 2026, on set dates from April to July. The trial ended on 27 July 2026, and the city has not yet decided whether or when it will apply in 2027. Overnight guests in Venice were exempt in 2026. Check the official portal, cda.veneziaunica.it, before you go.
Days 6 and 7: Florence
From Venice, 14 direct Frecciarossa trains a day run to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, every hour from 5:26am to 7:26pm, and each takes 2h13. Italo adds 11 a day. On 5 October 2026 the fare was €22.90 five weeks ahead and €59 for the next day.
Use day 6 for the DuomoMap and the old center, and day 7 for the Uffizi GalleryMap. The Uffizi is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15am to 6:30pm and closed on Mondays. A named ticket costs €29 if you buy it before the day and €25 on the day, or €16 if you enter from 4pm. The same-day ticket depends on what is left when you arrive, so decide whether a booked entry is worth the extra €4.
Days 8 to 10: Rome
Florence to Rome is the easiest leg. About 50 direct Frecciarossa trains a day ran from Santa Maria Novella to Roma Termini on two Tuesdays in autumn 2026, most taking 1h35 to 1h37, and Italo runs 32 a day. The cheapest fare was €19.90 five weeks ahead and €55 for the next day.
Roma Termini, the arrival station for trains from Florence and the start of the Leonardo Express to Fiumicino Airport.
Give one day to the ColosseumMap, the Roman Forum and the Palatine, which share one ticket, and one to the Vatican MuseumsMap. On day 10, the Leonardo Express runs nonstop from Roma Termini to Fiumicino Airport in 32 minutes, every 15 minutes for most of the day, from 4:50am to 11:05pm, for €14.
If your flight home leaves from Milan, the train back from Rome takes 2h52 on the fastest Frecciarossa, and the cheapest fare five weeks ahead was €37.90 on 5 October 2026. Our Milan to Rome train guide has the full timetable picture.
Train tickets for this route
| Leg | Fastest time | Direct trains a day | Next day | Five weeks ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan to Venice | 2h27 (Italo about 2h15) | 13 Frecciarossa + 7 Italo | €49 | €19.90 |
| Venice to Florence | 2h13 (Italo about 2h) | 14 Frecciarossa + 11 Italo | €59 | €22.90 |
| Florence to Rome | 1h30 (Italo about 1h25) | about 50 Frecciarossa + 32 Italo | €55 | €19.90 |
| Total, three legs | €163 | €62.70 |
Fares are the cheapest Frecciarossa Standard fare for one adult, checked on 5 October 2026 for Tuesday 6 October (next day) and Tuesday 10 November 2026 (five weeks ahead). Italo route pages quote “from” fares of €14.90 to Venice, €18.90 Venice to Florence and €14.90 Florence to Rome.
High-speed tickets are for a set train and seat, so there is nothing to stamp. A Trenitalia ticket is not valid on Italo, and the other way round. Buy on trenitalia.com and italotreno.com, or compare both operators in one search in English on Trainline, which usually adds a booking fee.
What to book before you go
- The Last Supper, Milan. Every visitor needs a named booking, €15 for 15 minutes. Tickets go on sale in batches at noon Italian time on cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it, with extra tickets every Wednesday at noon for the following week. On 5 October 2026, official tickets were on sale until 31 December 2026. Our Last Supper tickets guide explains what to do if they are gone, including guided tours that include entry.
- High-speed trains. Book as soon as your dates are fixed; the table above shows the gap.
- The Uffizi, Florence. Book at uffizi.it for a named ticket bought before the day (€29). It is free on the first Sunday of the month, and closed on Mondays.
- The Colosseum, Rome. Tickets go on sale 30 days before each date on colosseo.it, with a compulsory time slot. They are named, so bring the passport that matches. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November.
- The Vatican Museums, Rome. Buy only on the official site, tickets.museivaticani.va; lookalike sites charge more. Check Sunday opening on the official site before you plan that day.
- The Duomo rooftop, Milan. Not essential, but timed tickets help in busy months: see our Duomo tickets guide.
Northern lakes variant: Milan, Lake Como, Verona and Venice
If you would rather skip Rome and spend more time by the water, this route stays in the north and returns to Milan for your flight home.
| Days | Base | Nights | Train |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Milan | 2 | Malpensa Express, about 51 minutes |
| 3 to 5 | Varenna, Lake Como | 3 | Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino, 64 to 65 min, €7.40 |
| 6 | Verona | 1 | Back to Milano Centrale, then Frecciarossa to Verona, 1h13, from €12.90 ahead |
| 7 to 9 | Venice | 3 | Verona to Venice, 1h12 to 1h16 by Frecciarossa or 1h28 by Regionale Veloce |
| 10 | Fly home from Milan | Venice to Milan, 2h27 to 2h34, then the Malpensa Express |
Three nights on the lake let you use the €17.50 central lake ferry pass for Bellagio, Menaggio and the villas. Our guide to where to stay on Lake Como compares the towns, and you can search hotels in Varenna on Booking.com. This variant works best from April to October: many Bellagio hotels close from late October or early November until around April, and the Villa Melzi gardens close on 1 November.
In Verona, the ArenaMap costs €12 and is closed on Mondays, and Juliet's HouseMap is sold online only, with compulsory booking. Our Milan to Verona guide has the rest. From Verona to Venice, the Frecciarossa cost €10.90 five weeks ahead and €29 the next day on 5 October 2026, while the Regionale Veloce costs a fixed €10.55 and takes only about 15 minutes longer.
If you want Switzerland instead of Verona, the direct EuroCity from Milano Centrale reaches Zürich in 3h17, from €33.50 booked about five weeks ahead. See our Milan to Zurich train guide.
How much 10 days in Italy costs
The transport on the main route adds up quickly if you book late. Per adult:
| Transport, main route | Five weeks ahead | Next day |
|---|---|---|
| Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale | €15 | €15 |
| Lake Como: return train to Varenna + ferry day pass | €32.30 | €32.30 |
| Milan to Venice | €19.90 | €49 |
| Venice to Florence | €22.90 | €59 |
| Florence to Rome | €19.90 | €55 |
| Leonardo Express to Fiumicino | €14 | €14 |
| Total | €124 | €224.30 |
Hotels are the biggest line. In Milan the average room cost €228.94 a night from April to June 2026 (Trademark Italia hotel monitor), and prices rise sharply during trade fairs and fashion weeks. Our guide to how much a trip to Italy costs builds a full budget with food, sights and the tourist tax.
Gelato: how to pick a good one
You will eat gelato in every city on this route, so learn one rule I follow in Milan and everywhere else: skip the shops with tall, bright, perfectly shaped mounds in the window. Good gelato is usually kept flat in steel tubs, often under lids (pozzetti), because real gelato does not hold a sculpted shape for hours; the towers usually rely on extra air and stabilizers, and the brightest colors on coloring.
When to go
April to June and September to October suit this route best: the lake villas and hotels are open, and Milan’s average highs run from 66°F to 83°F. Our guide to the best time to visit Milan has the weather by month and the 2027 dates of Design Week and the fashion weeks, when Milan hotel prices jump. For passports, money and safety before you fly, read our first trip to Italy guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Italy?
It is enough for four bases on a first trip, such as Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome, with two or three nights in each. Every leg between them is a direct high-speed train of under three hours, so you lose half a day per move at most.
What is the best route for 10 days in Italy?
For a first trip, fly into Milan and home from Rome. Spend three nights in Milan with [a day on Lake Como](/lake-como/lake-como-vs-amalfi-coast/), then two nights each in Venice and Florence and two in Rome, joining them by Frecciarossa or Italo trains.
How much do the trains cost for a 10-day Italy trip?
On 5 October 2026, the cheapest Frecciarossa fares for Milan to Venice, Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome added up to €62.70 five weeks ahead and €163 for the next day. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Should I start my Italy trip in Milan or Rome?
Either works with an open-jaw flight. Starting in Milan puts Lake Como at the start and Rome at the end, where the Leonardo Express from Termini reaches Fiumicino Airport in 32 minutes for €14.
What should I book before a 10-day trip to Italy?
The Last Supper in Milan, the Uffizi in Florence, the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums in Rome, and the high-speed trains. The Colosseum puts tickets on sale 30 days before each date, and the Last Supper releases tickets in batches.
Which days should I avoid for museums in Italy?
Mondays. The Last Supper museum in Milan and the Uffizi in Florence are closed on Mondays, so plan travel days for Mondays where you can.
Do I need a car for 10 days in Italy?
No. On this route every city is linked by direct train, Lake Como is reached by train and ferry, and driving in central Milan means paying the Area C charge.