With 10 days, pick three bases: e.g. Rome 4 nights → Florence 3 → Venice 3. With 14 days, four bases: Rome 4 → Florence 3 → Bologna 2 → Venice 4, or swap the north for the south with Naples / Amalfi. Follow one direction and fly into one city and out of another so you never backtrack. The fast trains make it easy: Rome–Florence 1 h 25, Florence–Bologna 37 min, Bologna–Venice 1 h 19, Florence–Venice 2 h, Milan–Venice 2 h 15, Rome–Naples 55 min.
Checked 2026-09-24 · Italy · Itineraries
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| 10 days | 3 bases · e.g. Rome 4 · Florence 3 · Venice 3 |
| 14 days | 4 bases · e.g. Rome 4 · Florence 3 · Bologna 2 · Venice 4 |
| Rule | One direction · open-jaw flights (in one city, out of another) |
| Rome–Florence | ≈ 1 h 25 |
| Florence–Venice | ≈ 2 h |
| Rome–Naples | ≈ 55 min |
| Milan–Venice | ≈ 2 h 15 |
| A move costs | About half a day door to door |
Sample routes
10 days · the classic
10 days · Rome + the south
14 days · four bases
Italo · Rome–Florence ↗ · Italo · Florence–Bologna ↗ · Italo · Bologna–Venice ↗
14 days · north + lakes
14 days · Rome, Florence and the coast
How not to live on trains
Fewer bases
Reddit · 10 days, too many cities? ↗ · Reddit r/Viajes · first trip to Italy ↗
Open-jaw flights
Travel days are travel days
Day trips from a base
Quick answers
How many cities can I see in 10 days in Italy?
Three bases is comfortable — for example Rome, Florence and Venice — plus day trips.
Is 2 weeks enough for Italy?
Enough for four bases in one region-to-region line (e.g. Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice) — not for the whole country.
Should I fly into Rome and out of Venice?
Yes if your route runs north — it saves a full day of backtracking.
Go deeper in our guides
Related answers
Sources: Italo · Rome–Florence ↗ · Italo · Florence–Bologna ↗ · Italo · Bologna–Venice ↗ · Italo · Florence–Venice ↗ · Italo · Milan–Venice ↗ · Italo · Rome–Naples ↗