Route Summary
Twelve days, four stops, no hire car.
The route runs south to north: fly into Rome, four nights using it as a base for the surrounding region, an evening train to Florence, three nights exploring Tuscany by day, then Cinque Terre for three nights on the Ligurian coast, finishing in Milan before an evening flight home.
| Rome | 4 nights — Ostia Antica, Orvieto, Frascati |
| ↓ | 1h 30m — evening train to Florence |
| Florence | 3 nights — Arezzo, Siena, Lucca en route |
| ↓ | 2h 30m — via Lucca to Cinque Terre |
| Cinque Terre | 3 nights — villages, Hiking Trail, Portofino |
| ↓ | 3h 30m — north to Milan |
| Milan | 2 nights — Duomo, Last Supper, Brera |
Who is this itinerary for?
This itinerary is for the traveller who wants action-packed car-free travel. And for someone who already knows Rome and Florence, loves both cities and wants to return.
Plus, to have the opportunity to explore Cinque Terre over three nights rather than squeezed into a day trip, and Milan at the end as a final flourish before the flight home.
What is the itinerary theme
The cities here are the bases - they are springboards into the surrounding region rather than destinations in themselves. You'll visit ancient Ostia Antica at dawn with almost nobody there, Siena's Piazza del Campo on a warm evening, the terraced vineyards above Manarola, and eat fried seafood in a cone sitting on a bench by the sea.
What is the route?
The route runs south to north: fly into Rome, four nights using it as a base for the surrounding region, an evening train to Florence, three nights exploring Tuscany by day, then Cinque Terre for three nights on the Ligurian coast, finishing in Milan before an evening flight home.
How busy is the schedule?
I want to be honest before you read further: this is an action-packed itinerary. You will be doing something every day — a day trip here, two towns in one day there, an evening train. If you want something more leisurely, add one extra night at each stop and turn it into a two-week trip. Both work. But if you're reading this thinking it looks relaxed, it isn't — and I'd rather tell you that now.
Rome — Days 1 to 4
| Nights | 4 |
| Arrive | Flight into Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) or Ciampino Airport — direct trains or buses to Rome |
| Stay near | Rome Termini station — convenient and puts every day trip within easy reach |
| Leave | Evening train to Florence on Day 4 — arrive Florence around 8pm |
| Day trips covered | Ostia Antica, Orvieto, Frascati |
| Further reading | Day trips from Rome by train · Hidden gems in Rome |
If you've been to Rome before you already know what it feels like to spend two days queuing at the Colosseum and the Vatican. This time you will use your days for the surrounding region — which is extraordinary and often overlooked.
Ostia Antica is one of the great archaeological sites in Italy — similar to Pompeii in many ways, and on a quiet morning you can walk through it almost alone. Orvieto is a stunning hilltop town built on volcanic rock, an easy train ride away. Frascati in the Castelli Romani hills is a half-day with excellent local wine and views back over Rome.
Put Frascati on Day 4 — the travel day. Morning in the hills, back to Rome by early afternoon, bags collected and an evening train to Florence. You'll arrive around 8pm with dinner still ahead of you.
My suggested Rome days
- Day 1 — arrival: Settle in, eat well, recover from the flight.
- Day 2: Ostia Antica full day — ancient port city, extraordinary ruins, almost no crowds
- Day 3: Orvieto full day — stunning hilltop town, remarkable underground caves, excellent local wine
- Day 4 — travel day: Frascati in the morning — wine, views and the Castelli Romani hills. Evening Frecciarossa to Florence
Florence — Days 5 to 7
| Nights | 3 |
| Arrive | Evening train from Rome — Santa Maria Novella station is in the city centre |
| Stay near | Santa Maria Novella station — five minutes' walk puts every day trip within easy reach |
| Leave | You'll travel to Cinque Terre via a day trip to Lucca |
| Day trips covered | Siena, Arezzo, Lucca |
| Further reading | Day trips from Florence by train |
You've seen the Uffizi. You've walked Ponte Vecchio. Florence is a city you know — which means three nights here can be spent almost entirely in the surrounding region rather than inside the city itself. From Santa Maria Novella station, Siena, Arezzo and Lucca are all reachable in under two hours. None of them require a hire car. All of them are extraordinary.
Siena deserves a full day. The Piazza del Campo is one of the great medieval squares in Europe and the Duomo rivals Florence's for ambition and beauty — with much less of a queue. The underground wine bars and cellar restaurants known as "buche" are a genuinely worthwhile experience.
Arezzo is just 45 minutes away — a real gem off the tourist trail with a beautiful Piazza Grande and almost nobody there. Then, on your way to Cinque Terre visit Lucca: Renaissance walls walkable at the top, medieval towers with trees growing from their summits, a compact old town that rewards slow exploration. .
My suggested Florence days
- Day 4 — arrival evening: Arrive from Rome by evening train. Settle in, find a good restaurant.
- Day 5: Siena full day — Piazza del Campo, Duomo, underground buche restaurant.
- Day 6: Arezzo — 45 minutes by train, one of the most overlooked cities in Tuscany. Beautiful Piazza Grande, almost no tourists. Back to Florence by evening
- Day 7 — travel day: Morning train towards Cinque Terre. Lucca is on the route — stop off for a few hours, walk the city walls, then continue to La Spezia and on to Monterosso
Cinque Terre — Days 8 to 10
| Nights | 3 |
| Arrive | Train from Lucca to La Spezia (change at Pisa), then Cinque Terre Express to Monterosso |
| Stay in | Monterosso al Mare — the largest village, best accommodation, only proper beach |
| Leave | Morning train from La Spezia to Milan on Day 11 |
| Further reading | Cinque Terre villages guide · Cinque Terre train guide |
Cinque Terre is one of those places that genuinely lives up to its reputation — and then some. The water is crystal clear, the coastal paths are spectacular and the villages each have their own distinct personality.
Three nights here gives you time to do it properly. Spread the five villages across the first two days rather than rushing all of them into one — each one deserves at least a couple of hours and some deserve considerably more. Vernazza's harbour is extraordinary. Manarola's viewpoint at Punta Buonfiglio is the most reproduced photograph in all of Cinque Terre, and I can confirm it's as dramatic in person as in photographs. In Manarola, make time for Trattoria Dal Billy — perched above the village with a balcony overlooking the terraced vineyards. One of the finest meals of any Italy trip I've done.
Save Day 10 for Portofino. Take the train north from La Spezia to Santa Margherita Ligure, then walk the coastal path to Portofino — about an hour and a half. You can also take the 782 bus or the boat. Portofino itself is small, exclusive and genuinely stunning. The nearby fishing village of Camogli is also on this train line and equally worth an hour, if you're not too tired.
One evening in Monterosso, don't miss Il Bocconcino — a tiny takeaway just below the station where they fry seafood fresh in front of you and serve it in a paper cone. It costs around €8–13 and is one of the best things you'll eat on the entire trip.
My suggested Cinque Terre days
- Day 8: Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia — the three southern villages. Walk the Via dell'Amore between the first two if it's open
- Day 9: Vernazza and Monterosso — hike the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza (90 minutes, the most spectacular section). Il Bocconcino in the evening
- Day 10: Portofino and Camogli — train to Santa Margherita Ligure, walk or bus to Portofino, return via Camogli
Milan — Days 11 to 12
| Nights | 2 |
| Arrive | Train from La Spezia — around 3 hours 30 minutes to Milan Centrale |
| Stay near | Milan Centrale station or city centre |
| Leave | Evening flight from Malpensa, Linate or Bergamo airport on Day 12. All have easy connections from the centre of Milan by train or bus |
Milan is the perfect final stop on this route — faster, more international, with world-class food and design alongside its extraordinary history.
The Duomo is one of the most extraordinary Gothic buildings in the world, and the rooftop walk among the spires is wonderful. In the late afternoon on the day of your arrival, head straight to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II next door and take the Highline Galleria — a guided walk across the glass roof of one of the world's oldest shopping arcades, with views across the city that most people never see. If you go late in the day you may be lucky enough to catch the sunset over the duomo, which is such a magical experience.
The Last Supper requires booking weeks in advance, but even if you can't buy tickets directly you can book tours (which cost a bit more), which have far more ticket options and dates available. Each viewing slot is limited to 15 minutes so book the moment you know your dates. The Brera district, just north of the Duomo, is a really beautiful neighbourhood in the city — with good galleries and excellent restaurants.
My suggested Milan days
- Day 11 — arrival: Duomo rooftop walk in the afternoon. Highline Galleria in the evening. Dinner in Brera
- Day 12: Last Supper in the morning (pre-booked). Pinacoteca di Brera gallery. Brera or China town in the afternoon. Evening flight home
Planning This Itinerary — Practical Advice
- Book before you go: The Last Supper sells out weeks ahead. Book these the moment you have your dates. Everything else can be sorted on arrival or a few days before
- Book fast trains in advance: The Rome to Florence and Cinque Terre to Milan legs are Frecciarossa or InterCity services. These are significantly cheaper when booked ahead through Trenitalia or Italo. Or book both with Trainline.
- Rome to Florence — take the evening train: The 1h 30m train means you lose no sightseeing time and arrive in Florence in the evening with dinner ahead of you
- Stay near stations: All four cities are safe to stay near the main station (although in Rome my preference is always to stay north or west of the station, rather than to the south). Doing so removes the stress of getting to departures and means you can use luggage storage on travel days
- The Cinque Terre Card: Worth buying if you're taking the train between villages more than twice in a day. See our Cinque Terre train guide for full pricing
Making It a Two-Week Trip
If the 12-day version sounds too fast-paced between locations — simply add one extra night at each stop:
- Rome: 5 nights instead of 4 — add a full day for the Vatican and other Rome sights
- Florence: 4 nights instead of 3 — you could spend a relaxing day in Florence, or add Bologna as an extra day trip
- Cinque Terre: 4 nights instead of 3 — add a beach day in Monterosso
- Milan: 3 nights instead of 2 — add a day trip to Lake Como or Bergamo
That gives you 16 days. The route and the logic are exactly the same, but with a bit more breathing space
Frequently Asked Questions — 12 Days in Italy by Train
Is 12 days enough to see Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Milan?
Yes — but it's a full itinerary with something planned every day. You'll see the highlights of all four destinations and take day trips from each base. If you want a more relaxed pace, add one extra night per stop to turn it into a 16-day trip.
What is the best order to visit these cities?
South to north — Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Milan — works best for several reasons. It matches the natural rail connections, you fly into Rome and out of Milan, and the pace builds naturally from the heat and chaos of Rome to the cooler, quieter Ligurian coast before ending in Milan. Having said that if you wanted to do it in reverse order, this would work well too.
Do I need to book trains in advance?
For the fast Frecciarossa services — Rome to Florence and La Spezia to Milan — yes, book in advance. Prices rise significantly closer to departure. For regional trains to day trip destinations like Ostia Antica, Siena and Arezzo, you can buy on the day at the station or via the Trenitalia or Trainline apps.
Where should I stay in each city?
Stay near the main train station in each city — Termini in Rome, Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and Centrale in Milan. In Cinque Terre, stay in Monterosso al Mare — it has the most accommodation options, the only proper beach and the best restaurant choice.
Do I need a hire car for any part of this itinerary?
No — every destination on this itinerary is reachable by train or local bus. This is the whole point. Italy's rail network is excellent and you'll cover more ground, more comfortably, without a car than with one.
What is the Cinque Terre Card and do I need it?
The Cinque Terre Card covers unlimited train travel on the Cinque Terre Express and access to the paid hiking trails. It's worth buying if you plan to hop between villages by train more than twice in a day. See our dedicated Cinque Terre train guide for full 2026 pricing and advice.