# Fourteen days: the Grand Tour on real train times > Two weeks, five cities, direct trains: Rome to Florence is 1 hour 35, Florence to Venice 2 hours 14. The Grand Tour measured on the timetable, not a map. URL: https://myitalia.it/itineraries/14-days-grand-tour Last updated: 2026-09-11 Fourteen nights on five bases, Naples 2, Rome 4, Florence 3, Venice 3 and Milan 2, linked by direct high speed trains of between 1 hour 13 minutes and 2 hours 27 minutes a leg. ## Why five bases and not eight American travelers stay 9.04 nights in Italy on average and change beds every 2.92 nights, around three moves for roughly 2.2 places. Fourteen days lets you keep that rhythm and still see five cities: close to three nights each, with train legs short enough to cost a morning rather than a day. Fares and tickets below are quoted in euros. 60.3% of American nights in Italy fall in five comuni, Rome 25.5%, Florence 14.6%, Naples 7.0%, Venice 6.7% and Milan 6.5%, which are exactly the five bases here. The route uses them as bases and sends you out on day trips from each. ## Days 1 and 2: land in Rome, sleep in Naples From Fiumicino the Leonardo Express reaches Roma Termini in 32 minutes nonstop, every 15 minutes, for €14.00, and from Termini the fastest direct train to Napoli Centrale takes 1 hour 13 minutes. The median direct Frecciarossa takes 1 hour 18, with 45 of them counted on a weekday in September 2026. Italo runs the route too, and its times aren't verified here. See [Rome to Naples by train](/plan/trains/roma-to-napoli). At Pompeii the ticket carries your name and you show ID at the gate, under a ceiling of 20,000 entries a day in force since November 15, 2024. Between April 1 and October 31 the morning, 9:00 am to noon, takes up to 15,000 of them and the afternoon to 5:30 pm the other 5,000. See [Pompeii](/attractions/pompei). ## Days 3 to 6: Rome, four nights Rome gets four nights, the longest stay, because 25.5% of all American nights in Italy are spent there. The Colosseum sells online 30 days ahead of each date, one named ticket per person with a set entry time. On the standard €18 ticket, valid 24 hours, the amphitheater itself is limited to 75 minutes, and the rest of the day goes to the Forum and the Palatine. Put the Colosseum on day 4 or 5, never on arrival day, so a delayed train from Naples costs nothing. See [3 days in Rome](/itineraries/3-days-rome). ## Days 7 to 9: Florence, 1 hour 35 from Rome The Florence leg is the easiest decision of the trip: 1 hour 35 minutes from Roma Termini to Santa Maria Novella at best, 1 hour 41 for the median direct Frecciarossa, and 48 of those on a September 2026 weekday. At the Uffizi, booking ahead costs more than walking up: €29 in advance against €25 for a same day ticket in 2026, with an afternoon rate of €16 after 4:00 pm since January 2026. The first Sunday of the month is free. The Uffizi with the Vasari Corridor costs €43 on the day and €47 in advance. See [Rome to Florence by train](/plan/trains/roma-to-firenze) and [the Uffizi](/attractions/uffizi). ## Days 10 to 12: Venice, 2 hours 14 from Florence Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Venezia Santa Lucia takes 2 hours 14 minutes on the fastest direct train in the September 2026 timetable. As of September 11, 2026 Venice charges no access fee. The 2026 trial ended on July 26, and any 2027 season needs a new decision by the city; staying three nights, you'd have been outside it anyway, because it only ever applied to day visitors. See [the Venice access fee](/plan/venice-access-fee). ## Days 13 and 14: Milan, and the booking that can't wait The fastest direct train between Milano Centrale and Venezia Santa Lucia takes 2 hours 27 minutes, measured from Milan to Venice in September 2026. If the Last Supper is on your list, it fixes the calendar of the whole trip, not just the last two days. Tickets come out quarterly, in September for November to January, in December for February to April, in March for May to July and in June for August to October, with around 215 more a day each Wednesday at noon for the next week. Fly home from Malpensa, the second busiest airport in Italy, with 31,385,585 passengers in 2025, up 8.6% on 2024. See [the Last Supper](/attractions/cenacolo-vinciano). ## Five legs on four lines Five train legs carry the whole route over four lines, and none takes longer than 2 hours 27 minutes on the fastest direct service. - Rome to Naples, and back: 1 hour 13 minutes - Rome to Florence: 1 hour 35 minutes - Florence to Venice: 2 hours 14 minutes - Venice to Milan: 2 hours 27 minutes, measured Milan to Venice Times are for the fastest direct train in the direction measured, in September 2026; the return legs aren't timed separately in the data here. ## What this route leaves out None of the south beyond Naples is on this route, and neither Sicily nor the Dolomites. Those need days of their own, and they have their own routes: [ten days in Sicily](/itineraries/10-days-sicily), [seven days in the Dolomites](/itineraries/7-days-dolomites) and [ten days of lakes and cities](/itineraries/10-days-north-lakes-and-cities). ## FAQ ### How many days do I need in Italy for a first trip? Fourteen days fits five cities without rushing: Naples 2 nights, Rome 4, Florence 3, Venice 3 and Milan 2. American visitors average 9.04 nights and change beds every 2.92, so ten days means dropping one base and a week means dropping two. ### Is the train fast enough for five cities in two weeks? Yes. The fastest direct trains take 1 hour 13 minutes Rome to Naples, 1 hour 35 Rome to Florence, 2 hours 14 Florence to Venice and 2 hours 27 Milan to Venice, on the September 2026 timetable. ### Is it cheaper to book the Uffizi in advance? No, it costs more. In 2026 a same day ticket is €25 and an advance booking €29, and since January 2026 there's a €16 rate for entry after 4:00 pm. The first Sunday of the month is free. ### Where should I start a two-week trip in Italy? In Rome, then straight south. The Leonardo Express runs from Fiumicino to Termini in 32 minutes for €14.00, and the fastest direct train on to Naples takes 1 hour 13, so you can sleep in Naples on the first night and work north. ## Sources | Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until | |---|---|---|---| | L'americano resta 9,04 notti ma solo 2,92 per struttura, con 1,19 destinazioni secondarie: cambia letto circa tre volte per circa 2,2 localita'. | [Banca d'Italia, Indagine sul turismo internazionale](https://www.bancaditalia.it/statistiche/tematiche/rapporti-estero/turismo-internazionale/) | medium | 2027-07-31 | | Il 60,3% delle notti statunitensi si concentra in cinque comuni: Roma 25,5%, Firenze 14,6%, Napoli 7,0%, Venezia 6,7%, Milano 6,5%. | [Banca d'Italia, Indagine sul turismo internazionale](https://www.bancaditalia.it/statistiche/tematiche/rapporti-estero/turismo-internazionale/) | medium | 2027-07-31 | | Il Leonardo Express collega Roma Termini all'aeroporto di Fiumicino senza fermate intermedie in 32 minuti, con partenze ogni 15 minuti e un biglietto di corsa semplice da 14,00 euro; le corse vanno dalle 4:50 alle 23:05 da Termini e dalle 5:38 alle 23:27 da Fiumicino (2026). | [Trenitalia](https://www.trenitalia.com/it/regionale/collegamenti-regionale/leonardo-express.html) | medium | 2027-06-30 | | In treno ad alta velocita' Roma Termini-Napoli Centrale il collegamento diretto piu' veloce impiega 1 ora e 13 minuti; la mediana dei Frecciarossa diretti e' di circa 1 ora e 18 minuti (orario in vigore a settembre 2026). | [Trenitalia (sistema di vendita Le Frecce)](https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.Website.BFF.WEB/website/ticket/solutions) | medium | 2026-12-13 | | Dal 15 novembre 2024 il Parco archeologico di Pompei applica il biglietto nominativo con documento d'identita' e un tetto di 20.000 ingressi al giorno; dal 1 aprile al 31 ottobre gli ingressi sono divisi in due fasce, un massimo di 15.000 visitatori dalle 9:00 alle 12:00 e 5.000 dalle 12:00 alle 17:30. La misura e' stata presa dopo picchi superiori a 36.000 persone in un solo giorno. | [Parco archeologico di Pompei](https://pompeiisites.org/comunicati/dal-15-novembre-pompei-introduce-il-biglietto-nominativo-e-il-limite-giornaliero-dei-20-mila-visitatori-2/); [doc 2](https://pompeiisites.org/) | medium | 2027-06-30 | | Al Parco archeologico del Colosseo il biglietto e' nominativo e con fascia oraria di ingresso obbligatoria: le vendite online si aprono 30 giorni prima della data di visita e con il biglietto ordinario 24h la permanenza all'interno dell'anfiteatro e' limitata a 75 minuti (2026). | [Parco archeologico del Colosseo](https://colosseo.it/orari-e-biglietti/); [doc 2](https://colosseo.it/biglietti/colosseo-foro-romano-palatino/) | medium | 2027-06-30 | | In treno ad alta velocita' Roma Termini-Firenze Santa Maria Novella il collegamento diretto piu' veloce impiega 1 ora e 35 minuti; la mediana dei Frecciarossa diretti e' di circa 1 ora e 41 minuti (orario in vigore a settembre 2026). | [Trenitalia (sistema di vendita Le Frecce)](https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.Website.BFF.WEB/website/ticket/solutions) | medium | 2026-12-13 | | Alle Gallerie degli Uffizi il biglietto della sola Galleria costa 25 euro se acquistato per il giorno stesso e 29 euro se prenotato in anticipo (2026); il ridotto e' 2 euro e dal gennaio 2026 esiste una tariffa pomeridiana di 16 euro per gli ingressi dopo le 16:00. Il combinato Uffizi + Corridoio Vasariano costa 43 euro (giorno stesso) o 47 euro (anticipato). I gruppi da 11 persone in su pagano 70 euro di supplemento e la prima domenica del mese l'ingresso e' gratuito. | [Gallerie degli Uffizi](https://www.uffizi.it/en/tickets) | medium | 2027-06-30 | | In treno ad alta velocita' Firenze Santa Maria Novella-Venezia Santa Lucia il collegamento diretto piu' veloce impiega 2 ore e 14 minuti (orario in vigore a settembre 2026). | [Trenitalia (sistema di vendita Le Frecce)](https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.Website.BFF.WEB/website/ticket/solutions) | medium | 2026-12-13 | | Il contributo di accesso di Venezia e' una tariffa per i visitatori giornalieri del centro storico: la sperimentazione 2026 si e' svolta dal 3 aprile al 26 luglio 2026 per 60 giorni non consecutivi e si e' conclusa, per cui dal 27 luglio 2026 il contributo non si applica; la reintroduzione negli anni successivi e' rimessa all'amministrazione comunale. | [Comune di Venezia - portale Contributo di Accesso](https://cda.ve.it/it/); [Comune di Venezia](https://www.comune.venezia.it/it/cda-info) | high | 2027-03-31 | | In treno ad alta velocita' Milano Centrale-Venezia Santa Lucia il collegamento diretto piu' veloce impiega 2 ore e 27 minuti (orario in vigore a settembre 2026). | [Trenitalia (sistema di vendita Le Frecce)](https://www.lefrecce.it/Channels.Website.BFF.WEB/website/ticket/solutions) | medium | 2026-12-13 | | I biglietti del Cenacolo Vinciano vengono rilasciati su base trimestrale (a settembre per novembre-gennaio, a dicembre per febbraio-aprile, a marzo per maggio-luglio, a giugno per agosto-ottobre); in aggiunta, ogni mercoledi' alle ore 12.00 vengono messi in vendita solo online circa 215 biglietti giornalieri extra per la settimana successiva (2026). | [Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano](https://cenacolovinciano.org/info/) | medium | 2027-06-30 | | L'aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (codice IATA MXP) e' il secondo scalo italiano con 31.385.585 passeggeri nel 2025 (+8,6% sul 2024). | [Assaeroporti](https://data-upload.assaeroporti.com/download-export/2025/12); [ENAC](https://www.enac.gov.it/app/uploads/2024/04/Dati-_di_traffico_2021_220914.pdf) | medium | 2027-06-30 | ## Image https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.napoli.1600.jpg Author: Nemo bis. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bay_of_Naples_in_2016_-_view_from_Vomero.jpg ## Other languages - it: https://myitalia.it/it/itinerari/14-days-grand-tour.md - es: https://myitalia.it/es/itinerarios/14-days-grand-tour.md - fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/itineraires/14-days-grand-tour.md - de: https://myitalia.it/de/routen/14-days-grand-tour.md