Italy Family Journey: Venice to Rome — Self-Launched
8 days · Italy
G Adventures charges £2,700
No-markup version: ~£680 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, family-friendly take on G Adventures' 8-day Venice-to-Rome rail journey. Trace the same route — Venice's canals and glass workshops, Florence's Renaissance treasures and pasta-making, then Rome's ancient wonders — but booked yourself: budget family rooms and guesthouses instead of tour hotels, trains instead of group transfers, and self-booked workshops and tours instead of a guide. Roughly £560-750 per person (excluding flights and kids' discounts), a fraction of the £2,700+ operator price. Costs are approximate.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Venice
Venice
Land at Marco Polo (VCE) and make your own way to your accommodation by land bus + vaporetto, or the cheaper ATVO/ACTV combo ticket. On arrival, buy a Venice vaporetto multi-day pass from a ticket kiosk if you plan to move around a lot. Settle into your family room or self-catering apartment in Cannaregio or Santa Croce (cheaper and quieter than San Marco), then take an evening wander for your first gelato and a slice of pizza al taglio, and orientate around the Rialto.
🚌ACTV land bus + vaporetto from VCE to city, ~€15-20 pp
🛏Family room or 2-bed apartment in Cannaregio/ Santa Croce guesthouse, ~£70-90 per room per night
- →Self-transfer to accommodation via ACTV/ATVO bus + vaporetto
- →Evening stroll through Cannaregio and Rialto
- →Welcome dinner — first proper Italian pizza/gelato
Venice canals, glass & mask making
Venice
Skip the group walking tour and self-guide the classic loop: St Mark's Square, Doge's Palace exterior, the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto. For the glass-blowing fix, either book a Murano glass factory demonstration directly (many are free with a vaporetto trip to Murano, ~30 min), or take a GetYourGuide/Klook glass-blowing workshop. In the afternoon, book a Venetian mask-making class independently — several workshops in Dorsoduro and Cannaregio take families and let you paint your own papier-mâché mask to take home. Optional gondola ride: shared 30-min rides are far cheaper than private; or take the traghetto (locals' gondola) across the Grand Canal for a couple of euros.
🚌ACTV vaporetto day pass, ~€21 pp per 24h
🛏Cannaregio/ Santa Croce guesthouse or apartment, ~£70-90 per room
- →Self-guided walk: St Mark's Square, Rialto, Bridge of Sighs
- →Murano glass-blowing demonstration (free/cheap factory visit)
- →Venetian mask-making workshop (family-friendly)
- →Optional shared gondola or traghetto crossing
Train to Florence & the Renaissance
Florence
Book a morning high-speed Frecciarossa or Italo train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (about 2h). On arrival, check into a budget family room or apartment near the centre or in the Oltrarno. Spend the afternoon in Piazza della Repubblica, where the antique carousel still runs for a small fee. Visit the interactive Leonardo da Vinci Museum (pre-book tickets online to skip queues) — a big hit with kids. Finish with a gelato from one of the historic Florence gelaterie.
🚌Frecciarossa/Italo Venice SMN to Firenze SMN, ~€25-45 pp if booked early
🛏Family room/ apartment in central Florence or Oltrarno, ~£80-100 per room
- →High-speed train Venice to Florence (self-booked ticket)
- →Leonardo da Vinci Museum (interactive)
- →Antique carousel ride in Piazza della Repubblica
- →Florence gelato tour on foot
Florence historic centre & pasta class
Florence
Self-guide the historic centre on foot: the Duomo (Brunelleschi's dome — book climb tickets in advance), Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, and the Uffizi or Accademia if you fancy (book timed tickets). Replace the operator's cooking class with an independent pasta-making workshop booked via GetYourGuide, Klook or direct with a Florence cooking school — family-friendly classes are widely available and include a dinner of what you cook. Alternatively, join a small-group market + cooking class for a more local feel.
🚌Walking; local tram/bus for longer hops, ~€1.70 per 90-min ticket
🛏Central Florence family room/ apartment, ~£80-100 per room
- →Walking tour of Florence historic centre (self-guided or free walking tour)
- →Duomo & campanile tickets (pre-booked)
- →Hands-on fresh pasta cooking class (self-booked)
- →Optional Uffizi/ Accademia timed tickets
Free day — Pisa or Florence at leisure
Florence / Pisa
Keep this as your flexible day. Option one: take a regional train from Firenze SMN to Pisa Centrale (about 1h, ~€9 each way) and walk 20 minutes to the Leaning Tower — book tower climb tickets in advance; the Square of Miracles with the Duomo and Baptistery is free to enter at ground level. Option two: stay in Florence for the Boboli Gardens, the Galileo Science Museum or Piazza Michelangelo for rooftop views. Book any timed entry online to avoid queues.
🚌Regional train Florence to Pisa, ~€9 each way; local buses
🛏Central Florence family room/ apartment, ~£80-100 per room
- →Day trip to Pisa and the Leaning Tower (self-booked train)
- →Piazza dei Miracoli / Duomo (ground level free)
- →Alternative: Boboli Gardens and Piazza Michelangelo viewpoints
Train through Tuscany toward Rome
Rome
Book a mid-morning train — either a direct high-speed Frecciarossa/Italo Florence to Rome (about 1h 30m) or a slower route via Siena/Orvieto if you want a scenic stop. Arrive at Roma Termini or Tiburtina and check into a budget family room or apartment in Monti, Trastevere or near Termini. Spend the late afternoon easing into Rome: throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, wander the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, and grab dinner in Trastevere.
🚌Frecciarossa/Italo Florence to Rome, ~€25-50 pp if booked in advance
🛏Family room/ apartment in Monti or Trastevere, ~£75-95 per room
- →High-speed train Florence to Rome (self-booked)
- →Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona wander
- →Dinner and evening stroll in Trastevere
Ancient Rome & Colosseum
Rome
Pre-book a Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill combined ticket online (timed entry essential; a self-guided audio or small-group option works well). Walk the ancient heart in the morning, then head to the Vatican in the afternoon if you have the energy — Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica tickets should be booked in advance; the basilica dome climb is a highlight for families. Alternatively, book a GetYourGuide/Klook kid-friendly ancient-Rome tour instead of going it alone. Round off with gelato near the Pantheon and pizza for dinner.
🚌Rome metro/bus day ticket, ~€7 pp; walking between ancient sites
🛏Rome family room/ apartment in Monti or Trastevere, ~£75-95 per room
- →Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill (pre-booked combined ticket)
- →Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica (pre-booked)
- →Optional small-group or audio-guided ancient Rome tour
- →Trastevere or Testaccio food stop
Departure from Rome
Rome
Enjoy a final Italian breakfast — cornetto and cappuccino — then make your own way to the airport. From Termini, the Leonardo Express runs directly to Fiumicino (about 32 min) or use regional trains/ buses for Ciampino. Book onward transport or flights as needed and head home with masks, gelato memories and new skills in pasta-making.
🚌Leonardo Express Termini to Fiumicino, ~€14 pp; or bus transfer ~€6-7 pp
🛏None — check-out day
- →Last breakfast of cornetto and coffee
- →Self-transfer to Fiumicino/ Ciampino airport
- →Optional farewell souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£680 | £2,700 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,020 per person (75%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£680
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Italy Family Journey: Venice to Rome — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £680 per person for 8 days in Italy. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £680 — a saving of roughly £2,020 (75%) per person.
How long is the Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Italy.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, city-breaks trip through Italy, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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