Rome, Florence & Venice: The Self-Launched Edition
7 days · Italy
Cosmos charges £905
No-markup version: ~£765 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-traveller version of Cosmos's 7-day Rome–Pisa–Florence–Verona–Venice coach tour. Same headline sights, but you book it yourself: stay in hostels and budget guesthouses right in the centre (not out-of-town 4* hotels with nothing around), use Italy's excellent high-speed and regional trains instead of a 50-seat coach, and put the money you save into the things the group tour charges extra for — a skip-the-line Colosseum ticket, the Vatican Museums, a real Venetian gondola ride and an actual climb of the Leaning Tower. Costs are approximate per person and assume shoulder-season travel, booking trains 1–2 months ahead and a mix of dorm and private budget rooms.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rome — Testaccio & Trastevere on foot
Rome
Fly into Fiumicino (FCO) and take the Leonardo Express train to Termini (€14, ~32 min) or the slower FL1 regional to Trastevere/Ostiense (€8). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Monti, Termini or Trastevere — the opposite approach to the Cosmos itinerary, which beds you down in the EUR business district, 8+ km from the centre with nothing around. Drop your bag and walk: Circo Massimo, the Bocca della Verità, then cross into Trastevere for a first look at Santa Maria in Trastevere. Dinner on a Testaccio trattoria plate — cacio e pepe or a supplì and pizza al taglio for under €15. Book your Colosseum and Vatican tickets online tonight if you haven't already; they sell out weeks ahead.
🚌Leonardo Express or FL1 regional train from FCO (~£12)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Monti / Termini / Trastevere (~£30)
- →Circo Massimo and Bocca della Verità walk
- →Trastevere and Santa Maria in Trastevere
- →Testaccio food streets
Ancient Rome properly — inside the Colosseum
Rome
Do what the coach tour only lets you photograph from outside: book a timed Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill combo ticket direct on the Parco Colosseo site (€18 + €2 booking) or a GetYourGuide skip-the-line/hypogeum entry if you want a guide. Start early around 8:30am to beat the heat and the crowds. Afterwards climb the Capitoline Hill for the free view over the Forum, then walk the Pantheon (€5), Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain. Late afternoon: Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel pre-booked online (€20 + €5 booking, closed Sundays) if you can fit it, or save it for the morning of Day 3. Evening: Aventine Keyhole and a cheap aperitivo in Monti.
🚌Metro B to Colosseo (~£1.50 per ride; a 24h ticket is €7)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Rome (~£30)
- →Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill entry (self-booked, ~£18)
- →Pantheon entry (~£4)
- →Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Capitoline viewpoint
Rome to Florence via Pisa — climb the Tower yourself
Florence
Early Frecciarossa or Intercity train Rome Termini → Pisa Centrale (~2h45, from €19.90 if booked ahead). Leave your bag in the station luggage depot (€4–6) and walk 20 minutes to Piazza dei Miracoli. The Cosmos tour does a 'mini-train ride and view' — instead, pre-book a Leaning Tower climb slot on the official Opera della Primaziale site (€20, ~30 min, 4-week release) or just wander the Duomo and Baptistery for free. Lunch on a pisan sandwich near Borgo Stretto. Then regional train Pisa → Florence (~1h, €8.70). Check in near Santa Maria Novella or in Oltrarno, and eat dinner at Mercato Centrale or a trattoria in Santo Spirito — much better value than the tour's out-of-town hotels.
🚌Rome–Pisa Intercity/Frecciarossa (~£22) + Pisa–Florence regional (~£8)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Florence (~£34)
- →Leaning Tower of Pisa climb (~£17)
- →Piazza dei Miracoli and Pisa Duomo
- →Mercato Centrale food hall
Florence on foot — Duomo, David and the Oltrarno
Florence
A walking day with no coach at all. Pre-book the Brunelleschi Pass on the official Duomo site (€30, includes dome climb, Giotto's Campanile, Baptistery and museum — dome slots go early). Alternative: a GetYourGuide small-group Duomo or Uffizi tour if you want context. Then Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and into the Oltrarno for the artisan workshops and Piazza Santo Spirito. Book the Accademia (€16 + booking) only if you specifically want Michelangelo's David — otherwise the Uffizi (€25) is the stronger collection. Evening: a €10 Aperol and a bowl of ribollita in Santo Spirito; sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo is free.
🚌On foot all day; tram/bus only if needed (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Florence (~£34)
- →Duomo Brunelleschi Pass (~£26)
- →Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Oltrarno
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset (free)
Florence to Verona — Roman Arena and Juliet's balcony
Verona
Frecciarossa Florence → Verona Porta Nuova (~1h35, from €19.90). Drop bags at your guesthouse inside the old town (Verona's centro storico is tiny and walkable). Walk to the Arena di Verona — but this time buy a €10 entry ticket and step inside the 1st-century amphitheatre rather than just viewing the walls. Then Piazza delle Erbe, the Lamberti Tower climb (€8) for rooftop views, and Casa di Giulietta's courtyard and balcony (courtyard free; €6 for the balcony). Wine and cicchetti on Via Sottoriva along the Adige. Note: if you're here in June–September, an Arena opera ticket is an unforgettable splurge (~€30–60).
🚌Frecciarossa Florence–Verona (~£22)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Verona centro storico (~£32)
- →Arena di Verona entry (~£9)
- →Torre dei Lamberti climb (~£7)
- →Casa di Giulietta balcony (~£5)
Verona to Venice — canals, gondola and St Mark's
Venice
Regional train Verona Porta Nuova → Venezia Santa Lucia (~1h10, €9–14). Buy a 24h ACTV vaporetto pass (€25) — it covers all the water buses and the trip out to Murano. Luggage: use the Santa Lucia station deposito (€6) or check in early; stay in Cannaregio or Dorsoduro for the best value. Wander to Piazza San Marco, then instead of the tour's 'glassblowing demo' (usually a sales stop), take the vaporetto Line 3/4.1 to Murano and visit the free Museo del Vetro or a working fornace. At sunset, book a shared gondola slot on GetYourGuide or via a squero (€35–40 pp for 30 min, compared to €90 private) — the single biggest upgrade over the group tour. Evening bacari crawl: cicchetti and an ombra of wine for €3–4 each.
🚌Regional train Verona–Venice (~£10) + 24h vaporetto pass (~£21)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Venice (Cannaregio/Dorsoduro) (~£42)
- →Murano glass museum / fornace visit
- →Shared gondola ride (~£32)
- →St Mark's Square, Rialto and bacari crawl
Venice at dawn and home
Venice
Get up early — 7am Venice before the day-trippers is the whole point. Walk the Rialto Market, cross to San Polo and Santa Croce, and have a standing espresso and bàcaro breakfast for €5. If you didn't get into St Mark's Basilica yesterday, the free-entry queue is shortest right at opening (Pala d'Oro is €5). Optional: Doge's Palace (€30) or the 1h vaporetto loop of the Grand Canal on a still-valid pass. Then it's a direct walk/traghetto back to Santa Lucia for your flight or onward train; from Venice Mestre there's also a direct bus to Marco Polo (ATVO, €10, 20 min).
🚌Traghetto or vaporetto to Santa Lucia (~£2) + ATVO bus to Marco Polo (~£9)
🛏—
- →Rialto Market at dawn
- →St Mark's Basilica (free entry, ~£0–5)
- →Grand Canal vaporetto loop
Self-launched vs. Cosmos
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£765 | £905 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £140 per person (15%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cosmos-style trips? Check them out here.~£765
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Rome, Florence & Venice: The Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £765 per person for 7 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 Cosmos?+
Yes — Cosmos charges around £905 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £765 — a saving of roughly £140 (15%) per person.
How long is the Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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, city-breaks, foodie 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.