Self-Launched Best of Italy: Rome, Florence & Venice
8 days · Italy
Carrani Tours charges £1,250
No-markup version: ~£787 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of Carrani Tours' 8-day "Best of Italy" coach tour — Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Montepulciano and the Vatican — rebuilt around high-speed trains, regional buses and self-booked skip-the-line tickets. You cover the same headline sights (Colosseum-adjacent Rome hop-on-hop-off, Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Florence's Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, Bologna's Piazza Maggiore, Venice's San Marco, a Montepulciano wine tasting, and the Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel) at your own pace, staying in well-located hostels and budget guesthouses instead of 4* coach hotels. Costs are realistic backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and will vary by season, how far ahead you book, and whether you take a dorm bed or a private room.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rome & get your bearings on the open-top bus
Rome
Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express train straight into Termini (~€14 / £12, 32 mins) — far cheaper than the tour's included airport transfer, which you're replacing. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near Termini or Monti, then pick up a 24-hour open-top hop-on-hop-off bus ticket (book via GetYourGuide, ~£22) to loop the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia and the Vatican walls and orient yourself. Finish with an evening wander through Monti for aperitivo and a plate of cacio e pepe (~£15). Book Colosseum and Vatican tickets online tonight for the days ahead — both sell out.
🚌Leonardo Express Fiumicino to Termini ~£12; hop-on-hop-off bus ticket ~£22
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Termini/Monti (dorm ~£25-30, private room ~£55-70)
- →Leonardo Express airport transfer
- →Hop-on-hop-off bus 24h ticket (GetYourGuide)
- →Evening walk in Monti
Rome to Assisi to Siena to Florence by train
Florence
This is the tour's big coach-transfer day, but you can do it on the rails. Take an early regional train Rome Termini to Assisi via Foligno (~2.5h, ~£15), then walk 20 minutes uphill to the Basilica of St. Francis — free entry, and the Giotto frescoes are the highlight the tour pays for. Grab a quick porchetta panino in Assisi (~£7). Then continue by regional train to Siena (~2h, ~£12), walk from the station up to Piazza del Campo for a coffee and a look at the shell-shaped square, and finish with a regional/bus hop to Florence (~1.5h, ~£10). Alternatively, if that's too much for one day, skip Siena and go Assisi → Florence direct, then visit Siena as a half-day from Florence tomorrow. Check into a hostel in Santa Maria Novella or San Lorenzo.
🚌Regional trains Rome-Assisi-Florence ~£37 total
🛏Hostel in Florence (Santa Maria Novella / San Lorenzo, dorm ~£30-35)
- →Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi (free)
- →Piazza del Campo and Siena old town
- →Evening in Florence
Florence: Duomo, Signoria, Santa Croce & Tuscan lunch
Florence
Self-launch the guided Florence day with a bookable small-group walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£30) covering the Duomo exterior, Giotto's Campanile, the Baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Basilica di Santa Croce. If you'd rather do it alone: the Duomo exterior and Baptistery doors are free to admire, the Duomo dome climb is ~£25 (book the Ghiberti Pass), Santa Croce entry ~£9, and a self-guided audio walk app costs ~£6. For the Tuscan lunch, book a Mercato Centrale food tour (~£45) or DIY it with lampredotto and a glass of Chianti at the market (~£12). In the afternoon, take the regional train to Pisa (~1h, ~£9 each way) to see the Leaning Tower — the tour's optional add-on — and be back for a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo (free).
🚌Optional Pisa return train ~£18
🛏Hostel in Florence (dorm ~£30-35)
- →Florence walking tour (GetYourGuide)
- →Duomo dome climb or Ghiberti Pass
- →Basilica di Santa Croce
- →Mercato Centrale food stop
- →Optional Pisa day trip
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset
Florence to Bologna to Venice
Venice
Take a morning Frecciarossa/Italo high-speed train Florence to Bologna (~35 mins, ~£15), leave your bag at the station lockers (~£5). Do a free/self-guided loop of the tour's Bologna sights: Piazza Malpighi, Piazza del Nettuno, Piazza Maggiore and the unfinished facade of Basilica di San Petronio — all outdoor and free. Lunch is the classic Bologna street-food crawl: a tagliere of mortadella and squacquerone in a piadina (~£10), or a proper ragù at a trattoria (~£15). Mid-afternoon, take the high-speed train Bologna to Venezia Santa Lucia (~1h20, ~£18). Stay in Mestre (cheaper, 10 mins by train/bus to the lagoon, ~£3 per trip) or a hostel on Giudecca. Evening: walk the Zattere and grab a spritz (~£5).
🚌High-speed trains Florence-Bologna-Venice ~£33
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Mestre or Giudecca (dorm ~£28-35)
- →Bologna piazza walk (Malpighi, Nettuno, Maggiore)
- →Basilica di San Petronio
- →Bologna street food lunch
- →Evening vaporetto/waterfront stroll
Venice: San Marco, Doge's Palace & cicchetti
Venice
Take the train or bus from Mestre into Santa Lucia (~£3), then walk or take a vaporetto (single ~£9, or a 24h pass ~£22) to Piazza San Marco. Book the Doge's Palace + St Mark's Basilica skip-the-line combo online (GetYourGuide, ~£40) — that replicates the tour's guided walking tour and Bridge of Sighs visit without the guide's ear-piece. Cross the Bridge of Sighs and take your time in the palace. Lunch is the self-launched version of the tour's spritz-and-cicchetti: pick 3-4 cicchetti and an ombra of wine at a bacaro in Cannaregio or Rialto (~£12). Spend the afternoon getting lost in Cannaregio and Dorsoduro, and if you want the classic gondola moment, share a 30-minute traghetto crossing for £2 instead of a £90 private gondola — or split a gondola between four travellers (~£20 each).
🚌Vaporetto 24h pass ~£22
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Mestre or Giudecca (dorm ~£28-35)
- →Doge's Palace + St Mark's Basilica skip-the-line combo
- →Bridge of Sighs
- →Cicchetti and spritz bacaro crawl
- →Cannaregio and Dorsoduro wander
- →Optional shared gondola
Venice to Montepulciano wine tasting to Rome
Rome
This is the tour's longest transfer day, and you can do it on trains with a wine stop in the middle. Leave Venice early: Frecciarossa Venice to Florence (~2h, ~£25), then regional train Florence to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme (~1.5h, ~£10), from where a local bus or short taxi (~£5) climbs to Montepulciano. Book a small winery tasting in the historic centre or at a cantina on the edge of town (GetYourGuide or direct, ~£25-30 for 3-4 wines plus crostini). Lunch on pici with ragù di Chianina (~£15). Afterwards, backtrack to Chiusi and take the regional/slow train to Rome Termini (~2h, ~£13). Check back into your Rome hostel or guesthouse for the last two nights.
🚌Trains Venice-Florence-Chiusi-Rome plus local bus ~£53
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Termini/Monti (dorm ~£25-30, private room ~£55-70)
- →Montepulciano historic centre walk
- →Winery wine tasting
- →Pici and Chianina lunch
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Square
Rome
Book the Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel timed skip-the-line ticket direct from the Vatican website (~£22) or a GetYourGuide small-group tour if you want commentary (~£45). Go for the first entry slot — it's noticeably quieter before 10am. Allow 3 hours through the galleries to the Sistine Chapel, then walk out into St Peter's Square (free) and, if the queue is short, into St Peter's Basilica itself (free entry, security queue only) — the tour charges this as an optional extra. Afternoon: the tour leaves you in Rome, so use it for the Colosseum (skip-the-line ~£20 including Roman Forum and Palatine Hill) or a free walk through Trastevere. Evening: cheap pizza al taglio and a gelato in Testaccio.
🚌Metro/bus day ticket ~£6
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Termini/Monti (dorm ~£25-30, private room ~£55-70)
- →Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel timed entry
- →St Peter's Basilica and Square
- →Optional Colosseum + Roman Forum skip-the-line
- →Trastevere evening walk
Last morning in Rome & departure
Rome
Breakfast at a neighbourhood bar (cornetto and cappuccino standing at the counter, ~£3), then squeeze in one last sight — the Pantheon (entry ~£5), Trevi Fountain (free, go early), or a wander through Piazza Navona — before taking the Leonardo Express back to Fiumicino (~£12) for your flight. If you're flying out later in the day, drop your bag at Termini's left luggage (~£5) rather than lugging it around.
🚌Leonardo Express Termini to Fiumicino ~£12
🛏None (departure day)
- →Pantheon or Trevi Fountain
- →Piazza Navona wander
Self-launched vs. Carrani Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Carrani Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£787 | £1,250 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £463 per person (37%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Carrani Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£787
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 Self-Launched Best of Italy: Rome, Florence & Venice cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £787 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 Carrani Tours?+
Yes — Carrani Tours charges around £1,250 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £787 — a saving of roughly £463 (37%) 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, 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?
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