Best of Northern Italy: Florence to Venice — Self-Launched
8 days · Northern Italy (Florence, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Venice)
G Adventures charges £1,215
No-markup version: ~£670 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day run from Florence to Venice hitting the same highlights as the G Adventures group tour — Pisa's Field of Miracles, the Monterosso–Vernazza coastal hike in Cinque Terre National Park, the Brunate funicular above Lake Como, the mid-lake ferry to Bellagio and Menaggio, and a final wander through Venice's calli. You book your own hostel/guesthouse beds and train tickets, join small-group or self-guided walking tours via GetYourGuide/Klook, and travel by regional trains and ferries instead of a private coach. Costs are realistic backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and will vary by season — book Italian trains 2-4 months ahead on Trenitalia/Italo for the cheapest fares.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Florence — Duomo, Oltrarno and a food crawl
Florence
Land or arrive by train into Firenze Santa Maria Novella — the historic centre is a 10-minute walk or one tram ride away. Drop bags at your guesthouse near San Lorenzo or Santa Croce. Spend the afternoon on foot: Piazza del Duomo (Brunelleschi's dome exterior is free), Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno lanes. Book a small-group Florence street-food tour on GetYourGuide (~£35-45) if you want the foodie intro the group tour offers as an optional. Evening: aperitivo in Santo Spirito square.
🚌Tram T2 from Florence airport (~£1.50) or walk from SMN station
🛏Hostel dorm or family-run guesthouse near Santa Maria Novella (~£30/night, book on Hostelworld/Booking.com)
- →Self-guided Duomo & Signoria walk
- →Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno wander
- →Optional GetYourGuide Florence street-food tour (~£40)
- →Santo Spirito aperitivo
Florence → Pisa → Cinque Terre
Pisa / Levanto
Take a regional train from Firenze SMN to Pisa Centrale (~1 hr, £8-9 booked in advance), leave your bag at the station luggage office (~£4) and walk 20 minutes to the Field of Miracles. The Leaning Tower climb is optional and pre-bookable online (~£18-20, timed slots sell out in summer). Continue by regional train Pisa → Levanto or Monterosso (~1 hr 15, £7-9). Base yourself in Levanto or Monterosso for two nights.
🚌Regional trains Florence–Pisa (~£8.50) and Pisa–Levanto/Monterosso (~£8)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Levanto/Monterosso (~£28-35/night; Cinque Terre beds are pricey and scarce in summer, book early)
- →Field of Miracles & Duomo di Pisa (free)
- →Optional Leaning Tower climb (~£19)
- →Evening swim at Levanto beach
Cinque Terre coastal hike: Monterosso → Vernazza → Riomaggiore
Cinque Terre National Park
Buy the Cinque Terre Card at the station (~£6.50 for the hiking-only card, ~£13 with unlimited train travel between the five villages) — exactly the national park pass and train ticket the group tour includes. Walk the classic Monterosso–Vernazza leg (Sentiero Azzurro, ~2 hrs, moderately steep with stairs) then continue to Corniglia by train, and finish in Riomaggiore for a swim and harbour sunset. Pack water and lunch — village food is expensive. Check park trail closures at the info point before setting off; some sections close after landslides.
🚌Cinque Terre Express trains between villages (covered by the Cinque Terre Card)
🛏Same Levanto/Monterosso guesthouse (~£30/night)
- →Monterosso–Vernazza hike (Sentiero Azzurro)
- →Vernazza and Corniglia village stops
- →Riomaggiore harbour sunset swim
Cinque Terre → Lake Como via Milan
Como
Train day: Levanto/Monterosso → Milan Centrale (Intercity, ~2.5 hrs, £15-22 booked ahead) then Milan → Como San Giovanni (~40 min, £5). Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse 10 minutes from the lakefront. In the late afternoon ride the Como–Brunate funicular (~£3 each way, or ~£5.50 return) for the Alpine panorama the tour includes — go up an hour before sunset. Evening passeggiata along the lakefront.
🚌Intercity train Levanto–Milan (~£18) + regional Milan–Como (~£5) + funicular (~£5.50 return)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse near Como city centre (~£40/night double shared, ~£35 pp)
- →Como lakefront passeggiata
- →Brunate funicular for Alpine views
- →Como Cathedral (free)
Lake Como ferry day: Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna
Lake Como
Buy a mid-lake ferry day pass from Navigazione Lago di Como (~£13-16) and hop between Como, Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna — the same ferry excursion included in the group tour, just self-directed. Bellagio's Salita Serbelloni and Punta Spartivento are free; Menaggio has a cheap lakeside lunch spot; Varenna's Villa Monastero gardens cost ~£8-10 if you want them. Boats run roughly hourly — check the timetable at the pier the night before.
🚌Mid-lake ferry day pass (~£15)
🛏Same Como guesthouse (~£35 pp/night)
- →Ferry hop Como–Bellagio–Menaggio–Varenna
- →Punta Spartivento viewpoint
- →Optional Villa Monastero gardens (~£9)
- →Lakeside lunch in Menaggio
Lake Como → Venice, evening walking tour
Venice
Train Como → Milan (~40 min) then Milan → Venezia Santa Lucia (Frecciarossa, ~2 hrs 45, £20-35 booked well ahead). Venice accommodation is the priciest part of this trip — book a Mestre hostel or Castello guesthouse early. In the early evening join a small-group Venice walking tour on GetYourGuide/Klook (~£22-30) covering Piazza San Marco, St Mark's Basilica exterior and the Rialto backstreets, mirroring the included guided walk. Grab cicchetti for dinner in Cannaregio (~£10-14).
🚌Regional Como–Milan (~£5) + Frecciarossa Milan–Venice (~£28)
🛏Hostel dorm in Mestre (~£25 pp) or Castello guesthouse (~£35 pp)
- →Small-group Venice walking tour (~£25)
- →Piazza San Marco & Rialto at dusk
- →Cicchetti crawl in Cannaregio
Venice islands and Rialto
Venice
Buy a 24-hr ACTV vaporetto pass (~£18) and ride Line 12 to Murano (glass furnaces, free demo visits) then Burano (lace houses, the rainbow facades). Back in the city, wander the Bridge of Sighs, cross the Rialto, and pick one paid sight: Doge's Palace (~£15-17, book a timed slot online) or the Campanile lift (~£8). A shared gondola ride from a station stand runs ~£70-80 per boat (max 5 people) — split it with hostelmates rather than booking privately.
🚌ACTV 24-hr vaporetto pass (~£18)
🛏Same Venice/Mestre base (~£25-35 pp/night)
- →Vaporetto to Murano & Burano
- →Doge's Palace or Campanile (optional, ~£16)
- →Shared gondola ride (~£15 pp if split)
- →Rialto and Bridge of Sighs walk
Departure from Venice
Venice
Last morning for a free wander through Dorsoduro or the Salute church, espresso at a standing bar, and a final market pass at Rialto. Vaporetto or bus to Venezia Mestre for trains onward, or bus 5/15 to Marco Polo airport (~£9, 20-25 min). If you're flying out late, leave bags at the Santa Lucia station deposit (~£5).
🚌ACTV bus to Marco Polo airport (~£9)
🛏—
- →Dorsoduro morning walk
- →Rialto market
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£670 | £1,215 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £545 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£670
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 Best of Northern Italy: Florence to Venice — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £670 per person for 8 days in Northern Italy (Florence, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Venice). 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 £1,215 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £670 — a saving of roughly £545 (45%) per person.
How long is the Northern Italy (Florence, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Venice) trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Northern Italy (Florence, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Venice).
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, hiking, foodie trip through Northern Italy (Florence, Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Venice), 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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