Self-Launched Rome & Florence City Stay
6 days · Rome & Florence, Italy
Globus charges £1,020
No-markup version: ~£425 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 6-day self-launched version of Globus's "Independent Rome & Florence City Stay" — three nights in Rome, then a high-speed train to Florence for three more. You'll hit the same headline sights (Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi and Accademia) using self-booked walking tours, skip-the-line museum tickets and either a Rome walking tour or an e-bike loop. Accommodation is swapped for well-located hostels or budget guesthouses, and the group coach becomes Trenitalia/Frecciarossa tickets. Expect roughly £700-800 per person including food and sightseeing, versus the operator's advertised US$1,299 (~£1,020) plus optional extras. All figures are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Rome — Trastevere evening orientation
Rome
Land, get the airport train, and check in. From Fiumicino take the Leonardo Express to Termini (~€14 / £12, 32 mins) or the cheaper FL1 regional to Trastevere (~€8 / £7, 27 mins) if your hostel is on that side. Buy a 72-hour Roma Pass or just tap in with contactless on buses and metro (€1.50 per 100-minute ride, capped ~€7/day). Drop your bags, then do a free evening wander: Piazza Navona, the Pantheon's exterior (free after 6:30pm-ish on some days, otherwise book a €5 slot online), and the Trevi Fountain after dark when the crowds thin. Grab a cheap dinner in Trastevere — a slice of pizza al taglio or a plate of cacio e pepe (~£10-12) — and a gelato at a proper gelateria (not one with a photo menu).
🚌Leonardo Express or FL1 regional from Fiumicino; walk or local bus in the centre
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Termini/Trastevere (~£25-30/night)
- →Evening walk: Piazza Navona, Pantheon exterior, Trevi Fountain
- →Trastevere dinner and gelato
Rome at street level — free walking tour + pizza & gelato class
Rome
Morning free walking tour of the historic centre (book a slot on GetYourGuide or GuruWalk — pay what you think it's worth, ~£10-15 tip). Routes typically cover the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Piazza di Spagna/Spanish Steps area — essentially the operator's included walking tour, minus the group. Afternoon: book a pizza-and-gelato cooking class (~£45-55 on GetYourGuide/Klook, roughly 3 hours, includes the meal — this doubles as lunch). Evening free: stroll to St. Peter's Square after dark (free) or add a €5 timed entry to St. Mary Major Basilica if you want the interior.
🚌Walking; occasional bus tap-in (~£2)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Rome
- →Free walking tour of central Rome (tip-based)
- →Pizza & gelato cooking class
- →St. Peter's Square at night (free)
Ancient Rome by e-bike and the Spanish Steps
Rome
Book a half-day e-bike tour covering the Colosseum exterior, Circus Maximus, the Forum viewpoints and the Appian Way/Ancient Appia (~£50-60 on GetYourGuide). Alternatively, do it yourself: a Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine combined ticket is €18 booked directly on coopculture.it — book well ahead, it sells out. Afternoon is free: walk the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, then climb the Pincio terrace for a free sunset view. Cheap dinner near Campo de' Fiori — a supplì, a trapizzino and a beer for under £12.
🚌Walking + metro A line for the Spanish Steps (~£2)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Rome
- →Half-day e-bike tour of ancient sites (or Colosseum/Forum combo ticket DIY)
- →Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo and Pincio sunset
- →Campo de' Fiori street-food dinner
High-speed train to Florence + Duomo-side walking tour
Florence
Book a Frecciarossa or Frecciargento from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella on trenitalia.com (or Italo) — ~1h 35m, roughly €25-45/£22-40 if booked a few weeks ahead in the Super Economy fare. Check into your Florence hostel (Santa Croce or San Lorenzo area, ~£28-35/night). Afternoon: join a pay-what-you-want walking tour of Florence (~£10-15 tip) covering Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce and Ponte Vecchio — the same route as the operator's included local guide. Evening: for the Florentine steak experience without the tour-arranged mark-up, split a bistecca alla fiorentina at a trattoria in the Santa Croce area (a shared portion plus wine lands around £25-30 each).
🚌Frecciarossa high-speed train Rome → Florence (~£22-40)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse near Santa Croce/San Lorenzo, Florence (~£28-35/night)
- →High-speed train transfer
- →Tip-based walking tour: Duomo, Signoria, Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio
- →Bistecca alla fiorentina dinner (shared)
Uffizi and Accademia — Florence's art heavyweights
Florence
Pre-book both museums directly: Uffizi on uffizi.it (~€25 + booking fee, roughly £24) and the Accademia for Michelangelo's David (~€16 + fee, roughly £16), or bundle both via GetYourGuide with a skip-the-line host. Go at opening time — 8:15am for the Uffizi — to dodge the worst crowds. Lunch at Mercato Centrale (~£8-10). Afternoon options: climb the Duomo dome (€30 combined Brunelleschi Pass, book ahead) or take the cheap SITA bus from Firenze's Autostazione to San Gimignano (~€8-10 each way, 1h15) if you'd rather trade the city for a hilltown — DIY gets you the same medieval towers and a glass of Vernaccia for far less than the operator's vineyard excursion. Budget for the San Gimignano bus if you go; otherwise keep the afternoon free. Evening in Oltrarno for aperitivo (~£10).
🚌Walking in Florence; optional SITA bus to San Gimignano (~£16-18 return)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Florence
- →Uffizi Gallery (pre-booked, self-guided)
- →Accademia / Michelangelo's David
- →Optional Duomo dome climb or San Gimignano day trip by bus
Oltrarno, Santo Spirito and departure
Florence
Last morning: wander Oltrarno and Piazza Santo Spirito, catch the view from Piazzale Michelangelo (free, 25-min walk), and pick up a cheap panini and espresso before heading out. If you're flying from Florence, the T2 tram from Santa Maria Novella to Amerigo Vespucci airport is €1.70/£1.50. Leaving from Pisa? The PisaMover plus regional train from Firenze S.M.N. comes in around £10-12. Book airport transfers and onward trains before you arrive to keep the last day stress-free.
🚌T2 tram to Florence airport (~£1.50) or regional train to Pisa (~£10-12)
🛏Check out (no overnight)
- →Oltrarno and Piazza Santo Spirito wander
- →Piazzale Michelangelo viewpoint
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£425 | £1,020 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £595 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£425
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 Rome & Florence City Stay cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £425 per person for 6 days in Rome & Florence, 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 Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £1,020 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £425 — a saving of roughly £595 (58%) per person.
How long is the Rome & Florence, Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Rome & Florence, 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 Rome & Florence, 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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