Seven days covers Rome and Florence on Frecciarossa. Fourteen days is the comfortable minimum for the capital, the Renaissance, Venice, and a coast without treating stations as the holiday.
7 days: Rome and Florence
Four nights in Rome (Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi, Trastevere). Three nights in Florence — Duomo, Uffizi, and either David or Piazzale Michelangelo. The train takes about 1.5 hours. Book galleries and Trenitalia 2–4 weeks ahead. This pair skips Venice and the coast.
10 days: classic circuit
The route most first-timers from India actually take: Rome (3 nights) → Florence (2 nights) → Venice (2 nights) → Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre (3 nights). High-speed trains for the cities; Naples transfer for Amalfi. Book Colosseum, Vatican, Uffizi, Accademia, and St Mark’s as you would the international ticket. Indians need a Schengen visa 4–6 weeks ahead.
14 days: grand tour
Keep the 10-day core, then add Pompeii from Naples, two nights in Bologna between Florence and Venice, or extra Tuscany from Florence. Do not mix Amalfi and Cinque Terre in the same extra weekend — pick one coast. A car is not useful in Rome or Venice; it can help in Chianti if the trip turns rural.
Insider tip: Rome–Florence 1.5 hours, Florence–Venice about 2 hours, Rome–Naples about 1 hour on Frecciarossa or Italo. Booking 2–4 weeks ahead is the difference between a sensible fare and a walk-up surprise. Validate regional tickets in the yellow machines.
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