If you have a day to spare during your time in Rome, a Rome to Florence (Firenze) day trip is a great addition to your itinerary. Here are our recommendations for a Rome to Florence day trip itinerary.
Purchase Your Train and Museum Tickets in Advance!!!
The Accamedia Gallery (La galleria dell’accademia di Firenze) and the Uffzi Gallery (Le Gallery deluge Uffizi) should not be missed. You can take the train from Termini Station in Rome to the city center of Florence in about an hour and a half.
Book your tickets online at TrenItalia. Be sure to select Roma Termini as your departure station and Firenze S. M. Novella as your arrival station. Italian trains are fast, punctual, and comfortable.
For the museums, you will need timed entry tickets. You can book them for the Academia Museum here and the Uffizi gallery here. I would recommend a minimum of two hours for each museum, although you can easily spend much longer. You will receive a confirmation email once your purchase is complete.
You need to bring the confirmation email and your ID with you to pick up your printed tickets in person at one of the museum’s ticket windows. There may be a long line for ticket pickup, but don’t worry. Entries to the museum are limited so it won’t be too crowded during your time slot.
When you arrive in Florence it is just a short walk (less than a half mile) to the city center and the famous duomo.
There is a large piazza right at the Duomo and it’s a great place to hang out while you wait for your museum entry time. We have done this itinerary a few times and we usually start with the Ufizzi Museum. The collection here is amazing – don’t miss Prima Vera and the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.
Explore the museum and then grab lunch. There are many great restaurants around, be sure to try Ribollita! It is one of Firenze’s famous dishes and is a delicious soup made with vegetables, cannellini beans, and stale bread chunks.
If you have extra time, stroll along the Arno River and check out Ponte Vecchio, the bridge that spans the river.
Ponte Vecchio is the only Florence bridge that wasn’t destroyed during World War II. It is unique as it is home to shops all along on both sides. What used to be butcher and tanner shops are now jewelry stores and art dealers.
Next, head to the Accademia Museum and behold the greatest sculpture of all time. Pictures truly do not do David justice. You have to see this for yourself. The must-see destination in Florence. Buy your tickets early.
It truly will take your breath away! Finish off your Florence experience with dinner and gelato before returning by train to Rome.
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Have a great adventure!
The Passporter