Day trip from Rome Florence
The Renaissance capital of Tuscany, 260 km north of Rome and about 1 hour 35 minutes away by direct high-speed train.
Is Florence worth a day trip from Rome?
Go. Book the Uffizi first.
Yes. Florence is the easiest long day trip from Rome: direct trains leave Termini two or three times an hour, take 1 h 35 to 1 h 45 and stop a short walk from the Duomo. With a 07:30 departure you get nine hours in a centre you can cross on foot. The catch is that one day covers the Uffizi or the Duomo climb comfortably, not both plus the Accademia. The Uffizi is closed on Mondays and costs € 25, or € 29 when booked ahead, which you should do. Fares are dynamic, so buy train tickets early.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 1 h 35Most trains take 1 h 41 · one way · Trenitalia journey planner
- Transport
- High-speed train
- Self-guided cost
- € 72.80–114.80Frecciarossa return (€ 23.90-44.90 each way) + Uffizi ticket € 25 · Uffizi Galleries
- Tour price
- From € 174.60Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 6–9 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Monday (Uffizi)
- Best time
- Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct; not on a MondayDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth a full dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Florence
- 01
The Duomo and its dome
The cathedral is free to enter, with a queue. Climbing Brunelleschi's dome means 463 steps and a timed ticket booked days ahead. Allow 1 hour for the climb.
- 02
Uffizi Gallery
Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Leonardo and Caravaggio in one long building beside the Arno. Plan 2.5 hours and go straight to the second floor, where the visit begins.
- 03
Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno
The bridge lined with goldsmiths' shops leads to the quieter south bank: workshops, Santo Spirito square and Palazzo Pitti. A good 90-minute walk after lunch.
- 04
Piazzale Michelangelo
A terrace above the river with the whole city below. It is a 25-minute uphill walk from Ponte Vecchio, or a short bus ride, and it costs nothing.
- 05
Accademia Gallery
Home of Michelangelo's David. The visit takes under an hour, but it needs its own timed ticket and it is also closed on Mondays.
How to spend the day
Take the 07:30 Frecciarossa from Roma Termini and arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella at 09:11. Walk to the Duomo, then the Uffizi with a slot booked for around 10:30, and allow 2.5 hours inside. Lunch near Sant'Ambrogio, then Ponte Vecchio and the Oltrarno in the afternoon. Head back on the 18:59, in Rome at 20:35. The last sensible return is the 20:48, arriving at 22:25.
Florence in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustFlorence sits in a basin and is often hotter than Rome, with highs above 32°C in July and August. Do the outdoor walking before 11:00, spend midday in a museum and go up to Piazzale Michelangelo towards evening. Timed tickets for the Uffizi and the dome sell out days ahead, so book before the train.
Winter
December to FebruaryDecember to February is the calm season. Museums keep their normal hours, the queues at the Duomo shrink and the Uffizi rooms have space. It gets dark by 17:00 and can be damp and cold, around 10°C by day. Because nearly everything you came for is indoors, this trip works well in winter.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Apr-Oct and weekends, 10:00-16:00 around the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio
- Quietest
- Mid-Jan to Feb; any day before 9:30 or after 17:00
The crush is in the triangle between the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio. Book the first Uffizi slot you can reach, then cross to the Oltrarno for the afternoon.
How do you get to Florence from Rome?
High-speed train
- Travel time
- 1 h 35-1 h 45 min
- Frequency
- 2-3 trains an hour
- Cost
- € 23.90-44.90 each way
- Departs from
- Roma Termini
Direct Frecciarossa from Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the central station. Italo runs the same route from Termini and Tiburtina and advertises fares from € 14.90. Avoid the regional trains, which take 3 h 40 or more for about the same price as an advance high-speed ticket.
Organized tour by train
- Travel time
- 13.5 hours door to door
- Cost
- From € 175
- Departs from
- Via Marsala 46, beside Termini
Meets at 7:00 on Via Marsala. Includes the high-speed train, an assistant and Uffizi entry, with no guide inside. It costs € 60 to € 100 more than booking the same train and ticket yourself, so it mostly buys you the Uffizi slot and someone to follow.
Coach tour with Pisa
- Travel time
- 14 hours door to door
- Cost
- From € 80
- Departs from
- Roma Tiburtina station
Coach from Tiburtina, about 4 hours to Pisa, then Florence, with free time and no entries or guide included. Cheap, but the coach takes about 4 hours each way and you see Florence in an afternoon. Take the train unless Pisa matters to you.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Comfortable flat shoes for stone streets and museum floors. Cover shoulders and knees for the Duomo, where staff turn people away. Bring a layer in winter and a hat and water bottle in summer.
What to eat
Try a lampredotto roll from a street cart or a schiacciata sandwich. The Sant'Ambrogio market area has plain lunch counters used by locals, mornings only and not on Sundays. Sit-down classics are ribollita soup and bistecca, which is sold by weight and gets expensive.
What you will spend
The train is the main cost at € 23.90-44.90 each way, and Italo advertises fares from € 14.90. The Uffizi is € 25, or € 29 booked ahead. The cathedral interior, Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Michelangelo are free. The dome climb and Accademia are paid extras.
How to get the most out of the day
- The Uffizi is free on the first Sunday of the month, with no advance booking and a long queue. On a day trip, pay instead.
- Santa Maria Novella has left-luggage lockers near platform 16. Drop a bag there, because the Uffizi cloakroom makes you check backpacks.
- Refill bottles at the free drinking fountains, including one with still and sparkling water in Piazza della Signoria.
- Walk everywhere. The centre is a restricted traffic zone, and the Duomo, Uffizi and station are all within 15 minutes of each other.
How long do you need in Florence?
Plan 6–9 h on site, plus 1 h 35 of travel each way from Rome.
When is Florence closed?
Monday (Uffizi). Best time: Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct; not on a Monday.