Rome or Florence: which city to choose (or combine)?

Rome or Florence? Almost everyone planning a first trip to Italy asks this. The two cities are close, linked by a high-speed train in a little over an hour and a half, yet very different: Rome is a huge capital that stacks twenty-eight centuries of history, Florence is a compact city built around Renaissance art. This guide helps you choose according to your length of stay, your interests and your pace, and explains how to combine the two without losing too much time.

In a nutshell

Florence seen from Piazzale Michelangelo

Rome: antiquity (the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon), the Vatican, the Baroque, a lively, sprawling city where you take the metro or the bus.
Florence: the Renaissance, its museums (Uffizi Gallery, Accademia), the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, a city you can cross on foot in half an hour.

Compare by what you want

You want…	Rome	Florence
Ruins and antiquity	Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, Appian Way	Few: the city is medieval and Renaissance
The Vatican and sacred art	Vatican Museums, St Peter's	Churches and convents, but no Vatican
Renaissance painting and sculpture	Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Raphael	Uffizi, Michelangelo's David, Botticelli
A city easy to cover on foot	Pedestrian centre, but long distances	Very compact
Varied day trips	Tivoli, Ostia, Pompeii, Roman castles	Tuscany (Siena, Pisa, Chianti)
A capital-city feel, lively at night	Yes: Trastevere, Monti	Calmer, more crowded early in the evening

How long to allow

Rome alone: three days cover the essentials (see our guide to Rome in 3 days); four or five leave time for the Vatican, a neighbourhood and a day trip.
Florence alone: two days fill the classic programme; three leave room for a Tuscany excursion.
Both: five to seven days is a comfortable minimum. With fewer than four days, choose one city rather than spend half a day on trains.

Which is the better choice for a first trip?

For a first stay of three or four days, Rome is the most complete choice: the sights people dream of (Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain) are all there, and the city lends itself to day trips. Florence suits you better if you have a short weekend, if you prefer Renaissance art to ruins, or if you dislike big noisy cities. If it is your second visit to Italy, most travellers pick the city they have not yet seen.

Combining them

A station in Florence

The high-speed train (Trenitalia Frecciarossa or Italo) links Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella in about 1 h 30 to 1 h 40, several times an hour. Fares are dynamic: tickets bought early are the cheapest (some start around 15 to 20 euros), same-day tickets cost much more. Both stations are in the centre: no complicated transfers.

For a mixed trip, sleep in Rome for the first part, then in Florence, and return to Rome for your flight if it leaves from Fiumicino. A day trip to Florence from Rome is possible but tiring: our guide to Florence from Rome explains how to plan it, and the one on day trips from Rome suggests destinations that are less far.

Budget and season

Both cities are more expensive and more crowded from April to October. Tickets for the best-known sites should be booked in advance, in Rome as in Florence: see tickets to book in Rome. To choose the month, read the best time to visit Rome; summer is hot in both cities.

Our view

If you can only see one: Rome, with at least four days. If you have a week or more: both, with a base in Rome and a return trip or a stopover in Florence.