Home › Compare › Florence or Rome
Florence or Rome? An honest comparison
The short answer
Pick Rome for a first trip to Italy: ancient Rome, the Vatican, better food overall and more to fill a week, and it is cheaper on our mid-range numbers. Pick Florence if Renaissance art is your passion or you want a smaller, walkable city with Tuscany on the doorstep. With a week, do both: they are only about 1 h 35 apart by fast train.
Florence: suits couples, honeymooners and art lovers who want a compact Renaissance city and countryside day trips.
Rome: suits first-timers, families and older travellers who want ancient sites, the Vatican and a big, lively capital with great food.
Side by side
| Florence | Rome | |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-range day* | €194 | €172 |
| Budget day* | €107 | €88 |
| Value for money | ●●●●●Mid-range about €194 per day | ●●●●●Mid-range about €172 per day, cheaper than Florence |
| Crowds (5 = calm) | ●●●●●Tourists concentrated in a very small centre | ●●●●●Colosseum, Trevi and the Vatican are packed most of the year |
| Food | ●●●●●Great steak, lampredotto and markets; pricier near sights | ●●●●●Carbonara, cacio e pepe, supplì and excellent neighbourhood trattorias |
| Nightlife | ●●●●●Wine bars and Santo Spirito; generally quiet | ●●●●●Trastevere, Monti and Pigneto stay busy late |
| Family-friendly | ●●●●●Art-heavy; Boboli Gardens and climbs give some variety | ●●●●●Gladiators, catacombs and gelato keep children interested |
| Getting around | ●●●●●Small centre, nearly everything on foot | ●●●●●Large city, limited metro, crowded buses; lots of walking |
| Best months | Sep, Oct | Sep, Oct |
| Warmest / coolest | Jul 33°C / Jan 10°C | Jul 34°C / Jan 12°C |
| Known for | Michelangelo's David, Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, pici pasta in Oltrarno | Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica, perfect pasta |
* Per person per day with two sharing a room: bed, food, sights and local transport, from our Florence and Rome day-cost tables (approximate 2026 prices; other currencies converted at recent rates). Ratings are our editorial judgement.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Florence if…
- you want Michelangelo's David, the Uffizi and Renaissance churches
- you prefer a smaller city you can cross on foot in 30 minutes
- you want day trips to Siena, Pisa, Lucca or Chianti
- you have three or four days rather than a week
Pick Rome if…
- It is your first trip to Italy
- you want the Colosseum, Forum and Vatican Museums
- Pasta and trattoria food are a priority
- you want more nightlife and neighbourhoods to explore
Weather month by month
| Month | Florence high / rainy days | Rome high / rainy days |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10°C · 11 | 12°C · 11 |
| Feb | 13°C · 7 | 15°C · 6 |
| Mar | 16°C · 6 | 16°C · 8 |
| Apr | 18°C · 12 | 19°C · 11 |
| May | 23°C · 13 | 24°C · 12 |
| Jun | 30°C · 7 | 30°C · 6 |
| Jul | 33°C · 4 | 34°C · 3 |
| Aug | 32°C · 7 | 32°C · 6 |
| Sep | 27°C · 8 | 28°C · 7 |
| Oct | 23°C · 8 | 24°C · 9 |
| Nov | 16°C · 15 | 18°C · 16 |
| Dec | 13°C · 16 | 14°C · 10 |
Average daily high and number of rainy days. Copernicus ERA5, 2021–2023.
What you will eat
Florence
Florentine T-bone steak · Tripe sandwich · Bread and vegetable soup · Bread and tomato soup · Flat bread stuffed with cured meat · Fried dough
Where: Mercato Centrale (San Lorenzo), Sant'Ambrogio Market, Oltrarno (Santo Spirito and San Frediano), Sant'Ambrogio and Santa Croce
Rome
Carbonara · Cacio e pepe · Supplì · Roman pizza by the slice · Jewish-style artichoke · Oxtail stew
Where: Testaccio Market, Campo de' Fiori, Mercato Trionfale (Prati), Jewish Ghetto
Doing both in one trip
7 days: 4 in Rome + 3 in Florence
Either works; flying into Rome and starting there is usually easiest because Fiumicino has more international flights, then end in Florence or continue north.
Getting between them: High-speed trains between Roma Termini and Firenze Santa Maria Novella take about 1 h 35, with departures throughout the day. Book ahead for the cheapest fares. Distance about 234 km as the crow flies. Check current timetables.
- Day 1–2: Rome — Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, Pantheon, Trevi and Trastevere
- Day 3–4: Vatican Museums and St Peter's, Testaccio for food, Borghese Gallery
- Day 5: Morning train to Florence, Duomo area and Ponte Vecchio
- Day 6–7: Uffizi and Accademia, Oltrarno, then a half day in Siena or San Miniato at sunset
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Common questions
Is Florence or Rome cheaper?
Rome comes out cheaper on our numbers: about €172 per person per day at mid-range against about €194 for Florence. Rome has a far larger stock of hotels and neighbourhood trattorias, which keeps prices competitive, while Florence's small centre pushes up rates near the main sights. In both, eating a few streets away from the big monuments saves a lot.
How long is the train between Rome and Florence?
High-speed trains link Roma Termini and Firenze Santa Maria Novella in about 1 h 35, both stations in the city centre. There are frequent departures from early morning to evening. Advance fares are much cheaper than buying on the day, so book once your dates are fixed. A day trip is possible but rushed.
How many days do I need in Rome and Florence?
Rome needs at least three full days for ancient Rome, the Vatican and a couple of neighbourhoods; four is better. Florence can be covered in two to three days, plus one if you want a Tuscan day trip. For a first week in Italy, four days in Rome and three in Florence is a sensible, unhurried split.
Do I need to book museums in advance?
Yes, for the big ones. The Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and the Borghese Gallery in Rome, and the Uffizi and Accademia in Florence, regularly sell out or have long queues for walk-up tickets, especially from spring to autumn. Book timed entry online as soon as you have dates; smaller churches and museums rarely need it.