Episode #310: How to Modernize the Classic 10 Day Italy Itinerary

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The classic Rome, Florence and Venice itinerary gets a fresh perspective, with smart planning advice, lesser-known stops and insider ideas designed to help you travel through Italy in a way that feels thoughtful, rewarding and uniquely your own.

Contents

Summary

In this episode, host Katy Clarke takes a fresh look at the classic 10-day Italy itinerary that travelers have been following for centuries – Rome, Florence, and Venice. While these iconic cities remain enchanting and essential, we look at how to make your trip more meaningful and less like ticking boxes off a checklist, sharing creative ways to experience the highlights, avoid the crowds, and add unexpected stops that make your adventure truly unforgettable. Let’s reimagine the Grand Tour – Italian style – for the modern traveler!

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What you'll learn in this episode

You’ll learn why the classic Rome, Florence and Venice itinerary has become so repetitive online, and how modern travel pressures like social media, blogs and AI tools have pushed many travellers into checklist-style trips rather than experiences that actually suit their interests, pace and travel style
You’ll discover how the original Grand Tour shaped Italy travel, how visitor numbers have exploded from a few thousand elite travellers to tens of millions each year, and why this history explains today’s crowding and the need to rethink how we experience Italy’s most famous cities
You’ll understand how to approach Rome more thoughtfully, including which famous sights are truly worth large chunks of your time, when skipping or rethinking major attractions like the Colosseum or Vatican Museums might improve your trip, and which lesser-known sites, churches and museums can offer a richer and calmer experience
You’ll gain practical ideas for reshaping Florence and Venice beyond the obvious highlights, from experiencing Florence at quieter times and choosing more meaningful markets and day trips, to navigating Venice’s crowds by timing visits carefully, exploring alternative islands and focusing on atmosphere rather than ticking off landmarks
You’ll learn how adding just one unexpected destination, such as a small city in Umbria, Lazio, Emilia Romagna or Veneto, can transform your itinerary, slow your pace and help you create a more personal, memorable and rewarding Italian journey

Timeline Overview

06:39 Rome’s essential sights are covered alongside practical tips for visiting major landmarks in a way that feels manageable and enjoyable
11:19 The conversation explores lesser-known places near the Colosseum and how small detours can lead to more local and memorable experiences
16:23 There is practical advice on exploring Rome with kids, including how to balance sightseeing with downtime and keep the experience fun for families
22:09 Florence and Pisa are discussed as part of a classic itinerary, with guidance on pacing your visit and making the most of time in each city
28:01 Venice is rethought beyond its famous landmarks, with an emphasis on travelling more thoughtfully and engaging more deeply with Italy

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Italian places, foods and concepts mentioned

Places

Largo di Torre Argentina – the spot where Julius Caesar was assassinated, which is now a complex of ruins housing a cat sanctuary
Baths of Caracalla – Rome’s second largest Roman public baths, first built in the early AD 200s and operated until the 530s. Virtual Reality headsets are also available
Domus Aurea – the golden house in Rome. Nero’s grand home, which has only recently been opened to the public, with an excellent Virtual Reality experience
Villa Farnesina – a Renaissance villa in Trastevere, famous for its frescos by Raphael
Villa Borghese – incredible art gallery. Tickets must be bought in advance – learn how to get tickets here –
Piazza Navona – beautiful, central piazza in Rome
Orvieto – wonderful hilltop small city, a great day trip or halfway stop from Rome or Florence
Perugia – a medieval college city in Umbria
Assisi – hilltop town in Umbria, famous for St Francis
Viterbo – in the very north of Lazio, this city has the Palazzo dei Papi, a palace, which was the seat of the popes in the 13th century
Sabina Hills – an area just north of Rome, in the Lazio region
Frascati – an area south-east of Rome, home to its well-known wine
Galleria Dell'Accademia – city art museum in Florence, best known as the home of Michelangelo's David
Uffizi Gallery – world-renowned gallery home to Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”, statues by Michelangelo and more
Duomo di Firenze – the cathedral of Florence. Work began in 1296 in the Gothic style and was finally completed by 1436, with the dome famously engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi
Sant Ambrogio market – oldest market in Florence
Santa Croce – basilica in Florence in Piazza Santa Croce
Lucca – charming hilltop town in Tuscany
Arezzo – great Tuscan town easily accessible from Florence and Rome, centered around Piazza Grande
Bologna –
Padua (Padova) – city in Veneto on the river Bacchiglione
Ferrara – the city of the Renaissance
Verona – elegant city in Veneto, famous for its incredible Arena and the story of Romeo and Juliet
Piazza San Marco – main square of Venice home to ritzy cafes, the basilica and Palazzo Ducale
Doge’s Palace – formerly the Doge’s residence and the seat of the Venetian government
Rialto Bridge – famous white bridge of Venice spanning the Grand Canal
San Giorgio Maggiore – a 16th-century Benedictine church on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore
Scuola Grande di San Rocco – building in Venice with an amazing collection of paintings by Tintoretto

Words / Concepts

Lord Byron – 19th-century English poet, a key figure in the Romantic Movement and famous for his travels
A Room with a View – 1980s movie set in Florence and Tuscany, based on the EM Forster novel
Gian Lorenzo Bernini – architect, city planner and sculptor who helped shape Rome as we know it
Caravaggio – amazing painter who mostly worked in Rome, who died in 1610
Stadium of Domitian – located under the present Piazza Navona and also known as Circus Agonalis, this was a chariot racing and athletic course circa AD 80 by Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus

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Itineraries, Podcast episodes