In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Florence is 1 hour 36 minutes by Frecciarossa and Orvieto is a €10.10 regional train, so do both on your own. Pompeii is easy by train too: Frecciarossa to Naples, then the local Circumvesuviana to the ruins, with a named €20 ticket. The Amalfi Coast and Tuscany’s hill towns are coach-tour days: the coast is 11 to 13 hours there and back, and the hill towns have no practical train. Tivoli is a €3 train from Tiburtina, and Ostia Antica a half day on a €1.50 city train. Or book a tour: a tour from Rome puts the transport and, for Pompeii, the entry ticket in one booking, from £55.71 for Tivoli to £84.85 for Tuscany (GetYourGuide, 30 September 2026).
The day trips compared
Train times and fares are Trenitalia’s, searched on 29 and 30 September 2026 for a Tuesday in October; fast-train fares are the lowest “from” price for one adult and rise as seats sell. Tour prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price on 30 September 2026. Every train here leaves from Roma Termini except Tivoli’s, which leaves from Roma Tiburtina.
| Trip | Train from Rome | Fare each way | Tour from | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pompeii | Frecciarossa to Naples, 1h13 to 1h23, then the Circumvesuviana | From €18.90 to Naples | £59.14 | Named tickets; last entry 17:30 until 14 October, 15:30 from 15 October |
| Amalfi Coast | Frecciarossa to Salerno, 1h36, then a ferry | From €31.90 to Salerno | £67.71 | 11 to 13 hours on a coach tour |
| Florence | Frecciarossa, 1h36 to 1h41 | From €23.90 | £81.77 | The Uffizi is closed on Mondays |
| Tuscany’s hill towns | No direct train: Siena is 3h35 to 3h42 with changes | From €21.05 to Siena | £84.85 | The villages need a car, so this is a tour |
| Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio | Regional train to Orvieto, 1h22 to 2h | €10.10 | £80.57 | Civita is a Cotral bus ride beyond Orvieto |
| Tivoli | Regional train from Tiburtina, 50 to 60 minutes | €3 | £55.71 | Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa are two separate sites |
When a tour is worth it
A coach tour earns its price where the train stops short:
- Tuscany’s hill towns: Trenitalia sells no journey to Pienza, and Montepulciano is 3¼ hours each way by Intercity and bus. The Tuscany and Montepulciano day tripad (from £84.85, 4.7 stars from 3,450 reviews, 11 hours) takes in Montepulciano and Pienza, with a vineyard lunch and a Brunello di Montalcino tasting.
- The Amalfi Coast: the Amalfi and Positano day tripad (from £67.71, 4.5 stars from 4,022 reviews, 11 hours) drives the coast road, with an optional boat trip.
- Two places in one day: Orvieto with Civita di Bagnoregio, or Pompeii with the Amalfi Coast, each a separate journey on public transport.
For Florence, Orvieto on its own and Tivoli, the train is simple and a tour sells convenience rather than access.
The trips
Pompeii
Pompeii Express €20 · Frecciarossa to Naples from €18.90, then the Circumvesuviana · coach tour 9 to 12 hours, from £59.14
The Roman town buried by Vesuvius. The €20 Pompeii Express ticket covers the ancient city; Pompei+ at €25 adds the Villa of the Mysteries, the Villa of Diomedes, Villa Regina at Boscoreale and a shuttle between them. Tickets carry your name, are capped at 20,000 a day and allow one entry only (pompeiisites.org, 29 September 2026). From Napoli Centrale, the Circumvesuviana’s Napoli–Sorrento line stops at Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri, by the Porta Marina entrance. Its reserved-seat tourist train, the Campania Express, is suspended from 1 October 2026 until further notice; the ordinary trains still run (eavsrl.it, 30 September 2026). The Pompeii day trip with optional Vesuviusad (from £59.14, 4.6 stars from 5,898 reviews) includes a guided tour of the ruins. The Pompeii day trip guide has the trains, the tickets, the tours and a plan for the day.
The Forum at Pompeii, with Vesuvius behind. Photo: Adam Harangozó, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Amalfi Coast
Frecciarossa to Salerno 1h36, from €31.90, then a ferry · coach tour 11 to 13 hours, from £67.71
Positano and Amalfi are towns built down the cliffs, joined by one narrow coast road. On your own, the 7:29 Frecciarossa from Termini reaches Salerno at 9:05, and ferries run from Salerno along the coast; Travelmar publishes the timetable. On a coach tour the day is 11 to 13 hours: the Amalfi and Positano day tripad (from £67.71) stops in Positano and Amalfi or Sorrento, and the Pompeii, Amalfi Coast and Positano day tripad (from £101.99, 4.6 stars from 7,277 reviews) adds a guided visit to Pompeii. The Amalfi Coast day trip guide has the train and ferry timings and every tour.
Florence
Frecciarossa 1h36 to 1h41, from €23.90 each way · Uffizi closed Mondays · tour with Pisa from £81.77
Trains leave Termini for Firenze Santa Maria Novella from 7:05, and fast trains back leave Florence at 18:14, 18:33, 18:48, 18:59 and 19:14 (Trenitalia, searched 30 September 2026). The Uffizi, home to Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, opens 8:15 to 18:30 from Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays; its named ticket is €29 booked in advance or €25 bought on the day (uffizi.it, 30 September 2026). The Florence and Pisa day tripad (from £81.77, 4.6 stars from 2,471 reviews, 14 hours) goes by coach and adds Pisa and its Leaning Tower. The Florence day trip guide has every train, the museum slots and the tours.
Florence Cathedral’s dome and Giotto’s bell tower. Photo: Bruce Stokes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Tuscany’s hill towns
No direct train · tour 11 hours with lunch and wine, from £84.85
Pienza, in the Val d’Orcia, and Montepulciano, just east of it, are hill towns south of Siena. Trenitalia has no direct train even to Siena: 3 hours 35 minutes with a change, from €34.70, or 3 hours 42 minutes by regional trains from €21.05 (searched 30 September 2026). Montepulciano is 3 hours 15 minutes by Intercity and bus; Pienza needs a car or a tour. The Tuscany and Montepulciano day tripad (from £84.85, 4.7 stars from 3,450 reviews) includes lunch at a vineyard and a wine tasting. The Tuscany day trip guide compares the Tuscany tours from Rome and shows how to reach Montepulciano without a tour.
Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio
Regional train 1h22 to 2h, €10.10 · Duomo €8 · Civita €5 · tour with Civita from £80.57
Orvieto is a hilltop town in Umbria. Its Duomo ticket, €8, covers the cathedral, the Emilio Greco museum and the passages under the Duomo, with a free audio guide (duomodiorvieto.it, 29 September 2026). Direct trains leave Termini at 8:20 (arriving 10:22, €10.10) and, as an Intercity, at 10:15 (arriving 11:37, from €13.90); trains back leave at 17:29, 19:43, 20:15 and 21:29. Civita di Bagnoregio, a village reached on foot across a bridge, charges €5 to enter, the same online or at the ticket office; from Orvieto station it is a Cotral bus to Bagnoregio (civitadibagnoregio.cloud, 29 September 2026). The Civita and Orvieto day tripad (from £80.57, 4.7 stars from 1,497 reviews, 12 hours) does both, with lunch and wine at a winery. On Sundays the Duomo opens for visits only from 10:00 to 11:00 and from 13:00. The Orvieto day trip guide has every train, the shuttle up the hill and the Duomo’s hours.
The facade of Orvieto Cathedral. Photo: Livioandronico2013, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tivoli
Regional train from Tiburtina 50 to 60 minutes, €3 · tour from £55.71
Tivoli has two villas at separate sites: the gardens and fountains of Villa d’Este in the town, and the ruins of Villa Adriana, the emperor Hadrian’s country palace. Most trains to Tivoli leave Roma Tiburtina, not Termini: 8:10, 8:20, 9:20 and 11:10. Villa d’Este is €15 and opens only at 14:00 on Mondays; Hadrian’s Villa is a local bus ride below the town (villae.cultura.gov.it, 30 September 2026). The Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa day tourad (from £55.71, 4.5 stars from 2,430 reviews) links the two by coach. The Tivoli day trip guide has the trains, both villas’ hours and the tours.
The gardens and fountains of Villa d’Este in Tivoli. Photo: Cruz.croce, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other day trips
GetYourGuide prices on 30 September 2026.
| Trip | Getting there alone | Tour from | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples | Frecciarossa 1h13, from €18.90 | £73.28 with Pompeii | The Pompeii and Naples day tripad includes the Pompeii entry ticket; the fast-train version with lunchad is from £152.47 |
| Capri | Frecciarossa to Naples, then a ferry | £127.71 | The Capri day tripad is a 15-hour day |
| Assisi | Direct regional train, 2h45 out at 7:43, €14.45 | £153.42 with Orvieto | The hill town of St Francis; the Assisi and Orvieto day tripad takes 12 hours |
| Ostia Antica | Metromare from Porta San Paolo, 26 minutes, €1.50 | £42.00 | Rome’s ancient port, €18 to enter and closed Mondays; the guided half-day trip by trainad takes 4 hours and includes the tickets |
Every train here except Tivoli’s leaves from Roma Termini, and hotels near Termini lists hotels within 750 m of it. If you have three days in the city first, the 3-day Rome itinerary plans them round the bookings. Before you choose a date, check what to book and which day is closed in Rome: the Borghese Gallery shuts on Mondays and the Vatican Museums on most Sundays, so a Monday or a Sunday suits a day trip.
Common questions
What is the easiest day trip from Rome?
Florence or Orvieto. The Frecciarossa reaches Florence in 1 hour 36 minutes to 1 hour 41, from €23.90 each way; the regional train to Orvieto takes 1 hour 22 minutes to 2 hours for €10.10. Both leave from Roma Termini.
Can you do Pompeii as a day trip from Rome?
Yes. Take the Frecciarossa to Naples (1 hour 13 minutes, from €18.90) and the Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri. Book the named entry ticket (€20) at pompeii.vivaticket.it. Coach tours from Rome take 9 to 12 hours.
Can you do the Amalfi Coast in a day from Rome?
Only as a long day. Coach tours from Rome take 11 to 13 hours. On your own it is the Frecciarossa to Salerno (1 hour 36 minutes) and a ferry along the coast, and the ferry timetable sets the day.
Which day trips from Rome need a tour?
The Amalfi Coast, Tuscany's hill towns such as Montepulciano and Pienza, which have no practical train, and a day that adds Civita di Bagnoregio or Assisi to Orvieto.
