In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Go by train. The Frecciarossa from Roma Termini reaches Firenze Santa Maria Novella in 1 hour 36 minutes to 1 hour 41, from €23.90 each way at trenitalia.com, and runs every half-hour or so in the morning. Don’t go on a Monday: the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’Accademia, with Michelangelo’s David, are both closed. Book either for a time slot before you travel: the Uffizi is €29 booked ahead. Or book a tour: the Florence and Pisa day tripad (from £81.77) adds Pisa’s Leaning Tower by coach. A train-only ticket resold on GetYourGuide (£49.28) costs more than Trenitalia’s own return.
Getting there on your own
Trenitalia’s times and fares for a Tuesday in October, searched on 30 September 2026. Fares are the lowest “from” price for one adult and rise as seats sell. All are non-stop Frecciarossa trains between Roma Termini and Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
| Rome to Florence | Florence to Rome |
|---|---|
| 7:05, arrives 8:46 | 18:14, arrives 19:50 |
| 7:20, arrives 9:01 | 18:33, arrives 20:12 |
| 7:30, arrives 9:11 | 18:48, arrives 20:24 |
| 8:05, arrives 9:46 | 18:59, arrives 20:35 |
| 8:50, arrives 10:27 | 19:14, arrives 20:51 |
- Fares: from €23.90 each way on the 7:05, 8:50, 18:48, 18:59 and 19:14; €27.90 to €32.90 on the others that day.
- Book the fast train, not the regional. The one daytime regional train on the list took 4 hours 31 minutes.
- Santa Maria Novella is in the centre: the Duomo, the Uffizi and the Accademia are all within walking distance.
- Italo, the private operator, also runs fast trains between Rome and Florence.
Florence Cathedral, with Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s bell tower. Photo: Felix König, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Tours from Rome
A tour earns its price if you want Pisa as well, or a guide. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price on 30 September 2026.
Florence and Pisa by coach
From £81.77 · 4.6 stars from 2,471 reviews · 14 hours
From Rome: Discover Florence & Pisa on a Full-Day Tripad goes by coach to Pisa and Florence, with an option for an audio-guided visit in Florence. It is a 14-hour day, about the same as the 7:05 train out and the 19:14 back.
By fast train with a guided walk
From £142.84 · 4.4 stars from 53 reviews · 11 hours
Day Trip to Florence by High-speed Train From Romead takes the fast train, then a guided walking tour of the landmarks and an afternoon of free time.
Florence and Pisa, the higher-priced tour
From £246.84 · 4.8 stars from 391 reviews · a full day
From Rome: Discover Florence and Pisa on a Full-Day Tourad covers Florence’s medieval centre and the Leaning Tower at Pisa, at three times the price of the coach trip above.
The train ticket alone
From £49.28 · 4.4 stars from 55 reviews
Florence: direct Frecciarossa high-speed train from Romead is a Trenitalia ticket resold. Trenitalia’s own fares started at €23.90 each way, €47.80 return (about £41 at the ECB rate of 29 September 2026): buy it from Trenitalia.
The museums: book a slot
Both sell named tickets for a time slot. Prices and hours from each museum’s own site, 30 September 2026.
| Museum | Hours | Adult ticket | Closed | What it holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uffizi | Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15 to 18:30; ticket office closes 17:30 | €29 booked ahead; €25 bought on the day | Mondays, 1 January, 25 December | Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera |
| Galleria dell’Accademia | 8:15 to 18:50, last admission 18:10 | €20, plus €4 to book a time | Mondays, 1 January, 25 December | Michelangelo’s David |
- The Uffizi’s €25 ticket is sold only on the day of your visit; the €29 ticket can be bought before.
- The Accademia says the wait without a reservation may be long. On its free days, the first Sunday of the month and 4 November 2026, it takes no bookings and you queue at the gate.
- The Uffizi with the Vasari Corridor, the covered passage over the Ponte Vecchio, is €47 booked ahead, with Uffizi entry 2 hours before the corridor slot.
Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A day, hour by hour
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 7:05 | Frecciarossa from Roma Termini, arriving at Santa Maria Novella at 8:46 |
| 9:00 or 10:00 | Your Accademia or Uffizi slot, a walk from the station |
| Midday | The Duomo and the Baptistery, then lunch |
| Afternoon | The Ponte Vecchio and the second museum slot |
| 18:48 or 19:14 | Frecciarossa back to Rome, arriving 20:24 or 20:51 |
The Ponte Vecchio over the Arno. Photo: Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Combining it with somewhere else
Pisa is the usual addition, and the coach tours above include it. Orvieto, a slower train from Rome, is another easy day: the day trips from Rome page covers it, along with Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Tivoli and Tuscany’s hill towns. For the sights back in Rome, and which day each one closes, see what to book before you go.
Common questions
How long is the train from Rome to Florence?
1 hour 36 minutes to 1 hour 41 on a non-stop Frecciarossa from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Trains leave every half-hour or so in the morning; fares for a weekday in October started at €23.90 each way when searched on 30 September 2026.
Is Florence worth a day trip from Rome?
Yes, by train: with the 7:05 out and the 19:14 back you have about ten hours in Florence. Book the Uffizi or the Accademia for a time slot before you go, and avoid Mondays, when both are closed.
Is the Uffizi open on Mondays?
No. The Uffizi opens Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15 to 18:30, and is closed on Mondays, 1 January and 25 December. The Galleria dell'Accademia, home of Michelangelo's David, is also closed on Mondays.
Should I book a Florence tour from Rome?
Only if you want Pisa in the same day or a guide. The Florence and Pisa day trip by coach was from £81.77 on GetYourGuide on 30 September 2026. A train-only ticket resold on GetYourGuide was £49.28, against Trenitalia's own fares from €23.90 each way.
