Start your European vacation in Rome with guided Italy tours and multi-country packages. Explore Florence, Pisa, Venice and Vatican City, or continue to Switzerland, France, Austria, Hungary, Prague, Germany or London.
Tours from Rome follow a few main routes. The classic Italy route heads north to Florence, Pisa and Venice, sometimes adding Verona and Lake Como. Southern routes go to Naples, Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, and some continue to Matera and Alberobello in Puglia. Multi-country routes leave Italy through Switzerland toward France and Paris, or through Austria toward Vienna, Budapest and Prague. Pick the route first, then compare tours on it.
The price of a tour from Rome depends mostly on route length, hotel location and group style. Hotels on the edge of a city, such as Mestre for Venice, keep prices lower than central hotels. Large coach groups cost less than small-group or premium tours. Compare the full price including any mandatory service fees, and set aside extra for optional excursions, city taxes and meals that are not included.
An Italy-only tour spends more time in each city, so you see Rome, Florence and Venice with fewer hotel changes and shorter drives. A multi-country tour covers more places, but most days include long coach rides and one-night stops. If this is your first trip to Italy, an Italy-only route is easier to enjoy. If you want a broad first look at Europe, a multi-country route fits better.
Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons for touring from Rome, with mild weather for walking city centers. Summer is hot in Rome and southern Italy, and lines at the Vatican and the Colosseum are at their longest. Southern coast routes such as Capri and the Amalfi Coast rely on boats that can be limited outside the warmer months. Check the departure calendar on each tour page for running dates.
Many tours from Rome end in another city, so an open-jaw ticket, flying into Rome and home from the end city such as Venice or Paris, often works best. Plan to land at least one day before the tour starts, since a delayed flight can mean a missed departure. If the tour returns to Rome, a round-trip ticket is simpler. Check the end time on the last day before booking your flight home.
Rome usually needs more time than a tour schedule gives it. Many tours include a city day, but the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum each take hours. Adding one or two nights in Rome before the tour lets you see these at your own pace and recover from the flight. Book Vatican and Colosseum entry times in advance, since walk-up lines can be long.
A coach tour from Rome works well for first-time visitors because the guide handles transport, hotel check-ins and the order of sights between cities. That saves planning train tickets and moving luggage on your own. The trade-off is a fixed schedule with early starts. Travelers who prefer slower mornings or more free time can look for routes with two nights in each city, shown in the itinerary on each tour page.