There are no taxis in Venice. Not the car kind, anyway. Once you hit Piazzale Roma or the train station, it's boats and your own two feet.
That was day seven of this trip. Before that came four days in Paris and two in Rome, and after it, one last day in Istanbul. It's a lot of timed tickets. Here's exactly how I laid it out.
Venice, before the day trippers.
At a glance
- Paris days 1 to 4, Rome days 5 and 6, Venice days 7 to 9, Istanbul day 10.
- Book the timed tickets early: Louvre, Versailles, the Colosseum and the Vatican.
- Take the train from Rome to Venice, then it's boats and walking only.
- Go early for photos: Trocadéro, St. Mark's Square at sunrise, gondolas in the morning.
Paris (Days 1 to 4)
I split Paris across two hotels. The first three nights were at the Atlantic Hotel in the 8th. The last night I moved to the InterContinental Paris Le Grand and booked a room facing the Opera House. Part of the plan was just being in that hotel: explore it, order afternoon tea to the room, take pictures. Bonus, the Roissybus airport shuttle stops steps away.
Day 1. Landed around noon and worked my way through arrondissements. The 8th first: Grand Palais, Petit Palais, the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Then the 7th for the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars. Then across to the 16th for Palais de Chaillot and Trocadéro, for the classic view of the tower.
Day 2. Palais Royal early, before the crowds. Cross Rue de Rivoli into the Tuileries. Then the Louvre. I booked a guided tour to skip the line. Heads up, the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. After that, walk over Pont Neuf to Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, then Notre Dame.
Day 3. Versailles. Take the RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche, then it's about a 10 minute walk. The ride is about an hour, so for a morning tour slot I left by 8:15. Back in Paris for dinner and a walk along the Seine.
Day 4. Hotel switch, then the Palais Garnier on a self guided visit. The entrance is at the corner of Rue Scribe and Rue Auber. In the afternoon, up to the 18th for Montmartre, Sacré Coeur and the Moulin Rouge, then Galeries Lafayette on the way back.
The Eiffel Tower at dusk.
The Opera’s grand staircase.
What to eat in Paris: baguettes, croissants, eclairs, macarons, madeleines, crepes, oysters, steak frites, moules frites, escargot. Basically every dessert. My list had L'Eclair de Genie, Au Petit Tonneau, Chez Gladines at Butte aux Cailles and Breizh Café in the Marais. If you have spare time, Saint Eustache, the Luxembourg Palace and the Latin Quarter were on my extras list.
Rome (Days 5 and 6)
Three nights at La Foresteria on Via del Tritone, which is walkable to a lot of this.
Day 5. Trevi Fountain, then the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. I had a 9am slot with arena floor access. Show up about 30 minutes early at the individual entrance and get in the line for visitors with reservations. For the Forum and Palatine, you can enter at the Arch of Titus, the Via di San Gregorio entrance or the Via dei Fori Imperiali side. Afterward: Capitoline Hill, Piazza Venezia and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Day 6. The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel first thing. I booked the earliest slot I could get. Cover your shoulders, knees and necklines, men and women both. Then St. Peter's Basilica, Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The Doria Pamphilj Gallery needs a ticket if you want it.
Extras if you have time: Villa Borghese, the Baths of Caracalla, Trastevere and Gianicolo Hill. Adding Florence? Read about my six hour wait for truffle pasta and the traffic tickets first. I wrote about one quiet evening on the edge of Rome in this post.
What to eat in Rome: porchetta, supplì, cacio e pepe, rigatoni, pizza, gelato, cannoli, panna cotta.
Inside the Colosseum.
Venice (Days 7 to 9)
I took the train up from Rome. Trenitalia and Italo both run that route. If you fly in instead, it's public bus #5 or the ATVO blue bus to Piazzale Roma. I stayed at Pesaro Palace in Cannaregio and asked for a canal view.
Day 7. Check in, take pictures, then a gondola. A standard ride is about 30 minutes and fits up to six people. My tips: go earlier in the day when the gondoliers still have energy, pick one who seems in a good mood, and ask about the route before you get in. You want small canals plus a stretch of the Grand Canal.
Later, Burano. The vaporetto line 12 leaves from Fondamente Nove and takes about 45 minutes. Check times on ACTV.
Day 8. St. Mark's Square at sunrise. Then St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace (I booked fast track) and the Bridge of Sighs.
Day 9. Rialto Bridge and the Rialto Market, then off to the airport.
What to eat in Venice: cicchetti, baccalà mantecato, polenta e schie, buranelli cookies, any seafood, tiramisu.
San Marco as the light goes
Istanbul (Day 10)
One night at the Antis Hotel in Sultanahmet. If you're routing home through Istanbul, look into airline stopover and layover programs, Turkish Airlines included. Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome right across from it, the Grand Bazaar and Süleymaniye Mosque. My notes have the mosques as free to enter. At the Blue Mosque, avoid prayer times, especially the big Friday midday prayer. Eat kebab, a balık ekmek fish sandwich, meze like börek and fried mussels, and köfte.
Tea with a view
Photo spots and best light
- Trocadéro for the Eiffel Tower, any time, but early is calmer.
- The Opera view room at the InterContinental. The view out the window is half the reason to book it.
- St. Mark's Square at sunrise. This is the one time it's close to empty.
- Burano in soft light so the house colors don't blow out.
- Gondola rides earlier in the day, for better light and happier gondoliers.
FAQ
Is 10 days enough for Paris, Rome and Venice?
Yes, if you book timed tickets and accept you're seeing the highlights. Four days in Paris, two in Rome and three in Venice worked for me, with Istanbul as a bonus day.
What's the best way to get from Rome to Venice?
The train. Trenitalia and Italo both run the route, and Venice's Santa Lucia station drops you right on the Grand Canal.
Do you need to book the Louvre, Colosseum and Vatican ahead?
I'd book all three. I had a guided Louvre tour, a 9am Colosseum slot and the earliest Vatican slot I could get, and that's what made two days in Rome work.
What should you wear to the Vatican?
Cover your shoulders and knees, men and women both. The same goes for St. Peter's Basilica.
Book and plan
- Louvre Museum
- Palace of Versailles
- Palais Garnier visits
- Sainte-Chapelle
- RATP for the Roissybus and RER
- Colosseum and Roman Forum
- Vatican Museums
- Trenitalia and Italo for Rome to Venice
- ACTV vaporetto
- Doge's Palace
If you're planning a trip like this and want photos of the two of you in it, we do travel and elopement sessions. Have a look at our experiences or get in touch.
