The train pulls out of Roma Termini and the city falls away fast. That’s when the trip really starts.
You land at Fiumicino on ITA Airways or Air India from Delhi and check into Hotel de Russie on Via del Babuino — ask for a garden-facing room. Alp’s skip-the-line access gets you into the Colosseum and Roman Forum before the crowds build. A private guide walks you through the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel at a pace that lets you actually look. That evening, join a Trastevere food walk: supplì, cacio e pepe, a glass of house red at a counter with no English menu. Rome is not a backdrop. You move through it.
The Frecciarossa covers Rome to Florence in 1 hour 35 minutes, first class. Portrait Firenze puts you on the Arno. Alp’s private Uffizi tour skips the queue and goes deep — your guide knows the rooms most visitors rush past. Climb the Florence Duomo on your own; the view from the lantern is worth every step. One afternoon, Alp drives you into Chianti for a wine tasting at a working estate. You sit outside. The vines are right there.
Florence to Venice takes 2 hours 10 minutes. Bauer Palazzo puts you on the Grand Canal. A private gondola ride covers the quieter back canals — not the main tourist route. Alp’s after-hours access to St. Mark’s Basilica means you see the gold mosaics without a crowd pressing in. The next morning, a Murano glassblowing session: you watch a maestro pull molten glass into shape in under a minute.
Milan is 2 hours 25 minutes from Venice by Frecciarossa. Armani Hotel Milano on Via Manzoni is your base. Alp books your Last Supper slot — Leonardo’s mural in Santa Maria delle Grazie takes fifteen minutes and stays with you. Walk the Duomo rooftop: the marble spires are close enough to touch. End in Brera on an aperitivo tour, three bars, three neighbourhoods, one long golden hour. That’s your Italy.
