Hello All, I am trying to plan a trip to Italy for the May 2013 timeframe and would like to get some itinerary advice from all the fellow Rick Stevers..:-)
We will be a party of 3 people (2 adults and 1 9 year old kid) and plan to spend 2 to 2.5 weeks. I have the following questions: 1. I definitely wish to cover Rome, Florence, Venice but also want to see if I can squeeze in Bolzano, Vernazza, Cinque Terra, Volterra, Sienna, Orvieto, Assisi, Sorrento with side trips to Pompei, Naples....Will there be sufficient time to cover all of this in the 2-2.5 week timeframe? 2. Are there other must-see sights in Italy not included in the list above? I understand that it is a beautiful country and may require multiple trips but was not sure if I should combine other parts such as Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica?? Palermo? 3. Are all these places doable by train or would you recommend renting a car or some combination of both? What is driving like in Italy? We have driven in France, Germany, UK before....Is it comparable or just a headache best avoided? Please do let me know. I have had such wonderful and helpful advice from this site/forum that any tips are totally appreciated.... Sincerely, Aparna
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32806 posts
This is a duplicate thread - there are several answers in the other thread.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I will simplify this. Stay 5 nights in each of the three major cities. From those cities take side-trips. From Venice a side-trip to Bolzano (I'm not sure this can be done as a daytrip). From Florence take side-trips to most of the others as time and energy permit. From Rome, a side-trip to Pompeii/Naples and, if there is time, spend a couple of nights in Sorrento before returning to Rome. Vernazza is in the CT. Skip this part and leave it for another trip. You have something like 15 days/nights for everything. It is not a good idea to try to do ALL of Italy in one 2-wk trip. I don't see the need for a car as all these places can be reached by train/bus. If you fly into Venice and return from Rome, or vice versa, you will spend less time traveling around Italy.
Posted by
Austin, Texas, USA
541 posts
Not sure if you are still looking for answers or not, but I just found this and have been to Italy four times. Here are my thoughts.... ROME - do this in a 3-4 days with side trips to Pompeii and Sorrento via train TUSCANY - we did this by car. Not too hard. It helps to have a good navigator or someone who can help you with the map. Road signs are a little difficult to understand. Drop the car and go to Florence for a couple of days. CINQUE TERRE - can easily be reached via train and well worth it. Two nights and one day are plenty of time but I would not skip this.
VERONA / LAKE COME - these are not on your list but worth some time. These are two of our favorite places in Italy and are good stops between CT and Venice VENICE - worth a couple of days. Could fly home from here. Good Luck!!
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8155 posts
There is so much to see in Italy that numerous trips are required. It's a place better taken slowly instead of trying to take it in at a fast pace. We flew into Pisa and took a 1 hr. train into Florence for a 3 day weekend. A rental car was picked up in Florence, and we moved 20 miles south to a Agritursimo outside Certaldo for 4 nights . San Gim. was closeby, and we took day trips to Volterra and Sienna and drove aimlessly through the incredible countryside. We also ran up to Venice for a day trip. We drove south and dropped our rental car @ Hertz across from the Orvieto train station. We enjoyed Orvieto's hill town, and took a train the next morning through Rome to Zagarolo and OliveTreeHill.com for a week. We took rush hour trains into Rome 3 days, and let our host take us on day trips around Rome. (Rome and its suburbs are a 2 week trip by themselves.) There is no problem driving in Italy if you remember to stay out of the center of cities. A rental car is a necessity in Tuscany. I got hit by a camera/radar on the causeway going into Venice and was charged later. It's 150 miles from Rome down to Naples and Pompei, and the Amalfi Coast is a separate trip from Florence and Rome.
Enjoy!