10 days in Italy...June 2018

Ten days is nine nights? Counting nights really helps when doing an itinerary. Will you have time in Rome alone, seeing sights without the b/f?

In nine nights, IMO, you should sleep no more than three places and that is a fast pace.

If you want to relax, perhaps just Rome and the Amalfi Coast. You can easily pass 4-5 nights in each place.

OR if you want that whirlwind pace, pick three: Rome/Florence/Venice OR Rome/Amalfi Coast/Florence. Realize that every time you change locations you will lose half a day and be lucky to be checked out, transferred, checked in, and oriented in time for a late lunch. This is especially true for a transfer from Rome to the Amalfi Coast and the AC to anywhere. Rome to Florence is pretty efficient.

Hi dliebert13,
I hate to break it to you, but 10 days for all the things you are interested in seeing is WAY too little. You will spend much of that time traveling between each of these. It would be better to dig into 2, maybe 3 of them (depending on whether you are arriving/departing on days 1 and 10). Maybe fly into Venice and out of Rome? Skip the Amalfi coast this time. Or, skip Venice ... although the traveling between the southern 3 would be more involved if you include the Amalfi coast with Florence and Rome.

Its such a bummer to spend the money to get to Europe and then have to eliminate places we want to see, but you will enjoy your time so much more

best,
Jessica

edited to add: I just saw Laurel's post after I posted... Yep

I think ten days aren't really enough time to see all four areas. To answer your question it would help to know your interests are and how many nights you have on the ground in Italy. 10 nights on the ground equals about 9 days of sightseeing. Every day you change locations you lose a half day or more of sightseeing. Also will you be able to much sightseeing in Rome during his confrence?

Are you in love? If so, end your trip in Venice for no less than 2 full days (3 nights). Fly home from there. Venice is a romantic experience and a good one to always remember Italy by until you return, and you will return.

I wouldn't go south to the Amalfi Coast this trip, you lose 2 days in travel reducing your trip to 7 full days. Save it for the next visit, it will give you something to look forward to. I would, as suggested above, spend time in Rome (3 full days) and Florence (2 full days), then on to Venice and home. Rome is spectacular, Florence incredible, and Venice unforgettable.

I know you're hearing a lot of 'can't be done' . . . and they are right. For Rome you can pretty much pick a century to focus on for a couple of days. In the evening neighborhoods (Trastevere is my favorite), the St. Peter's, the Roman Forum are especially nice for a walk before dinner (Trastevere wins again). End the night with a gelato at Piazza Navona. For Florence and Venice, I'd again say pick a century. Read up on both but you might want to select one or the other - especially in late June when tourists are seriously over-crowding Florence. Venice is a tough one - a day or two there is way too little. If you plan well you can see a lot. I use the vaporetto as a good way to rest my feet and see the views Venice is known for. I like flying out of Venice. The views over the Alps are really beautiful. Sorrento is a good base for a day trip (by boat) to the Amalfi Coast or Pompeii and by train to Pompeii. Each of those are full day excursions, plus you want a couple of evenings in Sorrento - seafood and buffalo (mozzarella cheese and meat) are exceptional. (I'm there the last week of June with friends - would be glad to show you Sorrento. Send me a message).

It looks like Rome is first. Sorrento is not a bad train ride (to Naples) and then (I suggest) boat across the bay to Sorrento. The boat trip becomes part of the vacation for me. From there it's going to be a long day of train rides to Venice (car service or train to Naples, train from Naples to Venice with brief stops in Rome and Florence). I have done this one: train to Florence, take a couple hours to see a few things (reservations recommended), have a great meal of Tuscan steak, then train to Venice in time for a late dinner and vaporetto ride around the Grand Canal. You'll sleep real good that night! I bet by now you agree with everyone that you want more days! Is that possible? I wouldn't add more places, I'd add more time in each place. You don't have to see it all on your first trip - just see enough so that on the plane going home you both are planning your next trip to Italy!

must start our trip in Rome (he is attending a conference)...

Question? Are you counting your 10 days as starting after the conference is over or do they include the day(s) he'll be tied up? As expressed above, 10 days isn't enough time for all the locations on your list, and 'business' days could shorten your sightseeing time even more if the trip doesn't really start (for him) until he's freed up.

You also do not want to count your arrival and departure dates as full sightseeing days.

Just trying to get a handle on how much you realistically have to work with. :O)

All: My apologies for miscalculation but we will have in total 12 nights and 11 days and this is free time (not to include his time at conference). I appreciate all your suggestions thus far!

Don't forget you can have rewarding and easy day trips from Rome to Orvieto, Tivoli (Villa d'Este) and Ostia Antica (»Rome's Pompeii«) and from Florence to Siena and Lucca in combination with Pisa.

What are your interests? Do you love art and museums or do you prefer being active and outside?

I have three possible itineraries, listed in order of my preference:

1) Base the entire trip in Rome. I agree with Robert, you could spend months in Rome and not see it all. Take a few (three or less) day trips. I would go to Orvieto, Ostia Antica and a day trip winery tour from Rome.

2) Start in Rome with 1/3 of your time there. Rent a car and drive to a Tuscan agriturismo near Siena or Montepulciano. Finish with 3 nights in Florence and fly home from Florence.

3) Similar to 2, but take a day from the prior sections, return car in Florence, then take train and spend 2-3 nights in Venice and return home from there.

Both Amalfi and Venice will be slammed in June, I'd save them for another trip in one of the shoulder months. You'll need to get out early and stay out late to miss all the day trippers from the cruise ships when you are in Rome.

DougMac: We both love art and the outdoors. Thanks for the suggestions!

Train Rome- Sorrento. 4 nites.
Best transportations options here.

http://www.sorrentoinsider.com

Train Sorrento-Chiusi. Rent car.
4 nites Tuscany.

Drive Tuscany-Venice. Drop car.
3 nites. Edit: don't do this if you plan on Florence.

If you have never driven in Italy, you need an IDP (international drivers permit) which is a translation of your license here. You need both. Available at AAA or online.

Educate yourselves with Italian rules of the road and ZTLs.

https://www.italybeyondtheobvious.com/dont-mess-with-ztl-zones

Have you considered replacing the Amalfi Coast with Cinque Terre? They are similar (Amalfi is a little larger, fancier while Cinque Terre is more affordable, rustic), but making the switch will cut down on your travel time considerably. I haven't been to Amalfi since 2008 so things might have changed. However, my wife and I did 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Cinque Terre, 2 nights in Venice in 2015. It was my wife's first time to the boot so we did everything as if it was the first time for both of us. Its been said already on this thread, but you could spend WAY more time in each city. However, we both left thinking that we maximized our time as best as possible. Hopefully you can see some things on your own in Rome while you BF is working, because there is more to see in Rome than anywhere, IMO.