Hello,
We are planning a 12 day trip to Italy mid-late October. My husband and I have been before with stays in Venice, Florence and Rome. This is our first time to Italy (and Europe) with our 11 and 13 yos so we are open to repeating some of the places we have visited but would like to also visit a new area. Fingers crossed that crowds are light. I've been in the summer and it was overwhelming. We've been in November and it was magic.
-Kids have expressed a strong interest in seeing Venice and Rome, as well as Pompeii. And eating all the food. :)
-Right now we plan to fly into Venice and out of Rome or vice versa
-Not planning on renting a car. Relying on train and public transport
-We are inclined to eliminate Florence as our 11 yo son as a very low tolerance/interest for touring museums. However, sites like the Colosseum and the Forum are of interest to him.
-The family loves being near water; off the beaten path exploration; outdoor activities. So building in a few days for some non-city exploration / outdoor / cooking class activities is ideal. And this is where I am in need of some advice.
So far:
3-4 nights Rome
3 nights Amafli (Pompeii on the way to /from Rome?)
2 nights in a Tuscan town accessible by train on the way to Venice (which one??)
3 nights Venice
The Amalfi Coast is appealing to us as we haven't been south of Rome. It checks off Pompeii and seeing the Italian coast. How/when you would incorporate this into a 12 day itinerary that includes Rome and Venice? Where would you recommend staying in the Amalfi area? And which places to visit via ferry or bus?
We are open to alternatives to Amalfi to build out our trip. A stay in Tuscany sounds appealing too but perhaps not as ideal since we won't have a car. Does a stop over there create too busy of a schedule?
Looking forward to your feedback and advice!