12 nights in Italy

Posted by evth21 on 04/08/26 09:58 PM

We have done Rome and will have done Florence twice when we then have 12 nights to explore Southern Italy, as we will be starting from Florence & ending in Rome for this portion of the trip we wanted to know if going from Florence to Como (yes, north) for 3 nights then down to Naples for 3 nights before heading to say Ravello for 3 nights and Positano for 3 nights then back to Rome was too much movement?

In particular is going north to Como then south to Naples too much travel meaning we should just save Como for another trip and add an extra 3 nights in the south somewhere or extend a night in others?

We will be travelling in late June early July and reading some of the blogs here I am wondering if Como is even worth it now.

We wanted to go to Tropea but that is hard to get to and from.

Thanks in advance

Posted by valadelphia

04/08/26 10:12 PM

6756 posts

I would agree with conclusion you have already reached—too much moving.
PS Tropea is on the train line. Does not seem any more out of the way than Milan/lakes really.
I’d add the time to existing stops, but you could choose somewhere not as far south as Tropea, like Maratea.

Posted by Rosalyn

Portland

04/08/26 10:16 PM

3716 posts

You are planning to spend an awful amount of time in transit. There’s a lot more to the lakes area than Como. I would skip it on this trip and add that time to the south. Also, your Amalfi Coast plan puts you in 2 of the towns that are the most difficult for getting around the area. Ravello is lovely, but there isn’t enough to do there for 2 full days. (3 nights = 2 full days) Positano also has very little to do except high-end shopping. Amalfi is pretty good for transportation connections.

Posted by Roberto da Firenze ⚜

San Francisco Bay Area (USA)

04/08/26 10:30 PM

17695 posts

The choice is yours based on your interests. For some reason everybody coming for advice here wants to hit all the Rick Steves' favorite locations in one shot. Going from Florence to lake Como, let's say Varenna since we want to be faithful to Rick, is a 3h30 min trip by fast train to Milan + regional commuter train to Varenna. From Varenna to Naples it is 6+ hours (also with Regional to Milan + fast train to Naples). Add another 40 min or so if you prefer to go to Salerno, which is easier to reach the Amalfi Coast.

There are lots of locations in Campania to see: Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Procida, Paestum, as well as the area of Cilento. So you can certainly stay busy for the entire 12 nights there. You can also go further down to Calabria if you want. Tropea or Maratea (Basilicata) are other options.

However I would choose fewer locations to stay. Ravello and Positano are really close to each other, you don't need to stay in both. Just choose one location in the Amalfi Coast and visit the area from that one location. Amalfi and Positano are good as they both have ferry docks, although Positano is crazy expensive.

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

04/08/26 11:01 PM

6971 posts

Many folks here are recommending staying in Salerno, as it has great train connections, is charming, and not nearly as crowded as the other AC towns.
Whatever you decide, books asap! Good luck!

Posted by evth21 OP

04/09/26 09:46 AM

2 posts

Thanks everyone, appreciate the insights.

Como is out, going to stay in one spot on the Amalfi Coast and potentially now add Capri or Maratea options.

Posted by ekscrunchy

new york

04/09/26 12:35 PM

1478 posts

You really should have a car when you visit Maratea. It's so spread out, along the coast and up in the hills....I can't imagine getting around there by bus.. I know there is a train to get there, but even to get form the station to your hotel...(??). and then to restaurants and beaches....again, you are trying to fit in too much, Is Maratea mentioned in RS guides??