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14 Days in Southern Italy - Help!

Posted by on

Hello! My husband and I are taking our first trip to Italy together May 16th - 29th and are flying in and out of Rome. We plan to spend one day in Rome, and he really wants to visit Pompeii/ Herculaneum and I would like to spend some time on the Almalfi Coast. We have both been to Rome/Florence/Naples before are would like to spend this trip in smaller towns enjoying the food, wine and atmosphere! We also enjoy outdoor activities and hiking. We had originally planned to visit the Almalfi Coast, Lecce and the Trulli District in Puglia, but after researching trains/transportation Puglia/Lecce seems very difficult to get to. My question is if it is worth it? Does anyone have advice on how best to get there? Should we considered renting a car and going to Siena or another small town in Tuscany instead?

Also does anyone have accommodation recommendations for the Almalfi coast? We would like to stay within walking distance of a city center... should we stay in Portofino, Praiano, Ravello?

Any and all suggestions are welcome, thanks in advance!

Posted by
32201 posts

kc,

One of the easiest ways to see that area and really enjoy it, would be to take the RS South Italy tour. You could certainly rent a car or travel on public transit to that area, but that would require a lot more planning.

Posted by
2173 posts

Tuscany or Umbria would probably make more sense than trying to fit in Puglia on a relatively short trip. I'd say save the far south for a time when you can give it 7-10 days. There are many small towns in Tuscany and Umbria which can be reached by train or bus; it's not absolutely necessary to rent a car. (In ten or more trips to Italy, including two to Sicily, we have rented a car exactly once, for four days.)

Posted by
15582 posts

Sorrento (which I loved) is the best base for Pompeii and Herculaneum (by train) and Capri and the Amalfi towns (by bus/ferry). Whether you stay in one of the Amalfi towns depends on how much you want to move around. I haven't been, but from all I've read and heard, Puglia is great but you'd need a car; public transportation will take up too much of your time. 14 days should let you slow down and enjoy it all.

Posted by
11315 posts

You could split your time between the A.C. and Puglia easily. If your flight gets in early enough, proceed immediately by train or bus to Sorrento and spend 4 nights. Use this as your base for Pompeii/Herculaneum, a Naples day trip (see R.S. guide) and a day to relax in Sorrento. The transfer to Ravello for 3 nights. See if they have one of their wonderful classical concerts scheduled. Visit Villa Cimbrone and take a day to go to Positano.

Rent a car and drive to Matera for a couple of nights, then perhaps on to either Lecce, Ostuni, or Martina Franca as a base for 3-4 nights, allowing you to day trip around much of Puglia. The food is divine, inexpensive, and abundant. The wine is fabulous. Then drive back to Roma for your final night(s) before flying home.

Posted by
1944 posts

Couple notes on how to maximize trip enjoyment for you:

Tour Pompeii on a weekday & early to avoid crowds, make sure it's decent weather, and download the RS Pompeii podcast. Nothing is marked, so with Rick in your ear it's almost like you're in the show. Very cool. Also consider bringing a picnic lunch and some water bottles. There is only one concession that I saw.

RE: Amalfi Coast, consider staying either in Sorrento to be within walking distance to a town, albeit somewhat touristy, or Ravello, up in the hills for spectacular scenery. OR, base in Salerno, a great, underrated small city of about 110,000, and from there daytrips to the A.C., Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Paestum are simple either by train or bus. We did that in March of last year and thought it was wonderful.

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