14 days- Weekly or daily lodging

Thanks to all replies and the more the better. Yes, the info above is very valuable. I have all the RS Books and DVD's on Italy and we are going through them now determinging the places we want to visit and trying to judge how much time is needed. We already know that Rome, which we are flying in and out of, will take two days at minimum but not much on how long at other cities. We are la pretty kicked back bunch. We have named our trip as the Wayward Winos Tour. I suppose we could categorize us as wine,food, culture and history enthusiasts (in that order). Most museums, cathedrals, ruins etc, we enjoy the highlights and not a deep dive on this trip. If we find something of great interest we can come back another time. As soon as we dial in the areas/cities/towns we want to be in and more specifics, This will be an early October/2014 trip. Regards,
Roscoe

I find the "on the road" approach, staying in a different place each night, to be a huge waste of time. In the time it takes to pack your stuff, checking out, checking in the new hotel and unpack again, I can easily go from Florence to Rome and back on a train. AS such I prefer the hub and spoke approach. Of course you need to base your "hubs" in a strategic locations, so that your daily trips are all within a reasonable distance from your hub. (within 90 min. is ideal). In your shoes I would do the following. With a rental car in Tuscany, I would base myself between Florence and Siena (along the Autopalio Freeway), more or less midway (let's say Colle Val D'Elsa area), preferably in a farmhouse (agriturismo). Without a rental car, in Tuscany I would base myself in Florence, the transportation hub for Tuscany. Second choice, maybe Siena (depending on what you want to see in Tuscany). In the Gulf of Naples you don't need a car. Sorrento or Positano are good choices. Sorrento is more logistically equipped to be a base without a car. In Rome you don't need a car either. Base yourself in Rome to visit also Orvieto and Ostia Antica. For Umbria, you can visit it from your Tuscany's hub described above, if you have a car. Without a car, it might be better to get another 'hub' in Perugia, the Umbrian regional capital.

Thanks very much. I'll check this out with the books and maps. (Just realized this site does not use spell check....Ha...) Cheers,
Roscoe

For the Tuscany/Umbria region, staying a week and renting a car might be the best approach. For most other places, the train is likely your best option to get from place to place as cars are a huge hindrance in pretty much all downtown areas. Try to stay at least 2-3 nights in all the places you visit, as it takes time to pack and move to a new hotel every day. Rome wasn't built in a day, and would be impossible to see in a day as well...

I agree with Angela that Tuscany is best spent at a single location, using a car to do day trips. I would read some guidebooks and decide how long to stay based on the number of towns you would like to visit. I found we were able to do two smaller towns per day. Florence and Siena each deserve a whole day. You might like staying in an Agriturismo. I can recommend a fantastic one just outside siena if you are interested. Travel by train for the rest of your trip, but don't plan on changing locations every day. It is too time consuming. Keep in mind that two nights in a location gives you one full day there. I would spend at least 3 nights in Rome. In addition to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, what do you want to see? Two weeks isn't a ton of time to "see and do a lot" and the time will go quickly.

It all depends on what you want to see. If you want to go to lots of small villages in Tuscany, then you will want to rent a car. But since this is your first time to Italy and you'll be hitting the major attractions, I suggest you pass on renting a car. I find cars to be quite a hassle in Italy, and it's so easy to get a ticket without even knowing it that I prefer the train. You said it yourself: "A train car and glass of wine is more like it." You can very easily fill a two month itinerary solely with fascinating places that are easily accessible by train. And no surprise tickets for $200 showing up in the mail a year later. The other great thing about train travel is that you can easily converse with each other, everyone can enjoy the scenery, and the train is not going to take a wrong turn and get lost. :-) Get the Rick Steves Italy book, read it, and decide exactly what places you want to visit. Spend at least 2 nights each place, with 3 being much better. His books are great at laying out the logistics of getting to each place.

rosco, It's difficult to suggest which method will be best without knowing which places you're going to be visiting. Once you have somewhat of an Itinerary worked out, post here again and I'm sure the group will have lots of good suggestions. As someone else mentioned, I'd highly recommend having a look at the Italy Guidebook, as that has an enormous amount of information not only on sightseeing but also hotels, transportation, etc. I believe the 2014 edition will be released in October. Check the "Guidebooks" section of this website for the exact date. Travel by train is the easiest way to get around, but again that depends on the location. There are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of both with train travel and car travel. If you need further information, post another note. Good luck with your planning!

Hi Rosco, If you want to go from Florence to Amalfi Coast, no need to waste time flying in/out of Rome. Fly into Florence and fly out of Naples. This will definitely save you time, and the cost difference may be none when you consider train tickets between those cities. I concur with the suggestion to travel by train. European trains are so easy & nice, and it's a good chance for you to talk about your next destination. My husband & I travel by train there, and it saves a lot of time & frustration. Plus, usually we can pack a sandwich and be ready to go when we arrive. I would plan two days minimum at each overnight site, and avoid the wasted time from a hub & spoke plan. Pack light, and enjoy your trip!

I'd include Venice on a first trip. I don't think you will be happy with only 2 days in Rome. You just can't do it all at once. You're about my age and I watched I Claudius back in the day. Livia and the others were real people. If you go to the top floor of the National Museum, not always in most people's top list of priorities, you can see actual walls and furnishings from her house. I know you want to once over in museums but I spent most of a day one year just open three floors of that building. I'd think of 4 full days in Rome or get an apartment for a week there, maybe in the Prati where I stayed last year and while keeping the apartment have a night or 2 in Sorrento or Naples. Back to the apartment the. 4 days in Tuscany, and start the trip with a few days in Venice. Most flight returning to the US are very early from Venice and Venice is a good place to recover from jetlag. You're not counting flying days or arrival days in your 14, right?

I agree that adding Venice on a first trip is a good idea, but since you plan to return, it's not essential. If you fly into Rome tou may not feel like hitting the ground running, so I would add a day to Rome. Flying into Florence (or Venice) and out of Naples is a good idea to save backtracking. I try to avoid one-nighters and keep daytrips to about 90 minutes' travel time each way, but I also like to get the feel of a city after the daytrippers are gone, so in your place I would use the daytrip idea for part of the trip and spend at least two nights each in other places.

Just to emphasize a few things already said. With a plane change you can go anywhere in Italy to start and end your trip, so you needn't start or end in Rome unless you want to. Do NOT feel you have to see any particular place on this trip. Lots of people are bound to tell you that you cannot miss Rome, or Venice, or the Amalfi Coast, or the Lakes, or the Cinque Terre, or rural Tuscany, or... And pretty soon, you will have two months of stuff to fill your 14 day trip. Don't fall into that trap. See what you feel is your priority for you first 14 day trip, don't worry about what you don't see (no matter what anyone else says about how "essential" it is) and assume you will return. My first trip to Italy was Milan, Venice, and Florence (with daytrips to Siena, Lucca, and Pisa). Many were shocked that I wasn't going to Rome, but it just didn't draw me at that time. However, on that trip I not only fell in love with Italy, but developed a strong desire to go to Rome on my next trip; I did, and loved it. I've now taken a total of 6 trips, and am thinking of a 7th. Who knows how I would have felt if I had gone to Rome on that first trip, merely out of "obligation"? I personally think a major place like Rome is best seen for either a 3 day minimum or not at all. But I just contradicted my last two paragraphs. If you only want to see a few things in Rome (particularly if it's the end of your trip and it's easiest to end there for your flight home), you certainly can spend just one or two days there, with a plan to see more at another time.

To all of the latest replies....Many thanks and great stuff. Each one gives a new look and perspective and something to toss around with our travel partners. Keep the comments coming. We were all together Sunday at a local winery kicking all the ideas around.
Cheers, Roscoe

Here's one tip for you: When you find a restaurant that you really enjoy, go back the next night. It's so flattering to the owner and staff that they'll likely embrace you almost as family. We did this at a restaurant in Rome (Marco G in Trastevere) and you would think we were longtime regulars. The same holds true for going back to a cafe/bar for breakfast.