15 Day Tour of Italy Itinerary

I think it's important to keep in mind that 2 nights is only 1 full day with days of packing, checking out, travelling, checking-in and unpacking on either side.

You really have 1 (jet lagged) day in Venice and then will realistically spend 7-8 hours door to door getting from Venice to CT to spend an evening and 1 full day there and then spend 4-5 hours getting to Siena the next day. This doesn't sound like a relaxing vacation enjoying Italy it sounds like a tour of the travel logistics of Italy.

Having limited time means having to make hard choices and 6 locations in 15 days is too many. If you're going to do the Amalfi Coast I would drop CT and split the days with Venice and Florence. So you have 3 nights - 2 full days - in each which is barely enough but is better. Also Venice > Florence > Siena really cuts down on your travel time and complexity.

Siena deserves at least a day for Siena proper and you should arrange a tour, or rent a car, for a one day tour of nearby towns if you want to do that. The trip to Sorrento will be a long travel day but it should be the only one.

My $.02, have a great trip,
=Tod

Hey Mary, this sounds like a first time visit? This is waaay too much. You’ll never slow down, but rather spend too much of your time traveling and packing/unpacking. Two weeks is a good amount of time to do the “Big 3” with your teens and still fit in Sorrento. Our first time we flew into Naples and went straight to Sorrento, and from there we did a wonderful tour of the Amalfi Coast with a Mondo guide, did a beautiful sail around Capri, and visited Pompei. We then spent four nights in Rome. Three full days was still packed, but we still had time to wander and slow down here and there. Then we spent four nights in Florence with a day tour to Siena and San Gim and we did a pizza making and gelato class. Even with the crowds, we loved seeing David, visiting the Uffizi, we missed the Galileo Museum, but we plan to go back for that. Then we ended in Venice and flew home from there. Many don’t like flying out of Venice, but we managed. Whatever you decide, have a magical time!

we like to see the highlights in the cities and slow down in the unique towns and villages.

IMO, it's too much wasting your limited vacation time moving around. Every time you change hotels, you kill a half day; more if you are traveling long distances like some of these. Also, since you mention teens, you're traveling during the peak summer time. That's a particular problem for a place like Cinque Terre but it's true for all of your destinations. Places are gonna be crowded, hot and expensive. You're overlaying a pretty frenetic pace on the background. And those "highlights" you want to see....they are the most crowded things in those already crowded cities.

Specific suggestions:
= Maybe try to back off off on the idea of trying to see "everything" in Italy in 15 days. Less is more. Focus less on bucket list sites and more on what types of memories you want to create.
= On a 15-day trip, where is your "laundry day" where everybody decompresses, spends time away from each other and rests with nothing scheduled and no sites to see?
= You want to slow down and enjoy villages? Sounds great, mix some of that in.
= Eliminate a couple of your destinations. Cinque Terre seems most ripe for trimming.
= Sorrento/Amalfi time is really packed given the hassle of getting to and from. Extend your time or eliminate it. A Pompeii day trip from Rome is an option if that's absolutely a bucket list... bring a hat and sunscreen!
= It wouldn't be crazy to eliminate Rome from this trip and replace it with something less crowded. All of those bucket list sites you want to show your kids will be mobbed. And they really are worthwhile sites, so see them when you can better enjoy them. If Rome is an inbound or outbound airport, maybe scale way back and do a Rome version of one of Rick's "Paris Floodlight Taxi Tours". (Scratch the itch but save going inside for another trip)
= You said you want to make the best of your trip? "Best" doesn't equal "more sites crammed in". That is a recipe for a much worse vacation; especially with teens.

I agree with all the suggestions so far, and would definitely eliminate le Cinque Terre from the itinerary.

The Amalfi Coast and Capri are wonderful places to visit, but not as day trips from Sorrento. Visit them when you can allocate proper time, and four or five hours each is not enough. I would eliminate Sorrento, add nights to Venice, Florence and Rome. Visit Pompeii as a day trip from Rome.

Venice 3 nights
CT 2 nights
Siena 3 nights
Florence 3 nights
Rome 4 nights (Pompeii day trip)

CT is nice and two nights is a good amount of time, you don’t need to eliminate it.

Agree with all above- too many locations and too much time spent on getting to and from.

Have you booked flights yet?
If not—try flying In to Venice, out of Naples. That will eliminate the backtracking and wasted time spent traveling.
Drop CT- it is overcrowded and too much hassle/time to get there

With 15 nights I would suggest:

Venice 3 nights

Florence or Siena 4 nights- you can day trip to Florence from Siena or vice versa, day trip Tuscan hill towns from either

Rome 4 nights

Sorrento 4 nights- you need this much time to just accomplish what you want to do in the area and it is a time consuming hassle to get there. This area is also extremely overcrowded and not a place usually suggested for a first visit to Italy.

If your flight out of Naples is before noon you may need to stay in Naples the night before flight- so I guess take that night from Rome

Thank you all for your honest feedback. Hard choices...this is what I've come up with and think it will be much more enjoyable. Our flights are booked already - into Venice, out of Rome.
Venice 3N -> Florence (or Siena) 4N -> Sorrento 4N -> Rome 4N

Yeah, that sounds much more sane. Make sure you do your due diligence in the pros/cons of renting a car in Italy. I've been there 4 times and haven't driven yet--I LOVE the trains and visit places I can access via Trenitalia. But to each his own....

Not a bad plan, except you aren't spending much time at each location. 2 N at Florence and 3 N at Rome is way too little.

I suggest that you eliminate either CT or the Naples area. Personally, I liked the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Sorrento more than CT.

Siena is great to do day trips, but you need one day just to see the city. Don't miss San Gimignano.
https://www.visittuscany.com/en/towns-and-villages/san-gimignano/

I also loved Volterra and Lucca.

Mary
The new itinerary is perfectly fine

You didn’t say when this trip is but I am assuming summer so I would start by booking something in Sorrento ASAP

hey hey Mary
as others mentioned too many places but have seen your revisal. as ChristineH asks when is this trip?
italy will be very busy and crowded, with all the places you want to see is what thousands of others are planning or have planned. do you have hotels/apts booked? finding family rooms or apartments may be full and may have slim pickens for all of you.
you will need an IDP (aaa.com/IDP) to drine which is mandatory in italy, before leaving. read the rules/laws, ZTL zones, parking with costs (book places with parking), how big to fit you and luggage, safety with parking and luggage in car
start looking ASAP for places to stay and book them.
check-in times to hotels 3-4pm and check-out times 10-11am, moving around takes up to half a day or more which cuts back of visiting towns/cities. what time is flight from rome back home, at least 3 hours before flight going thru immigration/passport, your transportation ways. sometimes cars can hamper lots of things. good luck, ask more questions if need be for more help
aloha

.this is what I've come up with and think it will be much more enjoyable. Our flights are booked already - into Venice, out of Rome.
Venice 3N -> Florence (or Siena) 4N -> Sorrento 4N -> Rome 4N

This is MUCH better than the original proposal.

This gives you time to enjoy being there and have happy memories of Italy vs a blur of moving from place to place.

You said you want to experience small towns and villages. I think that experience will be a really nice counterpart to big city Italy but there’s nothing built in to your itinerary. Are you thinking day trips from Florence or Siena?

You said you want to experience small towns and villages. I think that experience will be a really nice counterpart to big city Italy but there’s nothing built in to your itinerary. Are you thinking day trips from Florence or Siena?

Yes, definitely day trips from one of those.

"Venice 3N -> Florence (or Siena) 4N -> Sorrento 4N -> Rome 4N"

This is more sensible, great changes. When is your trip? It makes a difference in terms of heat, hassle & hotels. Be sure to book hotels with air con in the summer! I think Florence will be a better base than Siena IF you want to see Renaissance architecture & museums? But it will be busy. I love Siena, wouldn't mind staying there 4 nights, it's delightful when the day trippers leave. Lots of train travel, hope you're packing very light!

"Sorrento 3N (day trip Pompeii, Amalfi coast, Capri)"

If it's during the summer, Pompeii will be very hot. And crowded. You mentioned this might be the last trip to Italy for some time, consider taking a tour from Sorrento to Pompeii. We loved our Askos tour, but it didn't include transpo. I've seen other posters who've taken a boat tour of the AC, that would be my choice given how many tourists flock to the region. Capri was beautiful,
but decades ago. I would just skip it, you don't really have time with only 3 nights. Stay in a nicer hotel in Sorrento & just enjoy some time by the pool, you will need a break by then! https://youtu.be/Lif5hTKwGIo?si=UwCRvE0AGzP0qcoz

You really only have 2.5 days to see Rome? Let us know what you might like to see. Have a great trip!

Just to clarify - for anyone who hasn't read through the entire thread - the OP's new itinerary is:

Venice 3N -> Florence (or Siena) 4N -> Sorrento 4N -> Rome 4N

A big improvement over the first stab: Good job, Mary! To do your desired trips to Pompeii, Amalfi coast and Capri, you need 4 nights and 3 FULL days... which you now have. Pompeii will not take ALL day (Nor will you want it to given summer heat; go first thing in the morning!) so take the rest of that day to kick back, spend some time at the hotel pool (yes, book one with a pool!) and generally catch your breath. They close the main street in Sorrento in the evenings so it's a great time to cruise the shops. Head over to Villa Comunale park at dusk with some gelato and watch the lights twinkle on all around the bay below.

Capri has some nice hikes that your family may enjoy. Yes, it will be hot but that's a nice activity for active teens, and a way to escape the mob in the main parts of Capri and Anacapri towns. Just take your time. No tours needed. Give a shout if wanting some suggestions there?

What I'd skip? Blue Grotto. This is why (browse the reviews): https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g488299-d195537-Reviews-Blue_Grotto-Anacapri_Island_of_Capri_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

While not EVERYONE came away wishing they'd skipped it, there were enough red flags to give it a miss without FOMO. I also wouldn't plan on spending much time in Positano, if your AC coast trip includes it, as there's very little to do there, and it is reported to have become an Instagram circus since last we were briefly there.

Whether you choose Siena or Florence as your base (I'm an art geek so Florence was heaven for me; for your family, maybe not) you can also take another day trip if one day in each - and you DO need a full day for each) will do ya. Skip the car: you don't need it and don't have a lot of time to go rambling about anyway. Your last day might also be the one for tackling the laundry before heading off Sorrento and Rome. :O)

With all there is to see in Rome, plus the heat and crowds, you'll be glad you tacked on another day! Think about just doing one of the most-visited attractions per day? For instance, do NOT try to do the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine and Vatican museums on the same day. In fact, if your teens find art museums a giant yawn, there's no shame in skipping the overrun Vatican Museums. You could also see if it offers special weekend late hours this season to try and take it on with maybe fewer bodies to contend with and quicker trot to the Sistine. No news on those hours yet but keep an eye on the Vatican's website. Anyway, limiting time spent in the middle of the densest mobs will help manage sightseeing fatigue.

Our first Italian itinerary with 2 teens was 4 nights Venice, 4 nights Cinque Terra, 5 nights Sorrento and 5 nights Rome. We chose Cinque Terra for hiking and swimming. We did a boat trip to Capri that went around the island and we swam in a couple spots. We were supposed to do the blue grotto but there was a boat vote and we lost- I still regret not getting to see it. We loved the individual chair lift ride to see the view on Capri. We went to Pompeii in the morning and had a quick lunch and then headed to Herculaneum. We loved Herculaneum so much more than Pompeii. I hope you have a great trip- ask the teens what they want to see, try to do one thing from each person's list.