Looking for some advice/guidance on an upcoming trip in May. My husband and I have been to Italy a few times on cruises. We decided to spend 16 nights traveling the country on our own. We already purchased our tickets flying round trip from Mia to FCO. I was thinking of taking the train down to Sorrento for 5 nights and using that as a base for day trips since we love the Amalfi coast. Next I thought we would take the train to Florence and spend 6 nights taking day trips to Siena, Lucca, Montecatini. Finally we would take the train to Venice for the remaining 5 nights and fly out last day to Rome and connect flight to MIA. Not sure if we have realistic itinerary for the amount of time. Welcome any advice,suggested changes to make our trip great.
Michele
Posted by
Washington DC
28470 posts
I would definitely not plan to fly from Venice to Rome on the day of your transatlantic flight home if you will not be flying on a single ticket for both flights. If something goes significantly wrong with that first flight (it could even be canceled), you could miss the FCO-MIA flight and have to buy replacement one-way transatlantic tickets to get home.
I don't see anything wrong with your time allocation, but since you obviously enjoy cruising, why not try to spend a bit more time in places that are not quite as accessible to the usual cruise ports, since I imagine you may return to those in the future? Perhaps visit Padua-Vicenza-Verona, the lake district, or Bologna-Ravenna-Ferrara-etc.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
How about this - from FCO go to Florence. There are frequent trains from Rome's Termini station, or you may even catch a train direct from FCO. Next take the train to Venice. Then fly to Naples and ferry, local Circumvesuviana train, or private transfer to Sorrento. Finally go to Rome for your last night, via Naples.
If you have an afternoon or evening departure from FCO, you could go to Florence last, and not spend your last night in Rome, but with the distances between Venice and Sorrento, I don't think it would make a big difference to start in Venice and the go from Sorrento to Florence.
It's complicated to go from FCO to Sorrento and you want to keep it simple after the transatlantic flight, jetlagged and with little sleep.
The overall plan sounds absolutely lovely. The allocation of days depends on what you want to see and do in each place.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Chani's plan is good. Look into the train from Venice to Naples and compare it with the plane. Getting to Venice's airport is time consuming and/or expensive, so train may may work out even with plane on total time.
Whatever you do, you want to be in Rome the night before your flight. As acraven says, the consequences of missing that flight are high.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
I like your itinerary, which bases you in Sorrento, Florence and Venice for several days each, but I’d suggest returning to Rome by train for the last 1 or 2 nights. Sorrento is a relaxing way to begin a 2 week trip to Italy, something I’ve done myself a couple of times. Many of the non-cruise towns mentioned by others are easy day trips from the home-base cities you’re considering, with Ravenna being the longest (2 hours minimum each way from Florence).
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you everyone for your wonderful advice. We will reconfigure the trip heading North first then down to Naples/Sorrento and spend the last day in Rome.
Michele