16 Nites in Italy - Seeing What I Want

And the question is ???? Silly or unrealistic ? Pretty much the same. Ten locations (?) in 16 days is unrealistic. But you know that.

Why do you believe Rick Steves published Best Trip to Italy in 22 days to: Milan, Varenna, Castelrotto, Venice, Florence, Vernazza, Siena, Assissi, Civita, Sorrento and Rome? Since I cannot believe that RS was unrealistic, I patterned myself on his knowledge It's actually 21 days because his first day is arriving in Milan.

Howard, you posted 3 threads in as many minutes. Take a deep breath and consolidate them into one comprehensible thread asking exactly what you want help with.

Thanks. The various helpful responses, precipitated my furher explanations and clarity. I'm grateful for the input.

You may not want to believe that RS's suggested itineraries are silly or unrealistic, but many of us do not like them at all (and I say that as a general fan of his). Are they doable? Yes. Are they a good idea? For me, only if you have a terminal illness and thus are sure you will never return, and if you are determined to be on the move for your whole trip. Some good general principles to remember when planning an itinerary:
1. You cannot travel as fast on your own as you can on a guided tour. The tourguide and bus driver know the way, and do all the figuring for you. When you do it yourself, you have to allow extra time for this. For instance, when you arrive in a new city, you have to locate your hotel; on a tour, they take you right to it. The same is true about getting between places once you're in a city. The tourguide can take you from the Vatican to the Colosseum quickly (and they know the alternate routes if there's any disruption); if you're on your own, you have to figure it out. 2. Two nights in a city equals one full day. Three nights in a city equals two full days. But one night in a city is less than a full day (which can be fine for some places). 3. Getting between even close together places (like Rome and Naples) takes a half day. You check out of the Rome hotel, get to the train station, take the train, get from the Naples station to your hotel, and check in (or drop your bags if the room isn't ready). If you are connecting two farther away places, or if you're flying instead of using a train, you have to allow most of the day. It's your trip, so do what you want. But we'd be remiss in our desire to help if we didn't point out the pitfalls of Rick's "Amazing Race" style itineraries.

I travelled to Italy last May, seeing 6 cities in 13 days. Saw LOTS! But I agree that it was exhausting, and a great deal of my time was spent on trains and buses. I regret not spending more time in several places, particularly Verona and Siena where I spent only one night each. They certainly deserved more! Venice only got 2 nights, but next time I will try for 4-5 nights as it is such a unique and romantic place and with so much history. You never really get to know a place when you are just breezing thru town for a couple hours.

Completely agree with Harold, but one extra point is getting only yourself on the move is a lot quicker than traveling with a group of people! If they've never been there before, instead of piling everyone on a train/bus or in a car every second day , why not spend 4 nights Rome, down to Naples/Amalfi, North to Florence and then Venice? Let them actually relax and see something! Stay at least 3 nights in those locations after Rome!

OK. I get it and thanks for your input. The 10 of us need to hire and pay for a tour to handle escorted tours, transfers from the airport, train stations and sights, bus, fast trains, hotels, museum tickets, figure out the timing, when things are open or closed to do as much of Rick Steves Best Italy trip as wil;l fit. The places I want to see are: Dolomites, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Naples Archiological Museum, Rick Steve's Naples Walk, the Amalfi Coast and whatever else reasonably fits into my 16 days. Thanks my fellow travelers

In 16 nights, I would stay in four places with possibly a side-trip or two from each place. I took a RS tour of Italy about 10 years ago; it's easier to make numerous stops when on a tour. We visited lots of places, some for a couple of hours on our way to somewhere else. When you are in charge of your own transportation, lodging, etc. transferring between cities takes more time and effort. To visit the majority of towns and cities on the list: 1) Venice without sidetrips (just walk, walk, walk and take the vaporetto to the islands), 2) Cinque Terre with a side-trip to Portofino, 3) Florence, with a side-trip to one or two towns in Tuscany (by train or bus), 4) Rome, with a side-trip to Naples but not as far as the Amalfi Coast. If you skip Rome, you could stay in Sorrento and take a bus along the Amalfi Coast.

FWIW, Howard ISN'T referring to RS' Tours; these are Rick's suggested itineraries for independent travelers, published in his books and right here on his website. Howard is NOT trying to compete with a professionally-run tour operator. Having said that... I know from experience that traveling with my husband and traveling with ONLY two additional people Took.So.Much.More.Time.To.Do.Anything!!! And you're talking about 10 people. BTW, who are these people, and what ages are we talking about? Any physical limitations? Do these 10 people need to go everywhere, do everything, together? Or, can you base yourselves somewhere and various clusters of the 10 go on day trips/excursions? Maybe some want to see the Uffizi, while some prefer to wander the streets or see churches...or sleep in... (The above is 'pasted' in another of Howard's threads.)

Howard isn't asking for advice. He's asking for approval. I quit. Lots of good practical ideas and advice offered.

Howard, I'll try to refrain from telling you that your planned Itinerary is "silly or unrealistic" but as you're no doubt aware, visiting 10 locations in 16 days will allow about 1.6 days in each spot which doesn't include travel times. Does your 16 day time frame include your two flight days? Given that your destinations are quite geographically distant, travel times will definitely be an issue, especially by car and especially with a group. With reference to your other Thread about the RS suggested Itinerary, it's interesting that the places on the list are pretty much the same as the RS 17-day Italy tour. I've always felt that Rick's "suggested Itineraries" are overly ambitious and not practical for most people. While the Itinerary you're planning may be theoretically feasible, it's going to be very difficult to realistically achieve. My suggestion (FWIW) would be to pare down your list to allow a more relaxed and enjoyable trip. Happy travels!