2.5 weeks in Italy, help with planning the south

If your top priority is Sicily, why not go there instead? With 2 weeks to work with, you could skip Venice and spend, say, 2 nights in either Bologna or Florence, then 2 nights in Rome, then 2 nights somewhere near Pompeii or Sorrento, take a ferry Naples to Palermo to enjoy Sicily for 5-6 nights, and finally to Brindisi.

If you keep your itinerary as is, please don't try to do day trips to Ravenna and San Marino in just 2 days. You'll go crazy. If you're staying in Bologna, enjoy Bologna.

Well, I wouldn't go to Sicily for just 5 or 6 days; I'd keep it for my next trip. I think it really needs at least 2 weeks. With limited time, I think Puglia is a better option, though it sounds as if you might be a bit short of time there, as well, especially if you stop for one night in Naples. (I don't think you want to drive into Naples, though...) However, it will help if you don't have to drive back to the west coast and can instead drop the car in Brindisi and fly from there to Paris.

I don’t have tickets yet from Brindisi to Paris but I know they’re available. How we return to Paris is very flexible. We don’t need to stop in Naples either. Going back to when we first started planning this trip we hadn’t considered doing anything after Rome, so anything south of Rome is icing on the cake.

I originally thought we should have 4 nights in Bologna but my wife suggested we spend only 3. That’s a good point on not doing the day trips.

Lecce is beautiful and large enough enough to offer a selection of restaurants. Naples with Pompeii is also compeling. You have chosen some wonderful places to visit but need to cut somewhere in your itinerary.

Instead of driving, I'd take trains from Venice to Bologna to Rome.

And I wouldn't drive all the way to Lecce for just a couple of nights. Instead, from Rome, take a train south to Salerno and explore the southern coastline. Take a ferry to Amalfi or Positano. Even though they will be crowded, they are worth a day trip. Rent a car and visit Paestum and some of the smaller towns along the sea. Take time to enjoy your last days in Italy. Then take a train to Naples (probably spending one night) and fly to Paris.

Visit Sicily and Puglia in the future, on separate trips.

Charlene’s suggestions are spot on. I’m currently touring through Puglia (in Matera today) and having a wonderful time. But I have been to Sorento and the Amalfi coast - that is a splendid experience as well. It will be easier to access given the other parameters of your trip, and will allow you to savor your last few days in Italy.

I also wanted to echo that you should reconsider 3 days in Venice. In July it is packed with tourists. It is certainly worth seeing but navigating the crowds will be challenging.

Buon viaggio!

Thanks everyone. Our plans are pretty firm now.

• Venice 2 nights (1 full day) - fly in from Paris, check out Venice but get away from throngs
• Val Gardena 3 nights
• Bologna 3 nights
• Cinque Terre 2 nights
• Florence 2 nights
• Siena 1 night (we thought it would be nice to spend an evening here)
• Rome 3 nights
• Naples 3 nights, then fly back to Paris