2 possibly tineraries

I like option #2. While Pompeii is a long day trip from Rome, at least you have one less change of location for overnight. Florence to Sorrento is a long trip for two nights. If Pompeii is your only reason for going to Sorrento, then do it as a day trip from Rome.

I agree with Laurel. Your trip is too short for a stay in Sorrento. Use one of your days in Rome to see Pompeii (get up really early). Without a car, I don't think you will be able to visit Siena and San Gimignano in one day. Since Florence isn't a priority, stay in Sienna. Visit Florence by checking your luggage at the Florence train station for the day and see the sights. You could do this either between Venice and Siena or between Siena and Rome. Visit San Gimi as a day trip from Siena. This saves one time-consuming hotel change.

Since you are already at the airport, why not find a cheap flight to Venice on oct.11? It would almost give you an extra day to work with. In which case I like option 1 with the extra added to either Venice or sorrento.

If you have already purchased your tickets.....just suck it up, get on a train immediately for venice after you arrive in Rome. Sleep a little on train. Venice needs more than 2 nights in my opinion. We have done this a few times and have survived (flew into Munich, got on a train to Vienna; Flew into Madrid, got on a train to Seville) If you haven't purchased your tickets, fly into Venice and out of ROme to save time wasted in transit backtracking.

We flew into Venice and out of Rome -- it wasn't much more, especially when factoring in the train ticket cost and your entire day on the train. One thing to keep in mind is a day trip to Pompeii is about 12 hours,so you may not want to do that on your last day. I personally didn't need three days in Rome so you could take that (and your full day on the train) for time in Sorrento at then end and just fly out of Naples.

I would just point out that Sue said at the beginning of her post " I have to fly in and out of Rome" and that her flight lands at 9.00 at night. Even if there are no delays and she only has carry-on luggage, it will be too late for a flight to Venice that night.

I read that Pompeii was in the middle of extensive reconstruction, and this is not the best time to visit. It's about 150 miles to Naples from Rome via train, and it'd make for a long day trip.
You could stay a little more time in Florence, and take a bus out to Volterra or some other hilltowns for a day.

thanks I'll have to look into that and see if
it will be a waste of my time

The fast train between Rome and Naples takes an hour and 10 minutes. You can leave Rome at 7.35 and be in Naples at 8.45. You can leave Naples at 7 p.m. and be back in Rome at 8.10 p.m. (or 7.30/8.40 p.m.), leaving plenty of time to see Pompeii.

Sue, please allow to give some alternatives: 1. Venice is a long way from the rest of your stops. Could you save it for another time? You will spend a lot of time getting there and back. 2. Sorrento is a great place to visit and you could do the Amalfi coast day trip which is interesting. Also possibly Capri. 3. Read up on Ostia Antica, a short train/metro trip from Rome. It is much closer and more convenient than Pompeii but you see many of the same types of ruins. It is featured in the R Steves book. Bon voyage!

1. Venice is a long way from the rest of your stops. Not true. Venice is 2 hours from Florence, and 3:45 hours from Rome. From Rome, it takes as much time to get to Sorrento as it does to get to Venice. So I would not let that prevent you from visiting Venice.

I have a 7am train booked to Venice, which gets me there at 10:30. so I think I will still have plenty of time in Venice. my concern was enough time in Florence and getting to Pompeii. which is high on my husband's list. I think rather than a long trip from Rome, I'll just shoot down to Sorrento spend 1 day relaxing there and head to Pompeii on my way to rome