2 week itinerary suggestions for Italy May-June

If your air travel is fixed and you leave from Rome, then make Rome your last location. Saves the stress of making a long distance dash to the airport.

Sorrento gives you a better base of operation to do day trips, whether it be Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Capri. If you want to day trips Sorrento is probably better. If soaking up Italian sun is what you want, then Positano is probably the better choice

You will have to decide if you want to see a wider scope, i.e. the Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, or spend more time in a smaller geographic area and see it in greater depth. There is no right or wrong answer, just your choice of what you want to do

I think you are on the right track to want just 3 "destinations"

thanks. But to my questions re: better to go straight from Venice to Sorrento, then back up to Rome? What is the most efficient way to do so? I've heard Sorrento is a good base for the Amalfi coast. But f we opt to stay in Positano, can you do day trips from there to Pompeii and Ravello? Is Positano more known for beaches vs. Sorrento? That's not a priority. I've just heard/seen how charming Positano seems...but, could be done in a day trip from Sorrento, correct?
I'm just trying to sort out the easiest way to get to the Amalfi coast. Is there a train from Naples to Sorrento? Are there ferries (in May/June) from Sorrento to Positano, for instance?

better to go straight from Venice to Sorrento, then back up to Rome? What is the most efficient way to do so? I've heard Sorrento is a good base for the Amalfi coast. But f we opt to stay in Positano, can you do day trips from there to Pompeii and Ravello? Is Positano more known for beaches vs. Sorrento? That's not a priority. I've just heard/seen how charming Positano seems...but, could be done in a day trip from Sorrento, correct?
I'm just trying to sort out the easiest way to get to the Amalfi coast. Is there a train from Naples to Sorrento? Are there ferries (in May/June) from Sorrento to Positano, for instance?

Yes, Venice for a few days, then AC, then wrap up in Rome. Train to Naples or Salerno from Venice. You may have to change trains in Rome. Then train back to Rome.

If Positano, which has better beaches, it is easier to daytrip to Ravello, harder to Pompeii. To go to Pompeii, you take a bus to Sorrento then the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii Scavi. Conversely, you can easily daytrip to Positano from Sorrento by bus. I don't know personally about the ferry.

Do you have the Rick Steves' Italy Guide? Has great info on touring all three areas.

We took the train from Rome to Naples and then took the circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento (It ends in Sorrento and takes an hour/hour and a half. You can easily find the timetables online but it runs often.) The circumvesuviana train is cheap and I think you just buy tickets there at the Naples station right before you get to the circumvesuviana tracks. It is pretty sketchy and super crowded depending on the time of day, so make sure your valuables are secure. (I wore a money belt and kept a hand on my bags.) If you want to spend more money for a less sketchy option, you can take the ferry but I'm not sure about how long that takes plus you'd have to get from the Naples train station to wherever the ferry leaves.

My husband and I stayed 3 nights in Sorrento and loved it. Yes, Positano is very charming, but you cannot get there by train. Your options are by boat or you can take a bus from Sorrento to Positano (or a taxi). We enjoyed the bus ride and exploring Positano and Amalfi during the day, but if we had had luggage I'm not sure how that would have been. Also, if you want to day trip to Pompeii, stay in Sorrento (again, super easy to reach Pompeii by circumvesuviana from there; it would be harder from Positano). Same with getting back to Rome, it's going to be easier if you're already in Sorrento... Circumvesuviana to Naples.. train to Rome. Hope this helps!

Well, the comments are right on if you want to go to the Amalfi Coast. Train from Venice to Naples (or Salerno), jump a ferry, bus, or train to your chosen place. I did this the other way, Positano to Venice by car then train. It took about 9 hours to get it all in.

However, no one has commented on the Florence/Tuscany idea you mentioned. Obviously, Florence/Venice is directly on your route to either Rome or the Amalfi Coast. So, why not stop there and leave the Coast for the next trip? It would give you more time actually experiencing things in Italy rather than seeing them from a window in a train. Remember, you will basically have spent all the time to get to Italy only to loose one day on a train ride. That isn't all bad but Tuscany might be a better option.

Florence is a spectacular city in its own right, and has easy access to Pisa, Lucca, Siena, and other day trips, even 5 Terre. I think you could have a wonderful trip with either option but Tuscany gives you more time on the ground so to speak.

Gordon makes a good point, but if your heart is set on the AC, you do have another option.

Fly Easyjet from Venice - Naples. Take the Alilaguna boat to the airport. Total travel time is 2H58m. Arrive @ airport 90 min prior to flight. arrive Naples and take the Curreri Viaggi bus to Sorrento 1H 20m
Total travel time 4H48m.
To add, the bus is much more comfortable than the Circumvesuvian, not sketchy at all.

Edit to add bus and ferry timetables AC.

http://www.positano.com

In two weeks you can travel light as RS suggests and see Venice, Amalfi coast, archeological sites and Rome...
The advice to FLY from Venice is good...as it is a whole day traveling otherwise!

Not a fan of Sorrento...if you want to see the Amalfi coast pick a town and settle in for two nights, that is what I did.. the time of year that you are traveling will have ferry service from Naples to Positano and Amalfi..so no train needed anyway....I like the fly to Salerno idea from another poster....

You can choose to ferry back to Naples, and travel on high speed train 1.5 hrs to Rome...on your way back from A/C you can deposit your luggage at the Naples Central train station and take the Circumvensuvia to Herculaneum or Pompeii, see the archeological museum have the famous pizza in Naples...or not and head up to Rome for 3 nights...which is adequate, 4 if you are going to Vatican city...surely you will return, but 3 in Venice, 2-3 nights in Amalfi coast and 4 in Rome at the END will be a good route.

Tuscany can be seen in any season...fall is nice, southern Italy in May ( I am guessing that is when you are going) is amazing...not so many tourists, and great weather usually not blisteringly hot yet! f going to coast and in the water bring flat inexpensive water shoes the $10 kind or you will never get into or out of the water..think slimy pond rocky bottom sea bed....they won't have your size in Italy most likely..or you will spend time looking for them. I saved my co-workers honeymoon by recommending water shoes! LOL Enjoy!

I would do (and have done) Venice-Florence-Rome in two weeks. Florence makes a great base for exploring Tuscany. Pisa-Lucca makes a really nice and easy self-guided day trip via train from Florence. You can also jump into the Chianti region by either self-guided train/bus trips or on escorted trips.

I have a 4-part trip report from two years ago that describes my 14 day trip of Italy. They can be found in the topics I've participated in (click on my user name above and go to about page 8).

If I were to do an Amalfi coast option in your Venice & Rome trip, I would do it in the middle since Rome is the departure city. I would take the train directly from Venice to Salerno (usually changes trains in Rome) and then make your way up the coast from that end. Just keep in mind that any way you do it, you're spending almost an entire day traveling to the Amalfi and then 3-4 hours traveling back up to Rome.

From a logistics and time standpoint, doing Venice-Tuscany-Rome makes a lot more sense. Venice to Florence is two hours by train and Florence to Rome is an hour and a half by train.