3 days in Italy - where to go (not Venice, Florence, or Rome)

Valerie, after a tour like that you'll want a change of pace. Head to the Amalfi Coast and see Pompeii on the way. It will be a great change from big city life, and a great way to unwind before you head back home.

The Cinque Terre is another option with a stop at Pisa on the way there for the obligatory photo shoot. The Amalfi Coast has more varied things to offer a tourist, and the Cinque Terre is even more relaxed.

If you're flying out of Rome then go to the Amalfi Coast. If your flight out of Europe is still flexible then look at the Cinque Terre. Either place would be a great bet.

With only 3 days I head to the Amalfi coast and relax. You will easily fill 3 days and it will be a contrast to the 3 cities you are visiting.

Well, Campania (Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sorrento, Capri & the Amalfi coast) is certainly a nice option - personally I'd base in Sorrento and day trip the area as my wife & I did in 1999.

The problem with Italy is always an embarrasment of riches in possible destinations.

There's also always Lake Como / Guarda and the Italian alps.

Like you , we did Rome, Florence and Venice and then ended our trip with a few days in Umbria. We stayed a few miles from Assisi at La Fornace. It was a wonderfully peaceful place with a pool, a fabulous view of Assisi, spacious rooms and plenty of tiny villages to explore. We enjoyed seeing the "real' Italy in the small towns and we loved Assisi.

I would have to chime in with a vote for Sorrento (see the Amalfi coast and just chill in that lovely coastal area) or Cinque Terre - truely a change from the big cities you will see on the tour. Both options are by the sea and that always seems to be the most relaxing to my husband and I. They are both about the same amount of travel time from Rome by train. If you don't have your return air planned yet you could fly home from Naples (for Sorrento), Pisa or Genova (for Cinque Terre). Capri is pretty but not really that much to do there and $$$- maybe better as a daytrip from Sorrento. If you want a smaller town tham Sorrento, Positano is lovely but a little less convenient to get in and out of (ferry from Naples is probably most efficient).

Two suggestions: Cinque Terre, north of Florence, with magnificent views of the Ligurian Sea or Civita di Bagnoregio, one of Italy's hill towns. Not as far from Rome. Civita is a medival town connected to Bagnoregio by a foot bridge...amazing! We stayed at Romantic Pucci B&B with Pucci and her husband Lamberto. The accomodations were excellent and the food prepared by Lamberto was the best of our trip.

As much as I LOVE the CT area, I would not suggest it during your June time-frame due to the crowds. Do you end your tour in Rome or Venice?

We end in Rome...

Go to Capri. From what I've heard if you can spend two or three nights there it is perfect. that gives one or two full days to explore and rest after your whirlwind touf. Day trips to Capri are no good because it is the night that is special...

I have been to the Cinque Terra and to Capri. I'd vote for Capri and stay overnight and explore. Cinque Terra is very crowded then.

Valerie: The CT is too far away to be the best option for you, given the amount of time you have. Your initial thought, and the recommendations of the others to go someplace closer to Rome is a better option for you on this trip.

Valerie
Forget Capri- it is very busy and in my opinion not worth it. However Sorrento and Positano would not disapoint you. We stayed up in the hill above Sorrento at Il Nido (great view and good restaurant) They will pick you up at the Train station and the shuttle takes you up and down the hill,and in Positano at La Tavalossa(one of Rick Steves) book early it is a small hotel right in the centre of Positano. You can get from Rome to Sorrento by Train and the bus up to Positano.

Valerie, I was in Italy this past Sept and met a couple in the CT that had just come up from the Amalfi coast area and they raved about a town called Minori, just down the coast a bit. They loved it and said they would go back in a heart beat. You might want to google it and see what you think.
Sylvia

I vote for Orvieto. The agriturismo where we stayed was mellow. There was a lovely pool, and in early May it was frigid swimming, but in June it should be lovely. The vineyards and olive trees would be something to see at that time as well. I did not want to leave to go to Rome, but we loved Rome for its unique history. I tend to prefer the quieter places, and you are doing three fantastic cities, and they bombard the mind with imagery and information, which is very stimulating and wonderful in its way. Still, you can stay in Rome and do day trips, which would prevent even more travel time. There are the catacombs, Pompeii as somebody else suggested. One of our guides, Stephanie, lived in Rome for a long time and knows a great deal about it. You may wish to contact her through this website.