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30 days in Italy end of August Itinerary help

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We are planning a month in Italy and want to spend time in Sicily, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, Puglia and Emilia-Romagna. We definitely enjoy experiencing culture through food and drink and plan to do many food centered tours and experiences. We are traveling from London and returning to Portsmouth UK.

How would you lay out the itinerary using what modes of transportation to transfer from place to place?

We initially thought we would start in Sicily, 6-7 nights, then have the Amalfi coast as our centerpiece where we would spend the most time.

After realizing we will be there during high season and really hate being shoulder to shoulder with people day in and day out, we are leaning towards Sorrento as a base and taking two day trips to the Amalfi coast, one driven, one boat to explore but still trying to figure that out. A friend recommended a specific dinner experience and a specific cooking experience, so trying to figure out the transportation from Sorrento to Positano for those experiences is proving to be a challenge.

Currently this is what we are thinking:

  • Sicily, 6-7 nights, (Cefalu and Taormina)
  • Sorrento, 5 nights, as a base to see Positano and the Amalfi coast
  • Capri, 2 nights,
  • Salerno, 3 nights,
  • Puglia, 4-5 nights, Bari as a base to explore Matera, Polignano a Mare, Alberbello, Ostuni, Cisternino, possibly Lecce and finish with
  • Bologna, 7 nights as a base to explore Modena, Ferrara, Parma, Ravenna.

We are open to mixing up the order of destinations as well. We originally planned to fly from London to Sicily but would consider the train as an option.

Posted by
6285 posts

Sounds like a fun trip. Just wondering if you've looked at what the weather might be like in those areas in August.

Posted by
5409 posts

You have done a lot of planning and research, and seem to understand the realities on the ground.
I would explore the Amalfi Coastline by boat tour, and skip the road tour. You are sitting in a car for 50% of the trip taking the driving option. The AC road trip is about nine hours, so half of that is sitting in congested traffic. We did the drive with private driver this past May, 2023, and after reading here afterwards, had wished we had just explored via boat.
Positano is highly overrated, just high-end shops, black pebbles on the beach, and hundreds of steps. I did not feel any magic.
I really liked the vibe of Sorrento, great for wandering, and great eating. Try David's Gelato by the train station, the best I've ever had, and look into the gelato- making classes.
Are you going to Pompeii and the Archeology Museum in Naples?
Transportation is a challenge , as there is no efficient or quick mode beyond Naples to the south. What is your tolerance level for discomfort? I'm sure you have already read here about the limitations of each mode. There is a wealth of info already posted here, and this topic is coming up now 2-3 times a week. Also review the Trip Reports posted here, they contain detailed, practical info that will be very helpful to you.
Secure lodging asap! All those crowds are sleeping somewhere, and many of them have booked lodging months ago.
Have a great trip, and safe travels.

Posted by
755 posts

Your itinerary looks doable and you know that it will be hot and crowded at your destinations, especially Sorrento and Capri. It would make sense to fly into Sicily to start your journey. You didn’t mention the alternative plan. I am wondering, however, why you want to spend time in Salerno if you are going to be accessing the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento? Was it to visit Paestum? You won’t need three nights for that.

Posted by
7646 posts

Since you like cooking classes, check out Awaiting Tables at Lecce. And I would definitely take a cooking class in Palermo, also. Just curious why you chose Cefalu as a base instead of Palermo with a day trip out to Cefalu?

In Puglia are you planning to rent a car, so you’re not backtracking by train or bus each day? If you are renting a car, I would pick a base that’s more central (and maybe a little nicer) than Bari.

I hope you’re able to go see Paestum while in Salerno. It’s an easy train ride. Also, Salerno has a great passeggiata.

Even though the northern Italian cities will be hot, too, I would place them at your potentially hottest week of your trip. So, if your trip is ending in late September, begin with Bologna and end with Sicily or Puglia.

Posted by
7646 posts

Taking a stab at your order of itinerary, but it also depends on which locations are the most convenient for you to arrive & depart back to the UK.

Fly into Bologna.
Take the train to Salerno. We were glad there were some times, such as 8:27 or 9:27am where you don’t need to make any train connections on your route.
Enjoy the Amalfi Coast.
Fly over to Sicily from Naples?
Enjoy Sicily. Fly from Sicily to either Brindisi or Bari.

Enjoy the Puglia region & fly home.

Posted by
3 posts

@pat
Thank you so much for the information you shared. I suspect we will feel the same about Positano. I appreciate the gelato recommendation!

Posted by
1227 posts

getting from Salerno to Bari will be quicker with a car than by public transit including flying, and Puglia is easier to explore with a car than by train or bus. We were in Lecce last fall and used public transit only, if doing it again I think I'd lean towards having a car. Personally I'd stay in a smaller city like Trani instead of Bari; feels a bit safer and is more picturesque. With 5 nites you could spend two of them in Lecce, drop off the car, and take the train up to Bologna or fly there.

Personally I'd take days away from Sorrento, 2-3 days there is fine if you're not going to Naples and Pompeii, and add them to Puglia which has much more to see and extends much farther (almost 200 miles in length). And since you mention boats more time would let you visit Vieste and the islands offshore.

Posted by
795 posts

I agree with the poster about not needing 3 nights in Salerno if you are using Sorrento to see the Amalfi Coast. I HATE that road along the coast (and if you're stuck in traffic it doesn't relax me) and I try to avoid it at all costs. If it were me, I would visit the coast from Salerno or actually STAY in Positano to do those experiences that you are interested in. If you weren't going to do many trips from Sorrento to Naples, then I would be satisfied with just two nights in Sorrento before moving to Capri and then Positano to explore the coast.

I LOVE Salerno, but I use it for my daytrips to other places. Beyond just strolling around town along the corso or lungomare I could probably only find a day's worth of activities for "sightseeing" (the duomo, municipal museum, castle, and gardens). My day trips have been Paestum (usually combined with a trip later that afternoon up the hill to Vietri), Amalfi/Ravello, Positano, Capri, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Naples, and even farther away, Caserta for the palace.

My thoughts would lean towards:
Sicily 6-7 nights
Fly to Naples in the early morning hopefully
Get to Sorrento, 2 nights
spend the afternoon and following day "around" that area
Ferry to Capri, 2 nights
Ferry to Positano, 3 nights do your dinner and other cooking class experience
Ferry to Salerno, 3 nights at the MOST if you're doing Paestum and possibly a trip to the Naples area (the ruins or museums) or just wandering around
rent a car in Salerno or Naples and do what another poster said, drive to Puglia (because it's a BEAR getting down there from Campania and would come in handy when you're there) to a quaint town (possibly not Bari?)
and then a flight up to Bologna....

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