Amalfi coast or Puglia

When will the trip take place? I found Sorrento to be crowded but very bearable, but that was last week. I would not have wanted to use the city as a base and the day trips to the islands and the Amalfi Coast..e could see th ferry lines from our terrace and they were very long...people we spoke to who had been on day trips to Capri reported heavy crowds and some said they would not go again to the islands on a day trip. (not would I)

I am in Puglia now and it's been heaven....but wwe are not planning to visit any of the tourist hot spots, as we have been here quite a few times......I love Puglia but my advice would be to get out very early In the mornings to visit the popular towns....or visit in the evenings... Towns like Polignano have become jam-packed during the day and things will get worse as summer begins....

We have had spectacular meals here every night so far..but I do a lot of research on restaurants...booking is essential for many places..

It's desirable to have a car in Puglia...not on the Amalfi Coast.

Again, much depends on when your trip will take place, I'd also be concerned about making hotel reservations at this late dat if you intend to go this summer...

We spent two weeks in Sorrento in April 2023 and loved it, but you've listed scenery as not being important and as far as I'm concerned, that's all the AC is good for. That trip was one of our best ever and I would have absolutely regretted not going. The highlights for us were Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples, as well as Capri. We're making plans for a future trip to Capri for several days which we enjoyed far more than the Amalfi Coast.

I've never been to Puglia and can't compare.

What time of year would that portion fall?
I would find it extremely tedious to set out for day trips from Sorrento every day.

Scenery is important, maybe that was not clear.
It is May next year, part of a 3 month trip.
Am reading varying reports in the crowds
I would skip Capri if too hot and crowded possibly snd the grotto is if no interest as seen similar in other countries
Lemon grove lunch and walk of the lemons are of interest
Just thinking if we would prefer Puglia mainly due to too many people in the heat.
Both would be great but no time

It is usually not until late May that it gets really hot.
If you are not as jazzed about Capri and not going to Pompeii, then you could stay on the Amalfi coast rather than in Sorrento and cut out some of the travel time. After such a long intensive sightseeing trip, I would prioritize something less crowded, but if you have your heart set on seeing the AC, May is a much safer bet than summer.

I would vote for Puglia. After Rome, Florence & Venice, you will be ready for some peaceful, beautiful scenery. I’d rearrange slightly: Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Bologna.

From Bologna, head first to Trani — a lovely little seaport town. Then down the Adriatic coast — if you have a car, the Gargano peninsula would give you spectacular views. Go inland for the trulli villages or Matera. Then to Bari and fly from there to Istanbul (Turkish airlines, about 2 hours).

We have to start in Venice as coming from Salzburg and heading to Istanbul after Italy . Love suggestions of places we may not have thought of.
I’m visiting my daughter in Austria at the moment and the heat wave had made me consider where we go next year a bit. This trip is a very short one just to see her and we haven’t done Europe bee.
Staying on the Amalfi coast itself is not an option as it’s too expensive for us, we are from New Zealand and our dollar is half the USD

Come to Puglia..it's paradise right now (late May)....easy to get away from the bus tours, but you should have a car.

.it's a snap to drive around here...hard to keep my eyes on the road, however, with such glorious scenery passing by!!

I would plan, as bases, some of the less-famous tons, which are every bit as beautiful as the ones everyone talks about....
we were in Noci on Sunday, for example, and I didi not spot one indication of a tourist presence, but the town is just as pretty as all the other famous "white" towns..with endless trulli lining the roads near town....and so easy to drive around here....

Last fall we also found an untouristed gem in Ceglie Messapica.....the options are endless; it'd a very large region with distinct landscapes, architecture and food from place to place....the value, especially in the less discovered towns, is excellent...

I could give you so many examples of the kindness we experienced here, and in Matera, on this current visit....

I wish I had flown Turkish instead of ITA!!

You have not mentioned if car rental is an option—that can greatly affect recommendations, and in May, when traveling by car, I’ve had sites to myself in a handful of regions. You might enjoy Umbria or Marche. Did you specifically want coastal?
The Amalfi coast does have a few bargains still. The place I stayed in Cetara was lovely and less than 100euros per night.

We can hire a car, would not on Amalfi coast though.
We are used to driving on the left though but will be driving around Tuscany
Leaning towards Puglia although my husband wants to see Pompei

So I am not totally clear on the time frame you’re looking at. I could assume you are already planning or committed to 23 nights from Venice to Rome and that you are simply looking at your last 6 nights, somewhere in southern Italy.

If that is the case, Puglia is certainly one option. There are many posts and reports on Puglia on this forum … almost daily.

There is also much around the Bay of Naples and the Cilento region immediately south of there, apart from the Amalfi Coast and Capri. There are the islands of Ischia and Procida that are accessible from Naples. There is Naples and it’s Archaeology Museum and more, with Pompeii and Herculaneum nearby. There is Salerno. There is the Cilento region, an hour to two hours south of Salerno with its not-as-rugged coastline, beaches, Greek and Roman ruins (Paestum and others), and quieter charms than the Amalfi Coast.

Lonely Planet has a pocket guide for Naples and the Amalfi Coast that also covers the islands AND the Cilento in some detail. Check it out.

In 2024, we spent 11 nights in Puglia, then rented a car and we stayed on the Cilento Coast for 2 nights and then turned in the car at the airport outside Naples. We then spent 4 nights in Naples (very crowded, but with energy, history, art and food); we took a part day trip to Pompeii and a much fuller day trip to Ischia. Our Puglia time included 6 days of cycling. Our TR is here.

You could easily spend a few nights on Ischia, instead of the Cilento. Or in addition? But transport to the Cilento (other than Paestum) might be challenging without a car.

If Pompeii is important to your husband, then of course you should see it. You can visit it as a (rushed) day trip from Rome. Or even better, spend a night or two in Pompeii, giving you the cooler morning hours to explore at your leisure. If you choose this option, you might decide to spend your remaining Italian days in Ischia or Salerno … rather than making the long journey to Puglia for only 4 days.

Unless of course you eliminate one of your other stops and add that time to Puglia. Decisions, decisions…

Planning at this stage is
3 nights Venice
4 nights bologna
4 nights Florence
6 nights Tuscany with a car
6 nights Rome
6 night??

We don’t want to rush too much
I feel we are seeing the main places but maybe we could do better, having never been you want to see the sites but don’t want to miss the more real places or real culture either

So many people here, bound for Italy, seem to focus on those "lemon grove" tours....on the Amalfi Coast and Sorrentine Peninsula. but there are lemon groves in SO MANY places in the south, places where you do not have to take an organized tour or walk with lots of other people. We are staying in a hotel in Puglia now and the property is filled with trees full with lemons, oranges and limes...... With a bit of reading, you can find dozens of walks through lemon groves...do not think this is some rare and special thing that you must do in Campania...

Take those 6 days and book a hotel in the countryside, with a pool, that is within a quick drive of a beach...that applies to most of Puglia, actually!

The food here in Puglia is beyond fabulous, and I don't think we've spent anywhere close to 100 euro for diner for two...I'm looking at our bill from last night--more food than we could finish plus wine=48 euro, for two, and this is a restaurant with a SlowFood endorsement--a sign of quality in Italy.

Last fall we had two meals in a MICHELIN BIB GOURMAND that is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the south of Italy: Our lunch cost 63 euro, with wine; dinner for two totaled 73 euro...so great that we ate there twice in three days!

Thsnks for all the help
I think I’m leading toward Puglia just need to research now where to stay
We like quieter more authentic places and it sounds perfect

We are used to driving on the left though but will be driving around
Tuscany

Don't worry about driving on the left. You'll be in good company in Puglia:

"Drunk Carabiniere drives against the flow of traffic, one fatality and two injured"

" Drives on the left side against the flow of traffic on the A14 freeway at Bari. Driver blames the GPS navigator: fined and license revoked"

"Altamura (Bari), car against the flow of traffic on the State Highway: at the wheel an elderly driver. A truck driver stops him just on time (video)"