Amalfi or Cinque Terre?

I think CT is best enjoyed in the summer months IMHO. Sorrento/Amalfi may be a better choice in October.

darrah, Given the fact that your other stops are Rome and Florence, the Cinque Terre seems like a logical "fit", since it's easily reachable from Florence or Rome. It will likely be somewhat quiet at that time of year as they'll be "winding down" for the season, but if the weather is decent you might enjoy it. The atmosphere in the C.T. tends to be somewhat informal and relaxed. You could (for example) hike one or two of the trails, explore the area using the local trains, take a boat ride or just "chill" on the beach (weather permitting). The Amalfi Coast area tends to be more "upscale" and expensive, and even in October there will probably be tour Buses in many of the towns there. Except for Monterosso, getting tour Buses to the towns is virtually impossible (I've never seen a Bus in Monterosso). If you do decide to visit the C.T., I'd suggest pre-booking accommodations soon. Happy travels!

No brainer, Cinque Terre all the way. Get to Monterosso by train or boat (15 euors) from La Spezia. Travel to and fro to the Cinque Terre cities by hiking or training. Easy place and pace to relax. NO buses, just a boat and train every couple of hours but no hordes of tourists like Amalfi. Great wine made locally, too. Have a great time!

We really enjoyed the CT however my concern would be the weather variable in October. If it's rainy, there is very little (if anything) to do in the CT. We were there in September a few years back & it rained one full day & made for a lousy day. It rained so hard & the rain came down sideways & we got soaked through & through & just went back to our hotel to wait out the storm. The boats don't run when it rains so your only option would be to take the train from town to town & walk around in the rain. Of course there's the chance that it won't rain when you're there but just know that it's a distinct possibility in October and that there isn't much to do if it rains.

darrah, One point to mention regarding the weather..... There may be a higher possibility of rain in October, but I've found that rain can occur at any time in Italy. I saw a good example of this on my trip last year while visiting Lucca on Sept. 25. The early part of the day was beautiful, hot and sunny but by the late afternoon the clouds started to roll in. This was followed by a fierce thunder & lightning show and heavy rain! Within a few minutes, the storm drains had all "backed up" as they couldn't handle the volume, and the water was shin-deep in places. At times the rain was falling "sideways", so an Umbrella was of limited use. Since there's no guarantee of the weather at any time of year, I usually try to operate on the principle of "hope for the best but prepare for the worst". As Rick frequently says, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing". Cheers!

I was in the CT for a day and a half in mid-October a few years ago. The weather was wonderful and there were very few tourists. However, as explained, the rain can ruin your stay there. I was in Sorrento in February, and loved it in spite of a lot of rain (and cold too). I'd opt for that, simply because you will have lots to see and do even if you get bad weather. It's not that much farther from Rome than the CT . . . super-fast train from Rome Termini to Naples and then the local Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. . Based in Sorrento, you can ferry to Capri, bus to Amalfi and Ravenna, or train to Pompeii and Herculaneum. I can't speak to the number of tourists, maybe not quite so many late in October . . .

I've been in both Sorrento and Cinque Terre at that time of year and preferred Sorrento. Cinque Terre was a bit too quiet for me, while Sorrento was still lively but not mobbed. I stayed in the old town section of Sorrento and don't recall encountering any big tour bus groups. You can see great scenery by day tripping along the Amalfi coast or by taking the boat trip to Capri.