car, train or fly?

1. Take the train- " all that " isn't any big problem & will save you the challenges of driving along the Amalfi coast, which is " all that ". 2. Take the train- quicker & easier for both legs as described. You can take a train directly back to Rome from the CT region. Have a great trip!

Can you be more specific....remember, we aren't used to traveling, so you have to spell it out! ha! sorry. You say that the train is the best option all the way around. When we arrive in Rome. How do we get to the train station with all of our luggage? Is it within walking distance, or do we need a taxi? I'm a workshop instructor, so will have two large ones full of art supplies. Is it possible to leave one in a locker at the airport?
And can we book tickets in advance? Will we have to change a few times to reach Sorrento? Sorry for being so dense. I appreciate your help so very much.

Kathy, A few comments on your questions.... (1.) Renting a car is NOT a good idea (IMHO). Traffic can be challenging in the Amalfi Coast, and there are other issues such as each driver requiring the compulsory International Driver's Permit and also the possibility of transgressing the dreaded ZTL areas (expensive fines). You won't need a car for Capri and Pompeii, so it would be parked and gathering dust. In the same situation, this is the method I'd use: > On arrival at Rome, buy your rail tickets at an airport Kiosk or ticket booth. Take the Leonardo Express from the airport to Roma Termini (DON'T forget to validate your ticket in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train or you may be fined the spot!). When you arrive at Termini, transfer to the Freccia train for the trip to Napoli Centrale (reservations compulsory, which will be included with the ticket you buy). Research the schedule on the Trenitalia website so that you can work out a good connection. When you arrive in Naples, walk downstairs and buy a ticket on the Circumvesuviana, which will take you to Sorrento. They have several routes, so be sure to get the correct one. The trains are somewhat "graffiti laden clunkers", but they'll get you to Sorrento. Be sure to watch your belongings and wear Moneybelts! For your sightseeing, you'll again use the Circumvesuviana to get from Sorrento to Pompeii, Boat or Hydrofoil from Sorrento to Capri and Bus from Sorrento to Positano. Keeping in mind that you'll be jet lagged, I'm not sure you'll be able to see everything. What time do you meet the group in Rome? Reverse your route for the trip from Sorrento to Rome. continued......

Kathie - continued..... (2.) For the second part of your trip, take the train from Castiglion Fiorentino to Venice. You'll travel via Regionale train from Castiglion to Firenze S.M. Novella (DON'T forget to validate!) and then Freccia train from Florence to Venezia S. Lucia (reservations compulsory). The total travel time is about four hours, but will vary slightly depending on which train you choose. One important point to make is that tickets and reservations on the Freccia (high speed) trains are specific to a particular train and departure time. You MUST use the the train specified on the ticket, or face hefty fines! You'll have an assigned Car No. (Carrozza) and Seat No. (Posti). The same fines, which start at €50 PP, apply to those travelling with unvalidated tickets on the Regionale trains. The trip from Venice to the Cinque Terre is relatively easy, but will take about six hours. This will vary slightly depending on which of the five towns you plan on staying in. For example, there's a departure from Venezia S.L. at 08:35, arriving La Spezia Centrale at 13:40 (time 5H:05M, 2 changes in Florence and Pisa, reservations compulsory for the first leg). With all your train tickets, I'd suggest using second class tickets. You may find it very helpful to have a look at the excellent Seat 61 or Ron In Rome websites for good tips on rail travel. The trip from the Cinque Terre to Rome is very easy. Take the local train from whichever town you're staying in to La Spezia Centrale, and then connect with one of the direct trains to Roma Termini (travel time about 3H:45M - there are a couple of direct trains every day as well as other trains with changes). Happy travels!

Kathie, one suggestion, since you say you aren't used to traveling and note you'll have large pieces of luggage: consider springing for a cab on arrival in Rome. Jet lagged, with lots of luggage, doesn't bode well for an easy introduction to Rome's crowds/trains/subways/busses. In fact, while I agree with the recommendation to use the trains, I'd suggest considering a taxi to your hotel each time you arrive in a new locale. It can be a little disorienting when you arrive someplace new, and it's nice to have someone who knows the city and the language get you to your hotel. It's also not a bad idea of know about how much the taxi from the aiport/station to hotel should cost; your hotel can provide guidance on that. The one exception to the taxi recommendation would be Venice, since you can generally get almost as close to your hotel with the vaporetto as with a hugely expensive water taxi (unless you're staying at a hotel with its own dock).

THANK YOU so very much. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
I think I can, I think I can.....

I totally agree that getting a taxi is a much better idea. We had two huge suitcases, plus three carry-on's. Our hotel (River Palace) arranged a taxi to meet us, after we picked up our luggage. We asked the hotel to order the taxi, when we booked our hotel reservations. It was wonderful. We paid the driver directly. Then when we wanted to get back to the airport, our hotel arranged for a driver for us. No chaos, no worries.

Sounds like a great idea to me! Thank you for the tip.

I think I am confused. I don't get why you would take a taxi from the airport to the Termini station which is where you will get your train to Naples. Read (and digest) the Ron in Rome website about trains and getting from the airport. It seems counter-intuitive to take a taxi from a taxi rank next to a train station to another taxi line next to another station - - when you can go straight from station to station for €14 each instead of €48 for a taxi. I do agree a taxi in Sorrento.

Thank you, Nigel. I'll take a look at the website and thank you for catching this. I'll check it out.

Two comments here. First, you say you have 2 large suitcases. Is there a way you can drop them at a hotel along your route and retrieve them? Carrying large bags is going to be inconvenient. Second, I suggest making a timeline by day to make sure you are getting the free time you might be expecting. The trip Venice to CT is going to chew up pretty much the whole day. 6 hours on the train, then you need to get to the hotel (probably dragging those large bags!) The point is that even if you leave Venice at 8am you won't be out and about in the CT until around 3pm, and that day is largely over. Then you say you are leaving Rome after 3 nites, but unless you have an afternoon flight you will need to go to Rome the day before. Which means your 3 days in the CT have become 1 afternoon, 1 full day, 1 partial day. All the places you mentioned are wonderful to visit, but in the end they cover much of the length of Italy. By mapping out how much time will be taken just getting point to point you can decide if its worth it or whether you'd prefer to focus on fewer areas this trip.

I see what you mean. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. There's so MUCH to consider! Everyone's advice is invaluable. Thank you so much.

I find it helpful to print out a large calendar of my travel month and hatch out travel times to get a view of where my time will go. A picture being worth a 1000 words and all that... Playing with the schedule and destinations can be part of the fun. Part of the sadness, too, since one can't do everything in 2 or 3 weeks. If it was me, I'd pick one of the trips to the coast and drop the other. Assuming your travel is not yet booked, if you drop CT then you could use the extra 3 days to arrive earlier before the Amalfi coast portion and to stay longer in Venice. Or drop Amalfi and pad out CT and Venice. Since I imagine you are a big art fan, an extra day would let you take the easy train trip from Venice to see the Scrovegni chapel and walk around Padua, or perhaps visit another town easily reached by rail from Venice. If flights are not booked yet then flying out of Venice would avoid some backtracking. Depending on if you keep the CT you could go Tuscany -> CT -> Venice or Tuscany -> Venice. Open jaw is usually within $50-$100 the price of a roundtrip and saves time. Also, take a look at Herculaneum instead of Pompeii. The 2 cities were ruined in the same eruption, but the method of destruction was different. To me, Herculaneum looks more like a city frozen in time than Pompeii.

There is a luggage storage room in the Rome Termini (train) station. You might want to start another thread (or do a search) on storing your art supplies there for the time you go to Sorrento.
Once you arrive at the airport, take the Leonardo Express train (direct) to the Termini, stash your art supplies and then catch the train to Naples/Sorrento. I've stored luggage there but can't remember their policy regarding time limit or size restrictions. By the way, the trains are THE way to travel in Italy. Relax, enjoy the view, have a drink.