We are looking at 13 nights ( the 13 does not include travel days.. 15 days total) in early July with kids aged 12 and 9. My kids are great travellers.
I have been trying to fit Cinque Terre and Amalfi coast in my plans but am now seriously reconsidering trying to get to both. We are flying into Venice and out of Rome.
If you had to choose either Cinque Terre or Amalfi, what would you pick?
Thank you!
Both areas will be crowded in July, but Cinque Terre will be an absolute mob scene at that time. I personally would choose AC, simply because if that; but then again I try to plan my trips around avoiding the crowds. You could base anywhere on the AC and then visit Pompeii, Capri, Herculaneum, the Path of the Gods to hike, etc.
Very tough to choose. It would depend on season but in July it will be hot and crowded in both. Connection-wise based on your airports it seems that Cinque Terre would be easier.
I wish we could travel at other times but between school and competitive sports we can do either July or August... We are fine with crowds and make the most of being morning people :)
I prefer the Amalfi Coast and frequently recommend it as more romantic, more dramatic and impressive, much larger with more varied things to do; etc...
However I think your children would prefer the Cinque Terre so for you it may be a better fit. Especially if you are ok with them exploring on their own.
Doing both on one vacation usually always sounds like a bad plan to me.
While we have not yet been to either, we have the same dilemma and also decided only one would be visited on our upcoming trip. We ultimately decided on staying in Salerno to visit the Amalfi coast and all of the wonderful archaeological spots that part of Italy has to offer (see what previous poster listed). My children are just a bit older than yours and love visiting ruins. I figure we have a better chance of choosing when we are in crowds by staying in a region with so much to offer.
Good luck!
Both are somewhat of a detour from your intended itinerary (I presume you plan to visit Venice-Florence/Tuscany, Rome).
I would base that decision on the number of nights you intend to spend in either place. Cinque Terre are ok even with just 2 nights, but Sorrento/Amalfi Coast area need at least 3-4 nights.
Whichever you choose do so after Florence and before Rome. Leave Rome last since you fly home from there.
I wouldn't try to do both of them either, and looking back at a previous thread of yours, no more than 3 locations seemed to be the consensus among most posters.
The CT makes the most sense location-wise because it can be plugged in between Venice and Rome where the AC is going to involve backtracking (if you're flying into Venice and out of Rome). Both are going to be very, very busy but you may feel mob effect more in the CT. The trains, ferries, villages and open sections of the Sentiero Azzurro trail system will be packed like sardines, and especially so depending on size/number cruise ships possibly docked in La Spezia those days. However, if you are hikers, you can escape the worst of the masses by hiking some of the lesser-used trails extending higher into the hills, and a big chunk of the day trippers will leave in the later afternoons.
The SITA buses and ferries around the AC will also be packed, and the archeological sites (if you are thinking of doing them) at Pompeii and Ercolano will be brutally hot. Still, Sorrento has more room to accommodate more bodies so it's really a tossup?
My husband and I did a trip 3 years ago. 13 nights on the ground. Flew into Venice and out of Rome like you are doing. We hit both places and it was tough (Venice 2 nights, Florence 1 night, Cinque Terre 3 nights, Sienna 1 night, Amalfi 2 nights, Rome 4 nights). My favorite of the 2 was Cinque Terre (stayed in Riomaggiore) but my husband's favorite was Amalfi. Decided on including Amalfi because we wanted to do Pompei. Didn't really have enough time in Amalfi.
While Cinque Terre was crowded with day trippers when we were there I understand it's gotten a lot more crowded since. We got up early and had bfast before crowds got there and did stuff outside villages til late afternoon - one day we layed on beach at Monterosso, another day we hiked, and another day we took train to Santa Margherita where we walked around town and took a boat to Portofino. Had the evenings in our village without the tourists. I'd go back even though crowds have gotten worse. One of my favorite parts of our trip.
Oh, and not sure if you are interested but we attended a Wednesday papal audience while we were in Rome. Seeing Pope Francis was amazing, and we are not Catholic.
Enjoy
For a short visit, the idea that the Cinque Terre has "less to do" can be a good thing. You focus on the coast line, terraced hillside vineyards and gardens, five charming towns (or 6 if you go as far as Porto Venere), and hiking as much or little as you want. Distances are short and timing can be quite flexible for those towns served by train (not Porto Venere).
Time constraints probably don't allow you to experience all the "more to do" that's available south of Rome. With limited time, we base in Sorrento, make Pompeii a priority one day, and make one roundtrip along the Amalfi Coast by bus/taxi/boat on another day.
Thank you all for your input.
I think we will do AC..... I know that the consensus was to have no more than 3 bases but we will have 4 and I am ok with that. I know that it means that we won't get to it all... husband and I have been before and the kids can fill in the gaps when they travel on their own :)
I am thinking
night 1-3: Venice
night 4-6 Tuscany and side trips
night 7-9: AC
night 10-13: Rome
This board is always such a huge help! I am sure that I will be back with anymore questions over the next 6 months!
AC is a good choice. The previous poster who said CT will be an absolute mob is absolutely correct. We've been there once and after the first night I was bored out of my mind. Choose some place with more to do/see than the CT. Honestly Rick Steves has helped send the CT over the edge.
To be fair, I think the expansion of the cruise-ship docks in La Spezia plus the ever-increasing size of those ships has contributed the lion's share of the madness in the CT the past few years. From what I see on the forums, most RS readers choose to stay in one of the villages for a night or more versus the in-and-out-in-a-day visitors/tours from the ships.
"Honestly Rick Steves has helped send the CT over the edge."
I don't think Rick Steves is solely responsible for the popularity of the Cinque Terre. I know someone who was living in the U.K. many years ago, and people there seem to have been aware of it without ever seeing a single RS video. The popularity seems to be a combination of factors and one of the largest is possibly just "word-of-mouth". As more people visited the area and raved about it, it became a "must see" on many Itineraries. When the cruise lines added it to the list, that added to the mob scene. Despite the crowds, it's still one of my favourite places in Europe and I always look forward to returning there (as I did in September). The mobs can be "managed" to some extent with careful planning.
sharon,
I note that you've now decided to stay on the Amalfi Coast. FWIW, I would have suggested the Cinque Terre as it fits better with your overall route. One method would have been to use Florence as a "home base" and tour Tuscany from there (it's the capital of Tuscany), as that avoids changing hotels too often. You didn't say where you plan to visit on the Amalfi Coast, but one point to note is that transportation is not as well developed in that area, so you'll need to plan that carefully. For example, Positano has no rail connections so you'll have to rely on Buses, private transfers or boats.
