Good evening...we are a family of 9, 7 adults 2 children who are very fortunate to be taking a cruise out of cinitavecchia in July. We are adding 6 full days before cruise to see some of italy. Some of us would like to visit the Island of Capri some prefer adding Florence some would like to do both in addition to having 3 days in Rome. Overwhelmed with trying to figure out the easiest and budget friendly ways for transportation to each area from the Rome airport and where to stay safe areas to visit Capri for a day. Do you think this is too much to do easily and budget wise?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23652 posts
Capri doesn't work. Too far, too hard to get to unless staying in Naples. Splitting time between Rome and Florence makes the most sense. Fly into Florence and come home from Rome. Discounted train tickets purchased well in advance -- like tomorrow -- would be the most economical way to get between Florence and Rome. And you will need to take the train from Termini (Rome) to Civit... but very easy to do since the train station is almost next to the port -- about a half mile walk. When you get to the station you will see your cruise ship. We always stay in the Termini area - Hotel Sonya or Aberdeen - as it is convenient to a number of restaurants and transportation. And it will be hot so plan to follow local custom and take a nap in the afternoon or find a cool place to relax mid-day.
PS - Edit -- Another strike against Capri in July is the potential for afternoon thunderstorms to cause problems with the ferry schedule. Save it for another trip.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
I think trying to see Florence, Rome, and Capri with a big party like yours in just 6 full days is too much. I would skip Capri because it will take a lot more time/effort to get there than simply from Rome to Florence, and it's really quite expensive and luxurious...so if budget and/or time is the issue, Capri is an outlier (you'd need to take a train to Naples first, and then board a ferry and that times time both ways). You can easily occupy 6 full days just in Rome and Florence, and you'd likely have a much less rushed vacation that way. All three places will be packed in summer, Capri would be a madhouse because it's an island with only so much room to accommodate all the visitors.
If some folks in your group are willing to trade off one city from the mix (meaning ax one so that they can possibly have a quality time in the other two), then it can work. Public transport works fine, it's the easiest and most budget friendly way of getting around. Trains go from Rome to Florence, and from Florence to Naples (gateway to Capri). The only way to get to Capri is via ferry and it makes sense to take it from Naples (that's what I did using the Mergellina ferry terminal; the other port is called Molo Beverello). I wouldn't recommend just a day trip from Rome, it would be too rushed.
http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/campania/ferries.html