I'm planning a trip to Italy for mid June with my husband and our 2 teenage boys - ages 18 and 15 - for 10-12 days. Aside from including Rome in our trip, we're not sure where else to go. We like watersports/swimming so prefer warmer water. Should we go south? In addition to water, we'd like to include a mix of history, culture, hiking, and biking in equal parts. Where do you suggest we go?
Posted by
Big Island of Hawaii
757 posts
Start with reading Rick's guidebook. Also look at some of his itineraries on his website for ideas.
June will be really crowded and hot in Italy. Be aware of the upcoming Jubilee in 2025 that will be mainly happening in Rome but will be attracting a whole lot of people to Italy.
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2059 posts
The ocean temps south of Rome from Amalfi to Tropea to Puglia range from 71-76 degrees. It’s comfortable for swimming.from the heel to the toe of the “Boot.”
Posted by
8 posts
This is a huge topic!
If you want warmer water, hiking and beautiful scenery, Amalfi Coast is a good choice, but you'll lack history and culture.
If you want hiking and beautiful scenery and don't mind cooler water, Cinque Terre is excellent.
If you want history and culture, you must go to Florence. Spend 4 days there, get tickets to climb up the Duomo, the Bapistry, and to see the statue of David. The R.S. book is full of information and time saving tips for ticket lines.
Venice has history and culture, but it will be a circus in June.
From Rome, can catch a high-speed train to Florence. Then go west on a regional train to Cinque Terre, stopping in Pisa for a half day visit. There are lockers at the station to store your luggage while you explore Pisa. Cinque Terre is made up of 5 beautiful and scenic towns with wonderful hiking trails connecting them. We stayed in Vernazza, one of the smaller (and best!) towns.
The possbilities are endless. Keep in mind that June will be busy everywhere. Plan and book ahead.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you to everyone. Very helpful! Do you think it would be too much for 12 days to include Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast? Or how about Rome, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast?
Posted by
Washington DC
28128 posts
I definitely would not attempt Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi coast even with 12 days, assuming you actually mean 10-12 nights in Europe, which amounts to just 8-10 full days. Your arrival day may turn out to be relatively non-productive because of jetlag and sleep-deprivation, and the last day will pretty much be spent in packing up and getting yourself to the airport.
For the best advice here, tell us the exact number of nights you'll be able to spend in Italy, not including the night on the plane as you travel east. There is a big difference between 10 and 12 nights.
Italy has great express trains connecting major cities. They'll get you rapidly from Venice to Florence to Rome and on to Naples or even Salerno. But the Amalfi Coast is tricky, with sluggish, crowded transportation in the form of buses and ferries.
Except for the mountains, Italy can be very hot in late June. Florence can be especially oppressive in the summer. This year there were 5 days of 90-degree heat in the last 15 days of June. June 2023 was worse, with 8 days at 90F or above in the last half of the month. Being somewhere with water access would probably please the family, but I'm not sure the Amalfi Coast is really that place. I don't swim, and I have only spent a few hours on the Amalfi Coast, but I think it is more rocky than sandy.
Posted by
Gothenburg, Scandinavia
77 posts
Have a look at the province of Liguria, which has many kinds of beaches. The western part, (west of Genoa) is where the Italians holiday.