Family trip to Italy w/2 teens - itinerary suggestions?

Hi. We took a family trip to Italy this summer. We stayed in Naples for 5 nights and did day trips from there. We did not rent a car. We took the train all over Italy. From Naples we did Naples, Capri, Paestum, Amalfi Coast (with a private driver), Pompeii and Herculeum. The beaches are not like US beaches as they have a lot of rocks, etc. We did a great cooking class but it was in Florence so I am not sure of which one to recommend in Rome. In Rome we stayed at IRoma Hotel and it worked out great for us. I would stay there again.Our room for 4 was big by European standards, they have self-laundry and we took cabs from there to get to The Vatican and Colosseum for our tours with The Roman Guy. It worked out well for us. For Venice we stayed in Casa Bessegio in Cannaregio. We loved the place and the location. It is a B & B with a lovely morning breakfast on the terrace. They have one apartment for 4 people. There is a small kitchen there. It is very close to Row Venice too (which was fun) and in a quiet, great location. We walked everywhere. Have a great time.

We went to Rome with teens and stayed in an Airbnb in the Trastevere neighborhood. We loved this area because it was like a village right on the edge of the more bustling touristy areas. The kids figured out the village soon enough and could go off on their own. Trastevere is also geographically central to most other things - not in the middle of them, but equidistant. We walked everywhere from there and it was all within 30 minutes walking - Colosseum, Vatican (we toured with Roman Guy also, the first thing in the morning which we loved. Not crowded when we started, packed when we finished), Borghese Gallery. There was so much to do and see we didnt need to schedule extra stuff, although our concession to the teens was in Borghese park, after our two hours in the museum, we had a picnic and then rented Segways. Then we walked back, passing the Spanish steps and Trevi fountain and Campo Fiori and the Pantheon (again) and getting gelato on the way. We really liked the Capitoline museum. Lastly, theres a Fatamorgana gelato shop in the Trastevere neighborhood, more in the locals area, which was nice to walk to as a counterpoint to the tourism everywhere.

Suggest doing all your Rome days at the end. Saves a move.

Unless your flight out of Rome is 6PM or later, you need to spend the night before in Rome.

We hiked to top of Mt Vesuvius and I would think it would be something teens would enjoy. I don’t recall any horses though. Pompeii is just amazing and again I think they would enjoy. We went with a tour group that we joined after buying tickets. I definitely would suggest a tour. We did Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii on separate days which I would also recommend.

The ferries down the Amalfi coast are very nice. There also is some nice hiking if your family enjoys that. We went to Capri for the day and it did not strike me as the kind of place most teens would enjoy. I recall a post about a family who went to Ischia that sounded more family friendly. I think there are even real beaches (not pebbles like most places). Make sure your teens are aware that beaches are usually pebble and everyone should have water shoes or you will be miserable.

That sounds like a great trip!
And you are right- no need for a car where you are going.

Count your trip in nights, not days.
Do you have 13 or 14 nights IN Italy?

I do agree with joe32- try to put all your Rome nights at end- to avoid that "almost wasted" last night before departure.

Looks like you have 7-8 nights for Sorrento/Amalfi area?
If you don't mind splitting bases between a town on Amalfi and Sorrento (Sorrento is not on Amalfi coast)- you might consider this:

Venice to Salerno by train- it's about 6 hours and there are direct trains- but it gets you all the way to Amalfi coast in 1 seat. Spend 1 night there- you could go visit Paestum next am- easy short train ride, I'd think teens would be impressed. It's an easy inexpensive 1 night stay and a very delightful town.
You might still be a bit jet lagged with just 2 nights in Venice- use the train ride to Salerno to recharge, nap, chill time- take a picnic lunch with you.

Ferry next day to wherever you base on Amalfi-ferry ride is fun, best views of the most scenic section on Amalfi coast.
OR you can certainly go Venice>>Salerno>>ferry to? in 1 day.

We chose and liked Amalfi town, best transportation links, it’s a bit more real than Positano, more to see /do. Visit Ravello, Maiori- only sandy beach, Positano, etc from there.

Hire driver to take you to Sorrento for next base. Or ferry or bus- bus would be my last resort!
Visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri from there. So easy.
Then back to Rome for your final 4/5 nights all together.

Would look like this
Venice 2
Salerno 1
Amalfi or? 3
Sorrento 3
Rome 4 or 5

Mondo Guide tours are fantastic
www.sharedtours.com

Take a look at a food tour in Rome- not really hands on but everybody gets to eat yummy stuff with their hands.
Eatingeurope.com highly recommended

Hi,
We took our 16yo this past summer to Venice, Florence,Rome. In Venice we stayed in Dosorduro neighborhood with a 2bed 2 bath apartment thru CrossPollinate.com. We booked Secret Itineraries tour for Doges, booked a timed tour for the clock tower which was a combo ticket with Correr museum, and just wandered in to St Marks Basillica after the line died down. Did not buy any vaporetto passes and walked everywhere. We did take one boat ride down the Grand Canal though and it was stunning. We also did the rowing with Row Venice and thoroughly enjoyed that.

In Rome we rented an apartment thru Rentals in Rome right around the corner from Campo de Fiori. Perfect location and again we walked absolutely everywhere. We only used public transport to get out of town to Ostia Antica. Vatican tour and Coluseum tours were both booked with Walks in Italy and were excellent. Walks in Italy had a Black Friday sale and was 20% off which helped. We did our grocery shopping at the Conad chain mostly and averaged eating out only 1 meal per day plus Gelato of course.

Have a great trip!

Thanks for such great suggestions and input!

We are definitely reconfiguring our itinerary to go from Venice to Salerno, spend our days at the coast and doing Rome at the end. Great suggestion to save that extra travel day.

I'd really prefer to have one "home base" on the Amalfi Coast or Sorrento, instead of splitting time between two places. But, I'm torn between Amalfi (or Positano) and Sorrento. We will not have a car and will want to get to Pompeii/Vesuvius, the beach, the coast and possibly Capri or Ischia.

Pros/cons of Amalfi vs Sorrento? Likely looking for an airbnb-type place instead of a hotel.

Thanks!

I’d suggest you consider a Scooteroma tour while in Rome, especially since you have a teenager. We did one a few years ago, and recommend it on the morning of your first day in Rome, because they also end up recommend local insight about what to try and see. So we also ended up modifying our remaining days per their suggestions.
Anyway, check it out. They have a website...
Have fun

I'd have to say Sorrento as a base if you only want one. It has all your transportation needs, train to Pompeii or Naples, ferry to islands and Amalfi coast towns (or bus).
We spent about 3 hours in Positano- took bus from Amalfi- (crowded and hot with people getting sick) walked down thru the town, had lunch on beach then caught the ferry home. There is not much more to do/see in Positano other than high end shops and cafes. It is tiny and crowded. The view of the town from the water was really the best part of it!

As I said above Amalfi felt more real, and does have better transportation links than Positano. Since it is end of/beginning of line for buses your chances of getting a seat on a less crowded bus are probably much better than day tripping by bus from Positano.
Positano is very steep- bus stops at top of town, ferry at bottom. Lots of climbing!
Amalfi transportation is all at water level- and it's a much less steep climb thru town.

If you do stay in just one base then I'd probably say go right to Sorrento from Venice- fast train to Naples then Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. (Or private transfer might be worth it with 4 of you- we did this 95 euros from Napoli Central to our hotel in Sorrento)

Unless you really do want to see Paestum.
Split time between Salerno and Sorrento. From Salerno you can see Paestum, buffalo mozzarella farms, the waterfront/beach is quite nice in Salerno and it is definitely a real town. We very much enjoyed our 2 nights there. Ferry to Maiori/Amalfi-Ravello etc.

I'd guess your lodging options would be best in Sorrento or Salerno.