My husband and I (Age: 29 and 30) will be going to Italy in May 2018 (16 May - 26 May) for 10 Nights. Our final Itinerary as follow: {We are both very fit, energetic and adventurous people who loves being outdoors and exploring new interesting places. We also like photography}
Starting in Rome (arrive at 13:25pm) - 3 Nights (2,5 days), Exploring Vatican / Colosseum / St. Peter's Basilica, Old City Walk (Rick Steves), Trastevere and more, then train to Sorrento.
3 Nights - Sorrento will only be our base for exploring the area. (thought we can do Pompeii on our way to Sorrento as it is not far from Naples? We also want to include a day trip to Capri and the last day, travel the Amalfi Coast by bus), then train to Cinque Terre with a stop at Pisa. Arrive late afternoon in Cinque Terre (staying in Riomaggiore)
- 3 Nights (2 full days of hiking, relaxing and chilling and exploring the 5 villages), then train to Venice (arriving around lunchtime). Try to include: St. Mark's Basilica / Doge's Palace / Vaporetto ride / Piazza San Marco. Venice - 1 Night. Next day late afternoon flight to Geneva. Fly out to Geneva to take a shuttle to Chamonix (French Alps) for 3 nights (hiking and exploring Mont Blanc and Aiguille Du Midi) buy the 2 day Mont Blanc Pass.
- Morning train to Paris were we will spend the last 4 nights before flying back to South Africa. **Florence and day trip to Siena was part of the original plan but then decided to rather skip and spend an extra day in CT and in Paris. As South Africans living in the Wine region we thought rather skip Tuscany to add extra time to Paris. Thoughts please? This is our first trip to Europe, therefore any advise would be much appreciated. Thanking you in advance. :)
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
You have a very full first day, I would simplify it if you are flying into FCO. Planes can be delayed, and even if you arrive on time, it will be very likely that you won't get to your hotel before 15:00.
Posted by
879 posts
First off, it feels like you’re trying to pack a lot in, particularly until Cinque Terre. Travel between your stops can your stops can sync up like magic, or leave you waiting in a train station for an hour. Have stuff like Pisa or Pompeii in your sights, but be ready to recognize the need to skip them. Pompeii, specifically, stands out. Are you thinking of stopping there because it sounds like it’s easy and on the way? Seeing one of these sights isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Pompeii is massive, and quite crowded. If you were really interested in something like this, I’d say just stop at Herculaneum. It’s smaller, more accessible, and just as cool as Pompeii. I believe they have lockers at the train station for luggage.
I highly recommend utilizing the ferries to explore the Amalfi Coast. With such limited time, you won’t be able to do much exploring in the towns. You’re doing this for the views, which you get from the deck of a ferry better than a packed bus. Buses mean waiting in queues for them, sometimes for a long time and then it might be full from a previous stop and you’re waiting some more! Use those ferries. Pulling into the harbor of Amalfi was more impressive than the actual town. Sorrento is a major hub. You can buy any ticket you need with ease the day of, even minutes before you want to leave most times. If I had a single day, I would ride the ferry to Maiori or something, grab lunch, chill and ferry back around to Sorrento.
Posted by
Washington DC
27104 posts
Check train times from Riomaggiore to Venice. I see the following:
Dep 6:38 AM, arr 12:20 PM
Dep 7:25 AM, arr 1:35 PM
Dep 9:03 AM, arr 2:20 PM
Dep 9:45 AM, arr 2:20 PM
Dep 10:24 AM, arr 4:40 PM
That 9:45 AM departure looks good; it's the fastest. But it doesn't give you much time in Venice that day by the time you get settled into your hotel.