First trip to Italy, and it is very last minute! Help with itinerary!

I'm probably not the best person to respond to your itinerary as I tend to stay in one area for a month at a time but am going to Southern Italy Nov 2 until Dec 4. Have done quite a bit of investigating so here goes.

Sorrento: a town basically recreated after WWII. Directferries.com can help with ferries to Capri, the other islands and getting to the AC. Since I was doing the AC my first few days there I cancelled my reservation in Sorrento and made my accommodations for Amalfi and then can head out to the cities on the AC in either direction. No sense staying in Sorrento and doing all that extra traveling when Amalfi was extremely convenient. What do you want to see on the AC is the big question.

From Nov 1 some ferry schedules change so you need to know exactly when and where you want to go. I believe I remember Nov 1 there are no more Blue Grotto tours until spring. Ferries may be scheduled but not run due to weather, so Plan B?

I spent a month in Florence so quite a bit to see and the opening and closing of sites requires a PhD in time management. So you'll need to prioritize your list. Last time I was there a few years ago the city was packed in November, so timed tickets might still be an issue.

Tuscan town: the one you choose might be the one you can get to by public transportation.

Venice: get a vaporetto pass and use that like a hop on hop off tour since your time there is limited. Try to visit Burano and is wonderful, colorful houses if you can.

Best wishes and congrats.

Although we had been to Italy several times, we used a Rick Steves guide in Florence and Venice which was well worth the cost. They get you quickly to each point of interest and have wonderful information about the cities. Our friends didn't want a guide for the Vatican since a friend of theirs, a native of Rome, accompanied us. Even with him joining us, after fter waiting in line for several hours we hired an on-the-spot guide just to get to the front of the Vatican line. She was awful; didn't know anything about the art and just kept telling us how beautiful each painting was. We've used Rick's guides in other cities and they've all been outstanding.

For sure you need a guide for the Uffizzi Gallery in Florence and the Vatican if nowhere else..otherwise you'll spend way too much time in line.

Personally, I would spend only 1 or 2 nights on the Amalfi instead of 3, and add an extra night or two to Rome unless you have specific plans or a 2-day tour of the Amalfi Coast. It's a beautiful drive and a place you could relax if that's your intent. We didn't find things to do other than the wonderful scenery. Even with 2 nights you probably could see nearby Pompeii if that interests you.

You'll love Italy!!!

The Vatican and Colosseum required timed entry tickets secured in advance. They each have new systems this year, so research asap getting those tickets.
Too bad you're not flying into Rome and out of Venice, or reverse, to avoid backtracking. (Flying into Venice is easier.)
You really only have one full day in Rome and one full day in Venice. I think you have too many locations. I'd really skip the AC and spend the time in your other locations. Transportation in the AC is inefficient and time consuming, so you would need more days there, plus the ferries are shutting down. And bad weather cancels ferries.
You have a great attitude and will have a good trip, but consider slowing down and spending less time on trains.
Safe travels!

Burano is beautiful and colorful, but with so little time in Venice I wouldn't go that far out into the lagoon. The vaporetto takes about 40 minutes from Fondamente Nove, which will probably be a somewhat time-consuming walk (or another vaporetto trip) from your actual starting point. Realistically, a trip to Burano will take over 3 hours by the time you've walked around--or longer if you enjoy photography.

I agree that this itinerary seems to include an awful lot of travel and settling-in time.

Hi there & how fun is that, a surprise trip to Italy! Congrats. Maybe ask the hubby if it's possible to change the tickets to flying into Venice & out of Rome, that way you're not wasting as much time backtracking? (I believe all US airlines now allow you to change but not refund tickets, unless it's absolutely the cheapest class.) The other thought is to continue after landing at FCO & head straight to Florence, there are a few high speed trains. That way you don't spend time twice getting into Rome & checked into a hotel.

I read this trip as 11 nights in Italy with 5 hotels. IMO that's just too many to be able to relax and enjoy all that you'd like to see. Just have a think realistically about how much time it takes to have breakfast, pack, (hope you're traveling light with all these trains?) and are you going to take taxis to train stations, then catch trains, get to next destination, do all that in reverse, figure out where to get a meal... haha. I think you get the idea.

So, I too would skip the Amalfi Coast, a bit too much moving around means less time actually BEING there, and the logistics are not easy. You can easily do some day-hike from Sienna, an easy Tuscan town to reach by public transport, or go to Lucca & rent bikes to ride around the ancient walls, lots of options. Thought I would add this thread on how to visit Rome & Florence, the OP has done a lot of work adjusting her schedule and gotten good suggestions about places to stay, etc. Good to read through what we’ve all suggested maybe? https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/advice-please-for-1st-and-probably-only-trip-to-italy-in-april-2025#bottom

While we do love, art and history, we do not want our entire trip to
be just ruins and museums. We would like some of that, but we also
love to hike, and we also love good food and wine -

You could take a wine tour out of Florence into the Tuscan countryside if you added an extra night there. Also, consider a walking food tour in Rome, rather than a self-guided walk as it will give you more in terms of history & FOOD. Many here recommend the evening Trastevere Eating Rome Tour. There are also golf cart tours of the historic center in the evening, looks like fun but haven't done that specifically.

Frankly, if you're not so keen on the Vatican, don't bother. The Vatican museums are usally jammed & combined with St Peters, you could easily devote most of a day to it. Check out those Coliseum combo Roman Forum tickets. There is a LOT to see in Rome. Take a deep breath, you will have a fantastic time, just consider how to add some wonderful meals & sitting with an espresso watching the world go by!

Wow thank you all so much for all this great advice ! I’m considering scraping one of our locations after considering all of this. Although it is so hard because I want to see it all ! I may drop either Amalfi coast or may drop Venice ??? Would basing Amalfi coast from Salerno be a better idea? Seems easier and faster to get to than to Sorrento. Maybe going straight there from Rome on first day , 3 nights solerno , leaving 4 nights for Florence and then ending with 4 nights in Rome ? And doing Rome at the end of trip possibly? Could also substitute that same scenario for Venice instead of Amalfi? For some reason hiking in Almalfi sounds more fun to me than Venice …but I may be missing something!!!!

Venice is magical, but don't stay in the San Marco or Rialto area. We love the Cannaregio neighborhood, on the quiet back canals. And- there's more to do in Venice if you get bad weather. In the AC, since it's all scenery and outdoors, bad weather pretty much shuts down the itinerary. ( Sadly, that happened to us.) And you'll be in the AC as the weather transitions.
That being said, Salerno is a better option for the AC, as there's a good rail line between Rome and Salerno.
Whatever you choose, happy travels!

What a nice anniversary surprise! We spent our 35th and 40th anniversaries in Italy and still keep going back!

My first suggestion is to stick with 3 locations. 11 nights is rather short. Every time you change locations you lose at least a half a day (or more). Checking out, travel to next, checking in, unpacking, getting oriented- all takes time.

A 3 night stay is only 2.5 days of sightseeing.

Next- drop the AC and/or CT- both require a lot of time and effort to get there. Especially AC- transportation getting to and while there there is chaotic and inefficient- I wouldn’t want to spend that much time and hassle on a short first trip.
Weather will likely be an issue, ferries won’t be running on AC, etc. Save the hiking for another adventure.

Venice- Florence-Rome- the Holy Trinity - can't go wrong.

Then see if you can change your flights IN to Venice and OUT of Rome. Venice is a fantastic place to get over jet lag.

If you can’t change flights then immediately upon landing get on a train and head to Florence. Your arrival is so early you can be in Florence by noon. Since this is first trip I assume you don’t know how jet lag will affect you. “Powering thru” sounds nice but not often doable. You’ll be quite foggy so don’t plan any big things- you won’t remember any of it.

Florence is compact and completely walkable, easy place to adjust to Italy and see a lot without even entering a museum on day one.

Drop your bags at your hotel- they will hold before check in time-
Visit Mercato Centrale, pop into a few churches, enjoy street life, piazzas etc. Stay outside as much as possible- that will help with jet lag. Have a nice dinner and get to bed.
Spend 4 nights in Florence- use one day for a day trip to Tuscan countryside- there are many good guided tours that’ll take you to several towns, Siena, San Gimignano, etc.
Book Uffizi and David ASAP- if those are on your list (closed Monday).
There are so many smaller venue museums you might choose from instead.
Hike up to Piazza Michelangelo for the view- there’s your hiking- and you’ll do plenty of walking on this trip as well ;)

From Florence take the train to Venice- 2 hr 14 min- take a picnic on the train.
Venice 3 nights. Get a length of stay vaporetto pass. Visit Burano. Wander the back canals, see San Marco (prebook entry if still available) in the am and then get far away from that area -it will be mobbed all day. Visit Rialto Market in early am.

From Venice- take fast train to Rome-about 4 hr- another picnic lunch on the train.

Rome 4 nights- no more jet lag so you enjoy every day there. I’d skip the Vatican and try to book tickets for Borghese instead.
Do RS Heart of Rome walk, do a food tour, enjoy the piazzas and fountains at night.
I don’t know if Colosseum tix will even be available - so you might need to go with a tour to get inside. (There is nothing wrong with just seeing from the outside)
You could visit Ostia Antica in place of Pompeii- just outside of Rome- IF you have time.

Walks of Italy offers very good tours.
Eating Europe has fantastic food tours

Fly home from Rome. Taxi to the airport- flat rent 55 euros.

If you can change flights then just put Venice first- 3 nights, train to Florence - 4 nights with 1 day trip, train to Rome- 4 nights

Train tickets
Use the Italian station names
Trenitalia- also has an easy to use app

https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html

Firenze SM Novella
Venezia S Lucia
Roma Termini

Let us know what you decide and what you need help with- venue tickets, tours, train tickets, hotels, etc.

Lots of info on this forum but often hard to find. When you search be sure to filter by Type and Date.

hey hey Jennifer
what a nice surprise for your anniversary.
i agree a lot with Christine H, 3 places is enough with your short time there. arriving at 6:30 am is not fun with jet lag being real!! no checking in that early, make sure the hotel will hold your bags (where's your hotel?) some people have rented room night before, informed hotel so room will be ready for you in the early morning. always remember checkin to hotels is 3-4pm and check out is 10-11am. that happened to us in london, no fun, we sat at tables at a closed bar outside for 6 hours and was so so tired with our bags.
pack light. i bring a small container of laundry soap and wash/rinse in sink.
italy's visitors have climbed over 14 million in a year, busy & crowded all year. you'll notice many posts want to see the same thing you want to, long lines with waits up to couple hours, skip the line tickets but lines to go through security could be long. order/reserve ahead of time from website if any available. don't worry about "mistakes" it happens, have Plan B or C ready. restaurants busy make reservations or go down a small alleyway/calle for mom & pop places with seats available.
as Christine says take train to florence first.
mercatocentrale.com click artisans and see all who has shops inside, have lunch/dinner
educated-traveller.com/wine windows of florence
read the history of the windows and sit for a glass of wine
visitflorence.com/gelato shops in florence
tuscan-wine-tours.com
take a look at small group tours from florence. super chianti tour with tasting at couple wineries and meeting the famous butcher dario cecchini in his buther shop with his showmanship of cutting meat and lunch at his restaurant 7 hour tour
we did a private tour few years back, stopped at small winery, crowded siena, and san gimignano. it was the worse. 8-10 big bus tours, 8 mini vans, peivate tours and packed like sardines like cattle calls with guides and the red flags. pushy/rude people, stores packed could even walk in with long lines to pay with one cashier, gelato shop was so crowded with lines going around the building. won't do that again. go to smaller towns/villages people stay away from
discovertuscany.com/pistoia and it's provence. take a bus or train ride from florence
toscanainfo.com/pistoia
see what this small town offers plants & flowers plus chocolate makers
after florence train to venice like Christine says. pack a picnic, leave late morning early afternoon for train ride to check in hotel in venice. we like to stay in cannaregio area, more budget friendly.
schezzini.it
email alessandro for a "bar/chicetti" (small bites/appetizers) with local wine and history of venice
eatingeurope.com
food tours in different cities, click locations. rome has the jewish ghetto/campo de' fiori or testaccio food/market tour
oldfrascati.com
wine tours 30 minute train ride frome rome, away from the hustle & bustle in the countryside and the summer palace and gardens of the pope. check tours available, read their blog, and about us.
withlocals.com
scroll down to "beautiful countryside day trip: castelli romani"
gpsmycity.com
search cities you're in and look at the self guided walking tours offered
so much to see and do, it's my "novel" and own opinions. you can check them and do some research, any more questions just ask, want to to enjoy the wonderful and fullfilling adventure
aloha

You have been given much good advice, that I am more than happy to read myself. I would likely follow Christine's instructions to the letter at the planning stage, but once there deviate fully when struck by fancy. Since it pays to plan many months in advance the present onus is on planning. Once there shift the emphasis to enjoyment and relaxation for a nicely rounded experience.

Having read every Italy guide book, including Rick Steves Italy, from cover to cover over the last three years, repeatedly, it is very clear that Rome and Ostia Antica is a must as it is the real Pompei. RS considers it the most underrated sight in the entire country.

And remember: Always assume you'll come back!

Two nights anywhere gives you one full day and parts of the arrival and departure days. With the time available, I suggest you stick to just Rome, Florence, and Venice. Personally, I'd try to spend four days in Rome and Venice, and three in Florence. If you can change tickets, flying into Venice and back from Rome would a plus.