First trip to Italy- Looking for advice on itinerary June 7-21 2019

Our likes...culture, people watching, atmosphere, local food and
drinks, architecture and a bit of history.

That pretty much describes just about anywhere in Italy! :O)

Art museums are not our thing.

If you don't care for art museums, I might rethink Florence as Renaissance art is its shining jewel, IMHO, although the architecture is interesting as well. Florence is the capital of Tuscany and is a good base for some day trips in the Tuscan region but you'd want to have some interest in what those are (e.g. Sienna, Lucca, Fiesole, etc.). Otherwise, I'd take those days and add them to Venice and Rome. You could also subtract a day from Naples (but see my question below) and add it to Florence for more day-trip opportunities.

What day are you flying home?

I wouldn't day trip from Naples to the Amalfi Coast: too time consuming. Is there a reason you chose that location versus one either on the A.C. or closer to it, like Sorrento?

Just go on to Amalfi Coast and/or Capri--bypassing Naples. Or spend the time up north. I don't find it especially appealing.

Some folks don’t find Naples “appealing.” I, and many others, disagree. The city is uniquely southern Italian in nature and has some fine museums as well as easy trips to Capri, Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum. If you want to visit the Amalfi Coast, you might want to split your time and spend 2 nights in Sorrento as it’s the doorway to the coast.

I ended up liking Naples, but many don't. However, I agree it's a poor base for day trips to the Amalfi Coast and Capri. I didn't get to Capri, but I did see Sorrento and Positano as a day trip from Naples, and regard it as one of my biggest travel "mistakes" - a waste of a day. These are places for settling into, not passing through.

So, if you want to see Capri and/or the Amalfi Coast, stay overnight there, or at least overnight in Sorrento. If you want to see Naples, Pompeii, and/or Herculaneum, overnighting in Naples will work - if you're prepared for how intense Naples can be.

What time is your flight out of Venice? Many are quite early, which requires a bit of planning, but a few are later. If yours is early, it's worth figuring out now how you will handle getting to the airport.

Not to derail the thread, but you said on the one hand you don't care for art museums, and on the other hand you loved Madrid (even more than Barcelona). This is interesting, as Madrid is often said to be of interest only for its art museums, and those who don't care for museums often prefer Barcelona. If you can say what you liked about Madrid, this will help people give you better advice about how to apportion your days.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

-we chose Naples because we kind of like hustle and bustle and people have said it is chaotic and I for some reason am attracted to that (NYC is my fave place in the world). I get energized by my surroundings. Plus I must try pizza. :)

• although I wouldn’t call us partiers, we were worried that the AC would be too quiet in the evenings. What we loved about Seville and Madrid were the squares where you could sit, have a drink and people watch at night. We also loved the quaint little cobble streets. But we didn’t want to miss seeing the AC during the day as pictures look breathtaking.

• I read a bit about Sorrento and was worried that it would be like our experience in Benalmadena, Spain...so catering to tourist that you didn’t feel you were in Spain anymore. I assumed we could take the ferry from Naples to Sorrento for our day trip to the AC or the train to Salerno.

• Despite not being an art fan, I have read about Florence and it sounds lovely so I don’t want to miss it.

• We fly out of Venice at 2pm on the 21st.

Well, I’m in the camp with a strong dislike of Naples. I had no idea of what to expect, and both of us felt the same. I think there are enough people who dislike it that you might want to reconsider spending so much time there.

I love NYC and large cities, too. To me, Naples was just graffiti ridden and not attractive. Rome is SO much nicer.

Sorrento would be a much better base to see the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii. But it doesn’t have a beach. I’ve not been there, so don’t know much about nightlife.

What about Bologna - in between Florence and Venice? It is a university city and, from what I've read, the "food capital" of Italy. I haven't been, but have read about it as I am planning my trip for the summer.

Thanks...I’ll do more research on the Naples vs Sorrento options.

The Bologna suggestion is an idea too. I will look into that as well. Thanks!

look into an EatWith.com experience. We did one in Rome and was a highlight of our trip as far as food goes. Look up atlasobsurra.com for interesting different things to see. We saw Bocca Veratta and Aventine Keyhole near Circus Maximus. Works for Florence also. Take the lift up to the roof of Victor Emanuelle for awesome views.

In Florence, spend some time on the other side of the Arno river. More local and fun. Climb the Duomo and get noodle legs! Have a steak! And a Spritz!

Enjoy your trip, I'm jealous!

Here is an article I found that might give some perspective on Naples.

https://www.timetravelturtle.com/what-is-naples-like-italy/

I guess it just depends on what type of traveller you are and what you are looking for in a vacation. We don’t get to travel to Europe often, so I don’t have time to “learn” to fall in love with a place. I really should have done more research on Naples for my own personal wants before we went. I will have to say that outside picture of the Church is just everywhere up and down streets.

Pretty good plan, but I would add a day to Rome and take one day off Naples area.

Perhaps you don't care for art museums, but absolutely don't miss the Sistine Chapel. It is simply stunning. Also, don't miss David in Academia in Florence.

Thanks for the websites and cool suggestions. I will do more research on Naples for sure.

As for Florence, right now we are looking at either staying in the Santa Croce or Santo Spririto (I believe the latter is across the river) areas.