First trip to Italy-solo female October 2024

Re: Tourism- it is what it is. You can still enjoy areas even with lots of tourists with proper planning. I agree with Rick on this that spending the night in busy places puts you in the busy areas before the day visitors get there.

Re: Venice - This is not my favorite city but others love it. Still, I'd encourage you to visit because it is unique. If you stay overnight for several nights you'll be able to be out and around before the cruise visitors hit.

I've not been south of Rome so no comment on your Naples, Amalfi Coast days. Day trips to busy areas like Amalfi will put you right in the middle of the day visitor chaos in my opinion. I'm sure folks here will have recommendations.

I just want to congratulate you on venturing out and making your dream trip. Way to go!
I've been to Florence and Rome as part of a RS tour. I really enjoyed the hotel we stayed at in Rome, Hotel Smeraldo, for its great location. Most major sights were walkable and for those that weren't, the bus and taxi stand were just a few blocks away. Famous pizza restaurant/bakery across the street (food tours visit there) and a grocery store about a block away give some low cost eating alternatives.

I do encourage you to make a tour reservation with one of the companies that do the Vatican Museum before it opens to the general public. This is one place where you will be overwhelmed by tourist crowds if you go later in the day. I found that I didn't enjoy the experience at all in the crowds. Those that have signed up for the early tours report far better experiences.

The Borghese Gallery is another place to make sure you have reservations in advance as it is capacity controlled. Due to this, there is no feeling of crowding there. There it was the sheer volume of amazing art that was overwhelming.

I wanted to add that one thing that I do while traveling (usually solo) is compile a daily record of my trip. I use the Polar Steps App. I can post pictures and commentary. Two advantages. First, only people I specifically invite can see the content. My family likes to be able to see what I am up to and I enjoy sharing the experience with them. Your husband might enjoy being able to follow along on your trip. Secondly, afterwards there is an option to turn your posts into a book (fee for this). Sometimes I really enjoy having something I can open and page through after a trip.

I’ve done solo excursions to Italy twice. Once for the Best of Florence tour and another time with my best friends ashes. She was Italian but never traveled to Italy. I took some of her ashes to the small village where her family originated from.

In 2006 traveled to Rome from LA. 3 nights in an apartment in the Jewish Ghetto. Sadly it’s no longer available as a rental. One morning I got up very early to walk to Palentine Hill. There were no gates or other obstructions so I meandered to and under the Arch of Titus. Seeing the Colosseum up close took my breath away. It was the reality of its history. However, be aware its not isolated, the city surrounds it. Traffic drives by but at that earlier hour standing there I was overwhelmed.

Memories of Rome include: finding little cafes and markets. I ate sandwiches on park benches people watching. Walking into St Pauls and thinking ‘so this where all the collection plate money went.” Wandering with no set itinerary. Same with how explored in Venice, Florence and Milan.

On another trip met up with friends in Chiusi. They owned a rental in San Casciano De Bagni. Loved seeing the hill towns. They had a car so we drove to nearby Orvieto. Had a wonderful meal at a restaurant there and then meandered.

My trip to Venice was after taking the RS Best of Florence tour which began on Christmas Day. Fabulous and informative tour. My absolute favorite part was getting into the Academia before doors opened to the public. Our guide had arranged for an art historian to join us. The group was slowly walking and listening to this young man talk about Michelangelo. We turned right and down the hallway we caught our first glimpse of David. Mesmerizing.

Taller than I expected and more magnificent than I imagined. We spent at least 25 minutes there.

I believe it would be smart to consider a RS tour of one of the cities you desire to see or maybe the Best of Italy tour. I did enjoy the Best of Florence tour.

Venice I explored on my own as a Christmas excursion. Had a great 1 bedroom apartment that friends had recommended. Was near the Peace Park about 20 minutes from St Marks. It was quiet and I enjoyed the lack of tourists. Venice fascinated me. Throughly enjoyed exploring on foot. Finding spots for coffee. Watching daily life. Thankfully no cruise ships docked during my stay.

Your agenda looks fine. Great that you are researching hours. Italy is a beautiful country.

I'm still on the fence about Venice.

Venice is one of most (if not the most) unique cities we've ever visited. We've been a number of times and would not hesitate to go again. If you stay in the city proper, you will miss a lot of the crowds if you (1) get an early start to your out about ramblings, (2) just meander four or five blocks from the crowded areas, and (3) only go to the "biggies" after the day trippers clear out by late afternoon or early evening. You can also do day trips to Verona, Vecinza, Murano, Burano, and Torcello which should not be a mobbed.

Pompeii can be done as a day trip from Rome, but it will be a long, long day. You indicated you don't care for tours, but you might be able to find a tour that will go there and Herculaneum, and relieve you of handling all the logistics on your own.

Your idea of staying in just several places and doing day trips is great. That eliminates a ton of lost time relocating from one place to another.

Venice is unique and a must see. Yes, it will be crowded just as your other destinations will be.
And yes, you can stay in Naples alone and no one will bother you. I have stayed in Naples many times alone - and have been to NYC but can’t imagine going THERE alone!
The second week of October will be a beautiful time to visit Capri and the Amalfi Coast as well, although you didn’t mention it.
As for your itinerary, I would suggest flying into Venice, but if you really want to skip it, fly into Florence and visit Pisa as a day trip. And you will probably be too tired to hit the ground running as you planned. Get some rest first.
The rest of your itinerary looks good. Have a great trip!

I'm a 72-year-old female and usually a solo traveler. I'm too old to be targeted by street dudes, but I didn't see or hear anything untoward being directed at younger women on my recent trips to Italy (2015, 2022 and 2023--a total of 3-1/2 months).

I love Venice, but there are hundreds of great destinations in Europe and most of us, even in a lifetime, won't manage to see all of them. I'm fortunate to be able to travel a lot, and I'm always disappointed when a place I want to see can't be squeezed into the itinerary, but there's something that bothers me more (YMMV): Not being able to stay long enough in a city to see all that I want to because of limited time on the trip. I hate being there and having to leave with unfinished important business. Perhaps if you muse on that a bit you can figure out which disappointment will bother you the least. Since you're doubtful about Venice, how much is it really going to bother you if you skip it?

Verona I haven't been to yet, and I know you can get there by train from Florence in 1 hr. 36 min., so it's not an impossible day trip. However, it's my impression Verona has a couple of major things going for it: some Roman ruins and a very attractive historic center. You're going to Rome on this trip, so I wouldn't consider the Roman sites in Verona all that important. And for a really beautiful smaller city, I'd choose Orvieto. It has quite a few sights of its own. Full disclosure: The train trip from Rome to Orvieto isn't really too much faster than the trip from Florence to Verona.

The advantage Orvieto has over Verona is that there's a 9:02 AM regional departure from Rome to Orvieto for which you could buy a ticket on the spot at the same price as if you bought it earlier. The fare is currently 9.15 euros each way. You could wait to decide on whether to take that trip until you've started your sightseeing in Rome and are in a better position to predict how long it will take you to see at least your must-see sights, as well as whether you're in the mood to spend a day in a smaller city.

To get to Verona fast enough from Florence to make a day trip viable, you have to take a Freccia train. If you bought a ticket today for the 8:36 AM departure on Tuesday, it would cost you 38.90 euros each way. Those fast trains only run once every two hours. I wouldn't be happy paying around $90 in train fare for a day trip, so I'd be looking to buy that ticket much earlier, in order to get a bargain. I see a ticket for only 12.90 euros on January 11, but that's buying the ticket about 6 weeks early, and it's possible you'd have to act even earlier for travel in October rather than November. What if you fall in love with Florence, as so many do, and really want to spend another day there? You've wasted money on the train ticket to Verona if you don't use it.

I spent a week in Naples this last winter and enjoyed it a lot. I want to return. I don't see any reason why you won't have the same reaction. It has a lot of wonderful sights of its own, and it's well-positioned for trips to Herculaneum, Pompeii and Capri, as you know. Note that it's quite a hilly city, and large, so it's not a particularly quick place to get around. Beware of planning to spend too much time outside the city if you only have a few nights there.

If you are able to go to Pompeii and Herculaneum, or really even just Pompeii, I wouldn't make Ostia Antica a top priority on a relatively short trip like this. It's a great alternative for folks who aren't going to Naples, but you (probably) are.

As with Florence, take care not to lock yourself into too many side trips from Rome. Things are fairly spread out, and the Metro system is quite limited. You'll often be depending on your feet or on buses rather than a quick subway ride.

Another encouraging vote for including Naples in your itinerary. I have been to Italy a number of times and Naples a few years ago. I loved it! Naples has a completely different atmosphere from the more popular destinations. It isn’t for everyone because it is a bit ‘gritty’ but you’ll never encounter a friendlier group of locals who take great pride in their city. We are hoping to return there next October for a longer stay.

I loved both Venice and Naples and I was skeptical before we went. The crowds in Venice from about 10:00-3:00 (15:00) were pretty thick but if you can avoid San Marcos Square and the Rialto bridge during that time, you’ll miss most of the crowds. By 4:00 p.m., the square has a completely different vibe and if you can see a sunset, it really is magical. If you could do a tour like the Secret Itinerary of the Doges Palace, you’ll get a very special experience. I didn’t book in time for that and missed it.

Naples is another city that totally enthralled us. The Archeological Museum adds so much if you’re visiting Pompeii and walking through the narrow streets of Spacanapoli is a unique experience. We took the train back to Rome to fly back to the States.

This sounds like a wonderful adventure for you.

Congratulations on your plan to enjoy Italy as a solo traveler! I had been there a few times with my husband, but in 2018 he wasn’t interested in going so I did my first solo trip. It was the year I retired, so what a fantastic way to jumpstart my retirement! Since that time I have been there again as a solo traveler in 2022, and I will be going again next year for month. I will attach my two solo trip reports to Italy below to give you ideas, but also helpful hints about traveling solo. Also, I will share the trip report where I brought my adult daughter for her first experience in Europe & Italy specifically. That one covers several places you’re considering.

I have stayed in 30+ cities in Italy but never been to Naples. And Venice is one of my favorites! But I encourage you to go to the ones that excite you as you’re researching them. If Venice doesn’t sound interesting to you, don’t go there. There are no “must sees”; it is your trip to enjoy! : )

Have fun planning! : )

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-trip-to-italy-2018

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-please-do-not-comment-until-i-change-the-title-filling-in-the-report-thanks

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/mother-adult-daughter-italy-trip-aug-sept-2022

With 14 nights, I would leave Venice for another trip. Maybe your 70 birthday? But I do feel you have time to add in a smaller town for a couple of nights. It will give you a different feel for Italy from the busy cities. I would suggest dropping a day from Rome and a day from Naples and do two nights in Orvieto between Florence and Rome. It is a lovely little hill town.

In terms of crowds, yes it is busy, but we were in Rome in October 2022. We did not do many of the big sites and found it was easy to get away from the crowds. We went into empty churches a stones throw from the Pantheon, or Trevi fountain. Take the time to wander and walk the other way from the crowds!
I also strongly encourage the Borghese gallery. It was a highlight for us

Hello NoNegativeVibes, I'm not a solo female traveller so I'll leave that advice to others who can speak to that.

I'm glad to see you intending to spend time in each city when people are generally trying to do too much and planning one night stops. Unless you know how you deal with the jetlag I would leave open the possibility of passing on doing the Pisa visit right off the plane if you don't feel up to it. I fly from the west coast but the flight, the LHR wait and then the connecting flight usually leave me too wiped out for anything but dinner and crashing.

I love Verona and they have a full Arena, Roman amphitheater and Roman/Etruscan museum but I also just visited Brescia for the first time and it has some amazing Roman ruins as well. If you go in addition to Roman ruins don't miss the Santa Giulia Museum which has lower levels where the walls of the museum are actually Roman walls and the mosaics are in situ.

Don't underestimate the size of Pompeii when you plan your visit. You can spend an entire day exploring and not see the entire site.

I find Venice to be an amazing city unlike anywhere else in the world and I will always go to Venice given the chance and would encourage anyone to visit. It can be a challenging city logistically but I love it an I think it is worth every issue and effort. That being said looking at your interests list I think Naples and Pompeii are probably more directly of interest to you. If you decide not to visit Venice be sure to put it on your list for next time.

I know there's always more places to visit than there is time and the decisions can be difficult but I applaud you taking your time and planning your visit well.

Whatever you decide have a great trip,
=Tod

Fly from Washington Dulles to Pisa (connection Heathrow)
Upon arrival to Pisa, take the shuttle to the train terminal, store my luggage, visit Pisa and return for luggage taking the train to Florence

If this is the 5:55PM departure with 11:25AM arrival in Pisa, I suspect if you plan to do anything more than just see the Leaning Tower, you are will likely feel like road kill when you get to Florence. (You might get 4 hrs sleep on the flight to London--how well do you sleep on planes?). Otherwise it looks to be a very well thought out doable plan.

From a budget standpoint it might be better to fly into Venice, and home from Rome.
( Venice> Florence (side/day trip Pisa) > Naples>Rome> home) You would have to plug in your dates for the different itineraries to see what the reality is and what works best for you. Venice is magical.

Oh my, what wonderful advice you all have given me! Thank you for taking the time to share your input and such detailed replies at that. It is truly appreciated! A number of these posts also brought up points that I had not even thought of, such as the slight overload of ancient ruins visits, which would leave me missing out on other experiences.

My husband and I spent the evening last night watching a number of Italy travel vlogs on Youtube. Reading travel guidebooks are great, but getting a visual account of what to expect is so helpful. My husband loves ancient history and archaeological sites, but has no desire to visit Italy, which blows my mind. Why not? We watched lengthy videos things on how to visit Florence, Pompeii, Naples, Rome and even Venice. He said the only one he would even consider would be Florence. His loss! I am most excited for Florence and Rome. After watching the Venice video, I may reconsider adding it. The guide in the video began his day in Venice at sunrise while the city was quietly beautiful. What I saw before him was the Venice I would enjoy. I am an early riser, up at 3am every day, so getting out there before the crowds would be so easy for me. I played around with flights and flying into Venice vs Pisa was cheaper, however, the lodging in Venice would be pricier than Florence, but wouldn't break the bank if I selected wisely.

Back to more planning today. Thanks again!

I'm not a solo traveler but I'm cheering your upcoming adventure! Good for you!!! I also found myself nodding in agreement with some of the advice others have given you. That's the fun of it; a garden of only onions would be a boring one indeed so collecting a range of options to weigh is a good thing. :O)

Like you, I can walk miles and miles a day, and my interests are very similar to yours as well. It's difficult not to pop into every old Italian church with an open door, and I lost my mind (and my heart) to the art in Florence. It's so much more than the Uffizi and Accademia! The Borghese in Rome is a gotta-do, and someone with keen interest in the excavation could spend days at Pompeii...although your eyes do tend to cross about hour five. HA! If you've not found it yet, here's the website; it contains a TON of information.

http://pompeiisites.org/en/

More specifically, here is their downloadable map, and extensive guide in English:
http://pompeiisites.org/wp-content/uploads/Pompeiweb2023.pdf
http://pompeiisites.org/wp-content/uploads/A-Guide-to-the-Pompeii-Excavations-2.pdf

Don't have a deep interest in Venice? You don't have to go there; save the time for the places which beckon. I'll agree with skipping Pisa right off the plane, and rethinking Verona as well. If you visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Naples Archeological Museum PLUS some of the piles in Rome, that may be enough of those sorts of antiquities for one trip? We did hike up to Villa Jovis on Capri, and there are some other treks about the island that can separate you from the worst of the mobs if you decide to do that one. The Amalfi Coast will be VERY busy 2nd week of Oct. but the ferries will be running unless the weather is really foul.

A short overnight break in Orvieto might be just the thing to catch your breath a bit between busy Florence, Rome and Naples. Lastly, if you can stretch the time and $ even one more day or so, do it. Airfare can be a big enough chunk to want to make the most of those dollars. You should be able to find a more economical range of accommodations in Naples than on the A.C. (Gang, correct me if I'm wrong?), most churches in Rome - and some in Florence - are free for the drooling, and you can trim the food budget by eating out of the markets; we do one sit-down meal a day. It's also not unlikely for your hotel to provide a breakfast of sort, as many of them do. Need to use the facilities while out and about? A few euros will buy you a beverage at a cafe, access to the potty, and often a place to rest your feet for a bit; well worth the spend! :O)

You're going to have a fabulous time! Do come back to us with more questions?

I'm glad you are looking at Venice again!

One suggestion I forgot earlier was to see if you can organize your time in Rome so you are there on a Friday, Sat or Sunday. Last year I got to the Domus Aurea, Nero's Golden Palace. It is buried under a hill/rubble heap across from the Colosseum and only offers tours on the weekends. It is an active archeological dig week days. I found it fascinating! The only way to visit is on a tour and that's because it's a maze of corridors. Really, this was SO interesting to me! Book directly with the website if you are interested.

https://www.coopculture.it/en/poi/domus-aurea/ (official ticketing site)

https://colosseo.it/en/area/the-domus-aurea/

Cheers to you for making this happen. It’s strange, my father was much like your husband: simultaneously loved his trip to Italy, but never had the desire to go again. Everyone is different I suppose. I think you’ll enjoy solo travel in Italy.
There’s less culture shock nowadays and you’ll be traveling where there’s plenty of support for tourism. Not everyone is as interested in the art and history as you clearly are, and it can be pure torture traveling with someone who isn’t. My interests are much the same as yours, so I hope I can add some useful advice.

I’d love to see the nights something like this: 3 Venice, 3 Florence, 3 Rome, 4 Naples/Sorrento. Imo, it’s worth a little added budget if you can arrange your itinerary in a “straight line” north to south. without backtracking. It might also be cheaper in reverse. Venice is unique, and while it can be very crowded in the day, it is magical and comparatively empty by the evening. With some planning, you can see the major sights while avoiding the worst of it. Still, based on your interests, flights, and expense you could justify dropping Venice this time around. If you did drop it, I’d add to Rome/Florence or make a night or two for Siena or Lucca. Don’t worry about seeing Roman ruins too much up this way, you’ll be seeing the biggest and best later in the trip.

Rome has so, so much to see. I would not worry about day tripping out. Ostia is often recommended as a good substitute for Pompeii, but you’re going to Pompeii. Make sure you visit the Borghese Gallery and Vatican Museums. They will justify your trip on their own. Not many folks see Hadrian’s Villa, and I don’t think it’s in RS guidebook. There’s usually a reason for this.

I’m thrilled that you’ve included Herculaneum with Pompeii. They are very different sites, and i guarantee you’ll be fascinated. As someone who’s visited major metropolitan cities (including Rome by this point,) Naples will probably charm you more than shock you. I enjoyed it, but it is an intense place. I would recommend you consider Sorrento as your base. It’s a much more genteel place, and well located to see all the same sights.
It’s ideal if you want to consider a day trip to the Amalfi Coast or Capri. This is an area of intensive sightseeing, and it’s at the end of your trip. The thought of you ending the day in Sorrento’s relaxing charm versus Naples sounds much better to me.

Last note: Don’t sweat the itinerary too hard or overplan. You have some choices to make, but it’s hard to go wrong here.

As another solo female traveler...would love to meet up for a coffee in Florence if you end up with any downtime : )

I spent the entire holiday weekend trying better organize my Italy trip details and watching more travel vlogs. I have come up with another itinerary, just a tad different.
Florence for 5 nights = 3 full days taking in Florence sights & a daytrip to Bologna (omitting Verona)
Rome for 5 nights = 3 full days of taking in the sights and a daytrip to Orvieto (omitting Hadrian's Villa/Villa de'Este and Ostia Antica)
Naples for 4/5 nights = 1 daytrip to Pompeii, 1/2 day Herculaneum & 1/2 Naples sights/1-2 full day Naples sights (omitting Capri and/or Sorrento).

I want to start off my trip in Florence so I can see David at the Academia on my birthday and add some other favorites to this day.
I briefly thought about a daytrip to Cinque Terre, but after watching videos of Bologna that excited me more, so I opted to skip the sun & sea. The old me would have been all over the chance to experience any seaside location, especially if a there was a sandy beach, but the present me is more about stunning architecture, churches, art and history. I spent years of taking yearly vacations to a different Caribbean island to knock them off my bucket list, played sun goddess and enjoyed every age/sun spot I have earned. This also means that while in Naples, there will be no Capri, Sorrento or any of the other Amalfi Coast stops. I was far more excited watching videos of Orvieto and Bologna than the seaside escapes.

The more I read and watch, the more things I want to add, but I know I don't have access to an endless amount of cash and vacation time.
Input welcomed once again.
Thanks in advance.

The holiday weekend was well spent. The new itenerary is very doable -- you will be seeing and doing a lot, but at a pace that will not be exhausting. One of the best parts of a laid back plan is the ability to just adapt to situations that pop up and catch your interest, and also being able to simply simply sit back with a coffee or vino and observe.

Great work NoNegativeVibes,

Solid schedule, clearly well considered and curated with enough time to do everything you've decided to do.

When you come to day to day scheduling you'll find that many Florence passes cover a number of days so aside from the time scheduled visits - David, Uffizi - you'll have a lot of freedom to decide which when on which day you want to see something which makes enjoying Firenze more flexible. Don't miss the Duomo museum.

Have an awesome trip!
=Tod

Not many folks see Hadrian’s Villa, and I don’t think it’s in RS guidebook. There’s usually a reason for this.

Tivoli is included in the RS Rome guidebook as a day trip, covering both sites there.

Also, Puglia isn't covered by RS - does that mean it isn't worthwhile?

The new schedule looks great. One suggestion, maybe look into doing the day trip to Siena instead of Bologna. Take a look at Siena photos / videos including Piazza del Campo and the Siena Duomo both inside and out including the Piccolomini Library.

NNV: This trip looks amazing, esp in light of your interests.

Just one word of caution: Please read the section on this site for Tourists scams, etc. My sister lived in NYC for years and poo-poo'd my advice to her to be pickpocket aware. Maybe it was because she was so blatently unconcerned she was never targeted by pickpockets despite having unclosed shoulder bags, etc. BUT, her iPad was stolen in the blink of an eye when she set it down on a table and turned her back.

"Or maybe it’s just all about the kickbacks!"

I'm expect you meant this to be funny but it really struck me wrong. I feel like Rick and crew have pretty high ethical standards compared to some tour/guide book companies. One of the things that drew me to Rick's tours (and Road Scholar as well) is that they advertise NO SHOPPING stops on their tours. Their guides are paid pretty well, I think, and so don't need to get kickbacks from shop owners like some tour guides do.

Likewise I do not believe he gets kickbacks from hotels, restaurants or attractions.

-->back to the Italy discussion.....

Or maybe it’s just all about the kickbacks!

We've taken a number of RS tours, and have used many of his guidebooks for independent travel. Even as cynical as I am, I really don't think that's the case, and consider your comment to be totally inappropriate.

It was a joke. Sorry for offending you.

Dear”No”, i just returned from a solo in Italy most of October, and also did one in 2019. Both times i visit the smaller towns, which are less crowded, and less expensive. Padua is one of my faves, it gives you real easy train access to Venice, Verona, Vicenza and Ferrara for easy day trips. As an example, Venice is about 25 minutes away with trains every 15 minutes. I stay at Ricks recommended Casa del Pelligrino in Padua, and they have a phenomenal breakfast that can be included, all in around 100 Euro. Hotel is clean, comfortable, and safe (all Padua seems safe) but the hotel room is spartan (basic furnishings-but I do not stay in the room, I’m sightseeing). I purchase the museum pass that includes Giotto chapel, and all museums at the TI in the train station, and also gets you up to 3 days of unlimited tram travel in town. Padua is a university town, very friendly, reasonable, and some good sights. The old town is small, and easily navigated. There is also a self serve laundry one block from the hotel (pack light). All the cities I mention are about 1/2 hour away with train at about 6 Euro. The tram drops you right at the small train station, and about 4 stops and you’re 2 blocks from hotel. There are also some very good restaurants in Padua, half as expensive as Venice. When I return from a Venice day trip to Padua, it really is relaxing over the overcrowded, overpriced Venice. I’d book 4-5 nights Padua, and do a couple day trips (Venice and either Ferrara, Vicenza, or Verona). You will not be disappointed! Alan

You would have more time to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum if you stayed in Pompei - and then it would be easy to include Oplontis and Stabiae.

http://pompeiisites.org/en/oplontis/

http://pompeiisites.org/en/stabiae/

In 2022, we stayed in Pompei, across the street from the Amphitheatre entrance to Pompeii, at the Hotel Forum. Check it out:

https://www.hotelforumpompeii.com/en/

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice. It seems most suggest Siena over Bologna. I'll have to give it another look, Siena did not excite me like Bologna and I'm not even going there for the food. So much to see and not enough time.

The Padua suggestion would be wonderful if I had more time, but I'm not willing to lose my days in Florence or Rome (with a daytrip in each) and or Naples (with daytrips to Pompeii and Procida).

I think I'll have a decent amount of time at Pompeii with Naples as my base. I have a number of things in that city that I'm looking forward to seeing and I also want to spend 1/2 day at Herculaneum and the rest of that same day exploring more of Naples. I have also decided to take the ferry to Procida for one of my Naples days.

At this point in the planning game I would prefer to start out in Florence, move onto Naples and end in Rome where I would fly back to the US from.

I just booked my flight with British Airways yesterday...I wanted a non-stop flight in/out of Rome (a quick train to Florence). Because all the BA flights have layovers, I used my Avios points but booked the American Airlines flight that is non stop and a regular flight. I did have to add 5 days to the front of my trip to find availability but I can easily do another 5 days in Italy! My apartment is also available for the extra time so it all worked out. If you want to avoid a layover, take a peek at other partner airlines with BA. I would have liked to book directly with American but my credit card did not allow transfer of points to them...still annoyed about that since it is a partner in the same group (One World). In any case, you may have other flight options to explore! Enjoy your journey!

Hi june,

I booked what I feel was a fantastic fare for roundtrip with Turkish Air 3 weeks ago-($790 including seat selections, carryon and checked bags). I will arrive in Venice and depart from Rome. Booking an air/land package with BA did not work out for this trip and I would have only had enough Avios to pay for my seat selections.
I have also booked my accommodations for Venice, Florence, Naples and Rome via booking.com or airbnb.

My kids have flown Turkish air multiple times and were happy with it. It is a little less convenient but trade off was much better prices.

Best wishes on your solo trip. The only suggestion I would have is to make Sorrento your base instead of Naples. Sorrento is a 40 min train ride from Naples and is a very charming gateway to the Amalfi coast, Capri and Pompeii.

Wow, I've really enjoyed watching the evolution of your travel planning, honing in on what you really want to do & also trimming it back to a manageable amount of destinations! So, about Bologna, if it interests you more, go for it! I've been to Siena a few times, usually very early in the morning before the day trippers, it's a nice town but heavily touristed & has a few very noteworthy art pieces - but hey you've just been to Florence! Go with your heart.

About Rick not covering Hadrian's Villa, that made me laugh. SO?! Hadrian's villa is beautiful, and not like anything else you might see on your itinerary. But if you love water & gardens, reconsider the day trip to Orvieto (you will have been to the Florence cathedral already) in order to see Tivoli & Villa de'Este, it's quite simply stunning. Here's a bit of Monti Don's Italian garden series about Tivoli in case you're interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbkoiWgvP0M

Naples is a bit more gritty than Rome, true, but hey you're use to NYC, you will be fine there! I've spent some time wandering the historical center by myself & never had a problem, but I did notice ALL the women wore their handbags cross-body, so when in Naples...

About Rick not covering Hadrian's Villa, that made me laugh.

As I stated above back in November, Tivoli is covered in the RS Rome guidebook as a daytrip.

How exciting for you! I highly recommend Bologna. We also enjoyed Genoa very much, and neither of these cities are in the Rick Steves guidebooks. Enjoy!

I’ve traveled alone when my partner hasn’t wanted to go. The only times I haven’t like being alone was eating at a restaurant for dinner so I never do that. If I want to eat out, I’ll do it for lunch and then do a lighter dinner from things I pick up in a store and sit and eat in a plaza.

You wrote that you would be flying to London, transferring to Pisa, then stowing your stuff in the train station, going off to see Pisa and then taking a train to Florence all in one day. you’re going to be very very tired from the all night flight and the transfer in crazy Heathrow. It might be too much to go walk over to the sites in Pisa plus when you’re tired is when you’re more vulnerable.
If you really want to see Pisa, you might just stay in a hotel, go see the sites catch up on your sleep, and then fully rested, take the train to Florence the next day.
As a single woman, you do need to be more on your guard, and it might not be a good idea to be traveling in pickpocket territory when you’re tired.