Planning a trip and at this point, using miles with Delta so we are in and out of Rome. Leaving the third week of June - July. I hope to change departure from Naples if I can. I am told they haven't opened seats for the flight from Naples yet. I guess it's still early. We don't want too many museums. Sistine Chapel and Uffizi should be enough for art. Not sure how much time to spend in each location or the order of the trip. I can't figure out when trains run directly because they only show up 4 months in advance. Really having a hard time with this. I've watch the TV specials and nothing is exactly what I want. We want to do some kind of cooking activity - maybe a family or mozarella class. We want to see the main sights in Rome and definitely a wine tour in Tuscany. Any advice would be great. Also, Airbnb or hotel? My kids are 19 and 22.
Posted by
Massachusetts
847 posts
If doing both in and out of Rome I would head to Florence upon arrival, then down to Sorrento and leave all your time in Rome at the end. That way only three hotel changes. I would probably split the time fairly equally - you only have about 4 days in each of the three places. That's pretty much minimum for all of them, especially is doing a day trip for the Tuscan wine tour. You mention possibly being able to change the departure from Naples, if that is the case then obviously you'd put Sorrento at the end. But you are only talking about one two hour train ride difference so I wouldn't bother if it will make for a more expensive or time consuming flight.
What time of year is this trip?
I prefer hotels, especially for those locations and four only about 4 night stays. If you were staying somewhere a week or longer then possibly an Airbnb makes more sense. For short stays you want to be very centrally located.
Posted by
OP
32 posts
The trip will be last week of June to July. The Naples return would be adding a connecting flight, I just figured it would make it easier to see Rome first. The train ride from Naples would be a pain the day of the flight, so I would have to do Rome last. The reason I was looking for an Airbnb mid-trip was so I could wash some clothes because we will only have one suitcase each. I figured with the heat, we couldn't use anything twice. Also debating on Pisa. I'd like to see it and figured to do that with Lucca? I heard it was nice there, but not sure if it is worth the trip. I just feel like it's iconic and I should see it.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5331 posts
Flying into and out of Rome, but wanting to visit places both north and south of it makes for an awkward itinerary. No matter what the sequence, you've got that leg between Florence and Sorrento. Doable, of course; just extra travel time.
I agree that it makes most sense to put all your time in Rome at the end of your visit. On your arrival day hop on the first train to Florence. If you're lucky you'll get a direct train from FCO. Spend 4 nights there and do one day trip out if town ( your Tuscan wine tour). Or take a day away from Rome for a second day trip to Pisa and Lucca, if that's important to you. Then go to Sorrento for 4 nights and possibly do day trips to Pompeii, Capri and the AC. Finish up in Rome and fly home from there.
Consider that your arrival day is pretty much shot due to jet lag anyway, so you might as well get a good chunk of your travel out of the way that day. Putting all of Rome at the end of the trip means one less travel day and hotel change. Travel efficiency is an important factor in such as short trip.
With grown children, they might prefer the privacy and extra bathroom afforded by 2 hotel rooms. Plus, hotels are more likely to have decent AC Any hotel could direct you to the closest laundromat.
Posted by
OP
32 posts
Yes, definitely two hotel rooms or an Airbnb with two bedrooms. I was thinking Airbnb in Sorrento with a washer/dryer mid-trip. Although by the sound of it, I won't have much down time!
Posted by
Miami, Fl
5 posts
Hi, sounds like quite a trip! It'll be your first time in Italy I gather?
I've spent time in all three places as both a tourist and a local, so I can offer up some info. In terms of lodging, my preference as a more budget-minded traveler would be for the airbnb. In my experience, there are a LOT of good locations in all of these places on AirBnB and I generally find it more comfortable and less of a hassle than booking two hotel rooms. That being said, do keep an eye out on the cleaning fees and maintenance fees that some AirBnB locations charge which might make something that looked like a hot deal not be so hot anymore.
I agree with the other posters to keep Rome as your last stop unless you're able to change the flight to leave from Naples. Four days in each seems perfect as well. The trains from Rome to Florence and from Florence to Naples shouldn't be too bad and they generally have around-the-clock availability, specially for that time of the year. If you're going to be using trains (which is the best choice imo), I would be mindful of strikes ("Sciopero") as they can really throw a wrench into your plans. These would usually be posted in the stations a day in advance. Otherwise, I have never had a problem with just showing up to the train station and buying tickets from the machines...even in the middle of July/August. So, be assured that you would most likely find available trains for wherever you want to go--also, routes/times don't change that much, so take a look at timetables for next week/month to get an idea.
Definitely book the Sistine Chapel online through the Vatican Museums shop and I would recommend that you go for the full guided tour through the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. This lets you skip the astronomical line and you get to enjoy four hours of amazing things. For a wine tour in Tuscany, you can pick a day to go on a day trip and head to Siena's Chianti Region villages like Gaiole in Chianti or Greve in Chianti (also gives you a chance to check out Siena a bit). Otherwise, there is also Montalcino.
Let me know what other questions you have or things you'd like to know!