Help planning daily itinerary

Hi Twin -
There are as many travel styles as wonders in the world so you're going to get all sorts of different answers here. None of them will be 'wrong' unless they're wrong for YOU so you kind of have to figure out what your style is.

My husband and I do not make tight daily itineraries, do not use google maps (other than for quick reference during the planning process), and don't expend a lot of energy factoring time to see attractions or to move between them. We group things around general areas and around the days we know those attractions are open but otherwise keep the plan as flexible as possible to work around unforeseen complications, like weather. Sure there are attractions that you're going to want/need to have time-specific reservations for but there are only 2 of those in Rome (Vatican Museums and Galleria Borghese) and a couple in Florence (Uffizi and maybe the Accademia.).

We use old-fashioned paper maps. I buy them before we go, and mark the locations of the things we know we want to do so we can easily see what's nearby at any given point. We're pretty timetable-averse, go-with-the-flow tourists. :O)

Arrival days are spent taking care of some business (getting euros, transport tickets needed later, etc.) and just walking around: no set itinerary. Start with what's nearby and go from there? We may stop into some churches which look interesting or are on the list but no BIG attractions which we know will require lots of time and attention, like the major art or history museums. There's usually a sit-down street or piazza-side somewhere for coffee or adult beverages and just taking in the vibe: never a waste of time in Italy, and part of our daily, late-afternoon routine when we can't take another step!

Pompei will take a little planning, and how long you spend there will depend on how interesting you find it. The site is HUGE so you won't see it all in a day but you can cover the highlights. We spent 6 hours or so - including 30-40 minute travel time to/from Sorrento - but you may find you've had enough after 3 or so. Plan on the better part of 2 hours from Rome on a fast train to Naples and then a commuter train to the scavi.

Twin Mom - I hit the ground running as soon as I drop my bags into the hotel. This is a great time to orient yourself, study the city, and jump right into either a major site or a minor one. When traveling I google each city I am going to along with nearby cities where I might find something interesting. I make a list of all of the museums, parks, events, and places that I want to see. I clump these places by location so I am able to efficiently visit 2-4 places in a day, leaving the rest of the day to wander and sight-see. Figuring that I will be in a major museum up to 3 hours I do not plan to visit more than two of those in day and plan a break in between museums to avoid museum burnout. After I have my places clumped I also look for interesting churches, smaller museums, cafes, shops, restaurants, walking routes in the area. As for time between locations it depends if you are walking or are taking metro/taxi. You will be doing both on your trip. I thought taxis in Rome were relatively cheap but metro will probably move you between locations faster. Transportation sites usually show the time it takes for one train/metro to travel from one stop to another.
I also found that studying a map of the city before traveling allowed me to move more confidently and I was able not to waste time walking around lost when there was a specific place I was heading to. I read up on local transportation and how to use it/ know what passes were right for me. I especially loved strolling in the evening. Twilight seems to be a magical time of day when sitting back with a glass of wine and people watching or ambling along the streets brings a gentle close to your day. Your trip sound wonderful with a nice amount of time in each city.

it really depends on what you wish to see in each city. Some sites are close to each other and some are further away. All three cities are very walkable and the sites are close to each other but in Rome, for example, if you wanted to go from the Vatican museums to the colosseum it would take you about an hour to walk, where as if you wanted to go from the Vatican museums to the Castel sant angelo it would take about 10 minutes. How much time you plan for a site is really dependent upon your interest in that site. I know people who could spend the entire day at the forums, for me 2 hours is about all I can handle. I know that doesn't help much but when planning put all of your "must sees" at the top followed by the "like to see" and "will see if we have enough time".

I find that using googlemaps can be very helpful. You can plan routes and use the "walking" planner to see what the suggested walking times are between the sites.

For travel days, just plan to visit a few sites in the late afternoons. All three of the cities have sites that stay open until dusk so you should be able to take advantage of those afternoons. Even if you just chose to explore the city you would still have a productive day.

The first thing to do is to have each member of your family make a list of the top 10 things they want to see in each city. Then make an itinerary based on those lists including all the sites you have in common and individual sites. This way everyone participates and sees something they're interested in. Unless we have a tour or specific site tickets booked we never make a rigid itinerary saying "Tuesday we are going to XXX". We simply put together a list of things that can be done on any given day. Such as "we can visit the pantheon, piazza Navona, trevi fountain and Santa Maria Maggiore on one day". We do this for every day we have per city. If we have specific reservation we group those with sites in the same area that don't require a reservation or advanced tickets. This makes it easier to stay longer or leave earlier if we choose to. That was if it's rainy on Monday we simply choose an itinerary that has us in museums/churches most of the day. If it's a beautiful day outside we pick an itinerary that takes advantage of that.

Donna

I will get a paper map of cities I am visiting if possible, and mark where the different things I want to see are located so I can group places that are close together. I then estimate about how much time I will need for each site, but in very general estimates (half a day, an hour or so.) I also research each site I plan to visit and make a list of open days and hours, and how I will get there from my hotel. Then based on location, open times, and the time I said I will need, I will plan for morning and afternoon activities. I'm not too specific in my times unless I have tickets for something. I plan in time for wandering, too, by never planning on too many activities in any morning or afternoon. On travel days after checking in, I usually plan a walk in the neighborhood of my hotel and a relaxing dinner.

Strive for "intentional spontaneity" !! You do the research and know what you want to see, but you are not dictated by a rigid plan - allowing for delightful surprises ! And those surprises are the memories you remember when you get home !

The travel experts above are correct about researching and grouping places/streets of interest together and marking on a map - whether it's an ipad or a paper map ! Make notes of the times sites are open (the Scala Santa in Rome, for example, closes during the lunch hour), and create a tentative "day" itinerary based on the locations/area of the sites and their hours.

I find that keeps me from missing that fabulous church in Trastavere that houses Michelangelo's first angel that he carved !

BUT, you have a "plan"; it is not rigid or time exact. And after you explore and find fabulous surprises, you can easily scan your "day plan" and make sure that you get to that site at the bottom of your list (that was in the vicinity) which you deemed really important while you bypass some of the other sites on the list of the day.

I like to have plan A through K, but I also have changed my itinerary six times while waiting for a bus.

Good idea to have everyone contribute to, or take charge of, a segment of the trip. I keep lists of opening days/hours so if I do change my mind, or hit a snag, I can move things around.

My written plans include morning, afternoon and evening segments, with only one major site in the morning and one in the afternoon. Minor sights (which can be the highlights of a trip) fill in time wherever they can fit. Evenings are largely unplanned, I like to see if something interesting is going on in the city. I try to do long travel on Mondays, when many sights may be closed. Firenze is tricky because some things are closed on Monday, others on Tuesday.

I used to plan out what I'd like to do each day, but weather is always a factor. On our last trip to Rome, I had a guide book and we'd wake up in the morning and say - what do we fell like doing today? Of course, it was our 2nd time there so the pressure wasn't on to see 'everything'. I mean, I had a list of things I wanted to see and would just kinda go with the flow. We just did Toronto and I had a list of rainy day things to do and sunny day things (luckily, it didn't rain at all).

I have a map app on my ipad called City Maps 2 Go, and before leaving, I download the map (can use offline) and you can 'star' places - so I'll star sites, restaurants and shopping places I am interested in and make sure to check when we are out if we are close by to something (especially handy for all the dessert places I read about that I want to visit - lol).

Depending on where we were staying, usually after checking into accoms, I just go out for a wander to get used to the area. If you are lucky and are staying near one of your sites, then pop into that. You could look into buying tickets ahead for more popular places (like the Colosseum or Accademia) to help shorten the time spent in line, but once you get a list of places you want to see, you can come back on here and people will be more than happy to give you hints and tips on how to maximize your time (as best you can).

Don't discount the mornings either - my mom came on our trip to Italy in 2014 and she and I are both early risers, so we'd be up at 7am and wandering Rome and Venice, popping into churches and seeing things (especially in Venice) before they got packed with people. Then around 8:30 we'd go back to have breakfast and wake the bear (aka, hubby, aka, NOT a morning person).

Did you consider including the Amalfi Coast within your itinerary? And making Orvieto an overnight stop?
Rome (4nts)
Sorrento (3nts) with days to Pompeii & Capri
Orvieto (1nt)
Florence (3nts)
Venice (3nts)

I understand your planning is probably to minimise packing/unpacking/moving, but to experience extended time at an additional location can be worth the effort.

The first thing my husband and I do after checking into a hotel is take a walk outside in the sunshine to counteract jet lag.

As far as daily itineraries go, we are usually spontaneous. We may plan "big ticket" items if it means saving time or going to a museum during extended hours. For example, we visited the Van Gosh museum in Amsterdam on Friday night because it was open late and there were less crowds. Another example would be getting tickets to the Eiffel Tower. But in general, we get to keep our schedule open.

The sad truth is that if you did each trip twice the 2nd time you'd know where you'd spend more time and what you'd cut short or skip. But life doesn't work like that.

You've got some good ideas so far. For me I like to at least group attractions in the same general area so I'm not dashing back and forth across the city or region. I am one of those people that tends to "overplan". I have an idea of what I really want to see, would like to see, and some alternative uses of time. Then I can add or change things around as the day is going and the weather allows. On a rainy day in Rome, for example, maybe more museums and a day to postpone that trip to the Forum. I also find that watching videos (Rick's, Samantha Brown, etc) gives me an idea of what I'd like to see.

How much time do you factor in for travel between each site and the amount time to designate to each site?

If by "site" you mean place you are staying then this is an area I think new travelers really underestimate. They see "Rome to Florence by train 1.5 hours" and they think its just a small bump in the day. I suggest listing out all the steps. If you're going 1st thing in the morning you need to shower, eat breakfast, finish packing, check out of the hotel. This may be an hour if you have a group, maybe more. Then you need to walk or taxi to Roma Termini, give another 30 min for that. You bought your tix the nite before, but now you need to look at the board to see what track it is on and board before it leaves. Maybe 15 minutes. Now you're on the train, once you get to Florence you need to get to your new hotel and check in, leave your bags if your room isn't ready. That's another 45-60 minutes. So the "1.5 hour train ride" took at least 3 hours, probably more.

Ok, I admit I'm a compulsive planner.

I actually do a spreadsheet for each day. On it are daily sites museums and churches, arranged by areas.
Opening/closing times/cost.

Next walking distance, map, bus#, and taxi cost. I always add more than the day can handle.
On the back of the sheet I list at least 2-3 restaurants in the area of the sites with address and phone #

On travel days, I have tickets
And lodging info.
These are put in a folder.

Some days we will follow the itinerary and others we throw it in the air.
The good thing is you have the info if you need it.

For me this is part of the fun in planning a trip.

Good info from Donna. Make everyone pick sites. This way they are vested in planning.

I figure out the top things I want to do and have a "goal" for each day ( day for the colosseum, a day for the Vatican museums, etc). And then the rest of the day just happens. For me, it's a nice balance between planning and spontaneity. And I usually end up hitting most, if not all, of the things I want to see without feeling pressured to stick to a schedule. The cities are all compact enough that you can at least walk by the important sites in 1-2 days, depending on your walking speed. I point this out to give you an idea of how close a lot of things are not because I suggest you just "walk by" the Pantheon. With the fast trains, its about 1.5 hours Rome to Florence, 2.5 hours Florence to Venice so you still have a good amount of sightseeing time on your travel days.

Since you are traveling in the high season, it will help you avoid long lines to get advance reservations for the things you know you want to see. But I usually don't make reservations for more than one thing a day.

My experience from travelling with my own family, especially since your kids are adults: it is very difficult to be the primary planner and feel responsible for everyone else's fun. Have everyone take turns planning a day. And be open to the fact that everyone might have different interests. For example, your twins might enjoy a beach day from Rome while you and your husband do a museum they are less interested in.