Help with Italy itinerary

Hi, if you're overwhelmed, pick up the Rick Steves Italy book and default to his itinerary as a baseline. I would recommend beginning in Venice or even Lake Como. Be sure to add an extra day to Venice, though. It's easier to fly into Venice and out of Rome and also a little easier to adjust to those cities, first.

Fly into Rome - 4 nts
Salerno - 2 nts (for Paestum)
Positano - 2 nts (for Amalfi Coast)
Sorrento - 3 nts (for Capri, Pompeii, Naples)
Florence - 3 nts (trains via Naples and Rome)
Tuscany - 7 nts with hire car (drop off in La Spezia)
...perhaps Montepulciano (2), Siena (3), Lucca (2)
Cinque Terre - 3 nts
Lake Como - 3 nts (trains via Genova and Milano)
Venice - 3 nts
Depart from Venice

I like your pacing with one exception: more time in Venice and less at Lago di Como. The Cinque Terre and Lago di Como are both fairly laid back locations so I think those 7 nights will be too much of a good thing. :-) Venice can use all the time you care to give her and there are also good daytrips from Venice if you like. I also agree with Jean: start in Venice, end in Rome. So you itinerary might look like this with 30 nights:

Fly into Venice - 4 nights

Train to Florence - 4 nights

Hire car - Tuscany - 6 nights (more on this below)

Drop car in Florence and train to Lago di Como - 3 nights

Train to Cinque Terre - 3 nights

Train to Sorrento (longish travel day) - 3 nights
Bus to Positano - 3 nights
Alternatively stay 5 or 6 nights in Sorrento as a base. In April/May it certainly won't be beach season in Positano yet, and Sorrento makes a great 5-night stay on the Amalfi Coast giving you time to day trip to Naples, Pompeii, along the A.C. itself, and to Capri, if you like. If you only spend 5 nights here, add another night to Roma as there are endless possibilities to see/do.

Bus/Train to Roma - 4 nights

Fly home

For your time in Tuscany, I suggest you select two bases, one more northern and one more southern to facilitate day trips around the countryside.

Yes, Venice is the best place to start an Italian vacation. It's easy to relax and soak it up while getting over the long journey to get there. Rome is intense - big, noisy, bustling city with monumental sights. Venice is the opposite, slow, quiet, relatively low-key sights. On your first day, just ride the vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal, have stop for some gelato, then walk along the back canals, stop for coffee, pop into a church or two, stop for a glass of wine. Then 2 days for sights, maybe one more if you want to visit any of the islands.

Thank you everyone for quick responses.. All are truly appreciated.. I will redo my itinerary to land in Venice first and go from there. I have far too many questions before my trip. I'm just afraid people will get fed up with me as it is a year before we leave but I'm one of those who wants everything in order. My next questions would be accomodations recommendations but if anyone is interested in helping out with these, would truly appreciated. Thank you sooooo much

The "arrive Venice, depart Rome" argument mainly arises because of inconvenient trans Atlantic flight times from Venice. This may not apply to you heading home eastbound. For example, flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha all depart in the afternoon.

Thank you David. I may need to ask you more questions😁. Perhaps you could help me with my Tuscany itinerary. I was going to do day trips on trains to Pisa, Lucca, Siena. Then hire a car go round the Tuscany countryside. Just driving and stopping and staying at random places for the night. Of course I will google places to visit first.. Someone suggests I return the car to La Spezia and then I will take train to Monterosso where we will stay for 3 nights as my husband wants to hike. Now what would be ideal, take train to lake Como from cinque or back to Florence and catch the train from cinque to lake Como. We have no desire to see Milan. I use Rome 2 rio for distances and transports info. See I am not so useless but I still need help. Thanks david👍

Thank you David. I may need to ask you more questions😁. Perhaps you could help me with my Tuscany itinerary. I was going to do day trips on trains to Pisa, Lucca, Siena. Then hire a car go round the Tuscany countryside. Just driving and stopping and staying at random places for the night. Of course I will google places to visit first.. Someone suggests I return the car to La Spezia and then I will take train to Monterosso where we will stay for 3 nights as my husband wants to hike. Now what would be ideal, take train to lake Como from cinque or back to Florence and catch the train from cinque to lake Como. We have no desire to see Milan. I use Rome 2 rio for distances and transports info. See I am not so useless but I still need help. Thanks david👍

Oops sorry david I posted twice😖😖 I have just re read your posting and duh.mi now see your Tuscany suggestions so will put that in writing. Thank you👍

I've flown out of both Venice and Rome. My comment to begin in Venice was mainly due to feeling that you could ease in to the Italian culture at Venice vs. beginning at Rome which is much faster moving. After you've been to other Italian locations during your trip, you can enjoy all of what Rome provides and not feel overwhelmed.

This is your most direct connection from CT to Como...
IC 35666
Dep 10:54 MONTEROSSO (Italy)
Arr 13:55 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)
then
EC 158
Dep 15:10 MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)
Arr 15:59 COMO S.GIOVANNI (Italy)

For Tuscany you might like to pick up a car in Orvieto (where Avis and Hertz have offices) - head there by train after Sorrento (via Rome). You can then do a route visiting smaller towns like Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Volterra, as well as Chianti villages. Make your last stop Siena to return the car, then take a bus or train in to Florence. Pisa and Lucca can be done by train, either in a day from Florence, or as a stop en route to CT. You currently have 11 nights allocated for Florence and Tuscany, so you should be able to manage quite a bit. Something like ...
Orvieto (1) - Pick up car
Montepulciano (2)
Volterra (1)
Siena (2) - Return car
Florence (3)
Lucca (2)

I've never flown in or out of Venice. I just think it's a great, low key place to start.

Venice → Como → CT → Florence/Tuscany/Umbria → Sorrento/Positano → Rome

With a car for that many days, tootle around Umbria as well. Orvieto is great, Assisi is beautiful, the countryside is similar to and as lovely as Tuscany.

Jean, David, Chani, thank you ever so much. I cannot believe so many nice people out there. Hubby is evaluating flying to Venice and home to Rome. Then I thought if Venice is laid back perhaps better to chill out before flying home just take leisure sightseeing. David your Tuscany itinerary is brilliant, thank you. It is what I needed. I tend to do a couple of back trekking at times due to my not reading the map properly, hence I ask you folks out there. I will re post when I have done a bit more research and re do my whole itinerary. Again, thank you. You don't know how much you all have helped people like me out there. Keep,up the good work

Wonderful place in Orvieto. B and B Ripa Medici. One of our favorite places to stay in Italy. Sabrina is the owner. 75 Euros per night which was in 2014. Located on the wall overlooking the valley below.

Thank you Claire, checking it out now. Writing everything down👍

Thank you Claire. Ripa Medici Orvieto for us! Anyone else with B and B recommendations in Tuscany and Umbria most welcomed please. Florence, Siena, Lucca, montepulciano, San gimignano, volt era, monteriggiona, pienza, and hotels in Venice, Rome, lake como(Bellagio) Sorrento, Positano and cinque all recommendations welcomed thank you . At this rate with all the help I get next years holiday will be all sorted out in a couple of months .

Hi everyone. Revised itinerary as hubby wants to put Dolomites in the equation😖😖 and so what do you think of this.....
1 Rome
2 Rome
3 Rome
4 Salerno paestum
5 Salerno war memorial
6 Positano
7 Positano
8 Sorrento Pompeii Herculaneum
9 Sorrento Capri
10 Sorrento explore. Maybe fit in Vesuvius?
11 Florence . Day trip to Pisa and Lucca
12 Florence day trip to Siena
13 Florence explore Florence
14 Tuscany pick up car as adviced by Davin in Orvieto
15 Tuscany open
16 Tuscany. Open
17 Tuscany open
18 Tuscany open
19 cinque drop off car at la spezia as advised by David . Thank you. Stay Monterosso
20 cinque
21 Venice
22 Venice
23 Dolomites ..stay Bolzano or casterotto
24 Dolomites
25 Dolomites
26 lake Como stay varenna
27 lake Como day trip to Lugano
28 lake Como day trip to lake maggiore?
29 Milan not sure if I need 2 days in Milan though. Any advice ?
30 Milan
31 home
Guess that's it for now and I am grateful for any advise, deletion or anything. Thank you very much. If anyone has a better itinerary please don't hesitate. It will give me a chance to google. Love googling. At this stage no hotels are booked yet. Still googling. But at varenna Maria's house has got a good write up

Just a few thoughts...

On day 11, I would start the Tuscany part of my trip and train from Sorrento to Orvieto, and then pick up the car there. I would then hit everything in Umbria and Tuscany I wanted to see except Florence. That would include Siena, Pisa and Lucca. I would then drop off the car at La Spezia as planned. After the Cinque Terre, I would then hit Florence, as that is a much shorter and quicker train trip than the almost all-day affair would be from CT to Venice. I would then train from Florence to Venice.

For the time near Sorrento, I would probably spend one less day there and give it to Positano. Sorrento is the ideal jumping off point for the entire area and is very pretty, but I don't think you'd need an entire day to explore it.

You don't need two nights in Milan.

Two nights in Venice is not enough in my opinion, but I could personally spend all 31 days there.

Two nights in Milano is fine, there's quite a bit to see/do. If you want to see Leonardo's Last Supper, you need to book tickets in advance. There are several museums, great shopping, the view from the Duomo rooftop, Castello Sforzesco.

Here's another vote for Milan. it's not the most popular place on these forums, but I enjoyed it. The top of the Duomo is fascinating to see, with all the carving that can't be seen from anywhere else. (Why did they do that??) Recommend getting there in the morning though as the lines get long later, and the ticket to the roof can include the duomo museum (if you're interested), letting you bypass that line. There are at least a couple small churches that were very interesting, and the walk around the city is nice, as long as you're ok with cities. Too big to be "charming", but it's a fabulous city, especially if you're into art.

Bolzano was a great smaller city as well. It's not in the heart of the mountains or all the hiking, but it's only about 45 minutes to an hour to the Alpi di Siusi or Ortesei gondola lifts. I was there in October and wanted to be some place with more to do in case bad weather prevented hiking, so that may not apply to you, but it also had some good restaurants and the Otzi museum. And there is a lift in town that takes you up to some more hiking and views.

Have fun!

On your latest itinerary you say

10 Sorrento explore. Maybe fit in Vesuvius?
11 Florence . Day trip to Pisa and Lucca
12 Florence day trip to Siena
13 Florence explore Florence
14 Tuscany pick up car as adviced by Davin in Orvieto

If you travel to Florence on Day 11 by train, it will take 4 hours, minimum. How will you fit in a Pisa/Lucca day trip that day?

On Day 14, will you take a train to Orvieto to pick up a car and then drive north again into your list of Tuscan towns? You might ss well pick up the car in Florence and save a half-day. You can zip down to Orvieto in your "open" time if you are so moved.

April and May not the best time in the Dolomites. Can still be quite cold (It's not even been very warm now, in June) and many lifts are not yet open.

Hi Laurel, I have not googled train travelling times yet, day trips is just a general fit-in. I am sure once I know travelling times, will re organise. Thank you for your advise, all taken in gratefully. Kmskd, thank you also, I am. It very good with maps so back to the drawing board. The Sweeney, originally we want to fly out of Venice, but I was duplicating rick Stevens 21 days Italy and then put in a few extra days of ours. That is a good idea going from Sorrento to pick up car in Orvieto, thank you. Zoe, much appreciated for your input. I wouldn't have a clue without all you guys out there with advise etc...
Just to let you know, we are not into museums or churches or arts. Yes why do we go to italy you ask. Well we love to travel. We want to see the coliseum, other ruins, my husband is a ruin castle freak and a hiking freak. Not interested in the last supper or Sistine chapel or the Vatican. Prefer day trips to small places and hike and walk and talk to locals and just chill out. We do want to see the Tuscan and Umbria countryside. We do not plan to pre book our lodgings in Tuscany and Umbria and just take pot luck when and where we decide to stop for the night. Crazy I know but we dislike a time limit of when we have to be at certain places. Obviously the main places i.e Rome Venice Sorrento etc we will book before we leave. Just the driving bits that we will leave to chance. The only thing I want to see in Florence is the statue of David. I am fascinated by it and hubby can't understand why. Our holidays mainly consists of lots of hiking and eating. If Anyone has a better itinerary than the one I have please feel free to,help as I really really need help. I am not good with directions or maps. When we went to the US last year there was a couple,of back tracking but it turned out OK in the end and hubby did not tell me off.😬 If he has his way he would drive all of italy but I had to put my foot down! Once again thNk you so much guys please be patient with me and don't get too frustrated. Ciao

We want to see the coliseum, other ruins, my husband is a ruin castle
freak and a hiking freak. Not interested in the last supper or Sistine
chapel or the Vatican.

OK, that changes things a bit. If your husband is into ruins - there's really not much for 'castles' in Italy - I would add a day or so to Rome. Yes, it is a city but there are enough Roman ruins in or near it to keep you busy for longer than 2.5 days (day 1 is a partial as it's your arrival day). With a deep interest in antiquities, the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine could occupy a big chunk of a day. Additionally, there is Trajan's Market, Baths of Caracalla, Castel Sant' Angelo, Pantheon, Teatro Di Marcello/Portico d'Ottavia and any number of other vestiges of the empire. Churches are not on your list but there are a few with Roman ruins underneath their foundations which can be visited.

I'd also recommend a day trip to Ostia Antica and another to Villa Adriana in Tivoli.

With an interest in hiking, a day walking Appia Antica is a MUST: there are ruined tombs, baths, a circus, catacombs and other interesting things all the way along: our best day in Rome to date.

Also, I might recommend staying on Capri rather than doing it as a day trip so you could spend a bit more time hiking the island. The hike up to the ruins of Villa Jovis should be on your list as well as a climb up/down Mt. Solaro, etc. The village of Anacapri is best for a walk-through early in the morning/later in the evening when the day-trippers have gone, and I'll say the same for the village of Capri itself...although we liked Anacapri better.

We haven't been fortunate enough to do Path of the Gods yet (Amalfi coast) but that's supposed to be a terrific hike so I'd do some research on that one. Here are some nice snaps a couple of hikers took along the way plus another of many resources:

http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/path-of-the-gods-hike-amalfi-coast-budget/

http://www.pathofgods.com

Thank you so much Kathy. Now more for me to google. I am learning a lot. Thank you😀👍

You're welcome. :O)

Rocky, you mention "Googling" a lot. I hope you have a couple of good guidebooks as well. You can gt a lot online, but not everything well-organized. Books tend to give you insight into things you might not think to research like parking, train connections, buses, sites you might otherwise not think of.

Hi laurel, yes I have tons of books. I have rick Stevens cinque Terre. My daughter is bringing me rick Steves Italy 2016 when we meet in Borneo on the 3rd July . She's coming from England. I have lonely planet books on Italy. Books on Tuscany Umbria and the marches. Walks in Tuscany with maps. Also a fold up map of Italy and it is so huge and I lost track of places each time I turn it over!😖😖 and I have tons of tourist colourful books in Rome Venice Amalfi coast, all colourful ones. So yes I do read. Been collecting books on Italy for a few years as its in my bucket list. I have a travel booklet with lovely photos of lake maggiore and I am wondering how I can fit that in. Our travel dates are not locked in yet as we are booking with frequent flyers and seats are not released yet and so our date is flexible in May depending on seats available.. We have enough points flying business with Emirates 😁😁. They have two flights leaving. 5 am and 10.10pm . Thank you so much for your help laurel ciao👍

Rocky, here's the website for Parco Appia Antica:

http://www.parcoappiaantica.it

And some suggested sections; you do not have to do the whole thing. We did it backwards from Casal Rotondo all the way back into central Rome.

http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/home/itinerari/appia-antica

Oh Wow Kathy. I will research this. Have not shown photos to hubby yet. I see there are bikes. He's also a cycling freak 😖 So he may want to hire a bike. Thank you so much👍