Help with Itinerary

Seems rushed. I’m taking the RS 17 day tour and it doesn’t seem like enough time, plus I decided to save what looks like it will be my favorite part of Italy for another trip. Do you have your flight? All by train? Driving? Hotels?

12 days:
Fly into Rome stay 3 nights; stay 2 nights Amalfi coast, Florence 3 nights, do a day trip to Tuscany or elsewhere; cinque Terre stay 1 night ; skip tower of Pisa; Venice 3 nights fly out of Venice. Focus on Venice or find a day trip if you’d like. Save como for a Switzerland trip. Save Milan for another trip.

If you have booked flights::
Fly into Rome, stay 4 nights, 2 nights Amalfi coast; sienna, Tuscany, ligurian coast find a home base in area 2 nights; 2 night cinque terra with pisa, Milan 2 nights see if you can squeeze in Como

I definitely would NOT day from Rome to Venice! Unless you have absolutely no other choice and just want to spend a few hours in Venice to get a quick taste of it.

I would definitely take the train and stop in Florence and Venice if you will end up flying home from Milan anyway. Don't try to day trip to Florence then take the train north through Florence anyway - just wasted time going back and forth a second time.

Florence makes a great based for a day trip to Pisa, since it's an easy train trip and there is frequent train service.

I love the Cinque Terre, but if you got as a day trip from Florence, you'll arrive in time for big crowds in the towns and on the main hiking trails. While there are ways to avoid the crowds in the Cinque Terre, it's much harder to do if just going for a few hours in the daytime during the crowded times. If you said you were avid hikers, I'd suggest hiking from Manarola to Corniglia via the town of Volastra - a steep hike (up many steps) but with breathtaking views. If this sound too strenuous or you weren't planning to hike at all, you might skip the Cinque Terre entirely. The villages will be crowded in late May in the daytime. You could possibly take the boat from one town to the other to get the breathtaking views from the water, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort just for that.

This is a very rushed trip, indeed. But, it's your trip.

@kathryndesign Thanks for the reply. Hotel for Rome booked. Have to decide on which hotels to book for other places. Flight to Rome decided but not booked yet. Will book trains. I won't be driving. I will have to find if I can fly back to USA from Venice.

Regarding your suggestion, "12 days:
Fly into Rome stay 3 nights; stay 2 nights Amalfi coast, Florence 3 nights, do a day trip to Tuscany or elsewhere; cinque Terre stay 1 night ; skip tower of Pisa; Venice 3 nights fly out of Venice. Focus on Venice or find a day trip if you’d like. Save como for a Switzerland trip."

The night I fly into Rome will be late. So I kept 3 full days for Rome.

Is Pompeii worth a visit? You suggest 2 nights Amalfi coast? Where to suggest? Does that include day trip to Pompeii and then go to Amalfi coast? I won't rent a car.

Regarding Florence 3 nights - I guess you are including day trip to Tuscany in that and keeping Cinque Terre separate.
I can skip Leaning tower of Pisa or it can be part of Day trip to Tuscany - Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip from Florence Including Lunch.

Regarding 3 nights in Venice - How many whole days does one need for Venice?

I can skip Lake Como but need to fly out of Rome or Milan. I need to find out if I can fly out of Venice.

There are direct flights from Venice to Philadelphia (AA), Newark (United), and Atlanta (Delta) in season - should be going by May, so if you can get a connection home through one of those cities, that might be a good option for you. See if you can book your trip "open jaw" - into one city, home from another, on one ticket, not as two one-way flights.

@ Andrew H Thanks for the reply. I do not plan to hike as I am not a hiker.

Any input regarding day trip to Tuscany from Florence. I have seen following day trips online by tour operators - San Gimignano, Siena, Monteriggioni, Chianti Day Trip with Lunch & Wine Tasting or Cinque Terre Day Trip from Florence with Optional Hiking or Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip from Florence Including Lunch.

Then I would skip the Cinque Terre if you aren't going to hike.

I haven't done all of these day trip options from Florence. I have been to Pisa and Sienna. Sienna is a lovely town, with an amazing town square. (Easy direct bus between Florence and Sienna - easier than the train, even though I prefer trains usually.) Pisa itself is not very charming, though there is some charm to be found if you look. As cheesy as the Tower of Pisa is, it's pretty cool - I was glad I saw it. It's just something I remembered from grade school and would have been disappointed not to see it.

It's quite easy to do a self-guided trip to Pisa, not as part of a tour. There are direct trains from Florence to Pisa Centrale station. It's a good 30 minute walk from there each way to the tower - there is regular public bus service from the station to the Field of Miracles where the Tower lives. It's an obnoxiously touristy area though. If you have the time and can handle it, you might walk back from the Field to the Pisa train station. You'll cross the Arno river and you can see how different it looks than the section in Florence. Pisa can seem a bit gritty in places. There's a old university there - you'll walk through the campus.

Some people add a visit to the town of Lucca on to their day trip to Pisa. (Not many people love Pisa, but lots of people LOVE Lucca! Google for pictures.) There used to be a direct bus from near the Field of Miracles directly to Lucca - don't know if there still is, it's been a few years. You could train to Pisa, local bus to the Tower, bus from there to Lucca, then train back to Florence from Lucca. This is a super easy day trip for a seasoned traveler. If you are not a seasoned traveler, you might find it a little intimidating I guess. But there are people around to ask, lots of tourists in all of these places, almost all speaking English.

Hi, keep in mind I have not been to Italy yet, and I’m taking a tour. I’ve been excellent vacation planner and usually go solo. I decided to let somebody else handle the details this time. Yet I did quite a bit of research and watched travel shows. I think your trip is too much but it’s your trip. I added on another option on my original post.

Consider staying in Sorrento and maybe a day trip to Capri or Pompeii if you’re into ruins. ( I am some are not) see some free shows on Prime Netflix… The trip from Rome Requires a train to Naples And then onto Sorrento. This is the area that I will be saving for a separate trip because it looks unbelievably beautiful and I want a few days.

I heard Sienna is lovely… Maybe a day trip there from Florence. most people
Say Venice or Florence were their favorite areas.

I’ve learned that staying at least 2 nights somewhere helps me get better rest and better see the area. If you’re willing to trim down your trim, I think you’ll find it less hectic and more relaxing. The unexpected always comes up…

I have to agree with the others. Rome to Florence to Venice with one side trip ….to say Sienna/ Tuscany is ideal Or skip Tuscany and go to Amalfi Coast for 2 nights. I looked into adding time onto my tour by going to Amalfi coast and staying less than 2 nights is extreme. Getting to the train station, switching trains, hoping they are on time… tiring.

Rome 4 nights
Amalfi 2 night
Florence 3 nights
Venice 3 nights

Rome, Florence and Venice 4 nights each day trip to sienna

Start watching Italy shows… so much to see.

@Confused - Please consider this: Rick Steves has done most of the planning work for you and provides it to you free of charge.

Note: Many experienced travelers think Rick's suggested "pace" for independent travel is painfully fast, but you can use his suggested itineraries as a starting point.

You have, by my count, just TEN full, usable days on the ground in Italy (not counting your arrival or departure days). This is what Rick Steves recommends...

Look here: At upper left on this screen, click:
Explore Europe > under "Countries" click Italy > click Plan > click Italy: Recommended Itinerary

Read the top section. Here are the most critical bits: It says "Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are my recommended priorities:"

Then it lists what Rick thinks you can pull off in the given time:

4 days: Rome, Florence
6 days, add: Venice
8 days: Cinque Terre
10 days, add: Siena (your taste of Tuscany)

You have, I think, only 10 days to spend. Many here would say 10 days is a bit short for all those places, but some folks manage to go fast and do pull it off. I would certainly not try to include more places in just 10 days. IF you do have more days, then look at the items listed there and adjust accordingly, but be careful not to over-commit to too many places....you will have a better trip that way.

Hope that helps (even if it's not what you wanted to hear - sorry!).

Where is home for you? Could you fly open jaw into Naples and out of Venice, or vice versa? I don't like doubling back with your plan to fly in or out of Rome with a trip down to Amalfi Coast and back.

Keep it simple, by counting the nights. For one thing that is what you are paying for. If you have 13 nights, I would suggest Venice 3 - Florence 3 - Rome 4 - Amalfi Coast (suggest Sorrento as base) 3 and that would still be quite rushed.

With such short time, I would limit the number of day tours. With those day tours, especially when you tour 3 towns in a day, you will end up spending much of your time sitting on a bus or train. You have to learn to enjoy where you are instead of thinking where else can you go.

Hi there, Confused -
I'll agree that this is a very rushed itinerary, and there's too many day trips. A couple of initial comments?

4th day - plan to do Rome to Pompeii + Amalfi coast day trip v/s Rome
to Amalfi coast day trip.

Pompeii and the Amalfi coast is a brutal day. If you are looking to do one of the bus tours that offer this one, you're looking at spending more time sitting than sightseeing: at least 3 hours each way + time to the Amalfi from Pompeii, and maybe a scant 2 hours at Pompeii...which is VAST. It's also weather-dependent, for the best experience. Say your planned day ends up to be a wet one? If you were to do it at all, I'd do it by 'fast' train to Naples and commuter train to Pompeii; same in reverse. It's faster by train, and save the Amalfi for another trip when you can give that region the time it deserves. You might also exchange Pompeii for Orvieto, as Pompeii fits so well with a Naples + Herculaneum+ Sorrento/Amalfi Coast + Capri trip.

Then go to Florence -so half day for traveling and 1 1/2 -2 days to
see Florence. Day 5 and Day 6

You'd have 1.5 days, tops, not 2. Checking out, dealing with transport, finding you new hotel, checking in, etc. takes more time than you think it will. Arriving before check-in time? You'll need to have them stow your bags. You haven't said what you plan to see in Florence but there's a ton of it on hand; 1 day plus some odd hours isn't very much for this one. Your actual travel dates are important if planning to visit the State Museums (Uffizi, Accademia, etc.) as they are closed on Mondays.

Plan to do Day trip from Florence to Cinque Terre (Tour) Day 7

If not hiking, I'd definitely scrap this for more time in Florence. It's another weather-dependent activity for best results, and a location best experienced by staying a night or two and not day-tripping it with the day-tripping mob.

Plan to see Leaning tower of Pisa (1/2 day) and go to Venice which
give 1/2 day in Venice (night 1) - Day 9 and another full day in
Venice

Pisa is not on the way to Venice. Realistically, by the time you'd pack up and head to Pisa, get to/spend time at the Piazza dei Miracoli, then get back on a train to Venice, get to hotel, etc. you will have killed most of the day. That leaves you just one day for Venice itself. You'll also be dealing with your luggage... If you feel you MUST see the tower and can give Florence more time, you might do Rome>Pisa en route to Florence> Venice instead of Rome>Florence>Pisa en route to Venice. Oh, and no, I would not even consider day-tripping Venice from Florence.

A day trip to Lake Como is another weather-dependent activity.

I guess my point is that if you can stay in locations for longer versus shorter amounts of time, you have more flexibility to work around weather and attraction closures; I mentioned State Museum closures on Mondays, the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays, etc. What you WILL have to nail down well in advance are your advance, timed-entry reservations for the biggies, such as the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Uffizi, etc. May is High Season so all locations promise to be very busy.

Personally, i find Rick's suggested itineraries MUCH too rushed but that's just me. It's hard to trim the plan, I know, when it's so tempting to try and see it ALL! :O)

Welcome to the forum!

Your post is a bit confusing. It’s not clear how many NIGHTS you actually have on the ground in Italy- or is that not decided yet?
If you count your trip in NIGHTS rather than days you’ll have a better picture of how your itinerary flows.

Fly into Rome from USA and reach May 27 night. 5 night stay in Rome
which will give 4 full days.

Is this flight booked? Most flights to Rome from US arrive in the am.
Have you booked a one way flight? I am hoping not.
Book your flights together as a round trip or as a multi city (IN to Venice or Milan, OUT of Rome) and ALWAYS book flights with the actual airline- not a third party like expedia/kayak.

Fly out from Milan on Day 12 later afternoon/evening after trying to
get ticket to see Last Supper in the morning.

Most flights to US from Milan will leave in the am/before noon.

For a first trip to Italy you can’t go wrong with the big 3- Venice-Florence-Rome. In that order. It is much easier to fly IN to Venice than out of and it’s a great place to get over jet lag. Starting in Rome as a first timer might be a bit overwhelming.

You are trying to do too much, too many location/hotel changes, too many day trips.
Every time you change locations you lose a half day- checking in/out, getting to train, riding train, getting to next lodging, check in, get oriented. Try to avoid 1 and 2 night stays.
A 2 night stay only gives you a day and a half to enjoy where you are.

Recommendd minimum stays
Venice- 3 nights
Florence- 3 nights add 1 night for each day trip
Rome- 4 MINIUM.

It appears you may have about 12 nights in Italy. For that length trip try to stick with just 4 locations.
I wouldn’t book anything more- hotels or tours or trains until you have actually settled on a doable itinerary

If you could let us know EXACTLY how any nights you have in Italy we could give you more specific advice. And do include your dates - there are closures and holidays to consider.

Just a suggestion:

Fly into Venice
Venice 3 nights

Train to Florence
Florence- 4 nights with 1 day trip by guided bus tour to Siena, hill towns and maybe Pisa

Train to Rome
Rome 5 nights
Visit Ostia Antica rather than Pompeii (which is a brutally long day from Rome)
Fly home from Rome

If Milan and Last Supper is of more interest than Venice
Fly in to Rome- 4 nights
Train to Florence 4 nights- as above
Train to Lake Como-Varenna 2 nights
Train to Milan 2 nights- see LS and Duomo (LS closed on Monday)
Fly home from Milan

ETA: Ah now I see this

Hotel for Rome booked. Have to decide on which hotels to book for
other places. Flight to Rome decided but not booked yet. Will book
trains. I won't be driving. I will have to find if I can fly back to
USA from Venice.

Hoping that Rome hotel is cancellable. I never book anything that is not fully refundable up ti at least 48 hours.

If you can fly into Venice and out of Naples, this is what your path would look like. It will save on travel time.

Day 1. Fly to Venice. 3N.

Day 2. Arrive Venice. Bus to city. This gives you 2 days in Venice.

Day. 3. Venice.

Day. 4. Venice

Day 5. Train. Venice Santa Lucia to Firenze SM Novella. 2H13m.

Day 6. Florence. 3-4 N. (Add xtra nite for additional day trip).

Day. 7. Day trip. Train to Lucca 1H20m.
Allow 6-7 hours. Train to Pisa centrale 37 min. Lam Rosso bus to tower. Late afternoon/early evening, train Pisa to Firenze SMN 1H06m. Doing Lucca first allows you to excape the cross in Pisa.

Day 7. Firenze SMN to Roma Termini 1H32m. Rome 4N.

Day 8. Rome.

Day 9. Rome

Day 10. Rome.

Day 11. Train Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale. 1H10m. Circumvesuvian to Pompeii Scavi 38min. Left luggage at gate to Pompeii. Allow 2-4 hours. Circumvesuvian to Sorrento 37min.
Sorrento 2 N.

Day 12. Sorrento. Day trip to Amalfi coast by Ferry. (If you have an afternoon flight, you can stay another night in Sorrento. The Curreri Viaggi bus will take you to the Airport). If an early flight, you will need to spend your last night in Naples.

Day 13. Circumvesuvian to Naples. Check into lodging. Visit Archeological Museum.

Day 14 Travel.

Edit to add. Christine’s Rome, Florence, Milan is also an exceptional itinerary. It can be done by both directions.

I believe the OP only has ten full, usable days. Ten.

I could be counting wrong, but that's how I read the original post: arriving on May 27, departing on "Day 12" which appears to be June 7. Discounting the arrival and departure days (because you can't really accomplish much on those days), that leaves ten full days, May 28 through June 6.

It’s definitely confusing—
I was counting OPs planned days

OP has 5 nights booked in Rome 5/27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Then Florence looks like 4 nights- 2 in Florence- 2 for day trips 6/1, 2, 3, 4
Venice 2 nights 6/5, 6
Milan 2 nights 6/7, 8
Leave on 6/9

That’s actually 13 nights or 12 days and not a bad itinerary at all as long as some of the day trips are dropped. No flights are booked.

Hopefully OP will return to clarify and read thru all the great advice posted here!

Looks like OP is planning Greece and Italy- I guess flying from Greece to Rome so at least first day is not jet lagged!

Or maybe Greece has been dropped?

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/greece/greece-and-italy-5386b481-f775-4c5b-afb2-68c5a0ecadb9

Right, Christine, I belatedly just looked at the rest of our OP's posts, and these comments confuse me:

Greece Forum:
"I can take time off from May 27 to June 13 and/or July 11-19 and/or August 8-16."
"I can try and cancel July and add few days in August."
"My plan is to see Rome, Florence, Venice and leaning tower of Pisa in Italy and Athens, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece?"
"When is it more expensive June vs July vs August for both Greece and Italy?"

OP, if you "can cancel" July, does that mean you've already booked something for Greece?

Without getting further into the weeds here, I think you're trying to do too much and that is why you're having such a difficult time. Understand that summer is high season in much of Western Europe. Heck, even later spring and the autumn months fall into high season for much of Italy. The Italian cities can also be uncomfortably hot in the summer months, and they'll be VERY busy so a slower pace is recommended to better handle the temperature and crowds. It's been many years ago but I've been to Athens in July and have NO interest in repeating that experience. Prices? I don't think you'd see a big difference in one high-season month versus another; to borrow another poster's comment, they're generally incompatible with the word "cheap". That said, some cost savings can be realized if willing to choose lower-end accommodations, book advance, economy 'fast' train tickets when they are available, etc.

To make things a lot easier for you, I'd think about taking that May 27 - June 13 stretch and spending it ALL in Italy. That's roughly 16 sightseeing days + 2 travel days on each end. Book your flights into one city and out of another; if Venice is in the plan, it's often recommended to fly IN to that one versus out, as many flights depart too early in morning for using cheaper public transport to the airport. You also want to be staying IN any city of departure the night before the flight. For instance, you don't want to be on the Amalfi Coast the night before a flight out of Rome.

I think we're pretty much at a standstill until some of the questions we've asked can be answered and we have a better idea what we're working with? Help us out here? :O)

Doing day trips isn't as fast as it may seem when in the USA.
Walk (transport) to the station, buy ticket, get to platform, transit time,.... and then you have the reverse trip to make.

I've only been to Italy 3 times. In my last trip, my wife and I flew from Switzerland (visiting friends) to Naples and stayed in that region for 4 days. We stayed in Salerno so we could have easy day trips to Positano, the ruins at Paestrum, Pompeii - each was a day-trip - we chose a central location to sleep. The longer the distance of the day-trip, the less likely I'd plan for it.

Thank You everyone for replies and input. Much appreciated.

I am not going to Greece on this vacation. I have not decided if I should go to Greece in July or August.

I will fly into Rome May 27 late evening/early night time. Flights from USA that reach Rome in the morning are expensive.

May 27 - check in around 8 PM - don't know if I will be able to sleep especially if I slept on flight as it departs at night
May 28 - Not decided. May be walk around Rome and see Pantheon, Trevi fountain, various squares.
May 29 Rome Vatican tour - I guess better to have guided tour skip the line. Any recommendations? Viator, get your guide? I think later half of day will be free and can be used to see other things.
May 30 Rome Colosseum tour - I guess better to have guided tour skip the line. Any recommendations? Viator, get your guide? I think later half of day will be free and can be used to see other things.
May 31 - Not decided. Wondering if should do Tuscany tour from Rome and save a night stay in Florence. I see 12-13 hours tour but do not include Pisa which we want to see.
June 1 - Leave for Sorrento - Visit Pompeii on the way. Do I need guided your for Pompeii? Stay in Sorrento.
June 2- in Sorrento - do Amalfi guided tour
June 3 - in Sorrento - Tour Capri
June 4 - Leave for Florence. Visit Pisa before reaching Florence? Where to keep luggage? Is it better to stay in Florence or Siena? Stay in Florence.
June 5 - Stay in Florence - Day trip to Cinque Terre
June 6 - Visit Pisa if not already visited on June 4. Otherwise spend half day in Florence and leave for Venice. Stay night in Venice.
June 7 - Stay in Venice
June 8 - Stay in Venice
June 9 - Leave for USA

If not able to do Tuscany tour from Rome on June 31, then will need to add night in Florence to do Tuscany tour and leave for Venice on June 7 and leave for USA on June 10. I will like to avoid add one more day and keep itinearay for 12 days excluding day of arrival and day of leaving.

Viator and Get Your Guide are resellers

Book with the actual tour company
WalksofItaly.com highly recommended

Makes no sense to day trip tour Tuscany from Rome

Pisa is not really on the way to Florence.
The trip from Sorrento to Florence will consume most of the day.

Curious where you are looking for flights
Most leave USA evening and arrive in the am
In my experience daytime flights are more expensive if they even exist

Where in US are you leaving from?

Hi, do you have your flights booked? And does your Rome hotel have free cancellation? If those are both yes, I would do this is reverse. Venice usually has early flights leaving, and you don’t want your last night at Venice (Mestre) on the mainland. Arriving at Venice is a wonderful way to begin a Italian vacation. It’s easy to catch the Aliguna boat at the airport (or taxi boat for $$) to head to the islands.

My advice is to use www.trenitalia.com to see the actual time it takes between locations. It will give you a better idea of avoiding some long train times.
Rome is Roma, Florence is Firenze, Venice is Venezia, Naples is Napoli

Viator isn’t a tour company; it just resells tours, so it’s usually more expensive, and you don’t get as much information ahead of time. I highly recommend buying the Rick Steves guidebook for Italy. It will answer so many questions for you and provide information that’s critical to not have fines while riding the trains, etc.

I am departing from dallas

I am starting from Rome as I have better deal booking hotel with points. I can’t find this deal on later dates.

My advice for Italy, especially short trips like yours is to limit yourself to one water location. Decide whether you would rather see the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre.

I see Florence listed in your latest itinerary, but the days are almost all filled with sites outside Florence. It sounds like Tuscany is important, so I would take one day trip from Florence, and take a minivan small tour of some of the villages. Some will include Pisa which is worth a very short stop during that tour. But an all-day tour would be very tiring!

Or skip Florence altogether and stay in Siena. Take a Tuscany countryside tour from there for one of your days.

Your amount of time in Venice is good!

Okay, yes, you’re flying into Rome.

If you had to give up Amalfi, Tuscany, Pisa, or Cinque Terre, which one is less of a priority? I think there’s one too many places. I’ve traveled there seven times for several weeks each, and I travel at a faster pace than most people.

You have a lot of advice here. The key is what the teenagers will be interested in doing. We took our 16, 18, and 20 YOs to Italy in 2006. I discovered that they were not that interested in most of the museums including the Vatican with the exception of the famous chapel ceiling. They liked the Pantheon, Coliseum, St Peters, and Forum, stuff they could feel and touch. Same was true in Florence. They loved Siena's square, the tower and church.

I am not sure what the kids would do on the Amalfi coast. In the Cinque Terra, they can hike between the towns as well as boat between the towns. I like the peace of CT so I am probably biased.

I would see Rome but the Coliseum, forum, Pantheon, St Peters and Vat museum can probably be seen in a day depending on the line for the Vat Museum (that was the longest wait unless you can swing reservations. I would try to get to the old port as it is easier than Pompeii. Train to Florence and see the sights there but be mindful you can over museum there. The church and tower are great and The David is probably a must see just because it is so famous. Both Rome and Florence are hectic so training to Venice may slow things down or go the other direction to CT. You can stop in Pisa and Lucca on your way to CT. You can also do Siena as day trip from Florence. After that, Milan just to see the Duomo piazza so cool, don't miss the roof climb at the Duomo. From Milan you can day trip to Como. The Last Supper is interesting because it may not survive in the long run. I would then head to Verona (amazing Coliseum in the middle of town and marble everywhere) on way to Venice. See the sights in Venice then fly out of there.

If you choose the Amalfi coast, probably cut the CT and just go to Florence then Venice and home with Verona as day trip.

Either way you can't miss, its Italy!

I like the peace of CT so I am probably biased.

Casey, when was the last time you were there? Just curious as I don't know as I've heard it described as 'peaceful' during high season, during the day, for quite a number of years. As Andrew said above:

I love the Cinque Terre, but if you got as a day trip from Florence,
you'll arrive in time for big crowds in the towns and on the main
hiking trails. While there are ways to avoid the crowds in the Cinque
Terre, it's much harder to do if just going for a few hours in the
daytime during the crowded times.

As the OP doesn't want to hike, the trails are of no interest. As well, the hiking route between the 5 villages that most refer to hasn't been fully open for quite a number of years now: closed between Corniglia and Riomaggiore, although there are longer, more strenuous ways around that. Still, not an activity for the OP. There's also just one 'kid' (teenager) along on this trip, and given the amount of day-trips we're seeing in the plan, he/she isn't going to have a lot of free time! :O)

I would see Rome but the Coliseum, forum, Pantheon, St Peters and Vat
museum can probably be seen in a day depending on the line for the Vat
Museum

Personally? I don't recommend it, wouldn't have enjoyed the breakneck pace that would involve, nor being smack in the middle of some of the densest sightseeing mobs in the city for an entire day, especially if it's hot. Being able to take a break from those crowds is just one reason why many of us feel that adequate time should be given to Rome: see one big tourist -magnet site per day, and spend the rest of that day's hours exploring where fewer visitors go. I'll say the same for Florence.

But yes, advance, timed-entry tickets can be ordered from the Vatican's site to eliminate a long wait in the ticket line. Tours can also be purchased in advance; Christine offered one company that has been popular with lots of RS posters who've used them. As already suggested, do not book with Viator/Trip Advisor.

No, it doesn't make sense to do a Tuscany day-trip from Rome. Florence is IN Tuscany so do it from there.

Economical smaller-group tours in the Amalfi Coast area:

https://www.sharedtours.com

Chiming in with the others, I think you need to further trim the itinerary: I'd head to Sorrento from Rome on the 31st for 3 nights, and to Florence on the 3rd. Stay in Florence on the 3rd (travel day), 4th, 5th and 6th, and to Venice for 2 nights on the 7th..

4 nights/3.5 days in Florence will allow you 1.5 days for Florence itself plus 2 day trips: one escorted tour around the Tuscan region, and one other, such as Siena, or Pisa + Lucca. Choose whatever the escorted tour doesn't go to.

Rome: 4 nights: 27th - 30th
Sorrento: 3 nights: 31st - 2nd
Florence: 4 nights: 3rd - 6th
Venice: 2 nights: 7th and 8th

This is just a suggested itinerary, and I'd love to see you add one more night to Venice. Even though I know you're trying to avoid it, I think you'd be happy that you made that choice.

I will fly into Rome May 27 late evening/early night time. Flights
from USA that reach Rome in the morning are expensive.

Are you flying Turkish Air thru Istanbul from Dallas? That and a FinnAir are the only flights I see that arrive in Rome in the evening.

Just a quick check on Google Flights for your dates

American flies DFW to FCO non stop-- return from VCE to DFW change in PHL
Leave DFW 2:40 pm, arrive FCO 8 am- 10hr20min
VCE 12:15 pm (easy), arrive DFW 7:55 pm
$1699

Turkish Airlines
Leave DFW 8:20 pm, change Istanbul, arrive FCO 6:45 pm- 15 hr25min
VCE 9:30 am (ouch), change in Istanbul- arrive DFW 6:50 pm- 16hr20min
$1684

Be sure you are looking at "multi-city" pricing. And always book only with the actual airlines.

There are many other airlines BA, Lufthansa etc. I haven't booked it yet.

From Sorrento to Florence on Sunday (I dont know if they run less trains on Sunday), I want to be sure when I am booking train ticket that one has to change train in Naples.
Sorrento to Naples on ?EAV trains (Ente Autonomo Volturno S.r.l.) and Naples (Napoli Centrale) to Florence (Firenze S. M . Novella) on fast train by Trenitalia.

Which train station does one choose in Naples for Sorrento to Napoli? I did not see option for Napoli Centrale the station from where I catch fast train to Florence.

Also from Rome to Pompeii on the way to Sorrento, any recommendations for which trains/train stations to take? Is guided tour recommended for Pompeii?

None are faster or much cheaper than the American non stop
Some are brutally long with multiple changes. (25-27 hours?)

https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhoeagcIARIDREZXEgoyMDIzLTA1LTI3cgcIARIDRkNPGh5qBwgBEgNWQ0USCjIwMjMtMDYtMDlyBwgBEgNERldwAYIBCwj___________8BQAFIAZgBAw&tfu=EgYIARABGAA&hl=en

From Naples to Sorrento you will take the local train
Circumvesuviana

Fast train from Firenze SM Novella to Napoli Centrale

Pompeii is on the Circumvesuviana line
You do not need to book Circumvesuviana in advance, runs about every 15-30 min

From Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale
Then Circumvesuviana to Pompeii Scavi
(But don’t know where you are staying in Rome)

There are many threads here that explain how to get to both Sorrento and Pompeii

Info and schedule
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule

Thanks for the reply:
Found this - From Napoli Centrale, you can switch to the local train to Pompeii. The local train, called the Circumvesuviana, is located down the corridor in what is technically Napoli Garibaldi Station.

Basicaly Napoli Centrale (for fast train) and Napoli Garibaldi (for Circumvesuviana) Stations are very close or next to each other.

Any recommendations for tours:

Forum said do not use viator and getyourguide as they are resellers. What does that mean? Are they more expensive and I can get same tour from some other company cheaper?

Recommended walksofitaly

Any other tours recomended?

Rome - Vatican city
Rome-Colesseum
Rome- Day trip to Tuscany
Any other Rome tours?
Sorrento - Day tour bus/van/ferries to Amalfi coast
Sorrento - day tour to Capri
Florence - Day tour (van/bus or train) to Pisa and Cinque Terre
Venice - glass blowing tour Mourano
Venice- any other tours recommended?

Thanks

Forum said do not use viator and getyourguide as they are resellers.
What does that mean?

It means that they do not conduct tours themselves. They're just clearinghouses - middlemen - for the companies that do, and that you won't get much, if any, help from them if something goes awry with a product you've purchased. The actual tour companies are not owned by nor are they employed by those two companies. They also get a commission that many of us prefer to see go to the company actually providing the tour.

If you scan the "TripAdvisor Support" forum, you'll find many warnings from long-term users of that site not to book anything through it, such as this thread:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i12105-k14224019-Tour_itinerary_not_delivered-Tripadvisor_Support.html

A search of the Italy forums will bring up a host of suggested resources for tours but what you book may also depend on what you are willing to spend, and the depth of your interests. For instance, i'll recommend tours which include all three of the big archeological sites in the Colosseum area - the arena, Forum and Palatine - and which are otherwise covered by a general entry ticket but no tour. The Forum and Palatine are complex enough sites to benefit from a knowledgeable guide. Companies other posters have suggested:

www.walksofitaly.com
www.througheternity.com
www.theromanguy.com

Otherwise, official website for the 3 sites is https://www.coopculture.it/en/tickets/. Coopculture does not offer a combo tour of the 3 but take a look if you're really only interested in the Colosseum, One warning: their tours which include the underground sell out within minutes of becoming available. I'm personally not interested in the work it takes to try and land those tickets, and didn't feel we missed anything by not seeing that part. Their least expensive ticket is for no tour at all, and doesn't include the underground or arena floor.

For the tours the Vatican offer themselves:
https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home
Otherwise look at the three companies listed above. Tours which get people in early, before the general public, are very popular as they avoid some of crush of people...and it WILL be a crush of them during high season.

I'd given you a link to economical tour options - endorsed by Rick Steves - from the Naples/Sorrento/Pompeii area. Did you look at it?

I wasn't a fan of Murano, and haven't done a group tour of Tuscany.

All of that said, I think you're overdoing the amount of tours. There is much you can do solo with just a good guide book - many provide self-guided walking tours - advance reading up, and/or downloaded audio tours. Rick offers some of those for free:

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours

We're all different but my husband and I like to keep escorted/guided tours to a minimum so we can move at OUR pace versus someone else's. Yes, it involves research/homework on our part but we're willing to do that.

As you seem to be having a difficult time sorting your trip and are obviously a fan of guided tours, have you explored Rick's options? One of those would take care of everything from hotel reservations to most of your transport and include MANY tours. Yes, there's a price involved but it's nearly "one stop shop" convenience:
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy

There is also this option, which handles the hotels and most transport, and provides a tour manager (not a guide) for questions along the way. You are responsible for booking your own sightseeing choices, though.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/my-way-italy

Aside from the single-city tours, others cover more places in far less time than I'd be comfortable with but they consistently see glowing reviews from posters who've taken them, and can be nice 'tastes' of a country for travelers intending to return on their own someday.

I plan to do Vatican City tour and Coliseum tour separately on different days. They also have where you can do both in one day. Any suggestions?

Catacomb - I have seen them in France. Worth visiting in Rome?

What other things are must recommended or to do in Rome?

Both Vatican and Colosseum are exhausting
Do those on separate days

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome

I plan to do Vatican City tour and Coliseum tour separately on
different days. They also have where you can do both in one day. Any
suggestions?

My suggestion would be not even to think about doing the 2 most heavily visited attractions in Rome on the same day, especially if it's hot. Remember as well that your Colosseum ticket very likely includes the Palatine and Forum. Both are close by, and well worth visiting.

Catacomb - I have seen them in France. Worth visiting in Rome?

If it's the catacombs in Paris you're referring to, no they're nothing like those. Rome's are much MUCH older (largely 2nd - 5th century) and are original subterranean burial chambers. Paris' were created in the late 18th century - so not that old - for bones relocated from their original places of entombment.

Rome's catacombs can only be seen with a tour, and you will not see any bones: what may once have been visible in niches in the walls were removed along the tour route out of respect for the deceased. No filming or photography is allowed as they are considered sacred places, whether for Christian or pagan (no, not all entombed in some of them were Christian) burials. What you will get on your tour is narrated guidance through some of the passages, background on how/why they were developed + burial customs of those centuries. We thought they were very interesting; read up on a couple of them here:

https://www.catacombesancallisto.it/en/index.php
https://www.catacombepriscilla.com/home-eng/
We did this one:
http://www.catacombe.org/uk_index.html

There is a "bone church" in Rome - a crypt under Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini that is decorated with previously exhumed bones and some mummified remains of mostly Capuchin friars - but it's not particularly old (17th - 18th century) compared to the catacombs, and not in the same league for historic value, IMHO. We've not done it and have had no interest doing so on future trips but you might feel otherwise.
https://museoecriptacappuccini.it/en/the-crypt/

What other things are must recommended or to do in Rome?

There are no "musts" in Rome unless of appeal to you and your family. My "musts" - Galleria Borghese, a long walk on the Appia Antica, a looooong list of interesting churches, etc. - might be your "zzzzzz" and vice versa so a guide book will be your friend! As well, your high schooler is plenty old enough to do some research online and with the family guidebook. Why does he/she want to see?