help with itinerary

Unless we know you personally or you tell us what you're interested in it's impossible for any of us to help you. What I like might not be what you like and vice versa. I think you should get a guide book of Italy and read up on different cities to figure out what it is you wish to see. There must be some reason you picked Italy so start there. The main route people most often take is Rome, Florence and Venice but there are many other options. You'll have to do the research yourself to see which is best for you. donna

Lauri, your " must sees " may not be my " must sees ". What would you like to see and / or do? Nature, cities?? Be careful of your night travel plan. Are you thinking about the " no room - sleep on the train method " ? This isn't very practical in Italy. Please do some more research on this site and ask some more pointed questions.

Do you have RS Italy Guide book yet? If so, good. If not, get it and read it and then come back to this site with more detailed questions.

Hi, can I suggest a bit of research particularly in your travel options and then checking in with specific questions. The best place to start might be a good guide book. Rick Steves' Italy is a very good one for a first time traveler. I think you will find travel at night not to be straightforward.

I'm barging in on this thread! We do plan on taking the night train with it's multiple stops from Milan to Salerno - arrives a bit before 9am. It is VERY cheap! Other than the comfort issue - why is it not practical? We would book the top bunks (husband and myself) and would be prepared for a less than restful night. We have 2 weeks in an apartment in Praiano once we arrive so a little fatigue will be OK. Is it not safe? We would never leave our luggage unattended. Thanks!
Ellen

Hi Ellen, Not barging in at all. I rely on everyones input. I think we will rely on trains too. Right now I am planning Rome to Naples, Florence, Tuscany and ending in Venice. May rent a car for the few days in Tuscany though to fully enjoy the countryside. Thanks for your post and have a great trip.

Lauri, Skip Naples and replace it with Pompeii and Sorrento. You can stay in Sorrento and spend a day in Pompeii, just take the Circumvesuviana train to the Pompeii Scavi stop. It is about a 30 minute ride from Sorrento. You will absolutely love both places.

Lauri, Based on your last post, it appears that you're planning to visit four cities and one region in a span of twelve days? That's a very ambitious Itinerary and IMO it will be difficult to achieve. You won't have much time to see anything in the places you're visiting. There's no reason to travel at night, as most of the trips will be very quick. For such a short time frame, I'd suggest choosing three locations to visit, along with a few day trips. Rome, Florence and Venice would be a good combination. As Charlie and some of the others mentioned, it would be a good idea to buy a copy of the Italy Guideboook as that will provide a LOT of good information on places and sights to see. Good luck with your planning!

That's a lot of travel for 12days. I would cut out Naples and just visit Rome, Florence and Venice. This will give you less than 4 days in each which isn't a lot of time. Train travel is the way to go to get between these towns. You can book your tickets before you get to Italy or the day of travel. It's really up to you. Donna