Help with itinerary logistics

SML to 5 Terre is about 30 miles. close. You have to go to Portofino if you are in SML, the jet set spot. If you want to stay in 5 Terre 1 night is enough to get the flavor. Monterosso or Vernazza are the towns hit by the mud. I thought Herculaneum was incredible. See The Bargello in Florence, and Academia. the Uffizi is big, very big. It could take lots of time if you get wrapped up in art. Great museam though. Great views of Rome from Juniculum. Borghese Gallery is great too.

Anne, I'm not sure a Railpass was a good idea, however if you've already bought one, that limits your options. I would highly recommend that you check the Trenitalia or DB websites to determine if any of the trains you'll be using require reservations. If you're caught without valid reservations in Italy, you may be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! I had a brief look, and there are some legs on the Florence-S. Margherita trip that involve reservations. You'll have to pay "out of pocket" for the reservation fees, as they're not included with Railpasses. The trip from S. Margherita Ligure to Monterosso (the closest C.T. town) will be ~40 minutes. Some trains on that route are Regionale, and some are IC trains which require reservations. You'll have to consider that when travelling. If you buy P-P tickets for Regionale trains, BE SURE to validate in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train or you may be fined on the spot! One full day in the Cinque Terre may be enough. The answer will depend on what you plan to do. Are you planning to hike any of the trails? At the moment, only two of the trails are open, however that situation could change. Once you're in the C.T., it's easy to get between the towns using the local trains. You might consider travelling from Monterosso to Riomaggiore (possibly a combination of hiking and trains) and then return to Monterosso by boat - it's a nice trip). For the trip from Naples to Sorrento (and also Pompeii), you'll need to travel via the Circumvesuviana train. AFAIK, they don't accept Railpasses (hopefully one of the others can confirm that). For the trip from Sorrento to Positano, I assume you've checked the Guidebook for the Bus info? Happy travels!

Anne, here is the website for DBahn: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en Check out your possible train trips here at home and print off the schedules and take them with you. For a complete schedule with all stops listed, click twice on the down arrow on the left. This will give you a list of all of the stops so that you'll know what stop is before yours. Like the previous poster noted, when looking at the train schedule, if the train you want to take has an R with a circle around it, then reservations are required. You could purchase these seats at the train station when you get to Italy. If you know what trains you want to take, you could purchase them all at once or purchase them when you get to the next destination. Using the printout of the schedule for that particular day, you could show the ticket agent what train you want. Just remember that the reservations are for only that train. If later on you change your mind, you will have to get new reservations. Hope this helps. Come back with any other questions you may have. Most of all, have fun making lifetime memories with your daughter!

If you have not purchased the pass - don't. A rail pass seldom makes sense in Italy given the mini fares and other discounts available.

Anne, "I'm wondering if we're making a mistake by staying 1 night in Naples. I've mentioned it to some people & have had strange looks, even a "why??". Thoughts?" Some people have an aversion to even setting foot in Naples, for a variety of reasons. I've never had any problems there, but it's a good idea to be vigilant regarding pickpockets as the Naples group are among the most proficient in the world. Wear a Money Belt! Have you booked a Hotel in Naples yet? It would be a good idea to choose one in a "safer" area. I'd recommend Hotel Chiaia (if they have vacancies). Be sure to read the "cautions" in the Guidebook regarding using Taxis in Naples. For the trip from your Hotel back to the station, I'd ask the Hotel staff to arrange that for you as they'll know which ones are reliable. With only one day, you won't have a lot of time to see much in Naples, perhaps only the Archeological Museum. If your primary reason is to see Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius, staying in Sorrento would probably be a better idea. Good luck and happy travels!

Thank you all for your help! Our agent did get the Rail Passes, so we'll have to make do with that. I'm already planning on returning to Italy someday soon, so am looking at the trip as kind of a learning experience (and an amazing one, at that!). I'm wondering if we're making a mistake by staying 1 night in Naples. I've mentioned it to some people & have had strange looks, even a "why??". Thoughts?

If you want to see both Herc and Pompeii, you would prob need to spend the night in Naples - also, go to the Archaeological museum and take a trip up Mt Vesuvius for breathtaking views...we only had a day trip there and did Herc and Vesu...and that was a good 4-5hrs total (not including travel time fr Rome). I don't think there is anything wrong spending the night there...

Already have money belt packed! Since my daughter's friend just had her purse snatched in Barcelona with all of her $, passport/Visa, we've learned to be extra vigilant. We are planning on visiting the Archeological Museum in Naples & are also hoping to find a good pizza place. We're booked at the Hotel Naples (near Via Nuova Marina?) Reviews seemed good on Trip Advisor, so hopefully, all will be fine. How long of a train ride is it from Rome to Naples? We're hoping to have time to visit Pompeii the day we get in (leaving Rome on a morning train). What would be the best way to get from that train station to hotel?

Rome to Naples on a high speed train is an hour and 10 minutes.

Anne,
We stayed in SM when we visited CT & found it worked beautifully. We drove to Monte Carlo one day, took the bus to Portofino another and took the train to Riomaggiore & hiked thru all 5 villages in one day...taking the train back to SM that evening.

Thank you, everyone for your advice! This board has been so helpful for an Italian newbie such as myself. I'm getting less nervous & more excited as the trip approaches. Will definitely check out Portofino when we're in SML. We won't have a car, but I'm sure we'll find lots to do!