Hello,
My fiance and I are going to Italy in May for our honeymoon. We start in venice for 3 days, then we take the high speed train to Rome. We stay in Rome for 3 days then we take the train to Naples. We will stay for one night before heading to sorrento for 3 nights. Then we rent a car and drive to Pulsano(where my family is from) and then we drive to a villa in chianti for 6 nights. We then drive to milan for one night and fly out the next day. Currently we are trying to see pompeii and vesuvius the day we are in naples. We are having trouble planning the itineraries for Naples/Sorrento areas and the 6 days in Tuscany. I am wondering if anyone had any thoughts on what to do in these areas and the itinerary in general? thanks in advance for any responses
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
306 posts
I agree with Steve you should go straight to Sorrento from Naples. There is a lot to do in both Sorrento and Tuscany.
From Sorrento you can go to Pompeii/Herculaneum, Capri, Naples, Amalfi Coast, and Paestum. I love Sorrento it is one of my favorite places in Italy.
As for Tuscany there is also a lot to do there. First, if you have never been to Florence you need to spend at least 2 nights there. The rest of your time in Tuscany can be spent touring the hill towns. I would also suggest seeing Siena and San Gimignan. Both towns are also worth spending a night in, or at least seeing them at night. A wine tour would also be a fun thing to do.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32213 posts
daniel,
First of all, congratulations!
One thought that comes to mind when reading over your proposed Itinerary, is that a rental car will probably be necessary for the trip to Pulsano, as I suspect it's not well served by public transit. However, for the remainder of the trip, fast trains would be a more efficient use of limited travel time.
If you want to drive from Pulsano to Chianti, BE SURE to allow for adequate travel times. It's going to be a long drive! A GPS unit and a good Map would be a good idea.
Note that for driving in Italy, each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. These can be easily obtained at any AAA office. You may want to check other posts here regarding "Zona Traffico Limitato" areas, as large fines (~€100 EACH TIME) can result for drivers that inadvertently pass through the automated Cameras. I've seen these in the south also, so they are by no means limited to Florence and Pisa.
I agree with a previous post regarding Pompeii and Vesuvius. Visit those when in Sorrento, as it will be much easier. Vesuvius is a "bit out of the way", so you might check the Italy 2010 Guidebook for details on how to get there. Pompeii is very easy to reach via the Circumvesuviana train (wear a Money Belt!). You might consider hiring a Guide for Pompeii. Gaetano Manfredi is outstanding, but also very popular and usually booked up.
On your last night in Milan, you might choose a Hotel in the Via Dante area, so that you're close to Cadorna station. That will make it easy to use the Malpensa Express to get to the airport.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Richmond, Ky, USA
277 posts
While in Tuscany, The obvious highlights would be Florence/Siena/San G. You might think about splitting your time with a stop in Southern Tuscany, like Pienza/Monalcino/Montepulciano. All great places, very much worth a visit. COngrats, and ENJOY!!! Jeff