Good afternoon fellow travelers. I am looking for assistance on choosing what cities to visit and in what order on our May 2024 trip to Italy. My husband and I are late 50’s and active. While living overseas we traveled to Northern Italy extensively (Milan, Como, Florence, Tuscany) choosing one city each long weekend. I did a cruise with our daughter to Rome, Naples, Amalfi Coast, including Pompeii. My husband is an engineer and history buff and wants to visit Pompeii/Herculean and the Vatican museums and Sistine chapel which we were planning on doing Spring 2020 but plans were derailed.
We have 10-days vacation time before we start getting tired or overloaded. I am looking at May 20-30 as travel dates.
I plan to fly from Houston, Texas to Rome. Stay in Rome 4 days. Day one acclimate and do Rick’s Caesars shuffle, day 2 do official tours of the coliseum, maybe a wine tasting, cooking class, day 3 do small group early morning tour of the Vatican since the last time I toured it was so crowded, day 4 tour the Borghese Gallery and gardens. Perhaps we could condense the Borghese gallery and gardens into day one.
Day 5 train to Naples. Stay one night in Naples since my husband would enjoy the Naples Archaeological museum and I would like to have pizza where it originates from. From there I want to see the Amalfi coast, Sorrento, Pompeii, Ravello, Positano and Capri.
My budget is moderate with some splurges. I don’t plan on coming back to Rome again so I want to do it right. Perhaps I might add it to my list of places to return as I’m still dreaming of returning to Lake Como, Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland area, and England’s Cotswolds.
We enjoy wine, history, mountains, looking at water although not swimming.
Can anyone offer any suggestions as to how to best order the Amalfi coast area and towns i mentioned above? Thank you in advance.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5649 posts
You're fortunate, as there's a wealth of personal info / recommendations already posted here on the Forum. Check posted Trip Reports, do specific Searches, and review posts under Italy. This question comes up here weekly, and there's significant detailed info posted. There really are so many great Trip Reports here.
I'm sure you're aware of the crowding and congestion in the AC area , and the problems with infrastructure and moving about. There no longer is a shoulder season, in May the area will be packed. Perhaps you can travel a little earlier in the spring?
I'll attach our Trip Report from May 2023, hope it has a few useful details.
Have a great trip!
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/venice-lake-como-sorrento-amalfi-coast-with-lots-of-rain
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7229 posts
Welcome to the forum!
If you are flying on 5/20 you arrive in Rome on 5/21. If you are flying home on 5/30 that gives you 9 NIGHTS on the ground in Italy.
If you can add just 1 or 2 nights you might find it easier to fit all your priorities.
4 nights in Rome would mean just 3 days- not 4 days. To get 4 full days you need to stay 5 nights.
3 night stay means 2.5 days.
Count your trip in NIGHTS not days. A 9 NIGHT trip gives you 8.5 days for sightseeing and moving to next location
Make sense?
You need to figure out where you are flying home from- if Naples you will need to stay in Naples night before departure so make your stay in Naples that last night. If from Rome you need to be in Rome night before departuree so there’s a big difference in what you can fit.
Rome 4 nights, Naples 1 night, leaves you just 4 nights in AC area. For simplicity sake I’d suggest just staying in Sorrento and visiting AC from there.
You can join a Mondo Guide Sharedtours.com for the coastal towns, take ferry to Capri, train to Pompeii from Sorrento.
If you can add 2 nights and fly home from Naples I would do this:
Rome 4
Train to Salerno- ferry to Amalfi- 3 nights- visit Ravello, Positano
Ferry to Sorrento- 3 nights- visit Pompeii, Capri
Ferry or train to Naples 1 night
Fly home from Naples
Please read thru all the posts here about visiting AC- transportation is an issue- it is slow and crowded. The infrastructure just isn’t there.
Use ferries rather than bus whenever you can.
Here are some more ideas for Rome:
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome-itinerary
I'd recommend a food tour rather that wine tasting/cooking class.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11948 posts
As most flights from the US arrive in Rome in the AM, I would look at going on to Naples on your arrival day. You could also look at flying into Naples and home from Rome.
In either case flying home from Rome is logistically much easier
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
Unfortunately, it appears that next year there will no longer be tours of the Vatican Museums before the Museums open to the public. I believe the Museums are set to open to the public at 8 AM. Perhaps they won't be quite as crowded then as at 9:30 or 10 AM, but I'm afraid there is no hope the most popular areas, including the Sistine Chapel, will be uncrowded. A small-group tour will have the advantage of an experienced guide to help navigate the crowds.
You haven't mentioned budgetary concerns, but I'll just point out that Pompeii/Herculaneum and Capri can be visited while staying in Naples at (usually) a much lower cost than staying in Sorrento or elsewhere on the peninsula. Since you're already planning one night in Naples to facilitate a visit to the Archaeological Museum, using that city as a base for some of your other sightseeing wouldn't require and extra hotel change.
Posted by
Atlanta
5236 posts
Perhaps we could condense the Borghese gallery and gardens into day one.
On day one you will probably be tired and jet lagged. If so, trying to shoe horn in the gallery and gardens into day one might be a bit too much. I'd leave it for day four. The part of the day not consumed by them can be used for whatever you missed the first three days.
Posted by
OP
Katy, Texas
38 posts
Thank you to all for replying with input! I understand we will be arriving the day after flying. I do like the idea of flying to Rome and taking a transfer or train to Naples that first day, TC. Open jaw ticket price is $400 difference/person at the moment and I believe I can get a limo cheaper than $800. I do realize we will be jetlagged. I have not purchased tickets so I will just add on a few extra days as needed.
Christine- Is there a way to search the trip reports by city? I understand how to seach forum posts by topic but not trip reports.
A Craven- thank you for letting me know about early entry tickets. That's a bummer as that is the option I had planned on using in 2020 and had highly recommended to me. Anything will be better than our last visit to Rome from the cruise terminal. It was a mess I hope not to repeat.
What I have now is
Fly Houston to Rome. Train or driver to Naples. I see drive is 3 1/2 hours, train is 2 1/2 hours.
Train Naples to Salerno- ferry to Amalfi- 3 nights- visit Positano and Ravello
Ferry Amalfi to Sorrento- 3 nights- visit Pompeii/Herculean, Capri
Train Sorrento to Naples to Rome - 4 nights
(Rome day 1 do the "Caesar Shuffle" from the Colosseum (book ahead) to the Roman Forum, then over Capitoline Hill (visiting the Capitoline Museums), and on to the Pantheon. Add a food walking tour. day 2 tour Vatican City (St. Peter's, dome climb, tour the Vatican Museums). Dinner near Campo de' Fiori, and then walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps ( Heart of Rome Walk) Day 3 visit Borghese Gallery (reservations required) and more sights.
Return home
Many thanks.