How many days and nights for each place on my trip

The only way to really determine how long you need in a location is to decide what you want to see and do there. You may need 7 days in Rome and only 4 in Florence or it could be the exact opposite. The only way to know is to make your sites lists.

I would suggest using one place as a base for each area. You can do day trips from your base. If not, perhaps two bases per area. For the Florence area you can use Florence as a base for Siena, San Gim and Voterra. You can use Lucca as a base for Lucca and Pisa.

Positano or Sorrento are good bases for what you plan to do down south. You really have a lot planned for just 20 days. You might want to cut out a few things in order to have a more relaxed pace.

Donna

You can use the Rome2Rio website to get a rough idea of travel times between cities of interest. This will allow you to figure out rational day-trip possibilities. You also need an idea of how much you want to see in the potential day-trip destination city, since you may lose 2 to 4 hours that day on the train or bus. It doesn't really matter how close Florence is to some of your other destinations. If you have any interest in art, you won't be doing Florence as a day-trip.

Some of your targets are small enough that, if you can fit the transportation pieces together, you might be able to squeeze two of them into one day: Volterra, San Gimignano, and the Amalfi Drive towns. But you might want more time in the latter area so you can relax a bit and just wander. It's a shame to rush through such a lovely place.

If you're basically going to Pisa just to see the tower and its immediate surroundings, it won't take long and could be done in conjunction with Lucca. I was disappointed to have only about 3 hours in Lucca and would recommend spending the night there.

Sunday bus service in Italy seems to be very thin. That's a great day for sightseeing in the city where you're currently sleeping. In a pinch, you can look into one-day bus trips. I had to do the Amalfi Drive that way, because there was a public-bus strike during my trip. The particular tour I took basically just provided transportation (from Naples) around the peninsula. While I'd have preferred more flexibility, it wasn't a terrible option.

In one day, you can visit Ravello, Amalfi and Positano from a base in Sorrento or one of the Amalfi Coast towns. You will need separate daytrips for Capri, Pompeii, and Paestum, also based in Sorrento, although I would make Paestum an overnight. Three nights in Napoli, and you could put a daytrip from there if you like (Pompeii or Capri).

From Firenze, you can visit Pisa and Lucca in the same day (good bus connections between the two). Another day for Siena, or make that an overnight. Add nights for seeing Firenze itself and a few hill towns (one per day if using public transportation, two if driving).

Then the rest of your time in Venezia.

Craig, I count you have 17 nights in Italy, arriving Naples on May 24 (is that from the US?), then departing June 10, but you don't say what city you depart from. Departure from Venice would save you almost a whole day traveling from Venice to another departure airport further south. As a starting point I suggest:
Arrive Naples and take the bus direct from the airport to Sorrento, stay there for 4 nights, visiting the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi and Ravello), Capri and probably Pompeii on day trips from Sorrento. Then go to Naples for 3 nights, with a full day plus for Naples and a day for a day trip by train to Paestum (and Salerno if you like). Then go to Tuscany for 5 or 6 nights, either all based in Florence, or divided between Florence and another town, such as Siena or Lucca, or another, with one or more day trips to other towns in Tuscany. Finally 4 or 5 nights in Venice, allowing for a day out on the islands of Murano, Burano and/or Torcello, and perhaps even a day trip to Padova, Vicenza or even Verona. Then ideally fly out of Venice. You did not include Rome on your itinerary, I assume that was on purpose. Hope those ideas will help you get started on your own planning.

This is what I’ve come up with so far. I’m looking for your comments and recommendations.

We will now leave L.A. on 5/22 (arriving on 5/23). The morning flight arriving the morning of the following day seems very smart.

5/23-24 Naples (2 nights)
(Tour Naples on first day and Pompell (and maybe Mt. Vesuvius) on the second day)

5/25 Sorrento

5/26-27 Capri

5/28 Positano

5/29-30 Amalfi & Ravello (spend both nights in Ravello)

5/31 Travel from Ravello to Florence (I’ve already figured out how to do this; it’s about 8 hours of traveling)

6/1 - 6/4 Florence

6/5 Siena

6/6 Voltera & San Gimignano (spend the night in Voltera)

6/7 - 6/9 Venice

Leave on 6/10 - depart from Venice

I would like to add one more day in Venice. What do you think? Where would you recommend that I cut?

Thank you,
Craig

You can see Positano while you are based in Ravello, combine it with Amalfi.

Craig, Pisa is not a Hill Town, it is as fat as could be.
Florence And Venice: at least 3 full days (4 nights)

Siena; onze full day
Lucca: 1/2-1 day
San Gumignano: 1/2 day
Naples 2 full days (3 nights)

Voltera1 full day)
Parstum 1 day

Capri, Anacapri And Ischia (0ne day)
Pompei (1 day)
Positano, Sorento, Amalfi (2 days)
If you do not have enough time for this, skip some of your visits.
Do not forget you have to travel in between places and that for sure you will come back to Italy.

5/23-24 Naples (2 nights)
(Tour Naples on first day and Pompell (and maybe Mt. Vesuvius) on the second day)
5/25 Sorrento
5/26-27 Capri
5/28 Positano
5/29-30 Amalfi & Ravello (spend both nights in Ravello)
5/31 Travel from Ravello to Florence (I’ve already figured out how to do this; it’s about 8 hours of traveling)
6/1 - 6/4 Florence
6/5 Siena
6/6 Voltera & San Gimignano (spend the night in Voltera)
6/7 - 6/9 Venice
Leave on 6/10 - depart from Venice
I would like to add one more day in Venice. What do you think? Where would you recommend that I cut?

This is a lot of moving around! As suggested above, you can make a few base camps and save yourself a lot of time and probably money. Upon arrival the 23rd, I would go directly to Sorrento and stay there 4 nights. Day trip each to Pompeii, Naples and Capri. FWIW Capri is very expensive and somewhat overrated. Your precious time is better spent elsewhere than 2 nights on Capri, IMO.

Move to Positano or Ravello and spend 3 nights/2 days seeing both and the Amalfi Coast. Paestum is a stretch, and although I know my friend Zoe loves it, we were underwhelmed. I just do not think it is worth going all that way for. Again, there's so much else you could do/see first. Make a "next trip" stop.

That's the 23rd-29th, 7 nights. On the 30th move to Firenze for your 4 nights there (30th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd) and see Siena as a day trip. Volterra for 2 nights, 4th & 5th (car needed), leaving 4 nights for Venice.

Tha only place you really should have a car is Volterra for purposes of seeing some Tuscan towns. See San Gimignano on your way to Volterra. You could spend the next day there driving to/from Lucca and taking in the scenery. Skip Pisa.

For the Southern leg of your trip use Sorrento as a base. You can easily do day trips to Naples, Pompei, Amalfi Coast, and Capri from there; maybe Paestum. Take the bus from Naples airport to Sorrento and take a taxi to your hotel. Spend the rest of that first day easy in Sorrento. The rest of your trips I would do as day trips accept maybe the Amalfi Coast. We did it as a day trip with a Rick Steves recommended driver and we're happy with that; the main highlight is the scenery and while the towns are cute; they're also extremely touristy, extremely expensive and the locals were the only rude people we met in Italy (arguably having short patience due to dealing with annoying rich tourists all the time). If you do break the Amalfi Coast into 2 days you could probably see Paestum at the end of day 2 before going back to Sorrento. You can make it to Paestum and back to Sorrento in one day, but it would be a longish trip.

If the second half of your trip I've only been to Florence. We did it in a day trip on a bullet train from Rome and had plenty of time thanks to advance planning with museum tickets. We got there around 9 saw David at that museum, did the big market place for lunch, did the Cathedral and Bell Tower, got some gelato, went to the bigger art museum in the afternoon (an hour was good for us there), had a steak dinner around 6PM, got gelato at a nice piazza with all locals and then waited around 2 hours for our 10:00PM train. A day was enough and neither my wife or I felt we missed anything or would need to go back in the future. It's pretty but we go nestly found it a bit hyped up compared to Rome and Campania which we enjoyed much more. Oh and the mosquitoes are awful.

Laurel: What you state makes sense. My concern is that we will be sitting in traffic a lot along the Amalfi coast going to and from these towns. Also, it seems like you have us visiting the Amalfi coast for 3 days and nights 5/27 - 5/29. Am I confused? Any favorite hotel recommendations?
Thanks,
Craig

Laurel: I thought I added response but it's not appearing. In any case, tank you for your comments. They do make sense. It looks like you actually have me seeing the Amalfi coast 3 days and 3 nights (5/27-5/29). My concern is whether I am login to spend a lot of time sitting in traffic login up and down the coast to see these towns. Also, I don't want to be rushed.

With regard to Voltera, would I return the car in Florence and then take a train to Venice from Florence?

Finally, do you have any favorite hotels that you would be willing to recommend?

Thanks again,
Craig

I admit I'm a bad typist and the auto spell check keeps changing going to login. Sorry.
Craig

You can make the day trip to Pompeii or you can stop there and it on your way from Sorrento to Naples or vice versa.

If you choose to tour the ruins while traveling between the two cities,there is paid baggage room at the station for Pompeii on the Circumvesuviana train. Very convenient.
You will make a stop here going from Naples to Sorrento or on you trip going the other way.

@Laurel: (Zoe slowly pulls knife from heart.)

Venice at the end?

Most flights from Venice back to the US are actually connecting flights via a larger European airport like Frankfurt, Rome or Paris where the long transatlantic flight begins.

So they leave Venice either early in the morning or very early in the morning which means another question about getting to Marco Polo Airport in the middle of the night when there is all that water.

A lot of people don't like getting up at 3 am so now many people fly into Venice and out of a different final city like Rome.

What time is the flight from Venice that you are looking at?

It looks like the flight leaves at 12 pm and after 2 stops arrives at LAX at 9:39 pm

Okay. This is my current itinerary:

4 nights in Sorrento
3 nights in Ravello
5 nights in Florence
2 nights in Volterra
4 nights in Venice

Any comments? Too much time in Florence? Should I add another night to Venice or Volterra and reduce Florence by one night?

Thanks,
Craig

Your time in Firenze is fine, should you want to do a daytrip or two, there are plenty of places you can get to by train or bus.

Craig, there is just one solution to your problem of too much to see and too little time. Start planning your next trip to Italy as soon as you get home, as many of us do. Jokes aside, I'll just respond to your other question about Ravello, In my opinion, it's the most beautiful of the AC towns; but it's also the most expensive. It also is the most cumbersome to travel from to visit the any of the nearby places. With time considerations always a factor, Sorrento is the best choice for an area base. Easy to get the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii; easy to get the ferry to Capri; easy to get the bus to the other AC towns. Paestum is NOT easy to get to. Check it out, and you'll see what I mean. We decided that the best solution for us was to take a day tour with Golden Tours. They had a bus pick-up in Sorrento. Salerno was part of the itinerary; then, Paestum. The guide was good. Price 40 euros/pp. If you don't want to do that, I suggest going by train from Naples before the AC. If you stay over a night, you'll have a place to leave your luggage while you tour the archaeological site.

You have 7 days in Southern Italy which should allow you to visit and enjoy the towns (except maybe Paestrum) in your original itinerary without too much rushing. Many others have done the same in less time, lol. Most of the towns you wish to see are very close, so changing towns would be easy and gives you the opportunity to eat dinners and enjoy the whole day in that town,

Taking your last updated itinerary, may I suggest that you stay the first night in Naples, perhaps see the Naples museum on Pompeii that afternoon (I have never been) and enjoy original pizza from Napoli and call it an early night to get over jet lag. Next morning, you can take train to Pompeii, store luggage at train station, tour Pompeii and continue by train for a 3 night stay in Sorrento from which you can day trip to Capr (you can probably book last minute and pick a day with the better weather. (This saves you doubling back to Naples and Pompeii).

I actually like your original idea of staying one night in Positano (never having done it). Otherwise you are looking at doubling back from either Sorrento or Ravello probably in heavy traffic. Think about how nice it would be to enjoy sunrise or sunset and a nice long dinner and evening walk on the beach in Positano and not have to worry about transporting back to either of the other base towns. If you can stay the evening, you will not have to put up with the day visitors in Positano e.g. cruises (of which I was one). If you do this shorten visit to Ravello to two nights.

I think that the rest of your updated itinerary is fine. Five nights in Florence is probably necessary, especially if you plan to do all those day trips. I personally think 3 nights in Venice would suffice particularly if you can arrange to arrive early. If you do keep 4 nights, i would suggest a day trip to Verona. Just my 2 cents. Have fun.