How would you divide your time between Rome, Florence, and Almalfi Coast

I did this trip last year and flew into Naples, spent 5 nights based in Sorrento exploring the Amalfi coast and Pompei, then took train to Florence, then to Rome and flew home from Rome. You could reverse this but the point is to fly into one city and out of another to avoid backtracking.
Cynthia

I guess you would plan to take the train?
Rome to Florence
Florence to Naples (where you would catch the Circumvesuviano) or Salerno.
and then back to Rome

Yes, since you have already purchased airline tickets you are going to waste some time backtracking. Since Day 1 is usually what I call a lost day, I'd land and move straight to Florence that afternoon, adding an extra day there since you are planning two day tours. Florence is lovely and deserves more than one day. Then maybe head to Positano (or wherever you plan to have your beach trip) on the first train out so it doesn't eat too much into your day. I'd end the trip with the four days in Rome so you are in the city you are flying home from.

Nance is right. It is much more relaxing to end the trip with the time in your exit city. That way you don't have to worry about train strikes or problems trying to get back to Rome and to the airport for a flight.

I don't know how old everyone is or if you have young children with you. The easiest thing for the last day is to not have to travel far to an airport. Less stressful.

Have a great trip and come back if you have more questions.

Mimi

I would arrive in Rome at 1 and immediately go to Florence, spend days 2-3-4 there, then go to Amalfi on day 5, stay there through day 10, on day 11 leave for Rome and spend 12-13-14-15-16 in Rome. Much easier to end in the departure city. You could switch this and go to Amalfi upon arrival - might be a bit more relaxing a start when dealing with jet lag, but the transit getting there can be tougher. Up to you, but I suggest arriving in Rome, immediately going to one destination, spending time there, then going to the other, then ending in Rome.

I’m going to bring this advice to the group again. I had seen it advised here before that it would be best to go straight to Florence, then to AC, and finish in Rome. I was over ruled by the others in my party who thought after a long flight it would be better to stay put in Rome instead of heading right to Florence. The other thought was to do the busier parts of the trip first, then relax on the coast at the end. But it does make sense to end where we are flying from. I’ll bring these ideas to the group again.
Our party of 10 consists of 4 kids ranging from 11 to 15 along with my in laws who are mid 70s with some health concerns to manage. I should add that my in laws are from Italy. They moved to the US as teenagers but they have made trips back every 4-5 years to visit family so they are native speakers and are familiar with the transportation so that should make getting around a bit easier. However, this is my first trip to Europe and I’ve been put in charge of making all the arrangements! I don’t want to mess it up! Lol

Listen to the advice lol. When you arrive in Rome you, and most likely most of your party, will be jet lagged. Hop on the train, relax, and go to Florence. Then AC, then Rome. Ending in your departure city is so much less stressful.

You can take the train to Firenze directly from FCO if you make the afternoon departure, but even if you change at Roma Termini, it's only a couple of hours to Firenze. Some of your group will be able to nap on the train, walk around, and relax after a long flight.

You can gain time by minimizing hotel changes. Since you fly in and out of Rome, I'd leave Rome for last, and go straight to Florence upon landing. There are 3 trains per hour on average that can take you from Rome to Florence in less than 90 min, and they run until very late at night. It's very quick and easy, actually easier than walking around a big city like Rome half jet lagged.

From the Fiumicino Aeroporto station you'd take a Regional train to Tiburtina station, where you switch to the high speed Freccia train to Florence. There is actually a high speed train in the afternoon at 15:08, headed to Venice, therefore passing through Florence, that departs directly from the airport station. If you can make that one, you don't even need to change trains at Tiburtina.
Check train schedules here:
www.trenitalia.com
Enter station names in Italian:
FIUMICINO AEROPORTO
FIRENZE SANTA MARIA NOVELLA.

Once you are done with Florence and Tuscany, I'd go straight all the way down to the Amalfi Coast area.
The high speed train from Florence to Naples takes less than 3 hours. Then from there you can take the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. If you don't have a car, Sorrento is a good base for that area, although not technically on the Amalfi Coast. From Sorrento you can visit the Amalfi Coast by bus, and also Capri via ferry/hydrofoil. Pompeii is along the train line between Naples and Sorrento.

After you are done with the Gulf of Naples area, you'd work your way back to Rome for your last days before flying back.

I don't know how much vacation you have, but for what you intend to do these are my suggested minimum number of nights:
FLORENCE+TUSCANY day trips from Florence: 5 nights (= 4 full days > 2 days for Florence, and 2 day trips)
SORRENTO/AMALFI COAST: 4-5 nights (3 or 4 full days for Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Naples)
ROME only: 4 nights (3 full days just for Rome), if you have an extra one, you can take a day trip to Orvieto.

I'm with your travel partners. Don't go directly to Florence.

We did this trip as a first trip to Europe for my daughter and step-daughter, but with less time--school vacation. It was RT Rome. I don't do open jaws, at least for trips where the cities are so close together. We flew in on an overnight flight and we spent our first night in Rome. We hit St Peters and then had a nice dinner. The next day, we took a late morning train to Florence, enjoyed the relaxed rise and ride, and then stayed in Florence with no day trips. Florence is one of my favorite cities and it has much more to offer than just the wonderful museums. Rome is one of my least favorite cities. I'd spend an equal amount of time in Florence and Amalfi and skimp on Rome...2 full days will give you a sufficient fix of Rome, IMO. Don't torture yourself after an overnight flight because some people sleep, but others don't. No use starting out with cranky family/in laws. Arrive, check in and relax on your first partial day. The next day everyone will be awake on the train to enjoy the scenery, etc.

More time in Rome, cut a day in Amalfi Coast

End your trip in Rome.
Traveling from the AC to Rome on the day of your flight is an invitation for disaster. Or would require more Tums than should be taken in one day.

Ten people. Six adults, two of whom have travelled in the area and are fluent in Italian ... and YOU are the one charged with making all the arrangements. I hope you're getting a free trip, or at least the promise that you won't have to carry your own bag. ;-)
Note that the Amalfi Coast is not "beachy" the way California or Hawai'i is. Make sure you know what each person wants/expects to do/see on the trip ... so you can try to fit it all in, but don't get blindsided by a specific request after you have made all the plans.
Love all these areas. Have a great trip!!

Hah. 'Love Rome'. 'Rome is the least favorite of mine.' 'Go immediately to Florence'. 'Do not go to Florence first, stay in Rome'. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200 (that was mine).

First trip (of three) to Italy of ours, we flew direct Chicago to Rome Fiumicino (9 hours), then waited almost two hours for a flight to Catania, Sicily, almost missing that flight because of my not being able to speak Italian (I get by now), as we stood in the wrong line for an hour. By the time we finally got to Catania, and then a 45 minute private transport up to our hotel in Taormina, despite the gorgeous surroundings and the excitement of our first European experience, I was in an alternate reality, right out of it. Took me almost two days to get my brain engaged.

That was the last time we arrived in Europe and went somewhere else immediately. Like some posters above, I don't sleep on those overnight flights, thus when I'm pushing 26-28 hours straight with no sleep, I'm far from a happy camper. For you, going directly to Florence with 9 other people and you're the ringleader?! Good luck with that.

The only way I'd consider this (and I'd try it now that I'm a little better with Italian logistics & jet lag as well), is to take the Leonardo Express (or better yet but more expensive, private transport) from Fiumicino to Termini, then the Freccia train (booked in advance so everyone has their ticket and seat assignment) to Florence SMN station. And make sure your hotel is within a short walking distance from the station. It's still a helluva long day.

One more thing. Don't let anyone tell you to shortchange Rome. It's fabulous, and the more time spent there, the better. I'm still a little wary of y'all leaving your hotel on the Amalfi Coast (where, by the way?) and having to make it back to Fiumicino by 3:30 for a 5:30 flight. Private transport for 10 will be expensive but well worth it if this is the way you want to go.

Enjoy your planning!

Consider staying in Salerno instead of one of the Amalfi towns. There's high-speed rail service to both Florence and Rome. The town is mostly level with a big sandy beach - easy walking for the older folks, good beach for the kids. The buses and ferries that will take you along the Amalfi Coast all begin in Salerno.

Has this group traveled together before, or is this perhaps the first outing since a marriage? The point is, it's one thing for ten people to meet up to walk to a church in Rome, it's quite another thing to meet up for a 300-stair walk to a thrice-daily ferry for a day's outing to Capri. (I know you didn't mention Capri, or anything else on the Amalfi Coast. But 5 days is a lot for the AC.) I personally didn't care for the small, busy, pebbled beach in Positano. And I certainly didn't care for the ONE, urban, beach beside the Sorrento port!

Unless there is specific interest in Capri or Pompeii, I would consider including Venice instead of the Amalfi Coast. As another noted, the beaches on the Jersey Shore are far superior (except for the food) to those in Italy. Even the parking (!!!!) is easier in New Jersey, and it's not easy at all.

I happen to like art, so 1 day is not enough for Florence. You can't talk about two days in Tuscany without a more concrete plan for transporting ten people around. Before you hire a guide with an eleven-person van (even possible?), think about whether all ten people are willing to be docile "prisoners" of a "formal tour" when they thought they were on a family "adventure"? Note that an eleven-passenger van does not have room for your luggage too.

Edit: Now that we know there are proud Italian-Americans on the trip, I'll refer you to the NY Times article that comments on bizzare "Italian-American" pronunciations of Italian words:

https://nyti.ms/2jLuUx2

Hate to admit that Tim, the consistently 'doubting Thomas', is right, but he certainly is here. He and I have both expounded on the thrills and ills (mostly the latter) of visiting the Amalfi Coast in the summer. It can be quite insane--we've been there in the off-season when the A.C. is serene, beautiful and easy to navigate. Add tens of thousands of daily tourists and it turns into gridlock in a beautiful setting, which doesn't help. If it's a must-do, however, Chani's suggestion of Salerno as a alternative base (I've based there too) is spot-on. And as Tim also suggests, add a day to Florence and chop one off the A.C. I like that plan.

More importantly, the sheer personal logistics of getting 10 people from Point A to Point B in Italy is going to be a daunting task unless you as organizer have sussed out all possibilities, made the correct decisions and then have informed your family that this is the way it is, the best option after all research has been done.

Be informed, be strong! Oh, and have a plan B & plan C as well, because you'll need them at some point. Italy has a sneaky way of bolloxing up perfect online planning...ha!

Such awesome insight and opinions...thank you! Here’s a little back story (for anyone who’s interested lol)...my Italian in laws have wanted for several years to get their whole family (their 2 kids with spouses and 4 grandchildren) to travel to Italy. I’ve been in charge of putting this together at least 3 times and after much planning time it ends up falling apart...mainly because nobody can agree on an itinerary. MIL is from Calabria and always tries to include that on the agenda, FIL has one brother near Naples and another near Florence, with other random cousins scattered throughout...and we never get to include the things WE want to see and do. So the plans are always abandoned. So finally 2 months ago dh and I decided to just take our 2 kids to Italy this summer. We’ll be there for our 20th anniversary...very excited about that! So we booked our airfare. When in laws found out, 4 days later they decided they wanted to go to. But they promised to cooperate and go along with the plans we were making. So they went and booked 6 tickets on our flight and now we’re a party of 10!
So I’m in charge of the planning because they are now in on the plans I already started for my family. But planning for 10 is different than just my 4. Our trip to AC is extended because MIL, as I predicted wants to make a side trip to Calabria from AC. So she wants 3 days for AC, then 3 to get Calabria. My group will not be joining on that leg of the journey. So a little family drama that hopefully will all be ironed out before we get there!

Marrone! I figured it was something like this, and of course Italians always agree on everything!

I think, OP, that this backstory puts you in a pretty strong position, don't you think? Just stay the course, do your due digilence in research--especially re: logistics, transportation--and may the force be with you!

Next time, make your plans for your family, and call the in-laws from the airport as you are boarding the plane to let them know you are leaving town.

As for this trip, I wish you the best and believe you will receive many blessings in heaven.

Merry Christmas!

PS-Will reiterate, end in Rome--- no mad dash from AC to Rome to catch plane the same day

I'm with Joe. Spend your last night close to the airport. For a 5.30 flight, you want to be at FCO by 2.30. It's a 2 hr train ride from Salerno to Termini, then up to 1 hour on the Leonardo Express to FCO. That means leaving your hotel (in Salerno) around 11.00 maybe even 10 or so, depending on the train schedule. Even a private transfer straight to the airport is a 3 hour drive at best. Plus you have all the worries of missing a connection, a rail strike, an incident of any kind that would cause a road or rail delay - just a whole mess of stress.

If you spend your last night in Rome, you can have a farewell dinner, a last walk around Rome after dark, and still have a full morning to relax, pack, get lunch and gelato before heading to FCO.

With a big group, heck even a family of 4, it's better to have fewer hotel changes. Rome is a bustling, noisy, crowded big city, not the best place to overcome that jetlagged, sleep-deprived fog at least some of you are likely to land in. Save Rome for the end. I'd even head first for the Amalfi Coast - private transfer for a big group is probably cost-effective. Then Florence, lastly Rome. If the IL's want to go somewhere else, they can meet up with you Rome.

I agree with others, take the train to Florence on your arrival day. As soon as we arrived, we picked up our rental car and drove from FCO to Greve. The train is only 1 1/2 hours. You can arrive in Florence, drop off your bags, take a late afternoon/evening stroll and catch some dinner. This will help you acclimate quickly. If the in-laws want to rest before dinner, they can stay behind.

I also recommend adding at least another day to spend in Florence. Finish in Rome to avoid backtracking and also keep from making the mad dash on the last day to the airport. That would be a nightmare, especially with so many people to herd.

Good luck. The history of prior attempts and the fact your family horned in on this one are bad omens. I'm afraid your first trip to Italy won't be the wonderful time for which you had hoped. Add to that you are going at the same time half the world wants to be in Florence, Rome and the Amalfi coast. It will be like trying to take a relaxing trip to Times Square on New Year's Eve.