Italy - 22 days 4 cities

My suggestion is to go to Venice from Sorrento and work your way back to Rome.

Going from Sorrento to Florence will kill most of a day so might as well go all the way to Venice and give yourself a shorter trip back to Rome to finish your trip.

Too much time in Venice. Good schedule for Florence, but don't stay in over priced, relatively unatractive Florence. Stay in Veronoa

We took our first trip to Venice last July and loved, loved it.

We also planned a 4-night stay with similar activities to what you list, and we wished we had had at least one more night (really, we could have stayed indefinitely; truly loved just being there). It is a much more wonderful place when you can pace yourselves and relax.

So consider at least one extra night in Venice.

Great plan.

Florence unattractive! NO WAY. Verona is nice, but pales compared to Florence. Love the Hotel Balesteri on the Arno.

Looks good!
We LOVED Florence! If you enjoy art and architecture, pretty sure you will too so don't cut her short in favor of too many trips out of town?

I think your itinerary looks great. I do like the suggestion to go all the way to Venice from Sorrento so you have a shorter trip back to Rome. But the idea to stay in Verona to visit Florence is a bit crazy. Verona is a lovely city that I highly recommend people visit, but you can't stay there to visit Florence, and if you haven't been to Florence I wouldn't substitute it.

You say you have 4 nights Venice - if you arrive mid day and spend 1 1/2 days seeing Venice itself, one day trip to the outer islands (that won't really take a whole day, you'll still have time in Venice that day), that still gives you an extra day you haven't accounted for. It is possible to do other day trips from Venice such as Padua (only about 1/2 hour), Vicenza or Verona. Also, you have 7 nights total for Rome, which is in no way too much, but you could probably sacrifice one night which would allow you to do both Bologna and Sienna day trips from Florence.

But the way you have it now is also fine. Here's my photos of all those places - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f739967755

In re-reading what I just said about Venice - you could do another day trip, but I don't think 2 1/2-3 days in Venice itself is anywhere close to too much. It's just that you said you planned 1 1/2 days and the math didn't add up. I think you'd be happy with either a day trip or an extra day there. And the beauty of day trips is that you don't need to decide ahead of time.

It looks fine to me, too. The only thing I'd like to see is an extra day or so in Venice, for the reasons already expressed. It's a great place just to be, once you've knocked off the high-traffic sights and can enjoy wandering. And if you're ready for a change of scenery, you have Padua extremely nearby.

Although Venice is great especially if you have never been there I would mKe Cinque Terre a must! It was amazing. We opted last April to stay in Cinque Terre for 3 days instead of Lucca! It was a great decision!

I hated Sorrento, but it could be a good base to see more of that area.....think of it more as a base than a place to visit, IMO. I'd also recommend a day trip to Padua rather than a day to Murano......I just got back from a 29 day/5 city trip to Italy, and Padua was my favourite of all the cities I visited (including Rome and Florence). Be sure to book ahead to see the fabulous Scrovegni Chapel, which I enjoyed and thought was more powerful to see than the Sistine Chapel.

Definitely go to Siena to see the Duomo there, but give Florence more than a day or two, IMO. It's a beautiful city full of interesting things, and lots of lovely piazzas to relax on with friends and an aperitif. While you're in Florence, be sure to see the Duomo museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo), which is where the original Baptistery doors are kept (not the copies that are outside on the Baptistery building),and some amazing statuary (including Michelangelo and Donatello). It's a small and low-key entrance, but I think better than the hours long wait to get in to the Duomo itself.

I personally did not like Venice, but I only did a day trip to there from Padua........perhaps I would have liked it if I'd stayed longer?

When in Rome, be sure to get tickets to see the Borghese Gallery, which I thought was one of the very best galleries I saw in Italy (better than Uffizi or Vatican). You're right to include the Borghese Garden/Park too - I spent several nice hours strolling around and stopping in small museums or sitting at fountains there. For the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill, I really recommend a guided tour, because otherwise ruins just look like, well, a pile of collapsing walls. I was on a tour led by an archaeologist, who really put flesh on the bones of old ruins and brought so much understanding to what I was seeing.....I highly recommend Context Travel and, if you can get him, the guide Dimo.

I would also consider splitting your time in Sorrento with a town actually in the AMalfi Coast. Travel on the Amalfi Coast is slow and personally I would find it frustrating to spend that much time traveling every day. We stayed in Amalfi and liked it. Personally, I would shift a day from Rome to Amalfi Coast if you want to go all the way to Paestum. We also spent six nights and didn’t have time for Palestum .

But I have to admit, Rome is my least favorite place in Italy. We spent five nights and would have been happy with four.

I like your plan and offer three suggestions:

1. From Venice plan a day trip to Padua. Be sure to make reservations to see the remarkable frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel.
2. Instead of all the time in Sorrento, stay in the city of Amalfi for 3 nights. It’s the transportation hub for the coast. Easy to get to Positano and Ravello. If you want to visit Paestum, which I consider a “don’t miss” experience, it’s easy to get to Salerno by bus or ferry and hop the train to Paestum. Logistically much easier to visit Paestum from Salerno than Sorrento.
3. Take a day or two from Rome and add to Sorrento. Plan a day trip to visit Naples - much underrated, great Archaeological Museum with Pompeii artifacts. Enjoy Rick’s stroll through Naples. Take a funicular up to Piazza Fuga and visit Castel Sant’Elmo for fantastic vistas of the city, the Bay of Naples, Vesuvius and Capri.

Plan a day trip to visit Naples - much underrated, great Archaeological Museum with Pompeii artifacts.

I second this - I really enjoyed Naples, but many people seem to overlook it. And I thought the Archaeological Museum was fantastic. Also, if you're in Naples, head up to the beautiful Capodimonte Museum/Gallery.

WOW !! Thanks so much to everyone for all of your suggestions and details of what not to miss in these cities. You all helped me a lot !! And…nice to know I'm not "too" crazy for thinking I could pull this kind of itinerary off !!

Sorrento: it is more of a base rather than a destination, I was conflicted about staying there vs Amalfi Coast as we are headed in both directions…Amalfi / Salerno / Pasteum and also up to Pompeii / Naples so thought maybe i'd split the difference with Sorrento. I did mention "Sorrento city" for 1 of my days, that is 1) I've never been there so may as well check it out and 2) was thinking of having more of a chill day before our somewhat long day up to Florence. Will give that further thought.

Naples: actually I have not educated myself on Naples to know enough about what's there…figured if nothing else I'd grab a pizza :) The funicular sounds pretty cool ! I'll check out your suggestions there.

Florence: I may scale the day trips down, may leave out Bologna and spend another day just in Florence. So many places to see though…I did want to venture down to Montepulciano but maybe next time.

Venice: originally I did have Venice after Sorrento but the friends we are with are also going to Florence then after a couple of days there we part ways so I moved Venice to after Florence. I like the idea of a day trip to Padua since it's pretty close, hadn't thought about that. I do want to just wander the city and love to "just be" sitting somewhere just taking it all in, Venice (& Florence) seem like just the place for that.

Rome: I hear you could spend a year there and still not cover it all. I am planning a couple of tours there…colosseum, palatine hill, forum and the Vatican etc., I'll check out Context Travel, hadn't heard of them. To be honest, Rome was the city that I would most likely "steal" a day from. Don't know why that is, I'm sure it's amazing.

Isabel: I checkout out your photos…they are gorgeous !!! I would love to know your secret as to how you are able to take so many photos and have little or no tourists in them, that is awesome. Did you bribe them somehow to stand back ? :)

Thank you all so much for your inputs. This helps me too as I've been a little scared about this itinerary…my husband & I have been together for 25 years and believe it or not, this will be our FIRST trip on an airplane together and our FIRST international trip !! I've traveled internationally but he has not. He's a homebody kinda guy so I don't want to overwhelm him by having too much go here-go there & make sure I have some built-in chill kind of days peppered in. I'll try to give a report back after the trip to offer up any after thoughts I have. Thanks again and Happy Trails to you all !!

You will get lots of opinions on which places outrank which other places and which places are worth more/less time than others. You won't know what's best for you until you've been. So I'm going to try not to overload you with more opinions.

Sorrento/Salerno/AC town. In April there should be frequent ferry service and not too many tourists - unless you are there around Easter week. Sorrento is a good base for Pompeii/Herculaneum/Naples (the archaeology museum is a wow and the RS city walk is very good) by local "metro" - the Circumvesuviana; for Capri by ferry, and to the AC towns by bus or ferry. But Paestum would only be a practical day trip if you hire a car and driver for the day. It takes about 2 hours via Salerno to Paestum by car. But to get there from Sorrento is a slog if you want to take public transportation, it's more like 3 hours each way and you'll have to transfer at least twice. If you decide to stay in Sorrento, consider a private transfer from Rome. And then private transfer to Naples for the train to Florence. BTW there's not much to "see" in Sorrento. OTOH Salerno has an interesting historic center and a very pleasant seashore with a large sandy beach and a long promenade. Another reason that makes Salerno a good base is that it is connected to the north by high-speed train. You can day trip to Pompeii by train and a short taxi ride, to Naples by train, and to Paestum by train or bus (1 hour). Or you could rent a car in Salerno for a day (or hire a car& driver) and stop at Vannulo Buffalo Farm for fresh mozzarella, delicious gelato and the best cannoli in Italy. You can day trip to the AC towns by bus or ferry. The only place you may have a long trip to is Capri - you probably have to change ferries somewhere. I've only been in winter when there were no ferries on the AC. Staying in one of the AC towns is very popular, but they are more remote, anywhere from 1/2 to over 1 hour from either Sorrento or Salerno. Here's where I feel I must add an opinion: the AC towns are far from the best small towns/villages in Italy. The AC has gorgeous scenery and the towns are picturesque from afar, not very charming to wander around - except for the views (and maybe Ravello). Both Sorrento and Salerno have a wide selection of good restaurants - much better than those in the AC towns - with one notable exception. Sal de Riso in Minori has the best pastries I've ever eaten in Italy and possibly anywhere (apologies to the French).

There are two museums in Rome that you haven't listed: the Borghese (must reserve well in advance) and the Capitoline. There are others, but you won't have time :-)

Look for walking tours in Rome, Florence, and Venice. You will learn much more than just by wandering on your own. The small group tours are usually best, but in Venice the best is this "free" one. You have to register in advance but there is no penalty for no-shows.

To be honest, Rome was the city that I would most likely "steal" a day from. Don't know why that is, I'm sure it's amazing.

I totally get it -- originally, I didn't really want to go at all, except I really wanted to see the Borghese gallery. Now, a week after my trip, I wish I'd done a day or two less there and had added it to Padua or Florence. But, as someone said, you really don't know until you go.

One thing to consider is whether or not you have a personal affinity for some type of art, history, artist, etc. If you're really wanting to see Caravaggio, Michelangelo, ancient Roman culture, or Papal history (for example) you might want to lean in one direction more than another.

Thank you for more to consider Chani & Chiara !! For a scenario then of staying in Salerno rather than Sorrento would it make better sense to train from Rome direct to Salerno, base there for a few days to visit Paestum and the AC (love also the Buffalo farm trip) THEN transfer over to Sorrento for a few days to cover Capri, Pompeii & Naples ? Realizing of course that switching places does involve extra time for packing up, changing hotels, etc. Seems like at that point it may be better to stay in Naples (?) and do the Pompeii / Capri / Sorrento trips from there? That way too we'd be in Naples already for our trip up to Florence.

I mentioned earlier that I have basically no idea of what Naples is about (shame on me!) other than what a few others here have mentioned. I know I've seen comments before on how Naples is underrated and gets a bad rap so I don't know if that's a good / bad idea to stay there. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated !! Thx !!

The six days in the Naples/AC area: It really just depends on your personal preference for moving hotels and whether you want that full AC experience (small village, dramatic scenery). I feel like Paestum is really amazing, and Sorrento is expendable. I liked Salerno, but by the time you get there you might as well press on and stay on the AC where you can easily get between the villages without spending all day.
You could also visit Paestum from Naples, or say you take the train to Salerno initially and stay in an AC village. Then the day you depart, you could store your bags at Salerno, go to Paestum, then return and head to Naples (see Pompeii from there).

Naples is underrated and gets a bad rap so I don't know if that's a good / bad idea to stay there.

I think a lot depends on your expectations and being prepared.......it is a working city whose prime business is not tourism, so it doesn't have a lot of shine or beauty. But it does have a lot of heart and soul (and history). The crowds walking the narrow streets in old Florence are mostly tourists, but the crowds walking the narrow streets in old Naples are equally, if not more, made of residents. That's neither good nor bad, but it's a different experience - maybe less image-conscious, less polished? A little louder, a little dirtier, a little busier.

I enjoyed that, but not everyone does (or not everyone does when they're on vacation). I also enjoyed some of the artistic and historical sites as well, and I'm not sure if people don't see them, or don't think they're worth a city environment they don't like. The Archaeological Museum was the best, but I also really enjoyed the Capodimonte Museum and the catacombs.....and of course there were several beautiful religious sites I visited too. And it has some really good food.

Thanks Chiara, that was a helpful description of Naples. It's funny, a quick thought could be going places where there are other tourists will somehow keep you in your comfort zone so to speak but the truth is, whether they are tourists or locals…you don't know any of them on either side so what does it matter. People are people and it's a good thing to mingle with the locals if you want a real feel of their culture. And good food…you can't go wrong there !!! Thanks for your thoughts, much appreciated !!

This is what I wrote from Naples 2 years ago. It's only about 35-40 minutes on the train from Salerno to Naples so it's not worth changing hotels "to be closer to Florence." But it is worth spending time in Naples for Naples! Your main problem at this point is there is too much to see and you have too little time :-) Resign yourself to making hard decisions and know that you will return to Italy . . . everyone does!

It's possible to visit Pompeii from Salerno by train (40 min) to the main station in Pompei (modern city) and then a short taxi ride to the ruins - scavi. I think it's about a 15-20 minute walk. From Sorrento you would take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii Scavi, (30-35 min) just a few meters from the main entrance. So there's not much difference.

There are direct trains from Rome to Salerno and from Salerno to Florence.

Thanks Chani, I like what you said about returning to Italy…"everyone does". I started out thinking this is my "one" shot & trying to make it be the be-all-end-all trip, now with everyone's help I'm chilling out about it and looking at it not what I didn't get to experience but what I did get to experience….and I'll just come back !!! Thanks for all the help & words of wisdom !!! Ciao !

If you will spend only 2 of 6 days exploring Florence, I suggest turning at least some of those day trips into overnights to avoid going in and out of Florence. Florence will be busy and going to the train or bus station each day for four days will feel like work. Check transit schedules to help you decide on moving your base.

If you DO stay for 6 days in Florence, look at the bus v. train options for your day trips. Busses may be faster, always less expensive and may get you closer to the city centers.

Most importantly...have a wonderful time!

Seem to be a lot of Sorrento dislikers here. I personally find Sorrento a wonderful place. It's not a city, it's a medium size town, and Marina Grade, a short walk down hill from the center of Sorrento is a tiny fishing village. The views from Sorrento are gorgeous and the transportation links can't be beat by anywhere else in the region. Your reason for originally picking it - that you want to see things in both directions - is a good reason. The 'getting there' on the Amalfi Coast is part of the experience, not just a boring commute. The bus ride is a 'five star site' itself (I think that's a Rick Steves quote). I've done three trips to the region and based in Sorrento each time. In April the smaller towns of Amalfi and Positano may still be somewhat closed down for the season. I was there in late March a few years ago and that was the case. Even Sorrento had some places closed but if I hadn't just been there in July I wouldn't have even noticed the difference. So more to do in Sorrento, more choice of restaurants. And the main reason to keep that your base is flexibility with weather. In April you still have the risk of some rainy days. If you do, then you choose that day to go to Naples to the museum. Not much to do in Amalfi/Positano/Ravello in the rain.

I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. The secret to pics with few tourists in them is to be very patient. I drive my traveling companions crazy because I'll just hang out in a piazza or where ever and wait for the break. But also going out rather early in the day helps. Seems most tourists like to sleep in.

Thanks Becky for your thoughts about Florence & the day trips. For some reason I got stuck on trains thinking they would be the faster which they may be at times but I'll definitely check into the buses. I did see some info about them getting a little closer in to the city centers. My husband isn't much of a go here-go there kinda guy so I'm trying to limit the amount of times we pack up and move. However, like you said, it may be just as tiring to go in & out of Florence every day on day trips. Will do more research on that…thx.

And thanks Isabel for your view on Sorrento. I did decide to keep that as my base, I think it will work out just fine. We will arrive there on April 22nd so I'm HOPING 'most' of the rain will be behind us. I'm a SoCal native so I'm SPOILED on nice weather !! And your photos, I take a LOT and also drive my family nuts. I have read about getting up at sunrise to get a good shot or two, will try that at least once.

I take everyone's thoughts & opinions into account on everything and sometimes it seems it may even work out to incorporate a little bit of ALL of them !! So thank you ALL for your help, I really appreciate it very much !!

Thinking about Venice and day trips from there. I suggest that you don’t commit to day trips until you are actually there. One can easily be seduced by Venice and never want to leave, not even for a day in Padua.

I like that you have four cities in 22 days but I would give more time to Florence. We spent six nights there last visit and it was our second time in Florence. We did do one day trip; a wine and countryside tour with Roberto that was excellent. The other four days we explored Florence and still haven't seen everything. We are returning this Spring (2020) for four nights. All of your day trips are lovely places but I would cut some out and maybe spend a couple of nights in Lucca or one of your other day trip choices. You will return! Whatever you do you will love Italy!

You have read some good advice and heard about some favorites in this forum. You should decide if this is to be a "survey" trip or a lower activity, sit-a-while vacation. We decided on our first trip in 1996 to see most (can't do all) of the big stuff in Venice, Florence & Rome to minimize travel. This recent trip we tried to pick-up things we missed including places away from the big 3. But we had to cover more ground and move more often. We could have done it the other way originally with no regrets. A big impact this trip was the vastly increased tourist crowds - including Italians on vacation! Jam-packed buses in Rome, sardined into Circumvesuviana trains, elbow to elbow in Cinque Terre, long entry lines in Florence even with tickets. No more shoulder season. It is understandable that one would try to cover everything in a long desired trip. Be aware of great whatever (art, architecture, food, scenics, etc) overload. After a while it is hard to remember what you did and saw. Take time to order, study, soak up, memorize your experiences. Enjoy what you do decide to do and plan on returning.