Italy April/May 2025

We were in Sardinia in April this year, and it was a good time to visit. There were certainly some other tourists, but it did’t feel crowded. We didn’t spend time at the beach, but did drive and walk where there were beach views, and some of the crashing waves were phenomenal. There were more bicyclists than surfers, but we saw both. If you want to get outside the city and see archaeological sights or more far-flung places, a car is a must.

We stayed in capital city Cagliari, and a charming town in the far southwest, Sant’Antioco, and a wonderful west coast town, Bosa. While old-town Bosa is 3 miles inland, a beach community right at the coastline has developed, with condos and sandy beaches (and big waves in places).

You can stay in Pompeii or skip that trip and just add a day to Rome- day trip to Ostia Antica instead.
Naples would be a great choice- dirty and dangerous? Like so many cities?

How will you get to Sardinia? If you have to fly then staying in Rome or Naples is the better choice. Then you need to get back to your departure to US city the night before.
(No experience with Sardinia- can you fly home from there?)

Personally this would all be too much moving around for me.
8-10 days is very short. To get 3 or 4 days in Rome- you need 4 or 5 nights. That's half the trip.

There are other coastal locations on the Italian mainland that might interest you.
The Ligurian Coast is lovely and less crowded than AC or CT.

We stayed in Sorrento, and visited Pompeii (and Herculaneum) and Naples from there. The National Archaeological museum in Naples is a must-see, with the artifacts that were recovered from the ruins of Pompeii. Parts of Naples were sketchy 12 years ago, with trash strewn about. Walking on the street in early evening, there was broken glass all over the sidewalk. Suddenly, two glass bottles came flying by our feet, and shattered up against the brick wall nearby. We didn’t stick around for more, and headed straight to dinner.

Dump Naples. The authorities are very clear the volcano will erupt again, on top of 1 million people. They have been offered to relocate but apparently there are no takers (according to Insight Guide Italy). There has recently been a volcano hazard on the island of Vulcano too. Sooner or later!

While Naples may not be for everyone it most certainly isn’t a place to be feared or unfairly maligned. It is an authentic, vital city with a vibe that I love. In my travels through Italy, I’ve visited Naples a number of times and it never fails to interest and excite me. If you’re looking for a sanitized, Disney’s Epcot version of Italy, Naples is not that. However, if you appreciate wandering through lively streets with a diverse population, don’t miss it.

On my trip to Italy in 2023, my friend & I took the fast train to Naples. It wasn’t my first time there, but it was the first time I had stayed the night. We actually stayed 3 nights not far from the archaeological museum. We felt safe, but then again, we only went out in daylight & we didn’t know what the Italian graffiti said. I’ve never seen so much paint wasted on walls, in my life. A million gallons of paint must be spread across Naples, in every color. If there’s a surface, it has graffiti all over it. I wouldn’t walk around after dark except on the main streets with bright lighting.