Italy end of April with my mom! Please help with my itinerary

Hi, just a couple of comments to help…

You have picked some nice locations, but they are far apart by transportation. If you are going from Montepulciano to Salerno, that’s going to take a major part of daytime, leaving you with just one full day in Salerno. So, think about if you’re happy with just a quick look at the Amalfi Coast for that amount of traveling. (Also, no time to see nearby Paestum with the stunning Greek temples.)

And if you are at an agriturismo, you will definitely need a car.

You mentioned feeling like you’re missing out on Florence. If you like art, it’s an amazing place to enjoy it! Since you’re asking for experienced suggestions, I will go ahead and share the trip report that was my adult daughter’s first time in Italy. I took her in 2022. We saw most of the locations where you want to go, including Florence.

Have a great time! It is SO special to have a Mother/Daughter trip!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/mother-adult-daughter-italy-trip-aug-sept-2022

I think that for a first time trip, the tendency is to try to cram everything into the
itinerary. While you can certainly try, there is a non-trivial possibility that you
will spend more time going between places than you want and not seeing
the places you spend time in that well.

For a ~14 night itinerary I think 3 or 4 stops is probably sufficient, but it depends
on how far apart the places are and how efficient you are packing. If you plan
to take big heavy bags, that will reduce your mobility a bit for instance.

Pick the places you visit based on what you & Mom want to do, and don't get
too concerned if you're missing something. Allow for time to do nothing once
in a while.

Lastly, unless your preferences are factored into this, 2 nights in Venice, and
7 nights at an agriturismo seem out of whack. Maybe 3/6 or 4/5?

What a lovely trip you have planned. I have traveled to the places you are investigating at the end of April. Please note that 25 April is Liberation Day and 1 May is International Workers Day and some places may be closed for the celebrations.

Also, if you can, stay 3 nights in Venice. The first day, even when you come in the morning is challenging with jet lag. Venice is best savored and 3 nights will give you the time to enjoy the city. For Tuscany, I would suggest you look either at driving if you are staying in Montepulciano or an agriturismo as it is challenging to explore Tuscany with public transportation. If you don't want to drive, either Florence or Siena could be a good home base and then hire a local guide/driver, especially if you are interested in wine tasting.

It will take you a half-day or more to get from Tuscany to Salerno. Two nights is fine to get an overview of the Amalfi Coast. Note that the ferries availability is dependent upon the weather. When we were there this past May (staying In Positano), the weather negatively impacted their running. We used a private driver to take us on a tour that included wine tasting and it was one of the highlights of our trip.

Thank you all so much for your feedback! And, Jean, I really enjoyed reading your trip report. Took many notes and Google searches! I am looking at a rental car with pick up and drop off just for the agriturismo/Tuscany part of our trip. A struggle for me is committing 7 nights to the agriturismo. Initially I had hoped to divide up that time and include Florence, but the agriturismo is saying they do Saturday to Saturday week long stays. I suppose I could pay for the whole week and leave early if need be? Maybe the 3/6 Venice and agriturismo split would be more balanced! I agree a third night in Venice would be wonderful! And/or an extra night in Salerno. I want to savor it all, but sometimes just a little taste is all we'll get to enjoy. My mom is so fun to travel with and she's always up for my ideas! I just want to make sure the long trek from Montepulciano to Salerno is a good idea. Originally I had considered doing this trip in reverse and ending in Venice. Flying into Naples and staying in Sorrento. Then up to Rome, Montepulciano, Florence, and Venice. Nothing is set in stone right now. Amalfi is a definite MUST for my mom. I'll be in touch on here about how these plans progress! Your advice is very appreciated!

I think it's a good idea to base yourself in Salerno for the Amalfi Coast.

When we stayed in Salerno (end of April 2022), we hired the owner of our B&B to drive us as far as Amalfi, with a couple of short stops for photo ops, with a couple hours in Ravello. We chartered a (very small) boat through Blu Mediterraneo to take us along the coast to Positano, and back to Salerno. We opted to enjoy Positano from the water, as opposed to joining the crowd scene on land. Blu Mediterraneo also offers small-group boat tours.

https://www.blumediterraneosas.com/

https://www.salernocentro.it/en/

Having been to both, I would take the Amalfi Coast over the Cinque Terre. 7 nights seems like a long stay in an agritourism - maybe shorten that and spend some time in Florence if you like.

You sound like a fantastic daughter!

Hi Alicia, could a stay at a boutique hotel or B&B in Montepulciano or nearby Pienza and a meal or two at some of the agriturismos suffice with your desires, and you wouldn’t need to be paying for a whole week of lodging?

Palazzo Carletti, a former palazzo in Montepulciano, has beautiful rooms. Several places have view windows; my lodging didn’t but I was enjoying the outdoor restaurant terrace views.

For Pienza, Relais Il Chiostro Di Pienza is just one option. Lovely grounds and a unique place to stay! These are on Booking.com