Italy Honeymoon

I'm counting 10-11 days in Italy. With that brief a trip, I would strongly recommend dropping the Amalfi Coast portion of your plan. Remember that each time you move from city to city, you lose most of day.

Splitting up your time between Venice, Florence and Rome will still only give you a very brief visit - compared to everything to see in each place.
I totally understand the temptation to try and see everything in one trip but scaling back the number of cities you visit will mean more time to actually enjoy Italy rather than racing from place to place.

If you are not 'married' (hah) to driving in Italy, be advised that the trains are great and if reserved long enough in advance, quite reasonably-priced. For your maiden voyage to Italy I would not mess with it, unless you are driving fiends & enjoy that type of thing. I would agree with the above poster that the Amalfi Coast--especially in August/September--although beautiful, will be very crowded & probably could be dropped, as transportation from Rome to the A.C. can be a P.I.T.A. & very time-consuming.

If you have 10 nights in Italy, I would:

Nights 1-2: Venice
Nights 3-6: Florence
Nights 7-10: Rome

Four days each in Florence & Rome allow for daytrips from Florence via train--Firenze S.M.N. station is a great hub to destinations within an hour or so--Fiesole, Siena, Lucca, Pisa. And there are day tours from Florence that can easily take you into the Tuscan hills. We spent 5 nights in Florence in March at a VRBO apartment, had planned a few daytrip destinations but ended up staying in Florence the whole time! It has a vibe all its own.

For Rome, I would find a close-in neighborhood like Trastevere or Campo de' Fiori & take that time to explore and soak in the Eternal City. Hop-On-Hop-Off buses have great routes to all the sights & attractions, or just hang in the neighborhoods. Magical.

Congratulations not only on the wedding but on planning ahead! With 11 nights on-the-ground I would limit yourselves to no more than three places you will sleep.

Start in Venezia and give yourselves 3 nights. You will be recovering from jetlag and two full days is the minimum to enjoy Venezia, with little time to relax. But if you start early and see a couple of big sights in the morning, you can take a couple of hours to relax in the afternoon before enjoying your evenings out. It is lovely to wander in Venezia after dark.

Firenze is a logical stop for a first time trip 4 nights gives you three full days, which would allow enough time to see some of the big museums, enjoy the evening atmosphere, and take one day trip to the countryside. I suggest a guided tour of the Chianti region so you do not need a car,and skip Pisa.

Roma for 4 nights/3 full days is a good start. You will have to plan carefully for the sites you want to see. A day for Ancient Roma, a day at the Vatican Musuems plus St. Peter's, a day for wandering, shopping, visiting some churches or maybe the Borghese Gallery.

Note that every time you change locations (Venezia to Firenze and Firenze to Roma) you will lose at least half a day in packing, checking out, getting to the station, on the train, then checking in and getting oriented in the new location. Even if you take a 9:00AM train each time, it will be at least Noon before you get to your new lodgings. We always figure the first day in a new location we can do lunch, one sight, then relax a bit and enjoy the evening.

And seriously, avoid the hassle of renting a car. Travel is easier without one. Take a cab to your hotels in Firenze and Roma to minimize wasted time and energy. We do this almost everytime we arrive in a new city now, finding the investment of 10-20 euros for a cab is well worth saving the frustration of finding a difficult address.

My suggestion (due to your limited time) is to pick the two you feel you want to see the most and split the time between them. Perhaps Venice and Florence with a day trip or two from each. In any case, don't try to do more than three cities since you will lose a lot of time in transit. It almost always take more time from Point A to Point B than anticipated. With this being a short trip, consider foregoing the car rental. The trains are very good and will get you to most places easier and cheaper. Best Wishes!!

I would really like to see the Amalfi Coast, if possible, since this seems like the place to relax and spend some time on the beach. I still want to see all the sights but this would give a chance to unwind from wedding planning craziness and just enjoy. Would it be better to skip Venice? We could fly into Rome, train to Florence, train/bus to Amalfi, and end in Rome? Or even Rome --> Florence --> Amalfi? I wanted to fit in as much as possible because I'm not sure when it would be possible to get to Italy again..but I feel like we will definitely find our way back. So we could do more southern Italy this trip and northern Italy next trip. Any suggestions? Another option would be to just use more vacation time and add a few days to the trip (so about 14 days instead of 10).

Certainly, you can skip Venice and do the Amalfi Coast instead. We've been to Italy twice and for whatever reason have not been to Venice at all yet. Some folks absolutely love it, however. Our first trip 5 years ago was Taormina (Sicily)/Florence/Rome. This last March it was (after Paris & Switzerland) Florence/Salerno, with daytrips from Salerno to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast.

Remember on 'open-jaw' flights (flying into one city, flying out of another), the whole point of it is not have to backtrack. If you decide to do it this way, you probably should fly into Milan, which is a big city & not particular picturesque, but there are plenty of flights from the US there. Hop a train to Florence, stay there 3-4 nights. Then take a Fresciarossa train to Rome, which gets you there in under 2 hours. Spend 3-4 nights in Rome. Then...take a train to Salerno (the end of the line), which has numerous hydrofoils, ferries or buses to the A.C. Warning: you do not want to drive on the Amalfi Coast--it could be hazardous to your sanity!

Spend 3-4 nights on the A.C.--my choices would be Ravello or Sorrento (Positano is a little too much 'the place to be' these days), and then fly out of Naples Capodochino airport. If you happen upon a cooler day while there, consider a day trip to Pompeii, which is absolutely fantastic, even if you're not into archeology.

If you happen to extend your trip to 14 nights...I would hesitate adding destinations. Enjoy an extra day or two in a couple of places. Traveling from place to place is not fun--relaxing & chilling is.

Enjoy your planning, Melanie!

Melanie I did almost the exact same trip last October. We started with two nights in Venice. Then we took the train to Florence for two nights. We planned to do sides trips from Florence but there was really no time for that, so we just strolled around enjoying Florence. From Florence we went directly to sorrento for 3 nights. Which is what I would suggest for you. This way all our time was spent in rome at the end and not split up. We had just enough time in sorrento to visit the Almafi coast and pompeii. And I strongly suggest taking a private tour to amalfi, well worth the money! Especially for your honeymoon. We then took the train to rome and finished up with 4 nights there before flying home. This was a great trip if you want a little taste of everywhere. Now I know where to return to for my second visit. I am planning a similar trip for my daughter's honeymoon this sept. She has basically the same itinerary but she is skipping Florence. If you go with the idea that you can't see everything and you will come back you'll be fine.

I think with only ten nights to play with in Italy you really need to choose between Florence and Amalfi Coast.
Given it's your honeymoon and Florence can be stifling in August, I would choose the Amalfi Coast.

If you can find an extra 3 nights then it becomes more manageable to do everything you want ...

Fly into Venice (3 nights)
Train to Florence (3 nights)
Train to Naples and Sorrento (3 nights)
Train to Rome (4 nights)
Fly out of Rome

Hi Melanie,
I think it's definitely too much for one trip, especially if the "bones" of your trip are calling for 10-11 days or so in Italy. Don't forget that you are going to lose time adjusting to the time zone change when you arrive in Venice, and that the last day in Rome doesn't really count as a "day." That leaves you 9 solid days in Italy to explore - that's a jam packed itinerary, especially for a honeymoon. It would be far wiser to drop a couple of places and slow it down considerably - remember, you're on your honeymoon! It's a time to relax with your new spouse - do you really want to be schlepping luggage around changing locations that often? Do you want to spend hours on the train or driving in an unfamiliar country (and then worrying about parking), only to lose precious time out of your schedule, and then do it again a couple days later?

My fiancee and I are also planning a honeymoon to Italy in the fall of 2016, and I have to tell you there is much to be said about going to fewer places and staying longer versus trying to cram it all into one trip. It gives you a great reason to return the next time, and it will lead to a happier, less stressed honeymoon for both of you!

It sounds like you really want to do the Amalfi Coast, so what about flying into Rome, spending 4-5 days there and then taking the train down to Naples, getting a black car to Sorrento, and then spending 5 days or so exploring the towns on the Amalfi Coast before flying home out of Naples? That way you would be more relaxed and not stressing about travel, while saving Venice and Florence for a return anniversary trip?

Melanie,

The best thing you could do is add the extra days. If you have the time, take it!

This will make you're time much more enjoyable and not be rushed.

Venice 3 nites

Florence 3 nites

Rome 3 nites

Amalfi (Naples) 3 nites

Fly into Venice and out of Naples.

Sorrento will give you the best transportation options and the Curreri Viaggi bus will get
you to the Naples airport with the least hassle.

I think Sue has the right idea. I noticed that you said "I really want to see the Amalfi Coast", so make sure that is on your final itinerary! If you don't have it, get Rick Steves' Italy book. It's really all you need, from planning your itinerary to choosing hotels.
That said, I say go to as many places as you feel you want to see. I would rather see a place for a short time than not at all. I have been to Italy twice, for 10 weeks 19 years ago, and for a week 2 years ago. I am planning my next trip for next year. I have never been to Lake Como, but I am certain I would love it, and since we are celebrating our anniversary, we are going to include it next year.

To relax at the beginning of your trip, I think you should go to Lake Como first. Fly to Milan and go by train to Varenna (that's what I'm going to do).

You do not need a car, and in Florence and Rome you will be glad not to have one.

Overnight trains are fun, and you don't lose any sightseeing or beach time (plus you save by not needing a hotel).

I highly recommend Cinque Terre!! You can see it in a day, or you can stay for a few. Spectacular. One of our all time highlights.

Train down to Rome and stop at a hill town, we liked Orvieto, then get back on.

You can't see all of Rome no matter how much time you have, so decide how much time to spend there and move on to the Amalfi Coast.

Have a great time! And don't forget to stop and try the gelato every chance you get.

I love everyone's advice, please keep it coming.

After some thought, we have decided to remove Venice from our plan - we hope to see this on a future trip back to Italy.

Fly to Milan (maybe - this will depend on flight prices/availability)
Train to Florence (same day - might as well get the traveling in one day)
3 nights in Florence - day trips to Pisa and Siena
Train/Bus to Amalfi Coast
3 nights - probably in Sorrento, Positano or Ravello? Day trip to Pompei, Capri
Train to Rome
3-4 nights in Rome
Fly out of Rome

We could also switch Amalfi and Rome but I thought it would be best to end in Rome since that's where we will fly from.

I would love suggestions on accommodations. Do you recommend hotels, B&B's, private apartments? I have found a lot of affordable rentals on VRBO and AirBnB for Rome and Florence. I would like to do a little splurging for Amalfi to make this our luxury/romance accommodation but it seems that this is a more expensive area and there's no way we can afford $500+ for a night! Any suggestions for Amalfi Coast - close enough to dining/city and easy access to the water?

Thank you!

"3 nights in Florence - day trips to Pisa and Siena"

These 2 day trips would leave you with no time to see anything in Florence itself.
Remember 3 nights somewhere equates to 2 full days for the sights.

Take a look @ this hotel. Great folks, wonderful views and marvelous food.
http://ilnido.com/

Direct train from Firenze SMN>Napoli Centrale 2H51m. Supper Economy fares 39E.

At Naples, you have 2 choices...the Circumvesuvian located in the lower area of Centrale
or the Alibus to the Port and then ferry to Sorrento.

Have fun planning.

Throwing my vote with David here:

These 2 day trips would leave you with no time to see anything in
Florence itself. Remember 3 nights somewhere equates to 2 full days
for the sights.

I still think you're trying to bite off too much.

I think your plan sounds great! All you need is a Rick Steves Italy guidebook and you will have all the info you need to choose hotels and restaurants. I just looked at my copy of RS Best of Europe, and he says a well organized day is enough in Florence (I agree). You can do an evening to Siena (75 minutes by bus). And Pisa doesn't take a full day either.
I recommend Sorrento as your base for the Amalfi Coast. You'll want to drive or take a bus to tour the Amalfi Coast.

Picture this: you start your honeymoon by flying to Naples. A driver is waiting to take you to your hotel in Sorrento. You spend 4 nights here. Take a train to Rome for 3 nights. Then take a train to Venice and spend your last 4 nights here, flying home from the Venice airport.

You would only have 2 travel days, and would start and end your honeymoon in beautiful, romantic spots.

If you can add a day or two, you could add a stop in Florence on your way to Venice.

a well organized day is enough in Florence

That may depend on personal interests. We spent the better part of 5 days in Florence without running out of things to do!

Charlene, I am picturing with you.

Given only 10 nights to play with, and having to choose from Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast, for me on a honeymoon in Aug/Sep, I would unfortunately let Florence slip.

Different strokes for different folks. Never have been to Venice in two Italian trips, will probably check it out next time. But on both our trips, we've stayed 4 nights, then 5 nights in Florence. Magic. A very small town feel. Weekends are crowded, but during the week--especially in March-- we had the run of the place. Our first time there, an artist buddy of mine had said, "you're staying where? Right next door is the Sassetti Chapel. Just walk right in and see Renaissance frescoes, for free!" So we did.

Mercato Centrale for prosciutto and cheese. Massimo Leather for jackets & handbags. Ciro & Sons for wonderful Florentian & southern Italian dinners.

I wouldn't miss Florence on my first trip to Italy--no way.

Yes different strokes for different folks. Florence does have a lot to do but I think for first-timers one night is enough since there's so much to see elsewhere. Walk around, shop at a market, pop in a museum, (or tour the gardens at Pitti Palace like we did), have dinner and gelato and then get up early the next day climb to the top of the Duomo and then head out. Did my first Italy trip 2 years ago. In 14 days spent 2 nights in Venice, 1 night in Florence, 3 Nights in Cinque Terre, 1 Night in Siena, 2 nights in Naples (did Pompei and toured Amalfi Coast), and 4 nights in Rome. Loved all the places but if I were able to go back just for a week (in late summer - maybe early September like my last trip) I'd spend the whole time in Cinque Terre. To me it was just magical and so much more enjoyable than the over-priced, but beautiful, Amalfi Coast.

August in Italy is very crowded--do you have the option of delaying your departure a couple weeks? I did, and I liked having the breather: we recovered from the wedding, wrote thank you cards, etc. It would save you money and spare you from the hordes.
Consider what you want to do while on the Amalfi Coast. For day trips (Capri, Pompeii, etc.), location is important. Grab a guidebook so you will know the ferry/bus routes. If you just want to enjoy the scenery, there are several lesser known AC towns where you can get quite a bargain on accommodations (I paid 50 euros per night with a sea view, but I was certainly not in Positano and did not mind). Don't consider driving--too much traffic and expensive parking. However, do start looking at transport logistics. They eat up more time that you may think. Look at the trenitalia website to get a sense. Last, don't omit Naples from your flight searches.