Italy in Late November

Congratulations on your upcoming milestone birthday!

Personally? The Amalfi/Sorrentine Coast isn't an area I'd choose for late November. Dealing with some rainy days is almost a given (and there's little for indoor activities when its wet) and the ferries will not be running between Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi or other towns/villages along the coast. They do travel between Naples, Sorrento and Capri in the off season but on a reduced schedule, and they can be canceled if the sea is rough enough to be unsafe.

SITA bus travel along the coast is available all year, as is Circumvesuviana commuter train between Naples> Sorrento and points in between, such as Pompei.

Much in Capri will be closed but there should be enough restaurants and hotels open in Sorrento. You won't be doing any beach-type activities.
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/m/sorrento-in-november

There is no direct (no-changes) train service between Rome and Sorrento but maybe you knew that? There are several different options for getting there depending on preference and budget: rail to Naples + commuter train to Sorrento; rail to Naples + private driver to Sorrento, etc.

If you do go ahead with the coast plan, I'd travel there immediately upon arrival and finish your trip in Rome. You do not want to be on the coast the day of a flight out of Fiumicino. Better yet, if you could fly into Naples and out of Rome....

If it were me, and not knowing what your personal interests are, I'd for sure give Rome at least 4 nights/3.5 days. There's a lot to see there and much of it isn't weather-dependent, as it has a plethora of interesting indoor museums, churches, etc. I'd add Florence to your mix for the same reasons: much to see that's not out in the elements, should those elements not cooperate every day. In both cases the bonus will be sightseeing with lighter crowds and much more comfortable temps than in the warmer months (it's been a nasty-hot summer in much of Europe). So, I'd fly into Rome, take a train to Florence, then finish your trip in Rome to be close to your airport of departure. Just a thought?

Editing to add: my nephew and his wife spent over a week in Rome in late November some years ago and had a very good time. They did do quite a lot of indoor sightseeing, and did experience some rain but not EVERY day, and they didn't let it bother them. They were still able to enjoy plenty of interesting walkabouts outside!

In November I would choose Florence and/or the Tuscan countryside. The leaves will be golden and beautiful.

We went to Italy this past November, although it was early to mid-November. We thought it was a wonderful time to be there, although we did not spend time on the Amalfi Coast. Here is what we did:

Rome: 6 nights: visited the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Capuchin Crypts, the Catacombs, the Appian Way, Piazza di Popolo, the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica, Villa Borghese, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Capitoline Museums, Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, Torre Argentina (cat colony), and many more ruins, edifices, and interesting sights. The weather was lovely--even a bit hot by our standards. We did have one evening when there was a heavy thunderstorm with water running down the streets like rivers. We also took a day trip to Pompeii and Sorrento, and that was a drizzly day. We didn't mind, because Pompeii was very uncrowded. Often, there was nobody else in sight.
Orvieto: 1 night - We went to Orvieto with stops at Sacro Bosco and Civita di Banoregio (wow!). In Orvieto, we saw the cathedral, the old town, and the underground (including an Etruscan well). The weather was warm and pleasant.
Florence: 5 nights - We climbed Brunelleschi's Dome, went to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery, saw and crossed Ponte Vecchio numerous times, went to the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace, walked around the Mercato del Porcellino, walked around the historical centre on both sides of the river and across other bridges, took day trips to Siena (amazing Cathedral and town "square") and Pisa (the tower is gorgeous aside from the leaning), and more. The weather was warm and pleasant.
Verona: 2 nights. Loved Verona. Toured the Arena (still in use), visited Castelvecchio (interesting museum that is integrated into the architecture of the building) and Ponte Scaligero, visited the Giardino Giusti (loved!) and Giusti Palace, saw "Juliette's" balcony", walked around the Centro Historico and visited a Christmas market there a couple of times. The weather was warm and pleasant.
Venice: 4 nights. Visited St. Mark's Square and Cathedral, did a city tour, had a gondola ride, saw the Rialto Bridge (more than once), saw the Bridge of Sighs (inside and out), visited the Doge's Palace, wandered around and tried hard to get lost more than once (never managed it--even ending up right in front of our apartment at one point), visited Murano and Burano, took a vaporetto up the Grand Canal, and more. The weather was pleasant the first couple of days, but got chilly, damp, and windy the last couple of days.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent time to be in Italy. I have heard about how crowded it can get, and I thought the crowds were mostly manageable at that time of year (although the Uffizi Gallery was still too crowded for my enjoyment). The weather was mostly pleasant and even quite warm at times.

Our daughter was in Italy at the end of November about 6 years ago. She had decent weather (she wore a leather jacket or no jacket most days) and reported that she was able to see most sights with no lineups.

That said, the weather in November is not beach weather, and the day we were in Sorrento, it was cool, but the town was still pretty to see.

Hope that helps.

I visited the Amalfi Coast in mid Nov and the ferry times were sporadic so I got around by bus. It’s too bad I saw the coast from the Amalfi Coast Road only; a ferry back to Sorrento would have been scenic. As Rick Steves says “assume you’ll return”. I’ve been to IT seven times and still have not seen it all.
You need a minimum of four nights in Rome if you visit Vatican City and don’t expect to do much on arrival day except get acquainted with the neighborhood that you’re sleeping in. It’s nice knowing where a pharmacy, grocery store, laundromat and inviting cafés are located then end the day with a wonderful dinner.
I’m assuming you’ll be in IT for ten nights since you said nine days and this does not include the night you lose flying over. With that said I would go to Florence for four nights and include a day trip to Siena (1h 15m by direct bus).
If you go to Florence, make sure you buy tickets for the Uffizi Gallery two months out, this is the finest fine arts museum you’ll set foot in. Afterwards, visit Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.
Depending on what time you arrive in Rome, there’s a 1:53p direct train from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Florence’s SM Novella (the station that’s closest to Florence’s top attractions) taking 2h 30m. Another option is to fly open jaw i.e., in or out of Rome and Florence.
Another good day trip from Rome Termini (station closest to Rome’s attractions) is Orvieto that takes 1h 30m by direct train.

November and early December is our preferred time to go to Italy --- Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Liguria, and Piemonte have all been great regions to visit then. In Puglia, there were some pretty deserted beach towns but many other coastal towns and fishing port towns that were as lively as usual. This is fine with us since we have zero interest in beaches. In Liguria, the beachy towns we visited were open but very quiet, and Genoa was its normal city self as far as we could see. Camogli in Liguria, where we stayed for 5 nights, did have several restaurants and bakeries closed, but it was really pleasant to be there anyway --- actually, we will re-visit Camogli on our next trip in September so it will be interesting to see what it's like two months earlier. Towns in the hills of Liguria were busy and lots of fun (we stayed in Dolceacqua). In Piemonte, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria, a few small museums and churches were closed or only open on weekends, but no big deal, plenty of stuff to do.

Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples would all be cool weather-wise and not so full of tourists in November, and have many things to do indoors if it happens to rain a bit --- we've been to all four cities in December and I imagine November would be similar.

It sounds as though you wouldn't have a car? And you want a base for the 9 days after Rome? It's hard to say without knowing your interests, but I would choose Padua and explore the Veneto from there --- that's how many nights we spent in Padua one September and wished we could just live there. (If you can fly in and out of Milan, or Verona, or Venice, those airports are even better for going to Padua.) The Veneto and Emilia-Romagna are the easiest regions to get around by train we have found so far.

If you are looking for more warmth and natural scenery, try Puglia or Sicily.

The Amalfi coast doesn’t close down in winter. People live there all year around, so everything is open. The weather may be cold and/or rainy however, therefore that may limit the things you can do. Swimming in the water is one thing you won’t be able to do. Main ferry lines to Naples and to Capri operate on a limited schedule, unless there are rough waters. Not sure if you will be able to go by ferry from Sorrento to the Amalfi coast in winter.

So many helpful suggestions! Thanks! I think we will skip Amalfi this time.