Italy Itinerary

It helps to share what kinds of things you enjoy doing and seeing, and then people can suggest accordingly. Is this your first time to Italy? Sounds like it given the cities you've listed. Also, how tight a budget will you be working with?

And can I assume you've bought the RS Italy 2010 book? (Please respond on the bulletin board, not privately.)

My husband and myself have been to Italy on a cruise. We had 1 day in each Rome, Florence, Naples and 2 days in Venice where the cruise started. The other couple has not been at all. When they are doing the things we have already done (eg. Vatican Museum) we will do something we didn't have time for the day we were there.

Yes, I do have RS Italy 2010. It seems very helpful for sure.

We are hoping to spend the better part of a week in Tuscany enjoying the cities and countryside there.

We did a lot of Churches and Museums the last time so are hoping to see something different this time. The other couple will do their own thing.

Hi Sheree! 3 wks, how wonderful. Flight in and go directly by train to Orvieto (1 hr). Spend the day & night. Lovely hilltown where you can get your bearings and loveingly enjoy. Train to Florence (2-3 hrs) for at least 2 days (longer for each hilltown you want to day trip to). Train to Venice (about 2 hrs) for at least 2 days and nights. Train to C.T. (4 hrs)for at least 2 days & nights. Train to Rome (4 1/2 hrs.) spend a couple of days & nights before going to the Amalfi coast for 5 days. There is plenty to see & do or just spend some days relaxing. Train back to Rome for the last 2 days before your flight home. If you have any days left, take extra days in any of these places...you can't go wrong in any of them!

Sheree,
This will give you some ideas on Tuscany http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm

Sorrento would be a fabulous base to stay for your Naples/ Amalfi/Capri part of your itinerary.Many cute shops and open air markets, behind the hotel strip. From the hotel you can walk down to the Marina dock to take a tour boat to Capri. It's a 45 min.ride, if I remember correctly. You can take a small boat tour from Capri to the Grotta, very popular. We splurged ($200.) hiring a limo driver for the day, to take us to the Amalfi Coast, very worthwhile investment. He knew the best places
to shop & eat. We had the best Pizza ever in Sorrento, "Franco Pizza"!! One of our favorite parts of our Italy travels was Sorrento.

Sheree,

With only three weeks or so, I doubt that you'll have time to get to the Naples/Amalfi/Capri area, especially as you want to spend a full week in Tuscany. I'd suggest focusing on Rome and north for this visit.

I'm also heading for Rome this spring, and will be there about a week prior to your visit. I always find some excuse to get back to Italy!

Cheers!

What we are looking at right now is Arrive in Rome (22nd) early morn, have that day and 2 more full days (23,24) in Rome. Travel to Naples (25) and then the next 2 full days (26,27) there. Travel to Tuscany/Florence (28) and the next 6 full days (29,30,31,1,2,3)there. Travel to CT (4) and also the next 2 days (5,6) there Then travel to Venice (7) and then the next 2 full days (8,9) there. Travel back to Rome (10)for our flights that will leave the next morning (11). Do you think that is too quick or will it work?

I agree with Ken and suggest leaving the Amalfi for another trip.

You might want to consider leaving the rome portion to the end of your trip because you will probably want to stay in rome the last night.

On arrival, you could take the train to Venice and then work your way back towards Rome.

4/5 nights Venice, 7 nights Tuscany/Florence, 3 nights CT, then then 5/6 nights in Rome.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! We will be getting a hotel in Rome the last night...or maybe staying up as we have to be at the airport @ 3:30am for our flight. We wanted to be in Rome the first night as we will have been on an airplane or in an airport for over 20 hrs by that time and will need a rest before we go any further. We will be on the plane daytime our time nighttime Rome time...we may be a little jet-lagged and confused.
I don't know if we will get back to Italy again...there are so many places we want to go so we would like to take in Naples on this trip if we can.

I second (or third) leaving Amalfi for later. If not, I think 3 days in Naples is too much. It's been my least favorite place. I'd be sure to see Orvieto and Assisi in addition to the Tuscan towns. Both are unique and much more enjoyable (to me) than Naples.

Thanks, we do plan to see Orvieto on our travel day from Naples to Tuscany...it looks fabulous! Citiva and Assisi look amazing too. It is so hard to decide. My travel partners are stuck on seeing Amalfi and Sorrento at least, if not Naples itself. My husband and I have seem Pompeii and do not plan to go there again even though we loved it. Could we do Amalfi and Sorrento from Rome in a day?