Italy Itinerary Help !!!

From my experience, I would definitely spend 2-3 days in Rome. Especially if you want to take time to see all the major sites, there is just so much to see in Rome! I have never been to Naples or the Amalfi Coast, so I am not sure how long an ideal trip would last. Florence you could probably do in 3 days (and even include a day wine tour into Tuscany for one of those days)

You will probably find the least expensive/ most convenient flights into and out of Rome. Based on that I would plan on Rome for several days at the end of your trip since it is helpful to have spent some time in Italy before seeing Rome. Amalfi and especially Naples have not been high on my list so I'll suggest you head North. A good introduction to Italy would be the easy city of Orvieto. You'd take the train into Rome but immediately head North for the short trip to Orvieto. From there you could easily rent a car and tour Tuscany (spend another night or two there) and drop the car in Florence. From Florence it's an easy train ride back to Rome where you could day trip to Pompeii.
If Amalfi is a must see I'll let more experienced poster make a recommendation but from what I have read, a bus tour is the easiest way.

Thanks Richard :)
Sounds good but then where do we fly into if not rome first?

If you can get an open jaw into Venice and out of Rome I would certainly start there. Milan is also an option but not the most convenient for many. Chances are when you start looking for airfare Rome will have the most flights and be the least expensive. It is worth it to me to spend a little more for a flight to avoid back tracking but it just depends on what you can find. Every trip starts with the airfare and I adjust my trip accordingly.

My daughter will be going to Florence in September , our 23 year old did a semster in Rome great life experience. Ok so start in Florence I'm sure your daughter is an expert on the place by now. Florence can be a day or two. Then catch the Eurostar to Rome. As someone already posted there is so much to see and do you could spend weeks there. It really depends on what you are interested in but definitely 3-4 days. Then get on the Eurostar again Rome to Naples. From there you can have a service pick you up and drive you to Sorrento about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. Sorrento is a great town to day trip the Amalfi coast from Capri , Positano, Ravello , Amalfi, Pompeii. Great restaurants, people, weather, scenery and sites. Then fly out of Naple home. Not sure where you live but you can do Naples to London Heathrow and go from there. If you need contacts in Sorrento let me know I have been there 6 or 7 times and am going back in October.

By the way the Amalfi coast is a must see it is stunning. Pompeii is an easy trip from there, to do it from Rome would be ....painful

Your first step is to get Rick Steves Italy ASAP. It has lots of details on what to see, how to get between places, etc.

If you want to see Rome, Naples, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast, you can do these in various orders. So, I'd start by looking at flight prices into and out of Naples, Florence, and Rome. Try both round trip and open jaw ("multi city", for instance into Rome and out of Florence). That's the only way to know which is cheapest, has the best times and connections, etc. You do want to avoid too much backtracking while in Italy, and you will need to be in or near your departure city the night before your flight back home.

You can see Florence and Naples as day trips from Rome (70-90 minutes by train, each way), but Florence in particular has more than one day of sights. While you can technically see the Amalfi Coast as a day trip from Rome, don't. I saw Sorrento and Positano as a day trip from Naples and it was too rushed and not nice; from Rome would be miserable. The point of the Amalfi Coast is resting, not rushing.

Since your daughter is studying in Florence, I suggest you fly into Florence (or Pisa). Milan is also workable, but you may spend any air fare savings on train tickets for 4 to Florence.

I suggest a sequence of Florence, Rome, and then Amalfi/Naples, flying back to the U.S. from Naples. That avoids backtracking.

Count on losing a day of touring time each time you change locations, particularly with a group of 5.

To decide how much time in each place, take a look at a guidebook and identify the must-sees. I have happily spent a week or more in Florence and in Rome on multiple occasions, but I particularly enjoy art, churches, architecture, and Renaissance history. If your family has different interests a week may be WAY too much.

Since you'll be looking for lodging for 5, I suggest you nail down those reservations as soon as possible. it's getting late for planning an end-of-June trip.

Florence (3 nights)
Rome (4 nights)
Naples / Amalfi Coast (4 nights)

you guys are terrific!! Just one more question would be..... After all your marvelous advice, We'd like to start in Rome though, go to Florence and end in Naples..... Best way to navigate from Florence to Naples?? Also, Once in Naples, how to actually get to the the Amalfi Coast??? Also, has anyone ever used airbnb instead of hotels? wondering if that is better option for a family of 5??

Thanks again for all your help!

Best way to travel Florence to Rome is train. Fast and efficient.

When we visited Italy with our family of 5 a few years back, we used VRBO everywhere (expect Sorrento) and never had a bad experience.

Thanks Joe :)
Figured apt rental would be best for us too! Also, we'd be traveling from Rome to Florence and then Florence to Naples so was wondering on transportation to Naples from Florence?? Any idea?

The high speed Freccia (Arrow) trains run the length of Italy from Turin/Milan/Venice in the north thru Florence and Rome to Naples in the south. http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD
So make sure you book a 'through' train that doesn't terminate in Rome. In Naples you transfer to a private rail line (Circumvesuviana) to Sorrento, which is a good base if you are there for a short time. Day excursions are easy to Amalfi & Positano by bus and Capri by boat.

Three years ago we took the FRECCIAROSSA from Florence to Naples (stops in Rome). Travel time was about 3 hours.

Like djp_syd said...make sure to get the THROUGH train so you don't have to change trains in Rome. Then Circumvensuvia to Sorrento (last stop) as a base. Worked great for us. If you are seeing Pompeii, make sure to save time in Naples to see the museum on the way back. Most of the good artifacts have been relocated there. I think it's better to visit Pompeii first then see the museum so the artifacts have context but that's just my opinion.

We only spent one day (not overnight) in Naples. Took the early Circumvensuvia from Sorrento to Naples then walked from the station to the "first" pizza parlor, had lunch, then walked 20-25 minutes through the neighborhood to the Museum. Cab'ed it back to the train station and FRECC'ed to Rome. Arrived around 6 if I remember correctly.

FWIW, riding the Circumvensuvia was the only time I felt I really had to be wary of thieves/pickpockets. It was crowded and the crowd appeared a little rough. Just watch your luggage and try to get a seat. It's more like an old subway then a train.

Can I assume you are planning on being in Florence through 6/28, then taking your daughter along for the rest of the trip?

Haven't checked flight, hotel or apartment availability, as it is pretty late in the game, but if I were doing it, I would:

6/23: Fly into Milan, probably Malpensa airport. Get over to Milano Centrale train station, then Trenitalia Fresciarossa (high-speed, 1 hr. 40 min)) to Florence Santa Maria Novella Station. Find lodging (preferably apartment) within walking distance to station.

6/24 - 6/28 (4 nights): Optional day trips to Fiesole, Siena, Pisa by train or bus. Plenty to see in Florence as well. Shop at Mercato Centrale for cured meats, cheeses.

6/28 - 7/1 (4 nights): Fresciarossa (about 1 hr. 30 min) to Roma Termini station. Again, apartment/B&B preferable for 5 people, but stay central to be able to walk around easily. Campo de' Fiori & Trastevere my favorite areas in that regard.

7/1 - 7/4 (3 nights): Regional train to Naples, Amalfi or Salerno. Pros & cons to all three. Do not miss Pompei, but do it as early in the day as possible. Amalfi Coast will probably be overrun that time of year, but is beautiful. Investigate Salerno as a great base for day trips to Pompei, Paestum, Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Might have a better chance of an apartment or B&B there.

7/4: Fly Napoil Capodochino airport back to the states. Will probably have to connect in northern Europe for the trip home to the States.

If serious about taking this trip, you need to get on it now. A lot of flights, hotels, apartments, B&B's will already be gone--don't mean to scare you, it's just reality this time of year, even more so with the cheap Euro now. Ordinarily, with more lead time or non-high season, I'd say find the air then work your way in to lodging, trains, etc. Here you're going to have to do everything simultaneously. But I do think that flying into Milan and out of Naples is the most efficient way for what you want to do.

I did see above that you want to do Rome-->Florence-->Naples for whatever reason, which is fine. A little backtracking but not horrible with high-speed trains. In that case, you could still fly into Milan I suppose, but better--obviously--would be to fly into Rome. I'd still fly out of Naples, though. Again, your flight availability choices could be limited with the lack of lead time.

Good luck!

Am I correct in thinking that you still have not booked your flights? If you are going in 3 weeks, get ready for some serious sticker shock!

brianpfreeman,

The Eurostar doesn't operate in Italy.

Bob--

Just for the heck of it, I checked flights on my proposed itinerary above through Orbitz. Amazing, not so bad for it being less than three weeks out. Between $1050-$1450 RT per person, flying into Milan, out of Naples. Used NYC for the US point--even a non-stop from Naples to JFK. Probably more if the starting/returning point is anywhere else in the States.

Jay, Bob and Everyone else, Thanks sooooo much for you help... I've booked flights into an out of Rome. needed to start journey in rome. So our plan is stay in Rome for 5 nights, go to Sorrento (see Amalfi, Pomepi and Naples) - stay there 3 days and back to Florence for 3 or 4 nights. working on that now. Has anyone used airbnb before? I heard from a few people how great it is. Otherwise it's a hotel room or possibly 2 since we are a family of 5. Now to get working on the trains and the transportation. Whether it will be trains for some and private transport for others? Suggestions??
WOW this is amazing all the info you guys have!!!!! I hope to pay it forward after our journey :)

PS Daughter will meet us in Rome and that's why we are starting journey there :)

My apologies for the error on the Eurostar Italy post. Meant the high speed with TrenItalia

Re: Airbnb
My wife and I used airbnb for a recent trip, were generally pleased and would use airbnb again. Make a list of what amenities you require and use filters. then read reviews, study photos and ask questions. We found hosts to be responsive and caring to insure guests had good visits.
Enjoy!!
Harry