Italy Itinerary - Too little or too much time in each location?

Jason:
Congrats on your trip! It is so exciting and yet daunting to carve out the "perfect" itinerary for you. I agree with Sarah on Venice in particular. Stay at least one more night. I also agree that skipping the CT might be a good idea. You can add those nights to the Amalfi Coast (2 more), Venice (1 or 2) and/or Rome (1 more if you are so moved). The CT weather can be unpredicatable in Autumn. 4 nights there, if it's rainy or windy, will seem endless. It's hiking territory, not a beach town. The R&R need can easily be fulfilled on The Amalfi Coast by extending your stay there, which will likely have better weather. On the AC, you have access to beach, hiking, archeology (Pompeii) and museums if you like. So I'd look at Venice (3 or 4), Florence (3), Rome (4 or 5 depending on Venice decision), Amalfi Coast (5). To refine further, make a list of everything you want to do in each location, along with days and hours open, and see how it might fit into a day-by-day plan. You can always juggle anything not reserved in advance, but important to know that if the Vatican Museums are critical, for example, that you not plan to go on a Sunday, or if you plan to hike the Sentiero degli Dei on the AC, what can you do instead that day if it rains? Thisprocess will help you see how many nights you really need by location. And don't forget to leave time to wander, get lost, sit in a cafe with a bottle of wine at sunset.

I would also suggest shifting a day from the CT to Venice. Other than that, this looks pretty good.

Thanks for everyone's replies so far. I definitely appreciate the suggestions on more time in Venice, particularly. One of the major highlights that we DON'T want to miss is Cinque Terra, though so far it appears that is the least popular of the destinations we choose (not sure why as we know two couples who recently traveled to Italy and this was their favorite stop). But anyhow, we are definitely not removing our C.T. stop, however it might be a good idea to reduce the amount of days it sounds like. For those that have gone to C.T., how many days do you need to fully see everything and enjoy the atmosphere? I would love to add on another day to Venice and the Amalfi Coast, and possibly Florence...but want to make sure I fully enjoy everything. Thanks again...please continue with the suggestions! Jason

Jason, no one loves the CT more then us, but the advice given prior is sound. 2 days is plenty for the CT.

Hi Jason. You have 15 full days in Italy and you are planning to visit 5 locations, which in my opinion is a little too much. I spent one full day in Venice and wished I had more time, so I would suggest at least 2 full days. The day you arrive, you will be jetlagged and you might not have the energy or mental clarity to enjoy the city. I also recommend at least 3 full days in Florence. So my advice is to skip the CT for this trip and add one of those days to Venice, one to Florence, and one to Rome. And every time you change locations, you lose time and money.

Venice in 2 days with one of the days being an arrival day is a tragedy, well maybe only in my opinion. I love Venice. I would take a day from CT and add it to Venice. I found 3 days in Florence and 4 in Rome appropriate.

I think you have one too many stops in your itinerary. As others have said, add a night to Florence and Venice. I would add 1 or 2 nights to Rome, as there is so much to see there. I would choose either CT or Amalfi Coast, not both.

Jason: The CT is lovely, but weather may limit what you can do/see. It is basically an outdoor place. HIke the trail (all open parts) is one day for people who hike a lot, 1 1/2 if you don't hike a lot or like to take your time. Other than that, you can "tour" each town on Rick Steves' self-guided walks, hang out in the piazzas, weather-permitting. 3 nights/2 full days is plenty if the weather is good, too much if it's bad and they close the trails. Oh, you can also take a boat between the villages, weather-permitting. Yes, as otherwise suggested, do the CT or Amalfi Coast, not both. Amalfi is likely to have better weather at the time of year you'll be there.

I suggest giving up on the idea of "fully enjoying" either Venice, Florence or Rome with the time you have. Esp. Rome. I could be there for two weeks solid without fully enjoying it. We've been to all the places you list with the exception of Amalfi (though we've done Sorrento). For me, the two nights we did in Vernazza (CT) was perfect. But everybody is different, as you're seeing from these responses.

Please give yourself more time in Venice! Agree with other posters that two nights in CT is probably plenty, and I love it there too. I think you would enjoy a day or two in Lucca or Siena which both have some R&R value when compared to Florence or Rome.

Jason It is so hard to make decisions on Italy itineraries! I agree with the others to drop one destinations, probably either CT or Amalfi Coast. And those are two of my favorites. Either that or one of your cities and my choice would be Florence. I do like that you are including stops outside of the large tourist cities. Definitely a different side of Italy. Let me explain why the help line thinks you have too many destinations. It's the tme & money you are spending traveling from place to place. Glad you have included the travel time in your planning. + Go to Wincalendar.com. Use a Free calendar and start typing in your destinations. Put Travel Days in. + First day is Recovery Day. Last day is all about getting to and waiting at the airport. + From each destination, look up in RS guidebook the amount of train travel time it takes to get to your next city. At the end of each city or region, there is a section on travel times by train, car, or phone with the time, # and frequency of trains. Or just google it. +Add to that, the time it will take you to get to the train station from your hotel. +Add the amount of time you want to be at the station before your train leaves. Check out the RS Guide or train station websites for info. Will you have tickets ahead of time? +Add the amount of time to get from the train station to the hotel.
So all of this takes at least half a day and sometimes more per destination. These calculations and the visual calendar show the effect the multiple destinations have on your trip. Itineries are always a work in progress. Hope to see more of yours! Bobbie

Jason I second Laurel's recommendations. I like the balance of city and coast as well. Just a note. When traveling, IMO, it is not just the sights I want to see but the atmosphere and the culture I want feel and see. Venice, Amalfi Coast, and CT are not on travel must sees for the museums, art, or specific architectural buildings (except St. Marks Square et al). Fabuleous scenery and a totally different experience are their claims to fame. Bobbi

Well I definitely appreciate all the answers and suggestions. We have several friends of our's that have also been to Italy, some very recently, that are filling our ears with knowledge/opinions as well :) I think it is a tough thing to drop one of our destinations, simply for the fact that those were the primary areas we wanted to see on this dream trip of ours. It may be an awful long time, if ever, before we are able to return, so we want to see the areas we highlighted for various reasons. I know it might make for somewhat of a whirlwind trip, but we are a young couple and feel we can be on the go some and not have it overwhelm us. Plus, we are not going to tour every church/museum in the destinations we visit. We will be ive. But I do agree that I probably should drop a day in C.T. and add it to Venice or elsewhere. We had friends of ours tell us they saw everything there was to see in Venice in a day and a 1/2, hence the reason why we chose so little time there. Venice, along with Milan, was their least favorite stop. It sounds like we have some thinking to do. It seems to be a common thought to drop either C.T. or Amalfi from our itinerary, but both of those areas to us, along with Rome, were our top destinations when planning our trip. In the end, I am sure we could spend a month at each destination and not fully experience everything, but on a trip of this magnitude, I feel that we have to realize that we won't be able to see everything at every stop but just truly be able to enjoy what we do see. Please continue with any thoughts. Any reason why Rome in 4 days would be not enough to see the major sights?

Personally, I think your itinerary is about right. I would maybe take one day from the CT and give it to Florence, but really, it depends on your interests. To judge if you have enough time in each place, start figuring out what you want to see. For example, I think 1 full day in Venice is enough, but then, it was at the end of my trip and I was tired of churches and art museums by then, and so other than going into St. Marc's, I didn't go into any sights, but just spent the day walking around. However, if you want to see the Accademia or the Peggy Guggenheim museum, you would need an extra day. Same with Florence. With two full days you might not be able to see the Accademia, Uffizi, Duomo, Santa Croce, etc., plus just wander around, shop, eat, etc. Florence also has great daytrip options, like Siena. Again, if you don't want to see all of these things, 2 days might be enough. So, start assigning various activities and sights to each day. I think 3 full days in Rome is good for a first time: 1 day for the Forum, Colosseum, etc., 1 day for the Vatican, 1 day for smaller sights (Trevi, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona) and wandering/shopping. Once you can nail down what you actually want to do in each city/town, your itinerary will be easier. Either way, you are going to have a fantastic time - one day here are there won't ruin your trip at all!

Yes, you can "do" Venice in a day and a half, but you cannot experience her in a day and a half. Since you are so interested in the CT, Rome and the AC, I have a renegade suggestion: Skip Florence. You don't seem to be smitten with a lot of museums. Add a night to the AC and 2 to Venice. You'll be curing your jetlag in Venice so worth the extra time. If you get bored (unlikely!), go to Padova, Verona, or cruise the Brenta Canal from Venice. This way you see two of the great cities and two of the resort/coastal areas that so many are in love with. You will alternate art, archeology and architecture with natural beauty adn outdoor activities.

I would take a day from CT and add to Florence or one of the surrounding towns. Unlike the others, I think you have enough time in Venice IF you take a late afternoon train on the 3rd day. By scheduling your travel for late afternoon or early morning, you'll have most of the day open since none of your train trips will be long ones.

jason, i understand your hesitation to drop a destination. we just took our first trip to italy in april and only had one week. we had dreamed about the places we wanted to see which included pompei and the amalfi coast. with sound advice from this forum we stuck to florence and rome. we are so glad we did. it was wonderful to feel that we got the lay of the land in florence and a good understanding of the city of rome. i would not have wanted to spend less time in either place. in fact, if we go back we will revisit more of rome. we never felt rushed and were happy to stay put for a few days at a time. sometimes "less is truly more". whatever you decide it will be wonderful.

Thanks for everyone's input. We have revised our itinerary and narrowed it down to a few options. Based on everyone's opinions and our own research, I agree that we have too many days in Cinque Terra. I also agree that it might be best to remove one location all together, but we just cannot get ourselves to do that...even if it means a slightly more hectic trip. However, our thinking right now is that we will narrow down our visit in Cinque Terra from 3 full days down to 1 full day and two longer days (arrive before noon and leave in late afternoon). This should give us plenty of time to do a little hiking and also explore the towns. While I personally feel that I could stay there longer, I think I could say it about all the locations, and I think our time might be better used elsewhere. So now we will have 2 full extra days. My thought process is to add another day to the Amalfi Coast and then either another day to Florence or Venice. I feel that even though I could easily add another day to Rome, I also feel that with the 3 full days and possibly two partial days we have devoted to Rome, we can at least see the highlights that we want to see. So I guess I wanted to get some final thoughts on where I should add the two free days I now have from Cinque Terra - Amalfi, Florence, or Venice? In Florence, not only do we have the museums/art galleries to tour, but we also desire to tour the Chianti region and also possibly either Sienna, Lucca, or both. So I tend to think I want to add an extra day here. But I also feel I want an extra day in Amalfi since I am taking away two in Cinque Terra (plus I want to day trip to Pompeii). But that would mean only the one full day in Venice. If we did that, we would still have one full day, and two partial days to enjoy Venice. Final thoughts? Day trips worth it from Florence, or should I not worry about that on this trip?

Congrats on being flexible. You cannot "do it all" on one trip, so it's great that you can adjust. Italy and hectic don't do well together. If you really have to stick to a schedule and "something Italian" happens, well, it's best to have time to be flexible and go with the flow. I'd still strongly suggest another day in Venice. You have never seen anything like Venice in your life and never will find its match anywhere. Plus as you will be a bit jetlagged, another night and day will mean the world to you there. You can do your Pompeii day trip from the AC. It's not even really a "day trip" from there. On your way from Rome to Positano, you could stop in Pompeii, tour the site, and continue on. If you want to see Chianti and Siena (note there is only one "n"), do that from Florence in a day trip. Rent a car or book a tour. You are fine on time in Rome.

If you have moved things around to have two extra days, I would add one to Venice and one to Florence. Venice is beautiful and a marvelous place, you could take the extra day to head to Murano, Burano and Torcello, or even just explore Venice more and see a few more museums. Check out the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doge's Palace, you may enjoy that. If you want to see Siena I would suggest doing a day trip from Florence. You can do it by train but the best option is use a bus because it will take you to the center of the city.

I have been to Venice many times... a few day trips only and a longer week during Carnivale. I think you can get a feeling for Venice with the full day and if you add extra you could go to Burano, but if I were you I would add some time in Tuscany (not necessarily Florence) You can rent a car for a few days and experience the hilltowns and countryside of Tuscany. If you rent in Florence you explore on your own. I think with CT the timing is fine. It really is quite small and you can enjoy it without taking too much time, but I would NOT give it up. If you do Venice, CT, Florence (I would give it a day) Tuscan villages, Rome and the Amalfi I think you will have an incredible memory of the highlights of Italy. Yes, there is a lot more to see and experience, but I never want to give up on seeing and doing what I want to because someone says 'assume you will return.' I want to take each trip and assume I may not be lucky enough to return so I want to travel with'no regrets.'
Enjoy!

agree with 2 full days in venice, 3 full days in Florence (good laundry facilities there), 3 full days in Rome, 2 full days in CT. I haven't done all of the amalfi coast (just down to Sorrento, which was great but there's really not much to do there. we just used it as a jumping off point for Naples, Herculaneum (Ercolano), and Pompeii).

Let me add that I loved Siena and could've spent years there. We spent two nights there (one full day and two halves) and that was plenty to get a feel and see the major sights. If you're going to do the whole trip as layed out, realize that you're just going to hit the major sights and don't try to do everything.

Glad to see that you are planning for some R&R in your plan. Our R&R days were spent in Tuscany, but that was in May, when the area is green and lovely. I would add a day to Venice. It has many different, interesting neighborhoods. The romance beats anything as it is unlike most places I have ever visited. Florence also needs more than 2 days and Rome needs weeks! Enjoy your trip and "la dolce vita."

Of course, it all boils down to personal preference and what you really want out of your trip. I did seven destinations in 15 days and was pretty rushed! We did some daytrips from our "home base" cities on a few occasions. We didn't have nearly as much R&R as I thought we would, as it appeared on paper. While you have several locations on your list, I don't think five is too many to do; however, you may not have as much R&R time as it appears on paper. If that is most important to you, then decide where you want your R&R time (coast? hills of Tuscany? Rome?) and plan from there. We didn't factor in the actual train schedule issue. By that I mean that we knew how long it would take to get from place to place, but not the exact time each train was to leave until we bought our tickets. We spent a good amount of time waiting around in train stations for our trains, and that ate up time we had planned to be doing something else. (PS on the trains: BE SURE to validate your train ticket before boarding! This means to put the end of the ticket in the timeclock looking machines all over the train station, most of them being outside where the tracks are. Unless you have an assigned seat for a particular train, you MUST validate your ticket. Otherwise, you, like us, will get a big fine that must be paid to the conductor right then and there. Our fine was 50 euros apiece)
Whatever you end up doing, I know you'll enjoy your trip; and there always will be SOMETHING you wish you'd done differently. So right now, before you go, plan on going back! =-D

PS: Naturally, the weather can be very unpredictable. But, when I was in Italy in '08, we were there from September 17 to October 2 and the weather was, overall, great! We woke up on our second day in Verona to pouring rain; but by the time we got to Venice for our overnight trip, it was sunny and gorgeous.
It sprinkled here and there, was partly cloudy here and there, but mostly it was great weather, around low to mid 70s during the day and around mid 60s at night. I forgot to take a jacket of ANY sort, and only really needed one that one day in Verona when it poured.

For the two nights you have freed up ... I'd add one to Venice and give the other to either the Amalfi Coast or add it back to CT. But then, I prefer these scenic kind of places. I think you have plenty of time allotted to Florence and Rome. Whatever you decide, this will be a fabulous trip.

If this is your first time in Italy and Cinque Terre is a dream destination for you, why not consider arriving in Genoa (where trains to CT connect to) and spend days 1,2,3 in CT. This way you can recuperate from jet lag in a fabulous location and do some hiking to energize yourselves for Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. Do 2 days in Venice at the minimum. If you are staying in Positano, check your mode of transportation. You probably have to get off the Circumvesuviana train in Sorrento and then take the bus or hire a car to take you to Sorrento. Alternatively, when you arrive in Naples by train, take the ferry to either Sorrento or Positano - more scenic way to arrive. Sorrento might be a more convenient place to stay if you are planning to go to Capri, Ischia and other islands - more ferries from Sorrento than from Positano - but double check. I haven't been there for 6 years. Make sure you visit Pompeii! Enjoy la bella Italia; I myself is going there again in October.

Jason, I am on the side of the add a day to Venice crowd if for no other reason than it is nice to be in one place for a few days once you arrive. If this is your first trip to Europe, Venice may slap you pretty hard upon arrival. All manageable, but make sure you understand your plan for day 1 and especially the transportation requirements to get to your hotel. Once situated, you will be good to go. Venice has lots to offer, best of all, most of it is away from the crowds. Avoid the crowds and your enjoyment will be high.

We finally wrapped up our itinerary. I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts/opinions regarding our trip plans. I agree with many of you in the thought that we might have one too many stops on our trip...however we just were not willing to part with any of these locations. We are not the type of people that will be disappointed if we don't tour every museum/church, etc. as we are doing this trip more to immerse ourselves in Italian culture and enjoy some good food/wine! There are two stops in particular - Venice and Rome, that I could probably use an extra day or two...but that would have meant sacrificing a stop somewhere else. We are very excited. Here is the final itinerary: Day 1 - Arrive in Venice around noon Day 2 - Venice Day 3 - Train from Venice to Florence in PM Day 4 - Florence Day 5 - Florence Day 6 - Florence Day 7 - Train from Florence to Cinque Terra Day 8 - C.T. Day 9 - C.T. Day 10 - Train from C.T. to Rome in AM Day 11 - Rome Day 12 - Rome Day 13 - Rome Day 14 - Train from Rome to Amalfi Coast (stopping at Pompeii along the way) Day 15 - Amalfi Coast - Positano Day 16 - Amalfi Coast - Positano
Day 17 - Flight leaves Naples around noon for home

While we did not visit CT, 2 days in Venice is not enough. We wish we had stayed longer, though that would have meant cutting time from Tuscany.Venice is like no other place. It is lovely and romantic. I note that you did not include Tuscany other than Florence. If you add time to Florence, you can at least visit San Gimingnano. We also thought that there is never enough time to visit Rome. Visit the vatican EARLY in the day to avoid the crowds. Don't miss the Pantheon.

I agree with Vicki. Venice needs another day, especially since you are likely to be tired and jetlagged when you get there. The CT is very pretty, but 3 full days is a lot, especially since you have another seaside destination in Amalfi. Sienna and Lucca are day trips from Florence, but you only have 2 days there, not enough time to see much of Florence, even. Pompeii is a day trip from the Amalfi coast, but Sorrento is much nearer than Positano (I believe you have to take the bus to Sorrento, then train to Pompeii).

So I don't think everyone looked at my latest Itinerary reply. We are no longer spending 3 full days in the CT. We cut this down to 2 full days and added another day to Florence/Tuscany region. While Florence will be our home base, we are planning on day tripping into Tuscany region - especially Chianti region. We wanted to add another day to Venice, but it seems Venice has lovers and haters. Some say don't go, others say 2 nights is not enough, so we were torn on it. In the end we had to decide to cut another day in CT and add to Venice which just didn't make sense. You can only do so much in one trip. We will be happy seeing the highlights, and if we love one particular area, we know where to go if we ever go back to Italy.

You sound similar to us in that we like a good mix of culture/history/art, beautiful scenery, and R&R time. Although we love seeing the ruins, archetechture, & art...we don't have to see every church or museum. Much prefer the mix of scenery with history & art that you have. We are going next April and focusing our 2 weeks on the later part of your trip...Rome & Amalfi Coast. Flying into Naples, out of Rome. Staying 5 nights Sorrento...will see Pompeii, Pasteum, Capri, coastal towns...allowing a day for each, plus travel time. Then to Rome for 9 nights...this part of our itinerary worries me some. My husband isn't big on spending vacation moving around multiple times or I'd probably have added Venice or CT to our trip. There is time lost for travel, checking in/out of hotels, etc...so I understand his concern there. That said, we're trying to set up good homebases where we can enjoy ourselves and still explore other areas via day trips. And for 9 nights, picking a hotel or apartment is a big decision. We'll need a place where we feel comfortable, relaxed, and welcome for that long of a stay. As others have said, there is plenty to see/do in Rome but it is 100% history/art/architecture. I know...all great but I worry we'll get burned out with 9 days straight. So I'm looking for ideas on day trips from Rome.

My sister and I are going about the same time. We will be traveling from the UK to Vienna to Italy. Our itinerary (all travel by regional trains): Oct 15 Night train from Vienna to Venice Oct 16 Arrive Venice about 0900. A little Venice, then to Padova (staying in Padova) Oct 19 Padova to Perugia (european international chocolate festival! Oct 21 Perugia to Lucca Oct 23 Lucca to Viareggio (by Vespa-we are experienced) Oct 25 Viareggio to CT
Oct 28 CT to Torino (to visit a sick friend) Oct 30 Torino to Milan (leave Milan Nov1) We don't care about museums, art galleries, etc. We want to eat, drink, and visit with Italians (ergo the regional trains). The trains are not just transportation, but immersion...a captive Italian experience for at least a set period of time, and an important part of our trip. We want to sit in a piazza and read, and experience people. We want to ride bikes around the walls of Lucca, not spend the days in a building looking at art. We want to be travelers, not tourists. My point really is, isn't it wonderful to see so many different versions of an "Dream Italian Vacation"?

@TJ
We are spending 9 nights in Rome over Christmas. I have an unending list of activities! For one thing, we are not cramming our days as we know we like to wander and also take the siesta most days. Just 2 hours in the apartment revives us. I built many of our plans around walks from "24 Great Walks in Rome" a Frommers' book you might check out. Gets us off the beaten path (we were in Rome for 5 nights last October and it wasn't enough). Check out concerts, special museum offerings (we saw an amazing Van Gogh exhibit last year that we stumbled upon) and consider taking a cooking class. We are considering Ostia Antica or Hadrian's Villa as daytrips, but I doubt we'll have time given everything else on my list. Staying this long lets you really become the "temporary local" that Rick talks about.

@Laurel, Thank you for the reassurance! I think we are sticking with the 9 nights in Rome. I can't wait to hear how your trip in December goes.

"You can only do so much in one trip. We will be happy seeing the highlights, and if we love one particular area, we know where to go if we ever go back to Italy." IF, IF?????? Go once, return many times - that's simply what happens when you go to Italy. Have a great trip!

Hi Paul, thanks for the advice. While I like your suggestions for the more scenic areas of Tuscany, we want to base ourselves in Florence because we are most interested in the Uffizi/Accademia, plus getting to know that town some. On one trip, it is impossible to see all of Italy. I wish I could find time to stay in Siena and tour more areas of Tuscany. But on your itinerary, I am not sure you are accounting for travel time between stops. I have 15 full days in Italy...so it would be impossible to have 3 full days in Venice, 3 full days in Siena, 2 full days in CT, 4 full days in Rome, and 3 full days in Amalfi Coast. Unfortunately, it is just not possible with travel time. So right now I have slated 1 full day in Venice, along with 2 partial days...the day I arrive around noon and the day I leave for Florence around mid afternoon. So I will in essence have about 2 full days there. In Florence, I do have 3 full days slated there plus a the majority of the 4th day as I will not plan to get to CT till around dinner time. In CT, I also have 2 full days slated there. In Rome, I have 3 full days plus the majority of our arrival day (we will get in around 11am by train, so will be able to take advantage of the majority of that day. In Amalfi, I will have 2 full days, however the arrival date I am going to do Pompeii so that my full days in Amalfi will truly be full days to do other tours or just lie around and enjoy some R&R. So I am close to being able to do what you said, but I know our travel days will be partial days...just no other way around it. Either way, we are looking forward to our stops. You could ask 10 different Italy travelers there favorite spot and get 10 different answers. In the end, we realized we are not going to see it all this trip and will be back! :)