Italy Trip-June 2019

Hi-

I am in the final stages of planning a trip with my family for my son's graduation. He graduates this year and we are going to Italy in mid-June. And another coincidence is that my first itinerary looked exactly like yours (day trips and all)! But with a lot of reading (maps, books, forums, travel blogs) I came to the conclusion that it was WAY too much moving around. Too much time spent moving from place to place without enough quality time enjoying the destinations. I recommend you scale back. Have a family dinner and talk about what you all really want to see/do and that will help you focus your trip. And remember you can always come back! We ended up with 5 nights in Rome (no day trips) and 4 nights on the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento). We are flying in and out of Rome. Good luck and have fun planning!

Hi Yoli -
I think you'll get different responses to your question but IMHO, you don't have time for Pompeii and the Amalfi so they should be saved for a future trip. It's too time consuming to do as day trips from Rome, and you really need at least 3 nights and two FULL days to do that region any sort of justice. You also don't want to be down there the evening before a morning flight from Rome or Naples.

Additionally, I consider 4 nights/3 full days to be the minimum for Rome. 2 nights/1 full day each in Florence and Venice is barely enough time to get your bearings in those cities.

If you really want to do the coast on this trip, I'd consider consider dropping both Venice and Florence as you have so little time for either of them. Just focus on Rome and the Amalfi. Fly into Rome and spend 4 nights, then head off to Sorrento/Amalfi region for 3 nights, and spend your last night in Naples prior to a flight home from there. That way you won't be spending a lot of time, energy and $ just moving from place to place and can enjoy both locations at a less-than-frantic pace.

You only have 8 nights, stay in 2 locations.

3 N Venice. Your first day is basically wasted, getting into the city and checking into your lodging.

Train-Florence. 2hr05m. Check luggage at train station. Day in Florence. Maybe have an early dinner, then evening train to Rome, 90 minutes.

5N Rome. There are an immense amount of things to see in Rome, I'd look into Ostia Antica instead of Pompeii. To travel to Pompeii, and visit the site will consume at least
12 hours.

An alternative would be skipping the day in Florence, and going from Venice to the Naples area (5hr 33m) spending 4 nites there and heading to Rome for 1 nite to fly out.

^^^^ This by Gerri

Listen to Kathy and Gerri! With 8 nights you can't do it all. Both made excellent suggestions, it just depends on what you want to see more of. Remember you can always go back.

I like Kathys idea, but I would fly into Naples (4 nites) and out of Rome (4nites) it's easier to reach the Rome airport without changing locations.

Thanks so much for the responses. They are awesome. No we are in Italy for 15 days.
I wanted to get your response in regards to the Almafi coast to to spend the extra 5 days there.

That makes a difference! Sorrento makes a good base for Amalfi.

So does Venice, Florence, Rome, and Almafi coast doable in 15 days or should we still scale down?

No we are in Italy for 15 days.

Okaydokay, that does make a difference! Instead of counting days, it's a little more accurate to count nights, though. How many nights will you have on the ground in Italy, subtracting an overnight flight?

14 nights, thanks!

Huge difference having the extra days.

Day1. Travel

Day2. Arrive Venice.

Day3. Venice.

Day4. Venice.

Day5. Train. Venice-Florence.

Day6. Florence.

Day7. Train. Florence-Naples-Sorrento.

Day8. Sorrento.

Day9. Sorrento.

Day10. Sorrento.

Day11. Sorrento-Rome.

Day12. Rome.

Day13. Rome.

Day14. Rome.

Day 15. Travel.

I ordered your locations this way because it's easier to reach FCO and I also think you'll find better fares from Rome.

Thanks so much for helping with the itinerary.
On the almafi coast where should I visit?
We would love to see Capri. Do you think we will be traveling too much with this schedule? Or should we narrow it down and not do Venice?

Do you think we will be traveling too much with this schedule? Or
should we narrow it down and not do Venice?

Yolie, I don't know as anyone can answer that question for you. It's all up to individual style and interests! Gerri did a great job of laying out a very do-able itinerary but would that be the one I would choose? No, but I have the benefit of hindsight plus my own criteria for choosing must-dos. Yours may be different and that's FINE. If it works for YOU, then it works.

On the almafi coast where should I visit? We would love to see Capri.

Here's a good example? You know you want to see Capri and Pompeii but don't seem to know what else the region has to offer. What I or anyone else in this conversation might tell you that you "should" visit may not be attractions/places you'd enjoy at all. It's like just one day in Florence wouldn't have worked for me at all because I've a huge interest in that city's art and architecture so we spent 5 days there and preferred it to the A.C. You? Maybe not.

Going off Gerri's itinerary, you can easily day-trip to Capri on one of your three full days in Sorrento. Pompeii is easy from Sorrento as well as boat/bus trips around the Amalfi Coast. With one day for each of these activities plus a little time to explore Sorrento itself, that would pretty much take care of 3 days/4 nights there.

So sit down with your guidebook and make notes about what trips YOUR trigger! :O)

On the almafi coast where should I visit?
We would love to see Capri. Do you think we will be traveling too much with this schedule? Or should we narrow it down and not do Venice?

If you don't know what you want to see, it is difficult to determine how long to stay. ;-) You should really consult Rick Steves' guidebook for what to do in Sorrento and on the A.C. Sorrento gives you access to everything from Naples to Amalfi Town.

I find Venice far more appealing than the Amalfi Coast, but if you really want to see Pompeii, you have to stay south. Always a trade off! I think in 14 nights you can do all four stops as suggested above.

Thanks so much! Now to get reading.