Itinerary Advice – 14 Days (Sorrento & Rome)

Rigpa, welcome to this newsboard with your first post. You will get the best advice if you indicate what country you live in, and what two airports you are most likely to be using.

It is unusual to put Sorrento, a purpose-built, postwar resort town, mostly reinforced-concrete, ahead of Florence or Venice, for a first visit to Italy. We did not visit Sorrento until at least our fifth time in Italy. Do you know that Sorrento has beautiful views, because it is built on a cliff, but has only one pitiful sand beach, which is placed between two diesel-fuel smelling marinas. Although it is not "cold" in April, it will be cool enough that air conditioning is not essential like it is in June through August.

Sorrento is a good location for daytrips. You need to do a lot of research if you do not have a guidebook or other input on this area. The Search box is top center, in blue. I urge you to click on every link in this next discussion:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-for-7-nights-itinerary-help

Also see:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-2-weeks-of-day-trips-from-sorrento

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pompeii-and-vesuvius-69e8366c-1e75-4a14-a0bc-0677269492d1

I find it very difficult to know ferry schedules in advance. There are multiple companies, and they are not very rigorous about maintaining their websites. Off season, there are relatively few ferry routes. Obviously an island like Capri has year-round ferries, but frequency and cancellations (for weather) are different off-season.

We used Sorrento for a base to visit: the Amalfi coast one day, Capri, and Pompeii. We visited Herculaneum as a stop between the Naples train station and Sorrento. Our four nights in Sorrento were enough, since there wasn't all that much in Sorrento. Next we moved over to Naples for several nights where there was plenty to see and do.

The two free days in Sorrento could be transferred to Naples; packing up and moving would be less time consuming than going back and forth for a day trip and then back to Naples again to leave for Greece. That takes up more time.
You'll find open spaces in Naples on the hilltops and castle top, and scenic views, cafés, and good food.

Tip: don't stay near the train station though for the one simple reason that there are no traffic lights to help you cross the large boulevards. We did; learning how to cross with the locals was a" living like a local" experience I'll do without next trip. Other Naples' neighborhoods have traffic lights.

Although the trip is longer, you can visit Capri from Naples. Pompeii is also easy from Naples, using the same Circumvesuviana train you'd catch from Sorrento. Herculaneum is even closer to Naples and served by the Circumvesuviana.

Another potential base in that area is Salerno, which I suspect would be less costly than Sorrento and has an historic district. I spent several days there in March 2023 and enjoyed the town. Salerno is on the main rail line from Naples, so easy to reach. There would be transportation to Amalfi and Positano; I assume both ferries and buses are running in April. The trip to Amalfi would be shorter from Salerno than from Sorrento. There is the usual caveat that ferries sometimes do not stop at Portofino when the sea is rough; that could be an issue traveling from Sorrento as well. I believe trying to get to Positano by bus from Salerno would take a while; I think the bus trip from Sorrento would be easier, but I don't know about potential crowding on the buses approaching Positano from either direction. It is reported to be extremely bad during peak season, and I'm not sure April is all that different.

Welcome Rigpa! I gotta say upfront that I love Sorrento and usually stay there at least 5 nights every trip to Italy (been there plenty). This is where I go to relax. Sometimes I'll daytrip to Capri, the Coast or Pompeii but not always. I stay at il Nido, which is above the city and has a spectacular restaurant and view. Their shuttle bus takes me into town for shopping, meandering and when I'm not minding being around a very lot of people. Dinner at Emilia's (Marina Grande) is on my 'must do' list. There's a part of me that likes your plan, and it is indeed to similar to my plan for this year's visit. BUT, for your first trip? Why? More info would help all of us help you. Rome is going to be extremely crowded. Evidently already the number of tourists, above and beyond the usual, is 1 million. That isn't keeping me away from Rome but it does mean that reservations for sites, meals and lodging needs to be done ASAP. That said, Rome is a great place to meander, sit on any piazza with a gelato (day and night), or a glass of wine or spritz. I'll be in Rome in a couple of months and will be there for a week at the beginning of my trip and another week at the conclusion. Again, plan your time well. You can make date and time entry reservations for almost all of the major 'must see' sites. I suggest you get on that right away. Maybe do one big thing a day and meander the next day? Meadering is also cheap in Sorrento and Rome! Enjoy your trip! BTW, you have heard about the earthquakes in Greece. You might want to make sure your plans don't include any of the affected areas.
s

Just some things to consider-
April 20 is Easter, and the week before and after will see additional crowds. Italians love their holidays. This is the year of the Pope's Jubilee, so an additional 10 million tourists are expected to visit Rome this year. Make sure you have tickets in advance to your desired sites.
There is no shoulder season in the AC, so April will be packed. The congestion is legendary. Don't count on bus travel, as you'll be in long lines to get on a bus.
We were in the AC/Sorrento in May, 2023 when it wouldn't stop raining. There are few indoor activities, and no views when it's foggy. It took three days before we saw Vesuvius.
I'd advise less time in the AC, and perhaps a third destination in a smaller area? I wouldn't find fighting the crowds in both Rome and the AC relaxing. Your trip seems big- city heavy. Perhaps a few days in Tuscany?
April is not too far off, so I would recommend finalizing your itinerary and securing lodging asap. In any case, have a great trip!

I think the itinerary sounds good. We were in that area last month and based at Pompei but we had a car to get around everywhere, it was off season (even on a Sunday there was no traffic at all on the Amalfi Coast!) and it was too cold for us to want to go anywhere on a boat. We visited Sorrento and I liked it - I would base there in April. Some may recommend Naples as a base but I found it uncomfortably “gritty” and I think Sorrento is more central to everything. One thing you may want to do is look into boat tours to Capri and to Amalfi so you don’t have to deal with crowds on ferries and risk getting stuck because there are too many people to fit. Rick’s Italy guidebook recommends a tour operator for Capri and we had originally booked their tour when we were going last summer but then the trip got delayed.

Finally, for Rome, it will indeed be crowded but if you go ahead and book timed entry tickets in advance (or pay up for tours if there are no tickets left) I think you’ll be able to see the famous sights. Worst case, you wind up seeing something different but equally interesting. Good luck with the trip!

First of all, I want to thank everyone for their detailed answers, tips, and suggestions. Your insights have really expanded my perspective on traveling to Italy, and I’m reconsidering some aspects of my itinerary.

I’m traveling from Brussels, Belgium. When I leave Italy, I will be flying to Athens, Greece, on April 22. My initial idea was to base myself in Sorrento because I wanted to be near the coast, as I love the sea, open spaces, fresh air, and scenic landscapes—even though I don’t swim much. However, I now realize that after Italy, I’ll be spending 10 days in Crete (Chania) and 10 days in Kefalonia, which will already give me plenty of time by the beach. This makes me think I should explore other parts of Italy rather than prioritizing a coastal stay.

I prefer a slow-paced trip where I stay in only two main locations for the 14 days, allowing me to fully experience each place and its surroundings without too much packing and moving. I don’t want to rush between multiple cities. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to visit Rome, and after hearing about the expected crowds and events in April, I’m now even more hesitant.

I chose April because I don’t like humidity or excessive heat, and I expected it to be less crowded than summer. However, I wasn’t fully aware of just how limited Sorrento’s beaches are and that it’s mainly built on cliffs. Given that, I’m open to considering other places like Florence, Venice, or even other recommendations. I’d also need to stay in a city with an airport so I can fly directly to Athens on April 22.

Again, thanks for all the helpful advice! Looking forward to more insights based on these clarifications.

If you don't get some additional responses, I suggest changing the title of this thread or starting a new one, since the trip itinerary is shifting significantly. (I think it's a smart change, given your plans for Greece.)

Venice and Lake Como- pls consider.
Lots of great day trips from Venice. And Lake Como is serene and beautiful, no cruise ship crowds here.
It's great being so open-minded and fun watching your trip evolve.

Hi All

I created a new thread Here it is :

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/first-time-visit-to-italy-advice-on-a-two-week-itinerary

You all changed my mind with your suggestions ....

Thank you a lot