Itinerary feedback

Have you bought the RS Italy 2011 book yet? It's the perfect place to get started.

Lois:
You have a decent itinerary. You are moving south to north in a sensible fashion. As Michael said, a RS guidebook will tell you almost everything you need to know. For example, Naples to Sorrento you can choose the Circumvesuviana train or the ferry. But read up on both and decide what is best for you. I recommend getting not only the Italy book, but also the detailed Venice, Rome and Florence/Tuscany books. We loved Maria Capellini in Vernazza! Say hi to Maria and Giacomo (he speaks English, she does not, so he will meet you). Go to Trip Advisor and see what others have had to say about all of your lodging choices. It's quite nice to see the feedback from many people with a scale of 1 to 5. When I made my plans, I actually changed my mind about a couple of choices becasue there were better ones on TA. And yes, get your train tickets when you arrive, but buy in advance of each segment. For your Naples-to-Rome segment, buy the tickets when you arrive in Naples that first day. You may get a "mini" fare discount for being a few days in advance.

Thank for your response. Yes we have the Rick Steves' guide Italy 2011 and it is very helpful. And also research TA for lodging. Just thought if any one has stayed in the lodging we are looking at and what they thought about it. We have the Vernazza confirmed but that is the only place. Also, reading in the helpline do most of you reserve your tours to sites prior to arriving in Italy, and do you use a certain website or go directly to attraction website? Thank you
T & L

Any suggestions for lodging in Venice we were looking at Bed and Breakfast Al Teatro (sorry I missed spelled it in original note.) Trying keep lodging around 100 to 140 euro. Thanks
T & L

Lois:
In Venice we really liked http://www.aitagliapietra.com . I think we paid 90 euros a night. Lorenzo is a wonderful host; it was very convenient, clean, and comfortable. Short walk to San Zaccaria vaporetto stop and even short to Piazza San Marco. Very highly rated on TA.

For Venice, look at Dorsoduro 461: http://www.dorsoduro461.com/ We're paying 95 euros per night in May.

Lois, Your tentative Itinerary looks fairly well sorted, however you could also consider doing that trip in the reverse direction for two reasons: 1.) The weather will be starting to get cooler in late September, so moving from north to south would be the best idea. 2.) For a first trip to Italy, starting south of Naples could be a bit of "culture shock", as the culture becomes somewhat more "intense" as one ventures further south from Rome. Regarding your question on how to get to Sorrento from the Naples Airport, you could certainly go to Napoli Centrale and take the Circumvesuviana. However, after a long transatlantic flight, tired and hauling luggage that would not be my first choice. The better option (IMHO) would be to take This Bus from the airport to Sorrento (click on the "English" and "Shuttle" tabs at the top). The trip is ~1.25 hours, and you'll probably won't have any trouble staying awake as you watch the beautiful scenery of the Amalfi coast glide past the windows. It's not inexpensive, but would be worth the cost (again, IMHO), and would be a more "gentle" introduction to Italy than riding the Circumvesuviana. I'm assuming you've researched each of your rail journeys using the Trenitalia website so that you have an idea of the travel times and costs? Will you be travelling with a Laptop / Netbook? I'm also assuming you're using open-jaw flights, so won't have to return to Naples for your flight home? One final question on booking tours - which "Tours" are you planning to take? Good luck with your planning!

For a less expensive option, follow Kens' advice on the bus, but click bus routes instead of shuttle. Price 10E
This bus leaves from the front of the Naples airport.

Thanks for all the response. We are glad to have the recommendation about the bus, and we can get the ticket when we arrive at the bus the morning we arrive in Italy is this correct? Thanks for the lodging recommendation we are still researching lodging and have heard back on some of the places you have suggested. We also have been checking the train between our locations still thinking at each location getting our ticket for next leg when we arrive at each destination. And the reason for the South to North we are ending with a Greek Isle cruise. I read the Rick Steves' website daily to get suggestions and what to expect plus his guide book is full of information. But, any suggestion recommendation are always helpful!! Thnaks to all.
T & L

Naples airport is not that big. Head out of the airport and ask where the Sorrento bus stop is exactly - it's just out front. The last time I took that bus, I paid when I boarded. The schedule is fixed and the bus leaves on time. You may have to wait a bit for the next scheduled departure. Also, you may want to ask your hotel to give you a quote for a driver to pick you up. Sometimes spending a little more $ goes a long way to making you feel happy, especially after a long & tiring flight... As far as your itinerary goes, you have planned well :-)

I can't speak to your hotel choices, but would definitely recommend Siena. On a recent trip, I day tripped there from Florence, and didn't have enough time. Personally, I would skip Pisa and stay in Siena for a night. For Florence, I've never stayed at Hotel Dali, but have been very happy with Il Bargellino
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187895-d284087-r86094297-Hotel_Il_Bargellino-Florence_Tuscany.html