Itinerary feedback requested - Italy and Austria honeymoon

Abby, First of all, congratulations! My first impression of your Itinerary is that it's VERY ambitious for such a limited time frame, and in some cases doesn't provide for adequate travel times between cities. You might consider dropping the Positano / Amalfi coast portion, to allow more time for the other locations. One comment regarding your plans for a rental car.... One important point to note is that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some cases are provided by the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information. You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy. EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Happy travels!

Since you are young you can go back to Europe many times in your life. Like so many itineraries posted here it seems so rushed. Cut out some stops and enjoy where you are instead of rushing to get to the next place. At least consider some 3 night stays perhaps dotted with some 2 nighters. Every time you move from place to place you spend from 3-5 hours in transport, taking time from your time to experience the sense of place. You will have but a few hours to enjoy Venice. Sorry to sound like an old fogey but you asked for feedback.

Thanks to both of you for the feedback. I think we were feeling the need to squeeze in as much as possible because we're not THAT young (mid-30s), and this is probably our first and last European adventure as a couple before kids come into the pictureso who knows when we'll get back... Anyway, we're now considering cutting out the single days in both Rome and Venice, so we would have 2 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Cinque Terre, 3 nights in Tuscany, 3 nights on the Amalfi Coast, and then 2 nights each in Salzburg and Vienna. However, now we're faced with the logistical difficulty of getting from the Amalfi Coast (or rather, Naples or Rome) to Salzburg. No direct flights from either city, and looks like several train connections and at least 10-12 hours of travel time. Sigh. I really had my heart set on Austria. Any thoughts on how to SANELY do this?

I am young, probably close to your age, and even I would change this around. Last summer after a month studying in Italy, I traveled with a friend up to Zurich and Garmisch. I spent one night in Zurich before heading to Garmisch, and spent one night there, then back to Zurich/Baden for 2 more nights. Looking back on it, I wish I had been able to extend my trip and stay in Garmisch for longer, and even stay in Zurch/Baden for longer. But one night definitely did not feel like enough in Garmisch, and I suspect you will find that in many of the places you go. I would try to make most of the stays (besides maybe Siena) at least two nights, some of them three. You will (hopefully) get back to Italy sometime in the future, and I think overall you will enjoy your trip more if you can pace it better. Not just because you'll get tired of the driving/train travel (and it will severely limit your time in each of the cities) but there is so much to do in each location! One night in Rome, even if you only want a taste, will not feel like enough! Since you're flying into Florence and part of your day will be taken up by the plane ride and possible jetlag, I would consider adding a night to Florence. If you can cut down your Italian locations some, you will be able to enjoy each of them you do make it to. If you're staying one night in Montepulciano and you want to see one or two of the hill towns, you won't get to see much of Montepulciano at all. Just some ideas, but I think you will enjoy it more if you can spend more time in each location.

Abby, Thanks for the additional information. It certainly helps to understand your situation, and the reasons why you're trying to fit so many destinations in. One possibility you might look at is a flight from Naples to Salzburg using Air Berlin, which includes a short layover in either Berlin or Dusseldorf. They don't appear to have flights every day, so you'd have to plan this into your Itinerary. Flight time appears to be ~4H:15M, which is much better than a long rail trip! The shortest rail trips I could find from Rome was 9H:53M, with three changes (Bolzano, Brenner, Innsbruck). With a departure at 08:05, you'd be in Salzburg at 17:58. Your last Itinerary looks much more realistic but be sure to allow adequate time for travel between destinations. Where are you planning to visit in Tuscany (aside from Florence). Cheers!

Ken, Thanks again for your feedback and helpful information. At this point we're considering taking an evening flight from Naples to Milan on 6/1 (7pm flight, arrives 8:45pm), then catching the night train from Milan to Salzburg (leaves 10:35pm, arrives in Salzburg 7am). We just need to figure out if the transportation between the Milano Malpensa airport and the Milano Lambrate train station is doable in that timeframe, without cutting it too close, of course! If so, it would give us the best of both worldsan extra half day on the Amalfi Coast, and an early arrival in Salzburg the following day. As far as where to visit in Tuscany, at this point we're only sure of Siena and Montepulciano. Now that we'll have a little extra time there, we'll definitely be looking at a couple other towns to spend a little time in. Any favorites? Also, any thoughts on getting from Montepulciano to Positano? Grazie mille!