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Itinerary for Sept in Italy; Tuscany, Amalfi Coast mainly ....

Hello fellow travelers! Wondering if i could get some seasoned advice on a trip that i am planning ... Objective: To do a 16 – 18 day or version of Rick’s favorite Italy Itinerary (staying in fewer places however)

Possible dates to do this: Last week in August or first week of September 2011, to catch festivals (horse race in Sienna possibly, most certainly wine barrel roll in the Hill Towns of Tuscany)

Initial thoughts on itinerary:

1. To see Tuscany (possibly staying in Volterra as a base, visiting the surrounding towns by car)

  1. See the Amalfi Coast (possibly staying in Positano as a base, visiting the surrounding towns by car a bad idea?)

Other Thoughts from reading material and possible changes to this itinerary :

• Have read that Sienna is amazing, that the horse races are something to see

Would be interested in seeing at some point (if only briefly) as a side trip:

• Leaning Tower of Pisa

PRIMARY CONCERNS and/or OBJECTIVES:
1. To be as efficient as possible with our mode of transportation
..

Places I wouldn’t mind seeing again, whether on this trip or an altogether different trip:

• Rome (now that I’ve had Lasik, would like to see the Sistine Chapel again)
• Venice

Thanks in advance for any input or suggested changes on this itinerary! :)

Posted by
2876 posts

If you spend a full week on the Amalfi coast you might enjoy splitting your time between Sorrento & Positano. From Positano you can take boats to the towns of Amalfi and Ravello. Ravello is gorgeous, very much worth a visit.

From Sorrento you can take the train to Pompeii (and Naples, if you want).

You can take a boat or hydrofoil to Capri from either.

Posted by
14 posts

I agree with the others that a car in the Amalfi Coast is probably not the best idea. A better way would be to take a train or ferry.

As for the rest, Pisa is worth it but only for the tower. Take the train, walk to the tower, get a photo, and then head out.

Siena is amazing, and worth a visit if you have time to work it into your itinerary.

Posted by
536 posts

Kelly - In Tuscany I would stay at my friends -
http://www.casolarelibbiano.it/
Berta and her husband Andrea have a Beautiful B&B , just outsaide of San Gimignano and very close to Volterra, Siena, and even Florence.
As far as Positano - A fabulous place BUT I would stay in Sorrento and use that as a base. Go over to Positano on The Sita bus, sitting on the right side for Amazing views and be sure to see the Old Town section of Sorrento. You can go back to Sorrento on the bus OR - A Hydrofoil from Positano which is a lot of fun!!
You might even want to visit Villa Massa, The largest producer of Limoncello in the world , with over 16,000 lemon trees.
As always my buddy Steve offers more good advice about NOT getting a car. It's fun and I like to do it BUT it is a bit on the dangerous side on the winding roads!

Ciao, Greg