Itinerary help (yes another one)

Lisa,

Sounds very doable. I did about the same itinerary just this past October. I didn't go to Sorrento, but I went 2 days in Milan, one in Genoa and half a day in Pisa.
To earn time take the train to the next city in the evening after 5-6 o'clock because you won't have much to do at that time becaue it gets dark, unless you want to go to bars etc.Then next day you are relaxed and ready to hit the streets again in your next city.

I really recommend getting a guide for at least half a day for coliseum and roman forum portion. I have gone to Rome many times (used to live in Italy) and hired guide for this portion of last Rome trip and was worth extra money - area came alive. Since you are in Rome for 5 days I also recommend getting an apartment. It is nice to have some breathing space to retire to.

Hi Lisa, Usually travelers are being told to slow down and that their itineraries are too busy. But I have to congratulate you. You have done your homework and it's just fine...in fact, I think perfect. We just spent 2 nights in Venice & Florence and although we felt rushed, we did see most of what we wanted to. Yes, you will get travelers that say you need more days there but I totally understand where you are coming from when you say you want to see as much as possible. What you have planned is possible and that's all that matters. You, in fact, have Rome at 5 nights which is more than enough. You might want to take one of those days and day trip to the hilltown, Orvieto. It's just a hour train ride and the town is, I think, one of the best. You will love it. Anyway, good job Lisa!

Looks like a pretty good itinerary to me.

Considering your interest in antiquity, throw in a daytrip from Rome to Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman seaport. It's a nice contrast to the crowds at Pompeii. And they've recently uncovered some beautiful murals that are available for limited viewing. (I think the NYT did a recent piece on them.)

Also, Hadrian's Villa outside Tivoli is pretty amazing, but a little challenging to get to without a driver or a car.

Lisa,
Assuming that you have a morning flight out of Rome, consider going Florence to Sorrento and staying in Rome at the end.
This saves a packing and travel day.

I second Henry's suggestion to go to Sorrento after Florence and finish in Rome. You'll probably need to spend your last night in Rome anyway, as it would difficult or impossible to get from Sorrento to FCO for anything earlier than an afternoon flight. You should be able to get a train directly from Florence to Naples where you switch to the Circumvesuviana, so going to Sorrento is not that bad a trip. With 5 nights in Rome, any variety of short day trips is worth considering - Ostia Antica, Orvieto (etruscan sights) and catacombs/Appian Way are all worthwhile.

one other alternative is to fly out of Naples to return. It will probably by a flight that goes to Rome or Milan, but you'll avoid the long check-in lines in Rome. A friend did this and it worked out well for him.

Lisa,

Your Itinerary looks fairly well sorted, although I was wondering if you "budgeted" for travel times?

The trip from Venice to Florence is about 2H40M via direct train, but of course extra time is required to reach the station, waiting time, etc. Florence to Rome is only about 1H38M via direct train, but if you decide to go with the option suggested in previous posts and go directly to Sorrento, the time will be somewhat longer. Florence to Naples is 3H20M via direct train, but you'll need to add travel time on the Circumvesuviana and of course waiting times, etc. Note that reservations will be required on the direct (fast) trains such as the EuroStar Italia. I assume you're planning to purchase P-P tickets when you arrive in Italy?

On my trip in May, I travelled by rail from Naples to Verona (somewhat further north than Florence) and it was a long travel day!

Happy travels!

Lisa....

2 nights in Venice is very reasonable. We just did that and saw everything we wanted to. I would make it 3 nights in Florence and 4 nights in Rome. I also agree that if you have not already booked your air travel that you fly out of Naples vice heading back to Rome and thereby saving valuable time. If you have already booked your airfare, then consider going to Sorrento from Florence and then to Rome.

Happy travels.

Judy