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Itinerary options for 13 days in Italy - follow up post

This is a follow up post to my first one now that I have received some great feedback and done a bit more research. I now have 4 options that I am thinking and looking for any further feedback. Thanks so much for the previous comments and any new feedback on this one - much appreciated. I need to start booking accommodations, train, tours etc. so have to get cracking!

Link to my first post for background - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/high-level-13-day-itinerary-looking-for-initial-feedback-to-refine

Couple things about my 4 options below:
- I don't like the 7 hour train ride option from CT to Salerno so shying away from that option
- Using Rome2Rio it looks like maybe only one train a day (early) from Venice to CT so thinking the opposite direction option is better? Is there really only 1 train a day from Venice to CT ?
- Option 4 has us not staying in Salerno but rather a day trip to AC/Pompei and a couple other free days to slot in somewhere in the itinerary for additional stays or day trips - thoughts?

Thank you so much for any feedback/recommendations. Really appreciate it, as overwhelmed by the amount of information available, research needed and travel logistics.

Option 1
Sept 26 - arrive Rome at lunch - rest, wander around to get our bearings
Sept 27 - Rome - sightseeing major sights (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, etc), wandering around
Sept 28 - Rome sightseeing major sights, wander around
Sept 29 - leave Rome for Venice at 10:30 am (4 hours). Arrive Venice 3:00 pm
Sept 30 - Venice
Oct 1 - Venice
Oct 2 - train to Cinque Terre at 5:30 am (only train ?) (5.5 hours). Arrive Cinque Terre 10:30 am
Oct 3 - Cinque Terre
Oct 4 - train to Salerno (7 hours)
Oct 5 - Salerno - Pompei etc
Oct 6 - Salerno - sightseeing
Oct 7 - train to Rome
Oct 8 - Rome - fly out at noon

Option 2
Sept 26 - arrive Rome at lunch - rest, wander around to get our bearings
Sept 27 - train to Venice (4 hours)
Sept 28 - Venice - sightseeing
Sept 29 - Venice - sightseeing
Sept 30 - train to Cinque Terre at 5:30 am (only train ?) (5.5 hours). Arrive Cinque Terre 10:30 am
Oct 1 - Cinque Terre - relax, hiking
Oct 2 - train to Rome (4 hours)
Oct 3 - Rome - sightseeing major sights (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, etc), wandering around
Oct 4 - Rome - sightseeing major sights, wandering around
Oct 5 - train to Salerno - Pompei, Amalfi coast etc
Oct 6 - Salerno - Pompei, Amalfi coast etc.
Oct 7 - train to Rome
Oct 8 - Rome - fly out at noon

Option 3
Sept 26 - arrive Rome at lunch - rest, wander around
Sept 27 - train to Salerno
Sept 28 - Salerno (Pompei, AC etc)
Sept 29 - train to Rome
Sept 30 - Rome - sightseeing major sights (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, etc), wandering around
Oct 1 - Rome - sightseeing major sights, wandering around
Oct 2 - train to Cinque Terre (4 hours) - relax, hiking
Oct 3- Cinque Terre - relax, hiking
Oct 4 - train to Venice (5.5 hours)
Oct 5 - Venice - sightseeing
Oct 6 - Venice sight seeing
Oct 7 - train to Rome ( 4 hours)
Oct 8 - fly out at noon

Option 4
Sept 26 - arrive Rome at lunch - rest, wander around to get our bearings
Sept 27 - Rome - sightseeing major sights (Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, etc), wandering around
Sept 28 - Rome sightseeing major sights, wander around
Sept 29 - day trip to AC, Pompei, etc
Sept 30 - train to Cinque Terre (4 hours) - relax, hiking
Oct 1- Cinque Terre - relax, hiking
Oct 2 - train to Venice (5.5 hours)
Oct 3 - Venice - sightseeing
Oct 4 - Venice sight seeing
Oct 5 - ??
Oct 6 - ??
Oct 7- train to Rome (4 hours)
Oct 8 - fly out at noon

2 free days to add something in, day trips etc?

Posted by
5495 posts

Rome2rio.com is fine to see what transportation options are available. But it's rubbish for timetables. Use the official Italian train website- Trenitalia. Use proper Italian place names- Venezia, Napoli, Roma, etc. It's probably too early to see all the available trains for October. But a quick look at next week showed many daily possibilities from Venice to Monterosso with some as short as 5 1/2 hours.

Don't even think of trying to day trip both Pompeii and the AC. You can do Pompeii from Rome as a day trip, but it will be a very, very long day. Due to lack of infrastructure on the AC, trying to do that as a day trip would likely be problematic, and would be an even longer day.

Posted by
11799 posts

That’s a lot of planning! Good for you on research. I don’t have a preference to recommend as I think the final itinerary just has to feel right to you. I do have two comments, though.

A day trip to Pompeii is exhausting. If you really want to include it and the greater Amalfi Coast, give it time. 3 nights is good for a first trip and given all you want to do.

There are many options to get from Venice to the Cinque Terre. Rome2Rio is nice for ideas on possible modes, but to get details, the train company sites are important. Use https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html and enter Venezia S.L. As departure station and La Spezia Centrale for arrival. From La Spezia, you take the next local train to the village of your choice.

Posted by
11799 posts

CJean and I were simultaneously writing. I see consistency in our responses… LOL!