Itinerary review - Rome-Sorrento-Paris September 2012

we visited the pantheon at the first of the RS night walk (necessitated just a bit of backtracking). depending on how long you spend at borghese you could do colosseum/forum that day.
dont know how long you need for catacombs of san callisto but i would think you could fit it in that day as well. btw we visited amalfi coast, ravello and paestum in a single day trip. coast was quick but fine and paestum was great. we used silver star car service and were very pleased.

Linda A few thoughts.
A day trip to Naples AND Capri or Ischia would not work. Transportation is too time consuming. One thought about Ischia is it is outside of your main Sorrento base. By keeping your area small, you save time and money and get a chance to concentrate your travels. And in this case backtracking. There is a bus from one of the main squares in Sorrento directly to the Naples Airport. This will save you time and money. I understand your itinerary is a list of places you want to visit. Be sure you include gelato, cafes, wine bars, watch the sunset on the ocean from a balcony, and sit and watch the world go by. At least a half hour twice a day on a corner or square. Good for your feet, your mind, your thirst and your disposition! In Paris, I assume you are visiting the Musee D'Orsay on a Thursday night when they are open until 9:45 PM. Their website mentions they start clearing the rooms at 9:15 PM. A whirlwind trip but doable. Good luck! Bobbie

Carolyn & Bobbie: Thanks for your thoughts on my early planning itinerary. There does seem to be extra time in Rome to fill in the gaps and the suggestion to see the Pantheon at night is wonderful. And yes, I do want to take it easy, rest the feet and enjoy the ambience around me. My thoughts on the 9/25 trip to Naples and Capri or Ischia was that I was just planning on touring the archeological museum as soon as it opens and then head out to one of the islands. Capri & the blue grotto if it is a sunny day; Ischia if it isn't so much. I want to enjoy some thermal soaking and relaxation. It's early in the planning stages and I am sure this trip will be quick. For me, part of touring the area is the mode of travel and I thought it would be good to take a bus all the way from Rome to Sorrento and then when heading away from Sorrento to use a ferry. Ciao, Linda

I agree that it would be easy to the Borghese and Collesum in the same day. You could also do the Borghese and spanish steps in one day. Make sure you have reservations for the Borghese. I lke the Pantheon toward the evening. Trivi fountain really isn't that far from it and it is also nice at night. Lot's of nice nieghborhoods to eat in the area too. Capri is all you can really do in one day. Nice going to Ravello. It was my favorite town on the Amalfi coast. Views are spectacular. Nice place to eat lunch too. Too bad you are not spending more time in Paris. I would do the Eiffel tower in the evening. The lights are spectacular. Notre Dame and Rodin are quick trips. If you could squeeze in another two days in Paris do it. Versaille is a must. Lourve and Orsay would also be nice. Also, two days eating at cafes are the best part of a trip to paris

In particulars, my comment relates to Paris (I don'r know Italy as well), but philosophically it may be worth some consideration for the entire trip. If your goal is to "do" Paris and to visit historic / cultural sites, the type of outline you gave sounds fine. But just imagine a foreigner visiting all the sites and monuments of D.C., NYC or San Francisco. Will he/she/they have had any contact with the people or contemporary vitality of America beyond transactional interchanges with waiters and hotel staff? There is nothing "wrong" with your approach ... and it may be exactly what you want and need. But I invite you to consider adding "intentionality of contact" to your agenda. Do some research on the location of some working class neighborhood in each city. Unlike the jaded merchants in touristic zones, the small shop-keepers and residents there don't encounter many tourists and will likely be as curious about you and what makes you "tick" as an American as you are of them. Go to a university area and enjoy the coffee shops. Stroll marketplaces to touch, hear and taste the vitality of European life. Even if you have no more than a few stock questions in Italian, use them to initiate contact. Build some unstructured time into your itinerary to allow serendipity to play its illuminating magic. Whatever you do, make room for the unexpected. It can be done prudently. Best of luck. Blessings Chaplain Matthew