Itinerary suggestions for 3 nights in Italy accessible from Rome - no car

You might want to think about Orvieto also - quick train ride.

What are your exact dates? Easter is April 9 so it looks like you will be there for Holy Week.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing!

You will need to be in Rome the night before your departure flight.
Will you still have 3 nights to play with, given that?

Any chance you can fly out of Naples or Florence?

Both Siena and Sorrento make great 3 night stays. Both do require a “2 seat” transit from Rome at minimum.
Both offer several easy day trips, no car needed.

Siena itself needs a day and a half. One day trip by bus, train or driver.
www.toursbyroberto.com gets good reviews.

Sorrento can be enjoyed a few hours here and there- morning or evening. It's a fun walking around kind of place.
With just 2.5 days you’ll have to choose between Capri, AC towns, Pompeii- if those are of interest. Each needs a day.

Orvieto is lovely and so quick and easy to get to from Rome. We spent 2 nights there this past late April. Loved it.

Depends on what your interests are.
Pompeii/AC, Tuscany hill towns, Etruscan sights?

If you are looking for a quieter bit of time after work/Rome I’d say either Sorrento or Orvieto would be nice.
Early April I might prefer to go south.

I'd take a good look at time/effort involved to get to your options and go with the easiest/least time spent on transit.

My first thought was Orvieto, Also the Umbria region. You could stay in Spoleto or Assisi and see the other one as a day trip from the place you choose to stay. Or Spello is nearby - between those two Umbria towns.

Christine,

Both require a “2 seat” transit from Rome

Are you saying two seats must be reserved for one person?

Ladyjay, you can take a direct train from Rome’s Termini station to Assisi (2h 15m) and sleep there. A day trip to Spello takes 15m by bus or direct train.
There is also a direct train from Rome’s Termini station to Orvieto (1h 30m). You’ll then need to take the funicular to the top. You only need two nights for Orvieto and Spello is more convenient from Assisi than Orvieto.
From Rome to Sorrento, you’ll need to take a direct train from Rome’s Termini station to Naples Central station (2h 15m). You’ll then need to walk down to the lowest level at Naples Central station to catch the Circumvesuviana regional train to the end of line (1h 15m).

Orvieto would be preferable. You could take a local bus a short distance to Civita de Bagnoregio and even other hilltowns close by.

It took us 70 minutes to get into Rome Termini by local train.

Early April is a lovely time (most years) at Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.

Orvieto is much much closer.

I agree with Orvieto. Not too far from Rome, it’s a lovely town, and has towns nearby that you can day trip to by bus or train.

Are you saying two seats must be reserved for one person?

LOL No.
I meant the trip from Rome to Siena or Sorrento requires a transfer-
Seat #1 train from Rome to Florence or Naples
Seat #2- train or bus from Florence to Siena OR train or driver from Naples to Sorrento.

I suppose Orvieto would be considered "2 seats" as well- train then funicular or bus but that 2nd leg there is not long or complicated.

@Christine H: The time I have after work wraps up is Fri March 31 to Sat 8. I was going to spend the first three nights elsewhere and then the latter 5 nights back in Rome, but your comment about Holy Week is important... maybe I should avoid Rome until I have to be back there (and no I can't change my departure airport). I have been to Rome twice before (one visit quite recently, just pre-pandemic), and I will be there 6 nights for work and will surely sneak some sightseeing in during that time.

Now I am thinking about leaving Rome out of this. Maybe spending the 8 nights in Southern Italy instead... i have been to Pompeii but I'd gladly visit again, and never Naples, Sorrento, Almalfi etc. I wonder if the south would be less chaotic than Rome. I would also love to visit Tuscany (been to Florence and nothing else) so that remains an option as well.

Do you have any idea what Good Friday is like in Italy? Would everything be shut down? As above, I was planning to leave Italy on Saturday the 8th of April, but would depart on Friday instead if everything would be closed.

I wonder if the south would be less chaotic than Rome.

The poverty rate is higher in southern IT making you more vulnerable. I had two experiences one in Amalfi and the other on the island Capri.

In Amalfi after I got off the bus, I opened my purse and a man out of nowhere suddenly appeared and asked if I would hire him for the day. I quickly closed my bag.
While in the Blue Grotto the guy who took us inside began to serenade us. He then tried to put his hand inside my handbag; he and I got into a wrestling match as I tried to hold on to my belongings. Luckily, I won!

I was in Rome on Easter Sunday in 2005 and everything was open.

Maybe spending the 8 nights in Southern Italy instead... i have been
to Pompeii but I'd gladly visit again, and never Naples, Sorrento,
Almalfi etc.

8 nights is a great amount of time to enjoy the Sorrento/AC area. You don't have to worry about closures there. I assume there will be Palm Sunday festivities but that could be fun.
I'd stay in Sorrento for maybe 4 nights- visit Naples, Pompeii, Capri from there- then move to somewhere on AC or Salerno for the next 4 nights. Visit the AC towns and Paestum.
You can take a direct train back to Rome from Salerno.

Sorrento books up early so you'll want to make a decision soon and get something booked.

Tuscany is lovely but you really need a car to enjoy the smaller hill towns. Save for another trip!