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Long weekend on the coast: Amalfi/Atrani? Ischia? Other ideas?

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My 20yo daughter is spending the upcoming fall semester studying in Rome, so my husband and I are planning to visit Italy at the end of September. Our first week, he and I will be doing a bike tour in Tuscany (this is already booked), we will be done with the tour and depart a small town in Tuscany on Friday morning. We are hoping to then go for a long weekend somewhere with our daughter, she will need to be back in Rome for class on Monday morning (and we will spend the last part of our vacation in Rome). She loves the idea of the "Amalfi Coast," which looks amazing, but I'm wondering if the crowds will just make it unappealing for a weekend. I currently have a (refundable) place booked in Atrani (next to Amalfi, which I read was more peaceful), but I'm second guessing this. Looking at Ischia a bit and wondering if this is a better option. Less crowded perhaps and still beautiful coastline and cultural gems to explore.

So, looking for a beautiful place to spend a weekend that is within a reasonable distance from Tuscany/Rome. I would say I want a "relaxing" weekend with my daughter, but our idea of relaxing is not sitting around or laying on a beach. We would prefer a cute town/cultural area to explore or a good hike or even a boat tour, ending the day at cafe with good food and wine and good views. I realize we don't have a lot of time, so I don't want to waste it fighting crowds.

As for transportation, we will likely end up renting a car, but are open to other options. Where we are staying in Tuscany is very small and renting a car makes the most sense. So we can drive from Tuscany on Friday morning and meet our daughter somewhere (random train station outside of Rome?) or return the car to Rome and train/ferry from there (but also keeping in mind the time factor). When looking at Amalfi/Atrani it seemed like keeping the car might be easier so we wouldn't waste time with so many train/ferry connections. If we choose Ischia, can you bring the car on the ferry? Is it worth it?

Also open to other suggestions of locations for our weekend adventure. TIA for any feedback/suggestions!

Posted by
8395 posts

she will need to be back in Rome for class on Monday morning

She will need to be back in Rome Sunday night- there is no way you can get from Atrani (or Ischia) to Rome for morning class.
If you can only go from Fri to Sunday it's a lot of travel and hassle to get to the AC for just that short time (2 nights so you'd have just 1 full day) It will take most of the day Friday to get there, you'll have Saturday then depart later Sunday.

It is not a reasonable distance from Tuscany especially.

I would never consider having a car and driving in that area. Not only is driving difficult but parking is a huge issue.

You probably would want a car in Tuscany-
Make sure all drivers have an IDP- required by law

Consider just meeting in Orvieto- it's a short train ride from Rome. You could drop your car there if you book Hertz (only agency in town) and train to Rome. Daughter might be able to head to Rome Mon am depending on train schedule and her class time.

Posted by
6 posts

It sounds like such a lovely trip you have planned, and how special to share a weekend with your daughter during her time abroad.
Honestly, Atrani is a great pick; it's quieter than Amalfi but still has that stunning coastal charm. You can easily walk to Amalfi or take short hikes nearby, and it feels more peaceful. That said, Ischia is also a fantastic option—less crowded, great scenery, and thermal springs, but getting there can take more time and effort with ferry schedules, especially if you're bringing a car.

Posted by
929 posts

I'm going to go with the obvious, for less travel, maybe go to Cinque Terre or the coast north of CT? Would be quicker, she could meet you anywhere in Tuscany that is decently sized, with a train station. The Amalfi Coast for only a day is a BIG investment and not worth it to me, especially since you will only get to "do" one thing, like visit Amalfi/Ravello, Capri, or the Path of the Gods that will take up a lot of the day.

I don't know her school schedule and when she can get on a train, but if you keep the car, she can take a train to Florence or somewhere closer to CT and you can pick her up and go on your way, or you can ditch the car in Florence or Pisa and all go together via train because you won't need the car in CT. Not having done this before though, Pisa seems like a decent option, as it only takes 1 IC train and 1 hour and 13 min to get to Monterosso from there.

My friends went to Ischia once and they rented a car on the island for the day, but I don't know about car ferries from Napoli.

Posted by
8468 posts

Molly, welcome to this newsboard with your first post. It sounds like you may not have been reading here without posting in the past, because the AC is so often discussed here. The Search box top left will provide you with dozens of high-information discussions of your topic. You don't seem to be taking account of the fact that a car trip from Rome to Atrani is around five hours. This is not a good choice for a weekend from Tuscany.

How about her joining you in Tuscany or Umbria?

Posted by
6082 posts

I would pick up the car in Tuscany, pick her up at the train station in Orbetello (less than 2 hours for her, 2 hour drive back if you can drop the car in Rome). You can hike on Monte Argentario and within Maremma park, explore Etruscan ruins and dramatic hill towns like Pitigliano, see the hot springs at Saturnia. There are ferries out of Porto Santo Stefano to Giglio island, but you can also just enjoy the coastline since your time is limited. I am sure there are private boat hires as well.
Atrani is nice, but the travel time in addition to the crowds would rule that out for me. Do something that maximizes your available time!

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