May/June Italy Trip

Rome is only 1.25 hours from Napoli Centrale, but another hour+ from Sorrento.

From Sorrento you could visit Capri or Ischia by ferry, in addition to the other places you mentioned.

Try to enjoy each city you're in. Zoe gave good advice for day-trips from Sorrento, and since you're spending 7 nights there, you will have time for those. Three days in Rome really is barely enough to see Rome, so I'd stay put there and see as much as possible

From Florence you can easily do a day trip to Siena by bus, or even ask your hotel to arrange a full day wine tour for you, which will take you and others by small van to a vineyard - which will allow you to see the beautiful Tuscan countryside, and the wine tours usually allow for a long lunch at the vineyard or farm that will really be enjoyable. I'm a big fan of Florence, and IMHO, I'd spen all of the remaining days enjoying all that beautiful city has to offer. I've spent weeks there, and only done one or two day tours. I think a day trip to the Cinque Terre will take time from Florence, while at the same time, not allowing enough time to actually enjoy Cinque Terre -- more like just checking off a box on a list.

Since you're spending some "seaside" time in Sorrento, it seems to me that heading to CT would almost be redundant. Save that area for your next trip.

I would highly recommend a day trip to Paestum to see the Greek temples. It's a short trip and totally worth it. I prefer the train there because it's a nice walk from the train station to the archeological site.

Tons of things to do in the Naples/Amalfi Coast area. Muddle your way thru the:

http://www.campaniartecard.it/.

You would want the Tutte la Regione 3 day card. This includes transportation for the whole region. Do not buy the 7 day card! If you plan to do any bus, circumvesuvian or metro, 2 of the 3 day cards are a better value.

This is why...http://www.napoliunplugged.com/naples-unicocampania-fares

Caserta and Capua would make an enjoyable day trip. First the Royal palace, the beautiful gardens
and then back to the romans at the Capua amphitheater. 30 minutes north of Naples by train.

Well, we all have our own opinions and situations, and sometimes we come to different conclusions. In May 2014 I spent a week in the Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast area, and despite not wanting to change lodging too many times, I was very happy I decided to spend 3 nights in Naples and then 4 nights in Sorrento. There is a lot to explore and enjoy in Naples, and in general I was able to walk to just about everything. Would not have done that if "commuting" to Naples from Sorrento. Most of one day there I went by train to explore Salerno and Paestum, well worth the trip. Orsini46 B & B in Naples was wonderful! Then while in Sorrento I spent one day in Herculaneum and Pompeii, and two others exploring the various towns of the Amalfi Coast. Skipped Capri and Ischia during that first visit. Also, after considerable research and consideration, I bought the 7 day Campania pass, used it to the max, was happy with it, and never missed not having transit included in that pass. All the places you mention are marvelous, so you really can't go wrong, although sometimes I think really long day trips are not a great idea -- you can spend a lot of time in transit, have limited time where you are visiting, and are just there during the busiest day-tripper hours during the heart of the day.

karin,

As this is your first time to Europe, could you clarify whether the 14 days you've listed includes your two flight days? Where are you travelling from? Be sure to allow for travel times between each of the places you're visiting, as these will be at least half a day in each case (and sometimes longer).

Your proposed Itinerary looks reasonable and seven days in Sorrento will give you lots of time to explore that area. I wouldn't suggest taking a day trip to Rome while in the south, since you're spending the latter part of your trip there.

To answer your question, a day trip to the Cinque Terre from Florence is certainly possible (I know as I've done that). I'd suggest leaving early and coming back late, starting in Riomaggiore and ending in Monterosso in time for dinner at one of the excellent restaurants there. The trip each way will involve at least two train changes, but that's not excessively difficult once you get used to it.

As this is your first trip to Italy, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using trains and other public transit there. If you need further information, post another note.

I'd also suggest picking up a copy of the Italy 2015 guidebook, as it will be a very valuable resource both for planning and during the trip. There's good information there on visiting the museums (many of which are closed one day per week), transportation, hotels, etc.