My first trip to Italy - Itinerary Feedback - Rick Steves Travel Forum
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My first trip to Italy - Itinerary Feedback

This is my basic itinerary for my first trip to Italy. 10 Days. Would love feedback. Particularly, I have intentionally left my 2nd leg (3 days) in Rome unstructured. If you see anything I've missed please feel free to share. Also, I am thinking of cutting Florence to one night and adding a day in Rome on the front end (a lot of personal people I've spoken to say I don't need a lot of time in Florence, particularly since I am not a huge museum guy, I like to see the major pieces and maybe spend an hour or so in a museum, culturally I am much more performance/theater oriented.)

FOOD??? Restaurant suggestions, especially, off the beaten tourist path are welcome as well.

Tours: I fully intend to keep my booked tour for Vatican, but wonder if I should do Colloseum and Pompeii on my own

Also, note, if I was a little more informed prior to booking I would have booked into the north and departed the south (into Florence out of Naples) or vice versa. Alas, I'm booked into Rome, then train to Florence, train to Naples and train back to Rome. I kind of like the idea of being on the trains actually. We will see.

Thanks!

Arrive Rome Thursday 3/5/20
Day 1

1. Hotel Check in 3p.m. (Relais Orso)
2. Passagietta/Downtime
3. Dinner

ROME Friday 3/6/20
Day 2

1. Piazza Venezia/Complesso Vittoriano
3. Ancient Rome/Colloseum Tour
4. Vittorio Emmanuel Monument Viewpoint
5. Pantheon
6. Heart of Rome Walk (see Rick Steves' guide)
7. Dinner

ROME Saturday 3/7/20
Day 3

1. Tour: Museo Vaticano/ Climb the dome at St. La Basilica di Pietro
3. Castel Sant’Angelo (maybe)
4. Return to city center via Ponte Sant’Angelo
5. Dolce Vita Stroll (see Rick Steves' Rome guide)/Shopping
6. dinner

Train to FLORENCE Sunday 3/8/20
Day 4

1. Renaissance Walk (Rick Steves)
2. Uffizi (Tuesday am option as well)
3. Accademia (Tuesday am option as well)

FLORENCE Monday 3/9/20
Day 5

1. Duomo (including Dome climb)
2. Palazzo Davanzati
3. Ponte Vecchio
OR
Day Trip: Siena, Lucca, Pisa, Tuscany??

Train to Naples Tuesday 3/10/20
Day 6

1. AM- Maybe get through Accademia in Florence
3. Hotel Check-in - Naples 2p.m. (Relais Sul Mare)
2. Explore Napoli
3. Opera: Winter Journey – Teatro Di San Carlo

NAPLES Wednesday 3/11/20
Day 7

1. 1/2 day in Pompeii
2. Explore Naples with Rosaria
3. Dinner with Rosaria and Cira

Naples Thursday 3/12/20
Day 8

1. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
2. Depart Naples for Rome
Depart Naples for ROME Thursday 3/12/20
Day 8

3 days of unstructured time in Rome could include:
1. Borghese 2. Capuchin Crypt 3. Castel Sant’Angelo 4. Day trip? 5. Soak it in 6. Gym?
7. Explore Trastevere/Jewish Ghetto 8. Walking tour/Food tour?

ROME Friday 3/13/20
Day 9

ROME Saturday 3/14/20
Day 10

Rome Departure Sunday 3/15/20
Travel Day

Posted by
1586 posts

Jason - The itinerary looks good. I wouldn't cut 1 day out of Florence. If museum is not your thing, then day trip to Sienna or Lucca in Tuscany to see these towns. Leave 2 nights for Florence. 1 night is not a good idea.

(3 days) in Rome unstructured

Rome - 3/12/20 (See more of the city sights) Orange Gardens on Aventine Hill, Piazza Navona, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

https://www.walksinsiderome.com/en/blog/about-rome/the-orange-garden-skyline-and-secrets-of-rome.html

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/aventine-hill-orange-garden.html

Rome - 3/13/20 (Day trip to Ostia Antica and head to Trastevere neighborhood later and have dinner).

Rome - 3/14/20 (Day trip to Orvieto and Assisi /Tuscany towns or Hadrian’s Villa & Villa D’Este).

Rome - Departure (Fly home)

Posted by
1069 posts

Flying into and out of Rome is not a bad idea. You just want to make sure that the day your land and the day to take off are easy. Especially the latter - be in Rome the night before your flight. The Freccia trains will take you quickly from Rome to Florence, from Florence to Naples, from Naples to Rome. Fast, comfortable. If you can commit to a schedule, buy your tickets now for the best discount. And you can reserve your seat in either 1st or 2nd class - both are fine on that line. Check the schedules though, a day on the train is a half day taken from your vacation time. e.g. Accademia in Florence and 2pm hotel in Naples doesn't sound comfortable to me
Personally, I think you've done the hard work of listing your wants. Double check your Mondays to make sure things are open - that could be a wonderful time to just sit in a piazza and "be" in Italy. The one thing I see that you have no option with is the opera in Naples - they aren't going to change their schedule for you :). It's a beautiful opera house with a tremendous history. Rome also has a good opera house - check their schedule at operaroma.it you might find something you'd like to see. There's plenty of music options in Rome. Everything else, especially in Rome and Florence, you have time for. That could include a day trip to Siena, which I highly recommend (take the bus not the train). The recently re-opened OperaDuomo museum in Florence (right behind the Duomo) is spectacular. For the Accademia and Uffizi, I'd consider pre-booking for specific timed entrance to avoid lines.
With all the things you want to do in Rome, you've got the time to do them so don't feel like you have to stick too close to the schedule you've shared with us. Maybe get a street map and focus on a specific area each day? Just a thought but honestly I find that I pretty much wander which always leads to great surprises. Wandering at night in Rome? The only other city I enjoy doing that in as much is Venice. My rule: end up at the Piazza Navona with a gelato and the Bernini fountain.

Posted by
21 posts

Thanks for the feedback! I plan to book as much as possible in advance including museums and trains. My last 3 night are in Rome, so I'll just be heading straight to the airport Sunday am.

RJean: I appreciate the input on Florence. It's been my sticking point in terms of planning/advance purchasing

Posted by
1586 posts

Jason - 2 nights is sufficient in Florence without the museums. On those last 3 nights in Rome, Orvieto and Assisi would be good for a day trip. You would enjoy the country side in that area and visit the Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi. Pick one of those 3 days to go.

Posted by
28425 posts

I cannot imagine combining Orvieto and Assisi into a single day-trip from Rome. Going straight to Assisi alone means over 4 hours round-trip on the train. Including Orvieto will require at least 5 hr. 40 min. of train time. And in both of those cities the train station is not in the heart of the historic area, so you'll need extra time for a bus, taxi or funicular.

Either Orvieto or Assisi is worth a full-day visit (or an overnight). Choose one. I'd go with Orvieto because of its proximity to Rome (about 2-1/2 hours round-trip).

Note that trains are not super-frequent to either city, so you should investigate schedules ahead of time and have a plan, lest you arrive at the train station just after a train departs and have to wait a long time for the next one.

Posted by
339 posts

Since you mentioned food. Consider a food tour. "Eating Italy" has a great Trastevere tour. We did the evening one and loved it. They also have a good one in Florence, but you probably don't have enough time in your current schedule. I'm not sure about a Naples food tour. One thing in Naples that sounds interesting is the "Veiled Christ" at Cappella San Severo. Unfortunately, I have only been through the train station en route to Sorrento. But if I ever get back, I want to see that statue. Have fun!!!

Posted by
1297 posts

Definitely see this in Naples. The most amazing sculpture you will ever see, very profound. “One thing in Naples that sounds interesting is the "Veiled Christ" at Cappella San Severo.”