Need Help; Naples or Tuscany in February

You mention you will be on your honeymoon but you use the first person singular in your post. No mention of your soon-to-be-spouse. Does your beloved have anything to contribute to the discussion?

Hello,

There is so much to see in Italy. If this this is your first trip, I would make the following suggestions. The visit to Lake Como will probably be cold and potentially wet but the mountains will be beautiful I am sure. We are going on our second trip in April/May of this year. Any questions just PM me!

Venice 3 nights
Milan 2 nights
Day Trip to Lake Como
Florence 3 nights
Day Trip to Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano
Rome 3 nights
Day Trip to Tivoli to Villa d'Este and the extensive ruins of Hadrian's Villa otherwise known as the Villa Adriana.

First of all, Tuscany is a large region with a mind-boggling number of sights and attractions, of which Florence is one part. I suggest you try to narrow down what you actually want to see, then, continue with your planning.
Secondly, not only is Sorrento a long trip from Florence (6 hours?); but that area is rather shut down in winter. The weather can be bad; and if it is, there’s not much to do indoors.

I advise that you eliminate the idea of going anywhere south of Rome. Add days freed up to Florence/Tuscany.

Focus on Rome and north. Save Southern Italy for another trip.
Tuscany is a large area, look at a map, read a guide book or two and then choose a base town to see part of Tuscany. We prefer the. Hianri region but have also sfayed in other parts of Tuscany.

I did a very similar trip to Italy with my wife in Feb. 2013, hitting Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento (Naples, Amalfi Coast & Capri) over 17 days. The best thing about Italy this time of year is that in the most touristy places (Venice, Florence, Rome), the crowds are relatively small compared to the peak months. The worst part, aside from the obvious potential weather issues (it was in the 40's and rainy while we were in Venice, but 50's/60's and sunny all other points south), is the number of restaurants that were closed for the winter. This wasn't really an issue in Florence and Rome, but in Venice and Sorrento - and especially in the Amalfi Coast and Capri, this was definitely an issue. I recall Positano, Amalfi, and Capri in particular as feeling as though they were pretty much shut down for the winter, as almost all the restaurants and most of the shops (and I would assume, hotels too) were closed. We still had a wonderful day hiking around Capri, as the weather was gorgeous the day we were there, but there were no restaurants open save for a tourist trap or two with unmemorable, overpriced food. Not sure if the boats to the Blue Grotto were available that day, we didn't consider it due to lack of time (were just there for a day trip).

I'd also say that you're trying to pack too much into your schedule, given the amount of days you have. Based on what I said above, I'd recommend cutting out Sorrento altogether and hitting that on another trip during the warmer months, while spending more days in Venice, Florence/Tuscany and Rome. If you stretch your stay in Venice by another day or two, you'll hit the start of the Carnevale festival (begins Feb. 16), which would be a nice treat, plus you'll have more time to get lost in the bridges, canals, and alleyways, which is one of the best parts of being there. Plus, bear in mind that you'll be jet-lagged (assuming you're traveling from USA), so you don't want all your memories from Venice to be foggy. One day is also not enough to see Florence, you'll want 3 days there at a minimum, plus the day you had set aside for a Tuscany tour. Three days in Rome seems short as well but you can see a lot in that time if you're not dead set on hitting all the major tourist spots, plus you still can make a day trip to Naples (only 1 hr. via high-speed train) if your jones for Pizza Napoletana is too great.

Sorrento/Amalfi Coast is a long trip and will use up too much of your time. I'd split that time between Florence and Rome. You can day trip by train or bus to Tuscan towns like Siena, Pisa and Lucca from Florence. There's plenty to see and do in Rome, and you can day trip by train to Orvieto. Slow down a little and enjoy your honeymoon.

After hosting my daughter and friends for a trip during January -- scratch off the Sorrento/Naples/Amalfi. It is closed except for a very few hotels and even fewer restaurants. And not worth the time to get there. Same with Lake Como. Only Como was open and the ferry was not even running to Bellagio which was closed up tight for the winter, reopening in early April.

If you are one of those "every reservation booked and reconfirmed" travelers, I'd say do Rome and Florence and perhaps two nights out in the gorgeous countryside of Tuscany. Even then there will be many wineries closed and the vistas may not yet be getting green. if you can go a little less planned for every minute, you could defiitely change your mind for the middle of your trip based on weather. If the weather is gorgeous, get out and see/experience the countryside. I would personally encourage you to focus on Rome, Florence and a hilltown in Tuscany. There is plenty to occupy you indoors if the weather is not being kind and restaurants and hotels will be open in Rome & Florence.

Renting a car out of the Rome airport is a really easy thing. If you don't have to drive in Rome center, the driving is easier than in the States. The roads are very well maintained, drivers are courteous and a GPS will get you anywhere.

If you can afford a day trip out of Rome, I highly recommend Tivoli. There are two incredible places to see and experience there. Hadrian's Villa (perched on a hill with amazing sight lines) was built by Emperor Hadrian as his "private city" and he spared no expense in creating a very luxurious (for the time) place to entertain his guests and Roman officials. The amount of detail and the engineering ...... far more engaging than Pompeii for me. The second must see is the Villa D'Este -- not the hotel that copied some of the fountains. The entrance could easily be missed - a door in a wall of a circular drive kind of thing. The Palazzo is magnificient -- gorgeous frescoes and architecture. But don't linger -- you will want the time to explore the fountain gardens. Unlike anything I've ever seen .... and created way before there were any of our modern engineering or electrical systems. Check the schedule for the clock fountain -- There is an hourly presentation of the centerpiece opening to reveal a pipe organ playing from an ancient copper music scroll. You can take a picnic lunch and marvel at all of the fountain creations. I had a car, but I believe there is a bus from Roma and there are also tours, but you can enjoy it on your own! If you time it for lunch in between the two sights, take a stroll down the alley to the left of the Villa D'Este entrance. There is a small cafe on your right that is owned and operated by a family from the south. Their lemon anything is heavenly. I had a poached fish and ravioli - both in different but exquisite lemon sauces. And dessert ... my friend and I ordered 3! Not a crumb left. I'll try to find the name of the restaurant.

The south of Italy is to be seen and experienced when it is warm and you can enjoy the ferry to Capri, stroll along the boardwalks and be dazzled at the delicious fresh seafood.

Once you've been struck by Italia's beauty and wonderful people, you will be hooked for life!!!

Thank you all for your valuable inputs.
Updated plan as following:
Wednesday 13th Feb Flight to Venice
Thursday 14 Venice City tour
Friday 15 Venice
Saturday 16 Florence Arrival
Sunday 17 Florence
Monday 18 Florence
Tuesday 19 Florence to Agriturismo (Via tuscany road trips)
Wednesday 20 Agriturismo
Thursday 21 Agriturismo to Rome (Reach Late evening by Car)
Friday 22 Rome
Saturday 23 Rome
Sunday 24 Rome
Monday 25 Rome and fly-out late in the evening

Now, I am unclear about which Agriturismo to choose and where.Should I choose Agriturismo in Chianti region or more towards San G. or just outside Siena?
I understand that there are many options listed out in this Forum. But that is actually the problem, there are way too many..enough to confusion a first timer!! :)