Need itinerary advice for Italy

Without researching the times and routes, I can’t guarantee how practical this might be, but what about starting in Venice, then going by train to Salerno, and finishing up in Rome before flying home from there? Our Amalfi journey 11 years ago (at Christmas tine, so i was exactly 11 years ago) was bookended by staying in Salerno one night (nice place), then staying several nights at n Sorrento. The Amalfi drive was a breeze that time of year, and we didn’t stay in any of the actual Amalfi towns. Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the amazing pizza and the amazing National Archeological Museum in Naples were easily accessible from Sorrento. Perhaps this routing would minimize backtracking, and you can find acceptable flights into Venice and out of Rome.

If fascinating ancient sights like Pompeii (and Herculaneum - don’t miss this, either) are of interest, there’s also Paestum to the south of Salerno, and Ostia Antica, just southwest of Rome.

How many NIGHTS do you actually have in Italy?
Count your trip in nights not days and you'll get a better picture of how itinerary flows.

When you say 2 days in Venice that would require 3 NIGHTS. A 2 night stay means only 1 full day- plus your arrival jet lagged day which makes your time in Venice really short.

No matter where you fly back from- Rome or Naples- you need to be in your departure city the night before your flight so ending in Rome makes most sense and doesn't waste a night.
Sorrento or Salerno are both good bases, transportation hubs, etc. We enjoyed our time in both towns. If you are interested in Paestum and its amazing Greek temples then go to Salerno- it will give you the most direct path from Venice and /or to Rome.
We trained from Salerno to Venice it was fast, direct- about 6 hours. We took a picnic and called it a rest day. That trip was slightly longer than yours- 14 nights- so it didn't feel too bad spending a full day traveling.

Spend some time reading thru forum posts - there are dozens and dozens about getting around on the AC.
Here is a thread I just posted a lot of info on just yesterday.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/early-itinerary-11-12-days

Assuming your "11 days" means 11 NIGHTS on the ground:
Fly to Venice
Venice 3 nights
Train to Salerno- 4 nights- it takes so long to get here- don't shortchange it. You'll need 1 day for Pompeii, 1 day for Paestum, 1 day for AC towns by ferry. Spend your evenings enjoying the many good restaurants in Salerno and take part in their really enjoyable passegiatta or walking the lungomare with a gelato.

Train to Rome 4 nights- this is bare minimum for Rome
Fly home from Rome

If you can add more nights- add to Salerno and Rome.

Have you taken a peak at your flight options? I know that with my own trip planning for an October trip, finding a departing flight from Naples back to the US was limited. I rearranged my trip itinerary starting in Venice, onto Florence, then Naples and finishing in Rome. That worked well for me.

I'd go with Christine's itinerary:

Assuming your "11 days" means 11 NIGHTS on the ground:
Fly to Venice
Venice 3 nights
Train to Salerno- 4 nights- it takes so long to get here- don't shortchange it. You'll need 1 day for Pompeii, 1 day for Paestum, 1 day for AC towns by ferry. Spend your evenings enjoying the many good restaurants in Salerno and take part in their really enjoyable passegiatta or walking the lungomare with a gelato.
Train to Rome 4 nights- this is bare minimum for Rome
Fly home from Rome

IMHO, it's a good idea not to stay in Positano; it's small, expensive, a PITA to get in and out of during high season (yes, traffic on the coast is a bear) and lacking things to do. The only drawback I see to Salerno - which sees some love on this forum from others who've bunked there - is the time it takes to ferry to/from Capri from there (2 hours) if that one is in your plan. With 4 of you, I'm guessing you'll find more economical choices there. Your teen will be considered an adult in Italy and will be charged as such when booking accommodations. Look for those offering "family" rooms; alternately you may have to book two rooms.

I’ll second (or third) Christine’s 11-night outline. Salerno would be a very fine choice in this scenario, with pretty straightforward train connection to Rome. While staying on the coast itself has its advantages, it’s also impractical for visiting Pompeii. Salerno itself is well regarded by folks on this forum, and considered underrated. On my brief walkthrough, it certainly had its charm, and was clean and genteel.

If your itinerary is actually like 11 days/9 nights, well then I think you just need to make a difficult decision. In this case that would be axing Venice. If you did that, then I would go 5 nights ON the Amalfi Coast, then 4 nights in Rome. Flying into and out of Rome.

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I think we are going to add an extra night so we can still go to Venice.

Additional question, since we are going to Venice, would Cinque Terre make more sense than Amalfi Coast? Fly into Venice 3 nights, train to Cinque Terre 3 nights and then train to Rome 4 or 5 nights and then fly home,

Additional question, since we are going to Venice, would Cinque Terre make more sense than Amalfi Coast?

YES!

Especially given your limited time frame.

Fly into Venice 3 nights, train to Cinque Terre 3 nights and then train to Rome 4 or 5 nights and then fly home,

I think you would enjoy that itinerary more than the original proposal. You can do an easy trip to Ostia Antica from Rome to satisfy your buried 'ancient Roman city' ( Pompeii) desire.

Our first trip to the Cinque Terre was in June, more than 20 years ago. It was a magical visit.

Second trip was in 2022, in September (somewhat off-season?), and the crowds in the small towns and the pushy hikers on the jammed trails were overwhelming. We won’t be returning. I can’t compare that with what the Amalfi Coast offers nowadays - better? Worse? There are apparently coastal locations just a bit north of the Cinque Terre that might offer a more pleasant experience, although I’ve not been there for a direct comparison.

Based on the good advice here, and the train travel times, we have decided to add more days/nights to our trip. We are now traveling June 11-24 so that gives us 12 nights. So that brings me back to my original questions, does this itinerary make sense:

Fly into Venice 2 nights (we could add a night here and remove one from Amalfi)
Train to Amalfi Coast 5 nights. Where is the best base for this area? Salerno, since it has a train station? Again, trying to avoid the traffic when/where we can.
Rome 5 nights and fly out

I'm going to search the forum, but let me know if you have any hotel suggestions in these areas.

Thanks everyone! Love these forums! I received very valuable advice last summer for our trip to Switzerland.

Fly into Venice 2 nights (we could add a night here and remove one from Amalfi)

Suggest you do add another night to Venice. As is stands now, two nights will only give you one full day and part of the arrival day. The city is so unlike anywhere else, it deserves as much time as will work into your schedule.

I agree, maximize the days in Venice, because it's so unlike anywhere else. It's also a good place to work off the jet lag- you can move at your own pace, have absolutely nothing planned, and still wander and fall in love with the city.
Also maximize the Venice days because of the increase in flight delays, flight schedule changes, cancelations, labor strikes, etc. For our last three international flights, one was delayed 24 hours, one 6 hours. You almost need to have a Plan B in your back pocket.
Have a great time planning your trip, and safe travels!