Planning to visit Venice, Cinque Terre and Amalfi coast

Hey Eugene, why would you consider seeing Cinque Terre before Venice if you are flying into Venice?

I personally would not put two coastal areas on the same trip, especially because they are so far apart. Have you done Tuscany or Emilia Romagna yet? Just an alternate idea.

Are you planning to sleep one night in Rome before coming home? Both coastal destinations are impossible to fly home from Rome the day you wake up in the distant place. Even Sorrento is risky going to Rome airports the same day, and Sorrento isn't quite as far as the AC.

Do you hate public transportation? I would never do this trip with a car, since it's a hindrance in all three destinations, and a drag to drive around the entire country. Please tell us what your first trip to Italy itinerary was, and how you got around. Did you like your transportation decisions that time? You will get better answers if you give more information.

I do plan to stay in Rome for at least one night, first, as you said, I can miss the flight, and second, in the case of Covid-19 positive test before frying back, had a place to isolate for whatever days it takes.
On my previous trip, albeit 10 years ago, I have been to Milan, Rome, Florence, Orvieto, Siena, Pisa with a tour group.
I don't mind trains or local airlines. I travel by train in Germany and Japan and love it. Venice and Amalfi coast is very much on my list, I can skip Cinque Terre if it is too much trouble getting there.

Train schedules up to late October on www.trenitalia.com/en.html or www.italotreno.it/en

Both companies run high speed trains on the line that goes from Venice to Salerno via Padua, Rome and Naples.

There are no trains on the Amalfi Coast. You can take an high speed train from northern Italy to Salerno and then a ferry. Or an high speed train to Naples, a suburban train from Naples to Sorrento and finally a bus/cab/limo to the Amalfi Coast village of your choice.

Most Italians avoid driving in downtown Naples, you'd better do the same.

You can go with Trenitalia from Venice to Monterosso (in the Cinque Terre) changing in Milan. The route via Florence and La Spezia is faster, but involves more transfers.

You'll have to learn Italian station names. Rome's main station, where the trains to FCO stop, is called Roma Termini. Padua is... Padova.

Either you can drive at 300 km/h thorough the Apennines or you'd better use high speed trains between main cities on the north-south backbone.

With 3 weeks I don’t see why you couldn’t fit both CT and Amalfi- I’ve not been to CT and frankly have no interest.
Since you said you could skip it here is a suggestion:

Fly in to Venice- go right to Padova- spend 3-4 nights there, you can day trip to Verona and/or Vicenza if you like.
Then back to Venice for 3-4 nights
From Venice take a direct train to Salerno it’s about 6 hours.
Spend 2 nights in Salerno- it is delightful and you can visit Paestum easily from there

Then work your way along the Amalfi coast by ferry or bus- stay in Amalfi 3-4 nights and visit Positano, Ravello, etc
Move to Sorrento for 4 or 5 nights - visit Pompeii, Capri, Naples from there

Train to Rome and end there with 2-3 nights
Fly home from Rome

No need for a car anywhere

I like Christine's suggestion. I have been to CT and the Amalfi Coast, but not on the same trip. I'm also an avid hiker. There are some regional differences, but at heart, both are coastal beauty spots, and it takes a terribly long time on a train to get from Venice to CT. There is so much to see in the Naples-Amalfi Coast area, I think it makes sense to give it a lot of time. Ravenna might make a nice addition while you are in the north. Given that you want the buffer at the end, I think fleshing out the Venice part and giving ample time to the south is a great plan!

Thank you ChistineH for your suggestions. Tim, I checked the Emilia Romagna region and looks like a great suggestion. So maybe I will adjust my plan and do Bologna instead of Cinque Terre and spend more time in the South.

I’ll add my approval to Christine’s itinerary with one change. I didn’t see you mention having been to Rome. If that’s the case, you really should add a night or two there. Maybe take one from Venice and/or Padova and one from Sorrento.

I will confess to not having done it, but one reason to visit ER is to visit (well, pre-Covid anyway) a Parmiggiano Reggiano (DOC cheese ... ) farm. Or at least, a small-city market where multiple vendors may be offering tastes. I liked Reggio Emilia, but I can't say it's a vital tourist stop. You won't find anyone speaking English there, said a German tourist we ran into there. But the best pizza I've had in Italy, including Naples.

We actually went back easily to Florence for the day, on the train from Reggio Emilia because we discovered a multi-stop bus tour of villas that ran only on Thursday - a zillion years ago.

Be sure to read the memorial plaque at the Bologna train station about an Italian terrorist bombing in modern times.

Thanks to everyone for the great input. Based on comments I received there I am planning the following stops in my tentative plans:
fly to Venice
Stay in
Venice 4 nights
Padoa 3 nights
Bologna 4 nights
Train to Salerno
stay
Salerno 2
Amalfi 3
Sorrento 4
Back to Rome, take the covid test, overnight
Rome 1
fly to NYC.
Is this look better than my original ideas?
Thanks

Looks great
As long as you don’t want more time in Rome

I am assuming you have some day trips planned from Padova and Bologna?

Is this look better than my original ideas?

I have no problem with giving a 'thumbs up'