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Positano vs Florence

Posted by on

Hi, I'm traveling to Rome and will be there from the March 18 - 23 (arrive in Rome 3/18 at 7AM, and leave Rome on 3/24 7AM). I booked a reasonable air+hotel package to Rome for that time period. From 3/18 to 3/20, I have various walking, museum, food tours, etc scheduled. What I can't decide on is what to do the the next day or two. I'm a little stuck between either doing something in Florence vs Positano. I'm hoping as I write this I am able to gain some clarity for myself. Also, any other input/ideas/opinions would be helpful in making up my mind. It will probably be a few years before I'm able to visit Italy again. I've not been to either Florence or Naples/Positano, but I have been to Rome before.

OPTION 1, Positano 3/21-3/22 or 3/21-3/23
Pros:
- Quieter (less tourists, less people)
- Beautiful coastal views and ambiance
- Slower pace when I'm actually in Positano
- Near water (I know it's probably too cold to actually swim)
- Can stop by Naples and Pompeii on way (would probably do 3/21-3/23 in this case)
- If cloudy, will still be pretty
Cons:
- Harder to get to cheaply and time consuming (train from Rome to Naples, train from Naples to Sorrento, bus from Sorrento to Positano). It doesn't look like the ferries in Naples to Positano are running yet during this time. If there was a reasonable private transfer from Rome to Positano, I might be open to that. I entertained renting a car but have decided against it.
- More travel time compared to Florence
- More expensive (cost of staying + cost of travel)
- Limited food options
- If rainy, stuck in hotel

OPTION 2 3/21 Florence
Pro:
- Ease of getting there
- I do enjoy architecture
- Good food
- Nice town/village feel (or so I've read/heard)
- I've always wanted to see the Tuscan landscape
- Regardless of it being a one day or one night stay, Florence still gives me the flexibility to do an additional day tour somewhere else or just more time in Rome (i.e., on 3/23 I wouldn't be spending a fair amount of time commuting just to continue commuting out of Italy on 3/24).
Con:
- colder than Positano
- Probably higher chance of rain or overcast skies (checked on a few different weather sites for data)
- Tuscan landscape probably still emerging from winter(?), so it'll probably not be as picturesque as what's in my mind

OPTION 3 - do a day trip with tour to Pompeii and Positano 3/21, do an independent day trip to Florence 3/22...I just don't know if 3 hours in Positano is enough for my liking.

I know it all comes down to personal preference, but if anyone has any other thoughts, I would appreciate it!

Posted by
12052 posts

I sure hope you trash can Option 3 and make a choice between 1 or 2.

With your limited time spending most of 2 days riding transport to and from is in my view a poor idea.

Posted by
8042 posts

I would think you have missed the window for low priced Frecciarossa tickets to Naples. The primary reason for choosing Florence is that it will be faster to get to than Positano. You are giving tremendous weight to a decision for a two-night runout somewher. It takes forever to get to and from Positano. (We visited from Sorrento.) I see little value in visiting a summer resort in March, but then I've never been in southern Italy at that time of year. Maybe others can say if all the global boutique shops (which I find boring and uninteresting, since you can see therm anywhere) in Positano are open in March.

Edit: Your OP is so long that it's not readable. But I just realized that you are returning from Rome on the 24th. NO ONE, especially budget travelers, can spend the night before their flight home, in Positano. The end.

Posted by
16708 posts

Personally? I think the choice is easy: scratch both option 1 and 3 because of the amount of travel involved. Save the coast/Pompeii for another trip when you can give it more time and the ferries are fully running (no, they don't service Positano in winter).

Two options:
Go to Florence on the 21st or early on the 22nd and return to Rome on the 23rd.

Depending on when you arrive in Rome, go directly to Florence on the 18th and return to Rome on the 20th. This would eliminate a hotel reservation for just one night (23rd) prior to flying out.

Posted by
4105 posts

Why not see if you can extend your hotel reservation in Rome, staying there the whole time, and doing a day trip to Orvieto. It's 1 hr 17 min from Rome, with many connections between the two. Rome has so much to see, you may end up wanting to spend more time there.

Posted by
1540 posts

I vote for Florence - a wonderful city to wander around. Plenty to see, great food, Don't forget to wander through the Central Market - so much to see there and you can get a delicious pork sandwich !!!

Posted by
16209 posts

Given the amount of travel involved to get to Positano, and the fact you are traveling basically at the end of winter, so potentially in not so great weather, I’d stick to cities, which are enjoyable with any weather. Florence would be my choice.

Posted by
1829 posts

At most you can spare 2 nights away from Rome, that means pick one place and no day trips on the way or during a 2 night stay. With checkin/checkout a 2 night stay is not long at all.

So different that it really depends on you and what you want to see (another historic city or the coast)

3 should be OUT, too much in too little time.

Issues with #1; 1 day there is a waste of the travel time so has to be 2. Given you have such short time I would skip Naples and Pompeii if you want to see the coast, see the coast, it takes more than 2 nights for most so you are short changing it on this trip anyway.
Second big issue is the out of season aspect and the weather. Think I could deal with the out of season factor well but would double check historic weather before booking anything.

Issues with #2 ; plan is fine with 2 nights in Florence but leaves you no day for day trips to the countryside ; not sure why you feel you have excess time for multiple trips. Again 2 nights in Florence is a short trip and you need at least that just to see the city highlights.
if the countryside is more of interest skip Florence and go to a hill town in the countryside for your 2 night extra side trip.

Posted by
378 posts

Option 4 - stay in Rome and do a day trip to Ostia Antica. It’s a smaller scale Pompeii but there is much to see. We took Metro Line B to the Piramide stop and then took the Roma-Lido train which is right next to the metro. The metro ticket is good for both the metro and the local train. We were just there on Sunday and enjoyed a full day. There is a Rick Steves walking tour you can download on your smartphone which was full of good information.

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