Post tour suggestions

Excellent - this is what I need. Someone telling me what is logistically possible.

Hello Susan. In the Rick Steves group tour you will be at places located north of Rome. So, in your extra days in Italy I guess you will want to go south of Rome. Consider a visit to the isle of Capri. Capri has a totally different kind of environment than the cities Rome and Florence and Venice. You could ride in a train from Rome to Naples, and ride on a boat (hydrofoil) to Capri. Stay at Capri that night. Be at Capri one whole day. The next day travel back to Rome. Naples is intense. Get in and out of Naples qickly. In Naples you may want to ride in a Taxi between the train station and the Beve Rello boat dock. There is an Express train from Rome to Naples (two hours).

I'm beginning to wonder if we should stay in Rome and day-trip? I've also pondered going to Ostica the night before our flight out, tour and spend the night there?

Worth moving to go to Siena (or alternative) for a night or two?

I think you have plenty of time to go one of north/south. North to the Tuscany region (including Siena if you want), or south to the Amalfi coast. You have 3 full days for fun. Get Ricks book on Italy or the Florence/Tuscany book (which they'll send you anyway).

If going north, pick a base city. You could use Siena, Perugia (my favorite), Cortona, etc. In Tuscany you need a car to get around. Plan well ahead so you know where you'll be going and what you want to see/do. Take a train to your base town and pick up the car there. It's about a 3-hour train ride to these cities. For example you could be in Perugia by 11am, get your car (rental right at station) and drive to Assisi, tour there, return Perugia and check into hotel. Day-2 2 or 3 hill towns, 3rd day 2 or 3 hill towns, return car in early evening and train back to Rome. BTW Perugia airport has flight every morning to Milan, its MUCH more convenient to fly out from a smaller city than from Rome

If going south, take train to Naples (under 2 hours) and then Circumvesuviana towards Sorrento. Get off at Pompeii (not sure about checking bags), tour the ruins, continue on to Sorrento. Day 2 either rent a car or take the bus along the Amalfi coast. Day 3 loaf around Sorrento in the am, go to Naples, check bags right there at the train station, go to Archeological museum, have one of the best pizzas in the world, do a walking tour. Then return to Rome or fly out of Naples on day 4.

BTW I've been on a RS tour and they start early every morning, so it will be no problem to be on a train by 8am; compared to most tour days, that will be a late start!

Since I have more space left, let me reiterate that flying from Rome would be my last choice. Airport area hotels are expensive and the area is not near Rome proper (eg. no charm). Many smaller cities (Perugia, Sienna, etc) have flights to a hub, and you get to spend your last evening in a pleasant place instead of going to Rome.

Mike,
I think I'll take Door #2. Seriously, thanks for your suggestions. Both excellent and considered, but I've just spent 2-3 hours wishing I had learned Italian and studying train, ferry, bus schedules, maps, etc.

See what you think.
Leave Rome 7:45 on fast train (leave bulk of luggage at "tour" hotel) arrive Naples 920. Tour Archaelogical Museum and take RSteves' Slice of Neapolitan Life tour. Either ferry (don't think that will be an option, but my husband would be thrilled) or train to Sorrento for NIGHT 1.
Day 2: Bus ride Amalfi Coast as far as Amalfi. Wander Positano, maybe hike Amalfi, return to Sorrento for Night 2
Day 3: Leave Sorrento early, visit Pompeii then switch train in Naples returning to the Rick Steves Tour hotel to collect stored luggage, stroll Rome one last time, sleep and fly out in a.m. Used reward miles so flight out of Rome is unavoidable.

Suggestions? Thanks.

Susan, sounds very doable. Also there are ferries between towns on the Amalfi coast, but not sure if they run in Oct. Don't take ferry to/from Sorrento, though; has to round the horn to the coast and takes a long time. Depending on time you spend in Naples 1st day, you may have time to also stop at Pompeii on way to Sorrento.

Suggestions: hire a guide or take a tour in Pompeii and thru Naples; even a multi-page tour from a book doesn't come close to giving the same info a guide tells you in 2-3 hours. Also see if your library has the Pimsleur Italian tapes. 90 lessons total, do one each day (I found I needed to listen 2-3 times to each lesson). Great to do in the car on the way to work. At the end you won't be fluent, but you'll be able to carry on basic conversations and I've found people really react well when they see you've spent some time learning their language. Lastly, on my tour people really found "less is more" for luggage.

Mike,

Thanks for your help. My husband and I have already committed to try the carryon bag only...I did 2 weeks in England once this way, so I'm hopeful.

Will have to look into the Italian on tape as well as consider your great suggestion for a guide.

Do you have any thoughts re: Sorrento lodging? Casa Astarita B&B,recommended by Rick, is appealing to me as is Il Nido.

There is no way to enjoy Rome in just a few days on a tour, so I would recommend that you stay in Rome and LEISURELY see the things you missed, and even revisit some that you did see. Get a 24 hour Hop On - Hop Off pass that goes to the key sights and gives you a lot of flexibility, then get off near a neighborhood of sidewalk cafe's and relax.

We tried to do Rome in 2 1/2 days in September, along with Florence, Siena, the Cinque Terre (which is a must see) and ended up in Paris. You will find that you'll want to go back, and more importantly, that you can do it independently at a reasonable cost thanks to the Internet and some wonderful people on this web site. Rick says it best, "Assume you will return". We decided halfway through our trip that we'd be back soon and are working on the plans now. You will too! Ciao.

We stayed at the Hotel Loreley in 2006. SPECTACULAR views over the ocean (although you have to request ocean-facing room with a balcony). We were traveling without firm plans and every morning we'd be down at the desk -- "can we stay another nite?". Ended up staying 4 nites instead of 2. I understand they are renovating it; rooms themselves were bare-bones and hotel gets mixed reviews. Probably lots of great places to stay, wouldn't worry to much about finding something decent.

Sorrento caters to a British crowd so they speak English in town. However in Naples a minimal knowledge of italian will be very useful.

Don't miss drinks overlooking the ocean at the Foreigners Club (pricy, but worth the sunset view). Also Compagnia Arts card is good for 3 days on the local train and at museums.

The Tourist Club in Sorrento is a great place to have lunch or a drink during the day. The terrace is huge and has great views, especially from the tables at the rail. The Tourist Club is the location of Sorrento's TI, also. Wandering around and shopping the side streets of Sorrento, stopping at an out-of-the-way place for a gelato, meal, or glass of wine---aaah! You can find wonderful inlaid wood pictures, lemon everything, it's all here.

about guides, I meant to suggest separate guides or tours in Naples and Pompeii. But if you find one with decent rates that'll do both, that be great!

Also along the Circumvesuviana track there is a stop at Castellammare which has a aerial tram at the station. Spectacular views on the ride up over Naples bay, so if you have some free time (and its running in October) you might want to ride it. A pic is at http://www.alfonsomartone.itb.it/qjafvk.html

If village Italy is appealing to you, you might consider heading north to Civita di Bagnoregio. Very close to Orvieto.

I spent one night in Bagnoregio in May and loved the village feel. Hotel Romantica Pucci is one of the nices places I've ever stayed and very reasonable.

Civita is a very cool hill town adjacent to Bagnoregio.

All of these places are described in the RS Italy book