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Pre tour plans

I'm planning my first Europe trip for next year -- Going by myself. The tour starts in Rome. I was planning on flying into either Rome or Naples and spending two days in Sorrento. See Pompeii and either Blue Grotto or Amalfi coast. Has anyone tried this? Has this worked for other people? Too ambitious for a single first time traveler (travel connections and transfers)? Or better to relax in Rome and maybe day trip to just Pompeii? Or add the extra days to the end of the trip, which would be somewhere else? I'm not too worried about jet lag issues, I'm a nurse I work weird hours.

Posted by
13800 posts

Where does your tour end?

It does not sound too ambitious for a first-timer to me but 2 nights in Sorrento just gives you 1 full day in the area. I've not been there but that might not be enough time for the effort to get there.

How many nights does your tour spend in Rome? Most only have a couple of nights which is not enough in my view. I've done a couple of Rick Steves tours that stayed there 2 or 3 nights and on my first trip I appreciated added time in Rome.

I'll add that I always try to add time before and after a tour. As a solo traveler, I usually do either Rick Steves or Road Scholar tours and like to arrive at least the day before if not 2 days before. I have never had a travel hiccup getting to my tour start city but many of my tour mates have including folks who didn't arrive until after the tour started due to flight cancellations.

Posted by
14800 posts

Do either. If you want to go south before your trip it's easy by train.

I would suggest staying in Sorrento rather than Naples. Easy trip to Pompei and easier for sightseeing the Amalfi Coast. I personally would choose the Amalfi coast over the Blue Grotto.

Read what Rick Steves has to say about train travel in Italy and you should be fine.

The other way is fine as well. There are places in Rome the tour will not get to and you could use the time so see them.

Or....if you prefer where the tour ends, do it there

Or do both if you can manage the time.

You will find more direct flights to Rome than Naples. The train from Rome to Naples is only 1:15. From there you can switch to a local train to Sorrento or get a direct bus.

Posted by
4209 posts

Try to give yourself at least two full days (three nights)--one for Pompeii and one for the Amalfi coast or Capri. Otherwise, sounds great! It works for Rome or Naples, but Naples would be better if the flights work out. Once you have it sorted, we can help with the logistics, but the Naples-AC area is great for public transit. I would not day trip from Rome unless you have little hope of ever getting back--too much time on a train for a day trip to me.

Posted by
1259 posts

So I'm clear, you are not part of a tour, you're going solo and making all of your plans on your own?

The desire to squeeze as much as possible into a vacation is strong but you may end up not getting a chance to relax. If you were meeting up with other folks, perhaps who have the chops to make complex arrangements, you could just follow in their wake. However, other experienced travelers here are going to say, relax, take a deep breath, do the research, check the guide books, and do as much as you think you can stand. It's just not that complicated. My two Euros: plan also on two days post-tour. You can relax, savor the last two or three weeks, ride a train to see a distant town's attractions, or arrange for a private guide.

Happy travels! Be sure to drop in next year and tell us about your trip.

Posted by
14 posts

I'm traveling by myself and joining a Rick Steve's tour in Rome, 14 Europe. Which will end in Paris. This is late next Sept. I've looked into logistics of the Sorrento add-on time, and was close to realizing this would be more practical as a 3 night. But this runs into calendar issues with the time I have off work. I could easily add 2 nights before or 3 after. Add-ons after the trip would likely be London or Amsterdam, but I haven't looked at train/time details yet.

Posted by
6777 posts

I see that the tour only schedules 3 nights /.2 full days in Rome: adding two nights in Rome is worthwhile.
Otherwise I agree that going to Sorrento is no small amount of travelling for just one full day with lingering jetlag.
So if you really want to go somewhere the tour does not go, then you probably need to aim somewhere closer. Tivoli perhaps?

As for add-ons at the end: the tour itinerary looks exhausting; I would definitely not add London, which is a hectic, spread-out metropolis. Amsterdam is more reasonable, and 3 nights seem adequate if you are not the type of person who will spend half a day at a museum.

Posted by
4209 posts

It's a tough call, but I'd either choose two days pre-tour in Rome or three post-tour--Amsterdam is great for a solo traveler, a very easy place to explore, with some cute nearby towns on the train line.

Posted by
13800 posts

Since it's the 14 day tour, I'd add 2 nights to Rome which gives you a full day and most of 2 half days on your own AND I'd add 1 night in Paris at the end. The tour is only in Paris for 2 nights and arrives mid-day from Beaune so not much time there.

I would save Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, London and Amsterdam for your next tripS, lol!

To me, this tour is not particularly exhausting. I did the 21 day Best of Europe plus 2 other back to back tours as a retirement present to myself. I was still NOT ready to come home, lol!!

Posted by
3961 posts

It’s a toss up. We’ve always arrived a couple days pre tour to explore the places that are not included on the tour. In addition we have also extended our stay post tour either in the same city or elsewhere. If time is limited I probably would opt to add more time in Rome. There is so much to see, especially for a first visit.

Since the tour ends in Paris, another option would be to add a day to Paris!

Posted by
1025 posts

RS correctly notes that Italy becomes more frenetic and "Italian" the further south you travel. First European trip? I'd start in Rome, relaxing and getting un-jet lagged rather than heading for Naples off the bat. Naples is absurdly fun; it is also like a combination of Mardis Gras and the Burning Man Festival. All great fun, but not necessarily for beginners. Sorrento is exquisite, but I would schedule more than 2 days (3 nights) to really enjoy it.

Keep it simple, and save places like Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, and Naples for your next trip to Bella Italia. You'll be glad you eased into it rather than peak bagging some smaller places on your first foray into Italy (and Europe).

Posted by
14 posts

Thanks everyone.

Confirmed some things I was concerned about - a lot of of travel to do Sorrento & the 'southerness' of going south of Rome in Italy (as my jumping off point!). Also gave me some new things to think about - Ostia Antica. I think Sorrento is out this trip. Do 1-2 days in Rome before the trip and look at options in and around Paris or Amsterdam for 2-3 days after.

Posted by
68 posts

We were making plans for our upcoming (5weeks from today!) Italy trip and were planning on Naples, Amalfi Coast etc.. I posted some questions about what to do/see and mentioned the Blue Grotto. The pictures are so beautiful . Surprisingly I received quite a few
Negatives about the Blue Grotto. Most said it wasn’t worth it because of crowds, might not be able to do it because of weather and that it was definitely a tourist trap. Not worth the $ some said.
In the end we decided to go North instead so Amalfi coast is out. Just a suggestion for you to research the BG well and maybe ask for more comments on it from those who’ve been there.

Thought I’d share that… not trying to talk you out of it.
I appreciate both the pro’s and con’s from others about new places, thought you might as well.

Happy Travels!

Posted by
1357 posts

The only help I can offer is that we spent approximately 3 hours inside Pompeii and felt we covered it pretty well. The town of Pompei is also worth wandering. Haven't been to Sorrento, Grotto, Amalfi, etc.