Rome to Amalfi- 8 days

I would look at something like this ...
Rome (3 nts) Colosseum, Forum, St Peters, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps.
Naples (1 nt) Pompeii
Sorrento (2 nts) Capri
Positano (2 nts) Amalfi Coast

18 year old girls are not going to find Positano entertaining.

What do you like to do? Why are you drawn to the Amalfi Coast and what time of year are you traveling. Answers to these questions will help us help you.

Have you read a guide book about Rome and the A.C. to get you started? Rick Steves' books are full of money-saving strategies, too, and "Europe Through the Back Door" is full of helpful info on using trains, itinerary planning, etc.

Lonely Planet, which is probably more youth oriented than RS, says ...

Positano is the coast’s most picturesque and photogenic town, with steeply-stacked houses tumbling down to the sea in a cascade of sun-bleached peach, pink and terracotta colours. No less colourful are its steep streets and steps lined with wisteria-draped hotels, smart restaurants and fashionable boutiques.
Look beyond the facades and the fashion, however, and you will find reassuring signs of everyday reality – crumbling stucco, streaked paintwork and even, on occasion, a faint whiff of drains. There’s still a southern Italian holiday feel about the place, with sunbathers eating pizza on the beach, kids pestering parents for gelati and chic women from Milan checking out the boutiques. The fashionista history runs deep – Moda Positano was born here in the '60s and the town was the first in Italy to import bikinis from France.
John Steinbeck visited in 1953 and wrote in an article for Harper’s Bazaar: ‘Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.'
There certainly is something special about the place and this is reflected, predictably, in the prices, which tend to be higher here than elsewhere on the coast.

Just because you don't have money to enjoy it as perhaps some do, doesn't mean you still can't enjoy it.

Thank you all for your replies.

@Djp_syd would you recommend with that itenary that we make sorrento our home base as Rick steves often says, or stay the night in those places?

@Gerri, are you just letting me know that positano would be an uninteresting town on the amalfi coast to visit or are you saying the the amalfi coast in general would be uninteresting? What do you think would be better?

@Laurel, we will be traveling in July. I know it will be hot and crowded but we don't have much flexibility in our schedules. We are drawn to amalfi coast for its beauty mostly. We aren't too big fans of museums and history although we will immerse ourselves in that in Rome, and hope to visit Pompeii. I think for the most part we want a beautiful place to relax. It will be the last leg of our trip. (Istanbul- bodrum-Rome- amalfi coast) if you have any more suitable ideas for young ladies, please let me know. I've been reading books, surfing the web, and listening to ricks audio books but I wanted to hear from real people what they think.

I take it you will be using public buses.
I suggested Positano as a change of scenery from Sorrento.
Sorrento is perfect for you to get across to Capri for the day.
The Amalfi Coast is better for you to enjoy the sun, sea, beaches and bars.
Somewhere simple like this, though with spectacular views. http://www.palazzovingius.it/
July is high summer so it will be busy. Look for accommodation within your budget as soon as you can.
Try your dates in Tripadvisor and see whats available. www.tripadvisor.com
Circumvesuviana is the private rail line from Naples to Sorrento.
http://www.eavsrl.it/web/en/content/lines-and-maps
Campania Art Card may be attractive for you if you plan on several Museums and Archeological Sites (Pompeii).
http://www.campaniartecard.it/en/index.cfm

Wow you have done some research! Bravissima!

I actually think Positano and/or Sorrento would be nice. Is it 7 nights? Maybe 3 nights Rome and 4 AC. Sorrento is, as you meniton and Rick maintains, a great base.But Positano is more beachy. Maybe you can see Pompeii on the way from Rome, then lodge in Positano, Amlafi or Ravello for 4 nights. You can see Paestum from there, I believe.

Day 1 - arrive RO; plan a good overview walking tour in the evening

Day 2 - Rome

Day 3 - Rome

Day 4 - To A.C. via Pompeii

Day 5 - A.C.

Day 6 - Paestum, Capri?

Day 7 - A.C.

Day 8 - go home?

Money saving tips:

• Rent apartments whenever possible especially when you have 3 or more nights. Use VRBO, Booking.com or Airbnb
• Buy your ticket Rome to Naples as far in advance as possilbe for the deep discounts available

.

Sounds like a great trip. If Positano is too pricey for your dates, try Praiano or another small town along the Coast. You can hike along the Pathway of the Gods and definitely take the bus to Ravello for beautiful views and a fun place to eat (Cumpa something, lots of tourists but a unique experience with home cooking). Paestum has a nice beach if you can get there, also impressive ruins and a very good small museum. Buy some bread, buffalo mozzarella (made there), tomatoes and fruit, and picnic on the beach.

Some years ago I traveled with my daughter (20) to Amalfi Coast. Because it was mid August, and no hotels would book for less than a week, we used Sorrento as our 'home base' and explored a different town along the coast (by boat) and returned to Sorrento to enjoy the evenings. You can also easily take the little train up to Naples and Pompeii. It was much more relaxing than packing up every few days and moving.

Positano had beautiful beaches, but town is very pricey and has a small center basically at the dock. Sorrento had a lot more going on in the evenings as well as many restaurant options. When in Amalfi, definitely take the bus to Ravello (hill town). We continued to the next town, Scala, and had a magical meal in a place overlooking vineyards. Since we had no idea when the next bus would come, we took a walking path down to Ravello. In Capri, there is a chairlift that takes you to the top (Anacapri), but we decided to walk down and passed by a series of stone carved shrines and fantastic views.

Many people take the bus to each town, but we really liked the boats - same view and no hairpin curves. You didn't need to plan ahead, as the boats went to all the towns each day. We took the first one of the day, to get the most out of our day trips.

Money-Saving Tips: Our hotel was a 10 minute walk from center of Sorrento (much less than if we stayed in town); Traveling from Rome to Sorrento: check out bus option, if it still exists, as it's much less $ than the train and it takes you to center of Sorrento - otherwise you switch trains in Naples; there is a laundromat in Sorrento.

If you have 7 or 8 days in Italy, I agree with other posters about planning 3 days in Rome. I would recommend Sorrento as a home base with day trips to: Naples (1/2 day) by local train; Pompeii (1 day) by local train; Positano (1 day); Amalfi/Ravello (1 day) and Capri if you have time. Another option is to go to Sorrento for 3-4 days and then move on to another town for 3-4 days and take day trips from each, which was our original plan.

Many travel books say to plan 2-3 days in Amalfi Coast. We spent 8 days and always had something fun to do, even if it was a 'beach day.' I know you will have a fabulous time.

A better idea might be ...
Rome (3 nts)
--Day to Colosseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona
--Day to St Peters, Vatican
Sorrento (3nts)
--Day to Capri
--Day to Pompeii, Naples
Amalfi Coast (2 nts)
--If you fancy a change of scenery. Otherwise stay in Sorrento and make daily excursions