I need some help with my itinerary. I think I read way too many reviews and getting lost a bit.
I am planning to leave Rome on Oct 17 and go to Amalfi cost for 2 days then to Venice. My current plan is to take a train from Rome to Naples then rent a car and drive to Amalfi coast and stop by Pompii. Stay in Amalfi for 2 nights and drive back to Naples to take a train to Venice.
Should I rent a car from Rome instead of Naples? Is driving really a bad idea in mid October? Is there a better route?
It would seem simpler to take the train Rome to Naples (one hour); at Naples transfer to the Circumvesuviana and take it to Pompeii (3.50 euros).
At Pompeii store your bag either at the cloak roam there or at the train station (8 euros). After touring Pompeii hop back on the Circumvesuviana and continue to the end of the line Sorrento.
And the tell you the truth you it seems like you are trying too hard and should just save Calabria/ Amalfi Coast area as a separate trip and not just 2 days.
Driving the Amalfi Coast is not to be taken lightly. I've driven plenty of crazy places, but I wouldn't do it - I'd take the bus.
It is a long way to go, especially if when you go back you are headed all the way to Venice. I'd at least investigate flying from Naples to Venice, it might work better. But as Jazz+Travels correctly points out, it might just be better to skip the Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi side-trip entirely for another time when you can do it justice.
How long will you be in Rome?
How long do you plan for Venice?
Where else are you going?
Seems like a LONG detour that gives you too little time to enjoy the AC
I know i am trying to squeeze too many cities in too little time (rookie mistake). My entire plan is....
Rome (3 nights)> Train > Naples > car > Pompii/Amalfi (1night) > car > Naples ( 1 night to catch early train in the morning > Train> Venice (1 night) > train > Florence (2 night) > train > Rome (1 night to catch flight in the morning)
After reading more reviews, i really dont want to drive and find parking all day. I am thinking about going to Cinque Terre instead of AC. Thoughts?
Rome (3 nights)> Train > Naples > car > Pompii/Amalfi (1night) > car > Naples ( 1 night to catch early train in the morning > Train> Venice (1 night) > train > Florence (2 night) > train > Rome (1 night to catch flight in the morning)
After reading more reviews, i really dont want to drive and find parking all day. I am thinking about going to Cinque Terre instead of AC
Sorry, OP, but your plan looks totally unrealistic to me. You aren't factoring in the amount of time you're spending on travelling from place to place. By the time you get to Naples, get to the car rental place, drive to Pompeii and park, tour Pompeii (anything under 3 hours here is a waste of time - we spent twice that), then drive to Amalfi, find parking, and check into your hotel, it will be mid to late afternoon. So you'll have a couple of usable hours that day to see Amalfi. Then the next day you'll have the morning and part of the afternoon before driving back to Naples???? Same thing with Venice. It's a 5+ hr train ride. So by the time you arrive in Venice and get to your hotel it will be mid-afternoon already. And you want to leave the next day? You aren't giving yourself enough time to see much of anything in either place. Substituting CT for AC isn't going to make it any better. IMO, you need to eliminate either Venice, Florence, or your coastal stay, depending on your priorities. But that's just my opinion. If this is just a trip to tick off as many places as possible from a checklist, then it's possible.
Your plan looks more like an Amazing Race challenge or an "I've been there" trip.
If you have not yet booked your airfare, look at flying into Venice and back from Rome. Venice really needs more than one night.
Your could do Venice, Florence, Rome or Venice, CT, Rome depending on what your interests are. With such a short trip, a 'one-way' routing is imperative. Going to the AC is crazy, in your time frame and other planned destination ( sorry, now way to sugar coat it)
If you have already purchased your air as a r/t in-out of Rome, then your best plan likely would be going directly to your farthest point on arrival and work your way back to Rome and do all your Rome days in a single stay at the end.
I would eliminate the northern section of Florence and Venice on this Italy trip.
land in Rome
fast train to Naples
train(Circumvesuviana), ferry, bus or private car to Sorrento for 4 nights
train back to Rome for 4 nights then fly out
From Sorrento you can explore the amalfi coast, naples, pompeii, capri and by leaving Rome till the end our your trip you avoid spend just one last night in Rome.
my 2 cents
Also remember to slow down and enjoy Italy. You don't want your vacation to be one long blur of packing/unpacking and train stations and hotel transfers. You can't see it all so don't try and it gives you and excuse to come back! I'm leaving in a few days ( AC, Rome, Venice) and already looking at my next Italy trip to Sicily :)
Thanks for all the comments. I am taking AC out of the plan.
I can’t change my flight now but I realize now that flying in and out of Rome wasn’t the best idea. But that can’t be change so it is what it is on that.
I like the idea of going to Venice first then tour Rome at the end but I don’t fly into Rome til midnight so I didn’t want to get up and leave early for Venice the next morning so I thought it would be better to stay in Rome and tour 3 days first then go to Venice and the rest.
Any recommendations on which town to stay in CT?
