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Thoughts/advice on this itinerary Rome, Amalfi Coast, Venice?

Ciao! We are flying into Rome late September, and out of Rome 17 days later. Here is what we are thinking so far: first 5 nights in Rome. Then we would take a train from Rome to Sorrento. 3 nights in Sorrento. Then take a private car with a stop and Pompeii (any suggestions here?) to Positano. 4 nights in Positano, (too many nights?). Then we are thinking of somehow getting up to Venice, (thoughts on best way from Positano to Venice?) spend two/three nights in Venice and then one/two final night(s) in Rome before heading home.

Any thoughts, suggestions, advice, guidance about any aspect of this would be greatly appreciated. Suggestions for hotels, activities and restaurants on the Amalfi coast, particularly Sorrento and Positano? I know we are thinking of spending at least one full day in Capri but otherwise have no clue what we should do besides eat great food and sip great wine. Grazie!!!

Posted by
6173 posts

thoughts on best way from Positano to Venice?

There are direct Frecciarossas (High speed trains) from Naples to Venice.

Posted by
4212 posts

Why not just visit Pompeii from Sorrento, easy to do on the commuter train. Then you can take a ferry from Sorrento to Positano. The other full day in Sorrento, you could visit Capri.
There is great hiking in the area, but otherwise it is mostly about la dolce vita. Ferry to village, rinse/repeat. I would consider adding a day to Venice.

I would consider heading to the coast on the day you arrive, then Venice, finishing in Rome, but I just dislike splitting stays.

Posted by
633 posts

I second Valadelphia's suggestions to visit Pompeii from Sorrento and taking the ferry to Positano. Four nights in Positano let us spend a day each in Ravello, Amalfi, and Capri. but we did not spend any nights in Sorrento--do you need both? I'd want at least 3 nights for Venice.

Posted by
4756 posts

I'll also echo Valedelphia's suggestions.
- head straight to Sorrento on arrival
-visit Pompeii and Capri from Sorrento
-ferry to Positano from Sorrento
- ferry to Naples to catch train to Venice
-add at least a day to Venice
-do Rome all at the end of your trip

Posted by
11027 posts

On the premise the flights in/out of Rome is 'set in stone', I would go to Venice directly, then Sorrento/Positano and do all the Rome days at the end. Saves on a hotel moving day.

Posted by
5953 posts

Any chance you can change return flight to Venice? Although it is a bit more complicated to leave from Venice it is not impossible. We've done it without problems.

How many NIGHTS do yo actually have in Italy?

We did something similar - started in Rome then Sorrento/Amalfi to Salerno. Train to Venice and flew home from there.

If you can't change flight I agree that going to Sorrento or Venice first is better than splitting your nights in Rome

maybe this?
Arrive Rome
To Sorrento- I'd give this 4 nights and Positano 3- visit Pompeii, Capri and Naples from Sorrento
To Positano 3 nights- visit Amalfi, Ravello from here
Ferry to Salerno then train to Venice- 3 nights- it's about 6 hours direct
Then train back to Rome for the final 5-6 nights.

Or:
Arrive Rome
Go to Venice 3 or 4 nights
Train to Salerno then ferry to Positano 3 nights (there are 6 ferries a day, timing should work and the ferry ride was wonderful, great views along the coast)
Sorrento 4 nights
Positano 3 nights
Rome 5 or 6 nights

We spent 2 nights in Salerno to visit Paestum and enjoyed our time in Salerno very much, so you might consider adding time there if Paestum is of interest.

Posted by
85 posts

Ciao Grateful traveler. If your heading to Italy in late September we might cross paths. We will be there for 3 weeks and leave Sept 27th to Milan. We are doing similar trip so if I may ask is this your first time to Italy or have you been before? I see that Florence is not on the list so just wondering if both of you have been before or you just want to focus on the Amalfi Coast? What I read in RS book and from articles is that its easier to do and see things from Sorrento. Positano is more pretty but also more expensive. So if you have 17 full days you can spend 3 days in Rome unless you really want more time there? Going off of RS Italian trips listed online he normally does 2 days in Rome unless its his 7 week Rome trip. In two days you can see the main sites so add a third and your golden. Four if you really want more. Obviously Roma is the Internal City so I'm not trying to be disrespectful to it but if you want to see more you don't need to stay so long there.

After Rome you can fly to Venice or high speed train. Were flying from Venice to Naples and its around $60 USD. You can also do a train but compare costs, time etc and see. So Venice spend 3 days then catch Flight to Naples in the morning. Check Google Flights for costs etc. When you land in Naples 20- 30 minutes away by taxi, bus is this beautiful palace and gardens that's worth visiting if you like that sort of thing. I'm drawing a blank on the name. After you visit the gardens etc for a 2-3 hours then catch the train/ or bus to Sorrento. You can spend 4 -5 days there and visit Positano for the day via a public bus or day tour from Sorrento. One day can be to visit Capri, another for visiting a limoncello olive farm and another for doing a tour to Vesuvious and Pompeii. Also add a day for not doing anything but relaxing walking around Sorrento. You can rent a car yourself if your concerned with the C or try and hire a private tour guide too. Online there's tours to Pompei etc from Sorrento. Now if neither of you have been to Florence then I say include it. Ideally you need 4 days to truly see Florence with day trip to Siena if you wanted. If you just want to go to Italy and just relax than edit out Venice but I think you have the time to do it all if you wanted without your trip feeling rushed. Remember you can take evening trains to your next destination or morning trains depending on your time frame. f you want give me your email and I can send you my travel itinerary as a template for you to use. It will be reversed because were flying into Milan instead of Rome but I think it actually ended up being a blessing in disguise for our trip. Your trip is going to be amazing and lots of fun.

So yes to peoples suggestions above
3-4 days Rome
3 -4 days Venice
4- 5 days Sorrento
4- 5 days In Florence if you want to add this to trip or not. If you've never been do so.

Posted by
15678 posts

Grateful Traveler has been to Italy before so not his first rodeo. :O)

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/transport-from-rome-to-positano

I could go with either of Christine's itineraries except for the 3 days in Positano: we did it as a day trip from Sorrento and were glad we chose to do it that way as there's really very little to do there. No right or wrong, just IMHO. We also did Pompeii from Sorrento; easypeasy by cheap local commuter train (Circumvesuviana).

We also chose to stay a couple nights on Capri as it's one of those places, like the Cinque Terre, which is at its best when the day trippers aren't around. There is also a lot to do on the island if interested in what it has to offer. I'll highly recommend the hike up to the ruins of Villa Jovis, the chairlift (at Anacapri) to the top of Mt Solaro (can hike down the mountain if so inclined), a walk on the Pizzolungo coastal path, and just generally scouting out the narrow, pedestrian-only paths that serve as "streets". Some folks enjoy boat trips around the coast of the island too. Anyway, spend some time with the website, and ignore the heavy emphasis on tours as you don't need them:

https://www.capri.com

Sorrento: we loved Hotel Antiche Mura. No sea views but that didn't bother us as we got plenty of those during our sightseeing hours. They've been seeing stellar reviews for years.
https://hotelantichemura.com

Rome? 5 nights isn't too many for the Eternal City. Far from it. We've been multiple times and my must-see/do-over list is long! You could also day trip to the hill town of Orvieto from there? It's about 90 minutes or less by train from Roma Termini and is favorite with most RS posters who've done it.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/orvieto-what-an-italian-hill-town-should-be

Posted by
5953 posts

We stayed in Amalfi
Positano was worth a few hours to us
But I think OP has decided on Positano

Posted by
3961 posts

We took a culinary tour a number of years ago that included Positano and Sorrento. We enjoyed both and as mentioned up thread Positano was a good base for Ravello, Amalfi and Capri. Our hotel on Positano was Savoia Positano. Lovely family run hotel, centrally located, & close to ferries. We had one of our cooking classes there and we’re very pleased with the cuisine. www.savoiapositano.it
Our hotel in Sorrento was Grand Hotel de la Ville. Lovely rooftop bar, fabulous views of the Gulf of Naples, beautifully appointed rooms & the best breakfast we had on our tour. 10 min. easy walk from the center & 5 minutes from the train. Edited to add: add more time to Venice. https://www.delavillesorrento.com/

Posted by
50 posts

On the Amalfi Coast I would use Sorrento as my home base in that area, RS's recommendation. I didn't see to spend much time in Positano, not my cup on tea unless all I wanted to do was sit and drink. As others mentioned, from Sorrento you can take the boat to Capri, take a bus or private taxi to a day trip to Positano, Ravello etc., take the slow commuter train north to Pompeii, Vesuvius, and Naples.

Spend more time in Venice and drop Positano. Fly into Venice first, then taken train to Rome and straight to Sorrento (I think you must change in Naples to get the slow train to Sorrento) and go back to Rome for time there.

Posted by
24 posts

This all so great, thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts!! I do like the thought of saving Rome for the end, but we are going to overlap with friends in Rome at the beginning, so we are set on that itinerary to begin. I have been to Florence as we went on the 9 day Rick Steves tour a few years back. We loved Cinque Terra, and would love to go again, but I am thinking we do Venice this trip as I have never been there.

Posted by
5953 posts

That sounds great.

Don’t shortchange Venice, especially because you will be spending a decent amount of time getting there and back.

Do you need to spend first 5 days in Rome, could it be 4?

Check the weather info for both Venice and Sorrento to figure when best to visit- don’t know but going north first might be wise early October.
Ferries typically run thru Oct- weather permitting.

Check now for lodgings. Availability and pricing might also help you decide which direction to go first.
Booking. com is a good starting place.

Check transportation times/cost. I always chose to go with the simplest most direct, not necessarily the least expensive.

Take a picnic on the longer train ride and use it as a rest day.

Rome 4
Sorrento 4
Amalfi coast 3
Venice 3 or 4, 4 would be awesome since you’ve never been there.
Rome 2

or
Rome 4
Venice 3 or 4
Salerno to Amalfi coast 3
Sorrento 4
Rome 2

Rome and Venice will be your hectic places so I’d lean towards splitting them up.

Posted by
15560 posts

I would also recommend spending a minimum of 3 nights in Venice. Assume you will use most of a day getting there and the better part of another one leaving, so 3 nights really only gives you 2 full days to explore a completely charming city.

There are no trains from Rome to Sorrento. You'll take a train as far as Naples, then transfer to the local metro (the Circumvesuviana). As others have said, Sorrento is a good base to explore - the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as Naples and the superb National Archaeology Museum - are easily reached on the Circumvesuviana. It's also the shortest ferry ride to Capri. And there are enough good restaurants for as many dinners as your nights require. On the other hand, there is not much of anything to see in the town itself.

I haven't been to Positano, though I've visited most of the rest of the Amalfi Coast. My impression is that if you want a scenic place to kick back and relax, it's great (though expensive). If you want to day trip along the AC, you'll probably do better with staying in one of the other villages, where it's easier to get around by bus and ferry. Another idea is to stay in Salerno, which is the terminus of the AC bus line and the ferry routes as well. Added bonus - there are direct trains to Venice, and others that require only one easy transfer in Bologna. Salerno will be cheaper than the AC villages, it has a well-preserved historic center to explore, excellent restaurants, a large sandy beach and a seaside promenade.

Posted by
24 posts

OK, we've switched it up to add an extra day to the trip and we are now flying out of Venice on the last day so no need to go back to Rome.

Posted by
5953 posts

Oh! that is excellent!

Let us know if you need help figuring out how to get to the airport in Venice.
Is flight early am?

Posted by
5953 posts

Do a search here on forum
The issue of getting to VCE early comes up a lot

You have a few options
Private water taxi - about 115 euros
Alilaguna boat
Bus from Piazzale Roma

Posted by
24 posts

I am going to start a new thread as this is starting to take shape, but is now bringing up other questions!

Posted by
870 posts

First of all, Rome to Sorrento you can take the train to Napoli Centrale, then proceed downstairs to Garibaldi. The Campania Express is much more comfortable than the Circumvesuviana commuter train:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule

Here is the C, running on the same tracks:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule

Notice that they stop at Pompeii Scavi; so for your visit, add a day to Sorrento and do a day trip from there.

Ferries from Sorrento:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/ferry-schedule

Note that the port area in Positano is pedestrian only, with baggage porters; one reason I prefer Amalfi.

With respect to Venice, have a driver take you to Napoli Afragologa [e.g. Sorrentocars] for the direct train at 10:20 [taking 5:14]. That avoids the downtown traffic using Napoli Centrale. Rate around €120, something to think about Rome to Sorrento if your hotel is not close to the Sorrento station.

However if willing to hire a driver, con sider going to Positano first; straight to the hotel not having to walk up from the port; then the ferry to Sorrento.