Traveling through Italy with 8 people

There are trains that will take you from Venice to Verona and on to Lake como. From there I would take the train to Florence and rent the van there. You can rent a 9 passenger van from companies such as Avis or Budget. I would return the van to Florence and take the train for the rest of your trip. You really don't need it except for the Tuscany part of your journey.

You won't be able to drive into any of the cities you mention and parking is expensive and hard to find.

Donna

And driving a van along the Amalfi Coast may be a challenge; in a regular small sedan my friends and I had to pull in the side view mirrors and had centimeters to spare through the road near Positano.

Annie,

I will only answer your first question because I have not rented a car in Italy.

It's very easy to get to Verona from Venice via train.

You can take the freccia ( high-speed) train that will take 1hr,10mins or
a Regionale Veloce (fast regional) that will take 1hr, 27 mins.

What lakeside town/village in Lake Como are you traveling to?

You can take the freccia train from Verona to Milano Centrale
then transfer to a Regionale train to get to your destination ( Varenna, Lecco, Como)

This is the website for train schedules: http://www.trenitalia.com

Make sure you use Italian names for the train stations when looking up train schedules;
Venice= Venezia S. Lucia

Verona= Verona Porta Nuova,

Milan's Central Station= Milano Centrale, etc...

Happy planning!

Check rental prices on:
www.kemwel.com
www.autoeurope.com
(they are consolidators part of the same corporate group, but prices differ so check both)

In my experience two compact cars are always much cheaper than one van. Also don't forget that you need room for the luggage too, not just the passengers.

Just checked the above consolidators for a sample week in Sept 2015 with pick up and drop off in Florence. These are the cheapest options I could see (with either Hertz or Europcar):

One economy car $181/week
One compact car $205/week
One midsize car $304/week
One 9-pax van $607/week

So you could actually rent 3 smaller cars for the price of a 9 pax van.

Two or more cars offer more flexibility in case some people in the party want to do something different than others. In addition smaller cars are easier to handle (and park) in the narrow spaces that characterize ancient Italian towns.

Trains serve every town on your list, except Positano and Capri. See more about tickets, passes, and schedule links at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/italy-rail-passes.

How fantastic you all have been! Thank you so much for all the great advise!

Couple of other questions.
If I take a train to most of my destinations... How would I get to Positano and Capri and then to Naples for flight home?
I am looking at a weekly home rental in Lucca for the Tuscany, Florence, etc... Portion of my trip.
Any hotel recommendations for the Venice, Rome, Positano, Lake Como areas. Something in the 3-4 star range.

Annie,

I don't know where you plan to stay in Lake Como but I recommend Albergo Milano in Varenna.

You can stay in the hotel or in one of their apartments.

We actually stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment (Casa Gialla) adjacent (a few steps away) to the hotel & it was quiet & charming.
The price of the apartment also included a delicious breakfast at the hotel!

Be aware that the hotel is closed during the winter months, so they may not answer your booking request right away.

I have not been to Positano or Capri so will let others answer your questions.

Happy travels!

Edit: This is the website for the hotel & you can book directly with them: http://varenna.net/ITA/hotel.html

You can take a bus to Positano and a ferry to Capri.

About star ratings.,.....

Star ratings in Italy are not an indication of quality. They are an indication of amenities. A really horrible hotel that has a restaurant will get a higher star rating that a great hotel without one. When looking for hotels always read the reviews! booking.com and venere.com are two great booking sources. Their reviews are written by people who have completed a stay so they are very accurate. I would base my choice off of those reviews and not a star indication.

Donna

So from Rome to Positano via bus? And then how do I get to Naples?

So from Rome to Positano via bus? And then how do I get to Naples?

Rome to Naples via highspeed train, the Frecciarossa, then Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento, then bus to Positano. OR Rome to Salerno via Frecciarossa and back to Positano by bus, changing buses in Amalfi Town. Back to Naples by reversing either through Salerno or Sorrento. It's not easy to visit the Amalfi Coast but it is beautiful! You can research Frecciarossa schedules online at www.Trenitalia.com and see if through Salerno or through Naples works best for you. You can peruse the bus schedules here Public Transportation Amalfi Coast.

Ok guys,

Looking for a beautiful hotel in Positano with incredible water views. Semi luxury ( 300-400$ a night) any suggestions? Also looking for the same thing in Rome and Venice.
Will take suggestions:-) please

If you are okay with the price, you can arrange private transfer from Napoli Centrale to your hotel; your hotel may provide this service or be able to arrange it for you.

Sounds like a great idea. That way we don't have to worry about a car.
Thanks

Traveling as a family of 4 we often split up into smaller 'teams'; with 8 people you will drive each other nuts if everyone has to go everywhere together. Having two cars and perhaps rotating who travels in each will give you the chance to wait a lot less and occasionally decide to go in a couple of different directions. Since you can cram 5 into a car for a day trip if you have to, it also gives you some flexibility if you have a couple of sick people at some point.

Would love some recommendations on places to stay in Sorrento. Was told there is more to do there than in Positano and that we should consider staying there instead.
Thoughts on decision? Thought on a few places to stay with 6 people? Not far from town.