Traveling within Italy

There has been a lot written on this topic, so start with this thread (and sift through any relevant threads in the Italy Forum):
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/how-do-you-book-your-trip

Consider not going in August (every guidebook will tell you this because it's really, really hot at that time) and involve your adult sons in any planning activities so the entire burden doesn't fall on your shoulders. As a Plan B, check out the Rick Steves' "My Way" tours...they seem to strike a good balance in giving travelers the freedom they're looking for, while taking care of all logistics. Many people have had a really good experience with this type of tour, so maybe you can check out the tour reviews and perhaps send some folks who took them a private message (if you have additional questions and want to get their perspective).

You don't mention how long a trip you want but to do the cities you mention you'll need about 2-2.5 weeks.

Italy is a very easy country to visit without doing an escorted tour. Since you know the cities you wish to see you should start looking at flights. I would suggest booking an "open jaw" flight into one city and out another. I would fly into Venice and out of either Rome or Naples. This will prevent back tracking and save you a change of hotels.

Once you have your flights sorted I would book hotels for each city. I like to use either booking.com or venere.com. Be aware the hotel star ratings in Italy only give an indication of amenities and not quality. On both of the sites mentioned you can read reviews from customers who have completed a stay. This is the only way to be able to write a review so they are pretty honest.

Decide which sites you wish to see in each city to help determine how long you'll stay in each. Once you have that figured out you can book transportation between each city. The train system in Italy is really good and if you book 120 days in advance you can get great fares, just be aware that these fares are not changeable or refundable. You can use the official train site to look for fares. Use the Italian names of the cities and change the date and time to get an idea of schedules and prices. You won't be able to check for August but try January or February to get an idea.

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Once you get that all settled you can come back with a list of sites and we can help you with an itinerary.

Donna

Well, Marcela, next summer will be an exciting time for you and your sons, traveling overseas, and especially in Italy, is wonderful! Both independent travel and tours have advantages and disadvantages, so it is good to explore both possibilities. All the locations you mention are wonderful, in different ways. I'm sure you realize already that August is a very crowded (with visitors) and very hot and humid time in Italy. On this forum you will certainly find plenty of people who do independent travel, tour travel (especially Rick Steves tours, which are highly thought of and always include a good mix of group activities and free time to explore on your own), both independent and tour travel at different times, and sometimes both during the same trip, which has become my own favorite. I don't know Perillo Tours, but have you looked at the Rick Steves tours described elsewhere on this same website? In order for people on this forum to provide any useful guidance, I think it would be helpful for you to start by providing some additional information, including: (1) how many nights do you expect to spend in Italy, not including your travel days from home? (2) do you have an overall budget in mind for your whole trip? (3) where in the US, or elsewhere, are you traveling from? and (4) what are the main interests of yourself and your sons, such as history, art, outdoor sports or activities, food and wine, etc. Also, are the particular locations you mention definite preferences based on some research, or just some possibilities leaving you open to other ideas? I hope you will find this forum very helpful, it's great that you have gotten involved as you begin your planning and many months in advance. Some people write just a few weeks before their trip, with air tickets already purchased, which makes it much tougher for people to help.

With two college student age boys, an escorted tour would be too regimented. Although the tour operator would be taking care of transportation, rooms and tours, you'd be missing out on the adventure and general craziness of traveling through Italy with young adults.
I agree with others in avoiding Italy in the very hot part of the Summer. The earlier the better.
I began touring Europe in the 70's while a student at the University of Innsbruck on a Summer program. We have traveled through Austria and Italy many times since, and that Summer was a highlight of my life. I remember just about every crazy situation we got into like it was yesterday.

Italy is very easy to do on your own - Start in Venice and work your way down the boot to Rome and Naples/the Amalfi Coast. Depending on how much time you have you may add other stops along the way - Padua, Verona, Bologna, Florence. Trains are cheap, fast and frequent along this central spine - also very easy to book and a joy to use. Accommodation in clean, comfortable 2/3 star hotels/BnBs are generally very good value.

marcela,

With proper planning, this is something you can easily do yourself in a cost effective manner. The group here on the forum can help you sort out the details. You'll get a lot of good information from reading Europe Through The Back Door and also the Rick Steves Italy guidebook, and that will help you to start the planning. Since you haven't travelled before, there are a lot of small "differences" you'll face in Europe, and Europe Through The Back Door provides good information on those.

Some additional information would be helpful. For example....

• Is it possible you could take this trip earlier than August, or in September? August is not the best month to be travelling in Italy as it will be HOT & CROWDED!
• How long will this trip be?
• Where are you flying from?
• What kind of budget are you working with?
• Is there a particular part of the Amalfi Coast you're interested in seeing?

As someone else suggested, have a look at the Thread titled How Do You Plan Your Trip in the General Europe section of the forum, as that may help.

With some additional information, it will be easier to provide more specific suggestions.

Great ideas - I would look at an RS "My Way" tour for planning purposes (there are scrapbooks and reviews posted on this site). Get a good, basic guidebook for Italy - RS or Lonely Planet (LP is great for young travelers).

If you decide to plan it yourself, let the boys get involved in the planning and execution of the trip.

Keep posting here for more ideas as your plan comes together.