We will be going on the Best of Southern Italy tour this fall and are looking for suggestions as to what we could do for 3-5 days after the tour ends in Naples. Ideally we would like to be relatively close to a major airport to keep our travel day home simple.
Thank you!
We will need more information.
Is this your first visit to Italy?
Do you like museums, ruins, beach...
I agree more context is needed here. Are you taking any time in Rome before the trip? Have you seen Rome and the north and that's why you're doing the south?
My generic advice is probably spend an extra day or two in Naples and then head back to Rome. Only 2 days in Rome barely scratches the things to see and do there and this will allow you to fly round trip into and out of Rome. But this could completely change with added context.
Let us know,
=Tod
I was on the Villages tour last Fall - this is my 2nd time in Italy. My sister has never been to Italy.
Our initial plan is to arrive in Rome 3 days prior to the start of the tour then plan something different on the tail end. Since we will have spent a total of 5 days in Rome (3 days before the tour, 2 days on the tour) we’d like something different to end the trip with. Since we will see many museums and churches on our tour, we will be more interested in exploring on our own, maybe doing some hiking/shopping/relaxing. I thought about going to Sicely but that seems like a lot to add in terms of getting there.
I loved the villages tour, so maybe some small-ish towns that are within reach would be fun. And I do like the idea of being able to fly in and out of Rome.
Thank you so much!
When planning public transport only trips, I go to maps or the train website and look to see where I could get from the place in question, in this case Rome. Is it literally three days? You have to account for getting back to the airport. Many here are fans of Orvieto, so that is one you might check out.
You didn’t mention wanting to drive, which would open up options but of course not necessary if you can find something you’d like otherwise. But hiking/nature can be more challenging without your own wheels.
Okay I see you have three to five days. If you can get five, you can get to the coast and do some hiking, perhaps fly out of Naples. With three, I’d reconsider the goals, maybe just check out a small town near Rome.
The most obvious nearby destination is Salerno. But if you've seen Paestum and Pompeii unless you're interested is the Amalfi Coast the city of Salerno is interesting but is a little short on "village charm". It is connected well by train to Naples and Rome so it ticks those boxes and I really enjoyed my time there but while it is an interesting place it's more about the things around it.
If you're looking for villages between Naples and Rome I'll have to dig into my wishlist of places I haven't gone yet and mention the Castelli Romani area. This is an area generally clustered around a Lake Albano and nature preserve area. Marino Laziale is about 35 minutes south of Rome by train and the towns of Castel Gandolfo and Ariccia are reachable by train beyond that and look charming. Some of the other towns like Lanuvio and Genzano will probably require some combo of bus and taxi probably to visit. This area is essentially along the route of the via Appia south out of Rome.
I haven't gotten here yet so I can't give you tons of practical advice but it's on my list. Check it out if it looks like the kind of thing you're looking for.
There is also Caserta which is a small city, but definitely not a village, but it is interesting and is on the train line from Naples to Rome.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
