What to do with 3 Days after seeing Venice, Florence and Rome

CT is fun, but you might get better recommendations if you tell us what else you're seeing other than Venice and Rome. Are you going to hill towns? If not, then there is your answer for your extra days! Let us know what your tour covers, then we'll help you a bit more. Ciao,
Darren

Well it's between 3 and 4 hours (by train) from Rome to CT where you will catch a local train (easily done) and o/a 2+ to 3 hours (by train) to Naples. CT is well, CT and very charming but I wouldn't spend 3 days there. Naples gets you to Pompeii on some tour (you'll need to research that) and easy access to the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana). We took a tour bus to a town on the Amalfi coast and then a ferry back (a lot of fun on a nice day). So, there are a couple of choices. I'm sure someone on this forum can give some tips on tours etc. If you haven't been on a RS tour before I think you will be highly impressed.

The tour is the nest of Venice, Florence and Rome in 10 days. I have done an RS tour before but the others have not and are very much looking forward to it! I want to make sure she gets the most bang for her two weeks - I figured if we did CT we would have a day there and two nights with travel both days. But I also like the idea of Pompeii and the Amalfi coast and am open to other options!

Cori, Not sure where you are flying out of (Rome or Venice?), but for either, I think you should consider heading back to Tuscany and a hilltown, or to Umbria and do the same. After 3 cities (the Big 3) the more laid back style of Tuscany or Umbria will give you a taste of rural Italy. Siena is a city (though much smaller than the others) that makes a good base for seeing a couple of other hilltowns by bus or train. Ditto Assisi or Orvieto in Umbria. If you want to rent a car, it would be fairly economical for 4 people and give you more options. You could stay in a truly charming hilltown like Montalcino, or even at an Agriturismo. You could take a train to Orvieto where you can pick up a car close to the train station and tour on from there.

I would either do Tuscany or Umbria hill towns, or the Amalfi Coast with a day at Pompeii and Herculaneum. That would cut down on travel, as you'll end in Rome. If your Mom is dying to see CT, it's a long trip from Rome, so take travel time into account.

Mom wants to see CT... I think that's your answer....after a somewhat hectic tour with a lot of other people around and seeing three intense cities she might really enjoy a few days to hang out with her family. While a lot of people have become cynical about CT, you can tell from the pictures it is an amazing place and I would definitely regret it if I hadn't been.

Assisi is worth the trip as is Sorrento and if you stay in Sorrento you can do a day trip to Pompeii.

The advantage of Sorrento is that it gives you a good bit of the CT experience (seaside, cliffs) but is better accommodated to handle all the tourists, imho. Plus you can daytrip into Naples, Herculaneum, Amalfi Coast and/or Pompeii.

Cori,
Since you're hitting the "Big 3", you're missing out on the Italian Countryside. I would definitely recommend seeing a hill town with your 3 days. Assisi, orvieto, San Gimignano, Multepulciano, montalcino are al great stops, and over 3 days you can see several of them from a "home base" of one of the towns. I wouldn't miss a hill town on a trip to Italy. However, if CT is on your mom's list, and hill towns aren't, then I think that is the place to go. CT is charming, laid back and there will be minimal crowds in Oct. If your folks are into hiking, there is a great trail linking the towns (although trains easily transport between towns, as well). You can't go wrong with either, but I'd recommend some hill towns, and they'll be more central to your intinerary as well

Another vote for Amalfi Coast, easy train ride from Rome. Sorrento is a great base but there are other towns/village.

What city are you flying out of back to the USA? Actually, what city are your PARENTS flying from? It sounds like they will be there a day on their own...

Thanks everyone - great suggestions. We will mull the options and create a plan. Love all of the ideas. My sister and I would also like to see some new towns too so we shall see.

Assisi is a short train ride from Rome. We spent 3 nights there and just loved it!

We are all flying out of Rome.