Where to go after "Best of Italy" wraps in Rome

I can't keep up with your edits, lol--I am leaving both car and train suggestions for future readers.

Thanks for adding month--May/June is a wonderful time and basically opens up the choice to ... anywhere!

I now have Orvieto on my radar after reading so many raves about it here, and I think that might be a nice place to relax. A couple other places on my list are Viterbo and Gaeta. (The latter two would be with car, whereas Orvieto is on the train line.)

The Amalfi coast would be too rushed to me, as you often need to be in your departure city the last night, whether it is Naples or Rome, which cuts it to three days. Plus it is very crowded and not so relaxing these days.
The tour covers Lake Como, so I would not head back to the northern lakes unless you fly out of Milan.
Cinque Terre takes forever on the train, but there are some lovely coastal areas further south if you are okay with renting a car. Tuscany would also fit the bill, but again better with a car.

My wild card suggestion: Ponza! You could hire a car to a port, or go to one of the ports served by train. That early in the season, it is probably absolutely divine.

That tour only has 2 nights in Rome which is ridiculously short!
You could get away for 2 nights in Orvieto then return for 2 more nights in Rome.
If you are flying out of Rome you need to be IN Rome night before departure anyway

ETA
Never mind-the tour does include Orvieto

Honestly I’d just stay in Rome and see more instead of changing locations again
You already have 8 location changes on tour, 8 two night stays

Tour does not include a visit inside the Colosseum-just the Forum
Nor does it include Borghese Gallery-you could visit there and have a lovely afternoon in the gardens
Spend another day exploring markets, Trastevere

With 3 nights maybe a day trip to Tivoli of Ostia Antica

Another edit, drat--I glanced at the BoI map and did not see Orvieto, but I see that when you delve into the itinerary it is indeed there--thanks Christine!

Vacation after your tour ? Great idea! How about Sorrento? How about a resort in Sorento? Splurge on a place like the Hilton there. Not exactly sightseeing but you'll have had plenty of that. That Rick Steves Best of Italy hits Venice, Dolomites, lake Como, Florence, Cinque Terra, Siena, Tuscany, Rome! Wow! Sounds like a trip of the lifetime!

Happy travels!

If you can fly out of Naples, Sorrento is a great choice-although the region has become a mob scene-so day tripping to AC, Capri, Pompeii might not be relaxing!
You’d need at least 4 nights-3 for Sorrento and 1 for Naples night before departure
It takes so long to get to Sorrento-so your first day is more than half gone

We loved our splurge stay at
Grand Hotel de la Ville
www.delavillesorrento.com

I was getting the sense you weren't so much looking for more sightseeing but rather decompressing and maybe lounging by the pool with an occasional adventure thrown in. In any case, Christine H knows far more than me about the area and I'd take her recommendations on hotels and things to do over me. I've always been impressed by her knowledge! I've read her other posts and she really knows how to do Sorrento right!

Happy travels!

Hands down, the Amalfi Coast. Take the train to Naples and book a taxi transfer in advance. I prefer Ravello and use Ravello Taxi. They will greet you at the train station and deliver you to your hotel front door. Then you get to relax and absorb pure heaven for a few days. Then they can take you back to Naples when you’re ready to leave. It’s a short one hour taxi ride for €140 each way.

I have friends who, after a whirlwind Italy tour, parked themselves for 3 nights in Ostia. It's a beach town west of Rome. I've only breezed through there so can't offer first hand experience with staying but my friends loved their time and just relaxed at the beach. If it's relaxation you're looking for, it might fit the bill. Happy travels!

Thanks so much for all of the input! Yes, we are definitely looking to slow way down after 17 days of touring and information. Because we know we'll cross through Rome on future RS trips we want to take, we plan to leave the busyness of the city and just relax somewhere beautiful for 4-5 days.

Sorrento keeps coming up in my various research and from a few of you, so we're leaning that direction I think. With a year to plan, we have a bit of time to figure it all out.

Any tips for traveling to Sorrento from Rome? I've read the train is great...and also can be tough with delays, etc. Is Naples train station super crazy? Getting mixed reviews about the safety there. Renting a car sounds like an option but wondering if it's more of a hassle to pick up and return? I've read a few nightmare accounts of canceled reservations at the last minute. Or is a driving service maybe the way to go? I know we booked a driver through GoOpti from Venice to Llublijana for our Best of the Adriatic trip and it was great. Reasonable and super convenient. I'd appreciate any input regarding transportation. Thanks so much!

You can take the train to Naples and get a private driver on to Sorrento if you want to avoid the commuter train to Sorrento.
If you opt for the Amalfi coast instead, take a train to Salerno and the Travelmar ferry to your village of choice. (If you are not going to Pompeii or doing any other sightseeing day trips, I would bypass Sorrento and go to the AC villages instead.)
I would do a search to read over the tons of info on the area. Do some image searches to see the difference.
Naples is fine. You have to watch your valuables just like Paris, etc.

You do not want a car in Naples and areas south. The poor infrastructure and traffic congestion is legendary. We used Aldo Limos to get around, from Naples to Sorrento, ( 2 hours ) and from Sorrento to Rome airport ( 4 hours). Even with a private car, you are still sitting in traffic congestion, and there's just no way to get anywhere efficiently or quickly. Private drivers are expensive, but less stressful. I highly recommend Aldo Limos. Safe travels!

Ps. There is no shoulder season in the AC, so expect crowds, especially in Amalfi town and Positano. You just won't have the summer heat .

Was just going to say
You do not need or want a car in that area!

Take a look at Ischia
Fly home from Naples

hey hey katykrip
totally agree with KimberlySEA. get away from the crowded cities/areas that everyone wants to go to that always mentioned here every day.
romewise.com/rome beaches
tripsavvy.com/best beaches near rome
booking.com
check places along beaches/coast
you can look for a small apartment with balcony & pool, ocean/beach views. sit and have breakfast or cocktail hour on balcony, visit a beach that offers umbrella/chairs with a charge, have lunch or dinner along the shore. buy some snacks, drinks, take out to keep in your place. take a train up the coast for a day trip to visit other cities/towns. plus you're close to FCO airport with a short ride on the train, shuttle, taxi for flight home. without changing places for night before flight.
that's relaxation from your travels and enjoy the sea breeze. good luck
aloha