first time traveler - please critique my itinerary of italy

I agree with Kent's caution about travel times and routes. But I would also take a day out of Rome and eliminate the day in Milan and add those two days to Venice. Venturing in my opinions just a bit further, though they are quite different areas, I think it's unnecessarily duplicative on an itinerary like this to do both the Amalfi Coast and the Cinque Terre. I'd choose one for this trip.

kent - would you recommend renting a car to bypass rome on the way from salerno to sienna? is it possible to see some of the amalfi coast via bus on the same day we're traveling north to siena?

via train, we were considering florence -> bologna -> venice and then venice -> verona -> modena -> parma -> la spezia. i've alloted a full day of travel from venice to la spezia so even 6-8 hours will be okay.

i've only booked hotels through florence because i couldn't decide if it was better to head east or west first.

doug - our purpose for being in italy is a travel partner's art exhibition opening, so one day will be taken up more by that rather than sightseeing. our loose plans for rome are:
tues - arrive at noon / investigate areas around apartment (campo de'fiori, piazza navona) see pantheon at night.
wed - colloseum, forum, palatine, trevi fountain at night.
thurs - spanish steps, cappuchin crypt(?), art show.
fri - holy see
i would hate to cut one of those days out. likewise our flight already leaves through milan at 10:30 in the morning so it is a necessity to stay one night. i would hate to run without seeing the duomo and corso vittorio emmanuel. haven't decided whether to book viewing for the last supper or not, yet.

does anyone have an opinion on visiting the archeology museum in naples versus actually visiting pompeii or herculaneum?

Leah, that's a rather "busy" Itinerary for such a short trip! If I were planning this trip, I'd arrange it a bit differently:

DAY 1 - Fly L.A. to Rome (a LONG flight!)

DAY 2-5 - Rome (4 days is adequate but would be nice to add at least one day - plan touring carefully!)

DAY 6 - Travel Rome to Sorrento (not practical to stop in Naples, as you'll have your luggage & would only be able to stop for a few hours. Plan Naples and the Museum for another trip - plan to arrive early in Sorrento and take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii and/or Herculaneum in the afternoon)

DAY 7 - Ferry to Capri (be sure to note what time the last boat returns to Sorrento! Capri and Sorrento can be "pricey" so be prepared!)

DAY 8 - I'd suggest using this for a travel day to Siena, as it's a bit of a trip. By the time you take the Circumvesuviana to Naples and the train to Siena, it will be about the right time to check into your Hotel - I really don't think you have time to see the Amalfi coast that day!)

DAY 9 - Siena (Enjoy!)

DAY 10 - Siena & Wine Tour

DAY 11 - Florence (I'd suggest taking the Bus from Siena to Florence, rather than the train. The Bus picks up right in town, so it saves a trip down the hill to the station, and the travel time is not really much different - the Bus Depot in Florence is almost right beside Firenze SMN station)

DAY 12 - Florence (if you're going to visit the Uffizi or Accademia, you might want to get reservations soon. Be sure to check which train you're taking to CT, and whether it requires reservations)

DAY 13 - early train to La Spezia and Cinque Terre (it seems more logical to visit the CT at this point, rather than travelling right across the country from Venice. Could you provide info on which lodgings you've tried so far?)

DAY 14 - Cinque Terre, hiking, etc.

DAY 15 - Train to Milan via Genova (Staglione Cemetery?) and then continue to Venice (it will be a long travel day)

DAY 16 - Venice

continued....

Part 2.....

DAY 17 - Venice (leave in afternoon for Milan. Get tickets and reservations for outgoing journey using fast "ES" train when you arrive in Venice (you'll be at Venezia S.L. anyway. You'll have a brief time to look around in Milan).

DAY 18 - Fly back to L.A. from Milano (be sure to check Rick's book with respect to transport from your Hotel to the airport.

I realize that you might not be able to change plans, as there's such a short time left before your departure. However, those are my thoughts.

Happy travels!!!

thank you for the gracious reply, ken!
i'm not sure if you were writing it at the same time as i made my post?

we've already booked tickets leaving through milan, so we'll need to end there. i'm open to going florence -> cinque terra -> venice -> milan.

a couple questions about your response:
re: day 6 - do you trust the luggage check places at the train station? we figured we would use that whether we stopped at naples or pompeii. and wouldn't it be better to see pompeii on the way to sorrento versus dropping bags in sorrento then back tracking?
re: day 8 - could we ride a bus from sorrento to salerno and then head north to siena? at least we'd be seeing a little of the coast that way?

Leah,

It's great that you'll be able to change your Itinerary to Florence > CT > Venice > Milan, as IMO that seems like a more logical route to me.

RE: DAY 6 - I don't think you'll have time to stop in Naples. My suggestion would be to take the train from Rome to Naples, transfer to the Circumvesuviana as quickly as possible and then carry on to Sorrento and Pompeii.

My initial thoughts were that it would be easier to check into your Hotel in Sorrento, drop your luggage there and then head back to Pompeii. However, you could also certainly stop in Pompeii before going to Sorrento. Rick's Italy book (page 739) indicates there is baggage storage available at the Pompeii Scavi, Villa dei Misteri station for a small charge, but there is also FREE storage available near the turnstiles at the entrance to the site. Your choice on which option to use.

RE: DAY 8 - I don't think you'll have time to "ride the Bus" to see the Amalfi coast, and still get to Siena at a decent hour. For example, there's a train departing Napoli Centrale at 10:24, arriving Siena at 16:32 (Time 6H 08M, one change at Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, Reservatons compulsory for first leg using IC586). Keep in mind you'll need some time to travel from Sorrento to Naples.

Regarding the Amalfi Bus trip, I always try to find "creative solutions" so here's another possibility. Since there's four of you to split the cost, you might consider hiring a driver to see a bit of the Amalfi coast for a few hours, perhaps on the evening when you return from Capri. That way you would be able to set the schedule, rather than relying on the Bus. Check Rick's book for private tours, or you might try Tony who is based in Sorrento (I'll send you a PM with his contact details - not sure if I'm supposed to Post here?).

As this is your first trip, I'd highly recommend reading the "Rail Skills" chapter in Rick's ETBD (if you haven't already).

Hope this helps!

Leah,

One other point to mention - if you're interested in an excellent dinner while you're in Sorrento, you might consider L'Antica Trattoria. It's listed as a "splurge" in Rick's "Italy" book and it certainly is that, however if you want a great meal and don't mind the bill, I would certainly recommend it! Aldo and Sons were wonderful hosts!

Buon Appetito!

You say you cant find a room in CT, but when you get there you will find that you can. Dont stay in La Spezia. If you dont find one in the village you choose, go to the next one. The train ride is only 5 mins. between villages.

I looked in Vernazza first and inspected 5 apartments before I chose one. Because each one differs so much, I was glad I looked at so many. You should do the same with a room.

You may have planned too much. As you travel, be flexible. You can always change your itinerary to skip some stops. I have never followed my plans precisely. It is often necessary to change as one goes.