My bf and I are returning from a 10 day trip to Italy, with a long weekend in Vienna thrown in. We’re both mid-30s and very active. I’ve had the privilege of backpacking extensively through Europe in my 20s, so we decided to take this trip a little slower and focus more on enjoying wandering and cafes than on heavy sightseeing. We both hate rushing, and hate spending my vacation days in transit, so spending at least 2-3 nights per destination was the top priority for us. While we both enjoy art and museums, spending time outside was also a top priority.
We relied pretty extensively on the Rick Steves guidebook which proved indispensable. He only steered us wrong once — everything else was wonderful and easy. I wish I had used his restaurant recommendations a bit more since those are 10/10 every time.
Day 1: AM arrival in Rome. We splurged on the Hotel Smeraldo here for easy access to the city center and its rooftop bar. 100% worth it. Spent the first day just wandering around, seeing the squares and Pantheon, and enjoying espresso and gelato. Early dinner at Rosciolo then bed.
Day 2: Full day in Rome. I can’t stress enough how we did NOT jam pack sights in. That’s too much stimuli for us and overwhelming. We just focused on one sight per day plus lots of walking (7-14 miles/day) For this day it was a long stroll through Rome and the Vatican all the way over to the Colosseum and then paid entry into the Forum. Didn’t feel the need to bother with Vatican Museum or St. peter’s — we had both seen them before and crowds suck. The Forum is always worth the $ and a few hours however!
Aperitivos on the hotel roof and a late evening stroll through the city center finished the day.
Day 3: A few AM hours at the Capitoline Museum with its incredible views of the Forum, a final Roman lunch, then on to the train station for a train to Sorrento. Easy enough transfer in Naples. Got into Sorrento a bit late for dinner so just went to bed. Hotel in Sorrento was recommended Septimo Cielo with incredible coastline views.
Day 4: Spent the whole day wandering Sorrento and enjoying the views. Highly recommend dinner at a restaurant at Nonno Emilia in Marina Grande! Slept in Sorrento
Day 5: This is the only regrettable day of the trip. We believed the RS guide when it said a drive on the Amalfi Coast is a must, and so booked a group tour in a van. It was 9 hours of traffic jams, car sickness, and rushing around the coastal towns. Just one hour on each town — barely enough time to find a bathroom and get a coffee, never mind see any sights or hike. 0/10 for this experience and such a regret since we selected this area particularly for the hiking. Poor planning on my part! The guide oversells the group tour and “scenic drive.” If you visit amalfi coast take a boat and choose only 1-2 towns! Positano was an especial nightmare with wall to wall tourists. Such a waste of a day. I would have rather hikes above the towns and not dealt with any traffic or tourists. Slept in Sorrento and had a great dinner at Taverna Sorrentina.
Day 6: We had to choose between a day trip Pompeii and Naples and since it was raining, we chose Naples. OMG what a crazy city! Worth it for a day trip — it has an energy like no place else I’ve ever seen. We did the RS audio tour and then the archaeology museum which is 10/10. Had a regrettable lunch at a touristy pizza place. Slept Sorrento.
Day 7: Long travel day between Sorrento and Siena. Amazing dinner at Violante. Slept in Siena
Day 8: Wandered Siena. Slept Siena. Love this city so much, 10/10 maybe favorite spot in Europe!
Day 9: Wandered Siena and climbed the tower. Slept Siena.
Day 10: Wandered Siena again because we loved it so much, and then caught an afternoon bus to Florence. We had no interest in the museums or crowded sights of Florence, so wandered in the neighborhood across the river then got an amazing dinner at Trattoria Sabatino. Hopped on the Night Jet to Vienna.