Amalfi or Tuscany?

Old Feb 26th, 2017, 07:49 AM
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Amalfi or Tuscany?

My family has decided on a vacation to Italy and we are flying into Rome, spending a few days there, then have a few days left until my brother and his gf leave, then 4 more days after they leave all together.


So the dates are 16-18th in Rome. Leave the 18th, and either go to Amalfi for the day of 18th, 19th, 20th, then my brother and gf have to catch a train to Milan for their flight out (they are going to Como first). The rest of us would continue on to Orvieto, Siena, Florence for 3 days, then Venice for 2 days.

Do you think it would just be better to spend 5-6 days in Tuscany, or is that too long?

Amalfi seems more spectacular and unique to me. Tuscany looks like Napa, which is great, but I can see Napa whenever.
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 09:06 AM
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I have seen Californa. Amalfi is also like Big Sur. Tuscany is like Napa. Venice is like Venice.

This is Italy. Decide what you want to eat and go there.
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 09:48 AM
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Parts of Tuscany and Nappa are similar.

Nappa hasn't got anything remotely resembling Florence, Siena or Orvieto.

Big Sur is beautiful but other than both being on a coast , Amalfi and Big Sur are not at all the same.

It really depends on how much time you actually have. Do you arrive in Rome (from California) on the 16th? If so you have only part of one jet lagged day, plus the 17th if you then plan to leave on the 18th. That's very little for Rome unless you hate cities. I took some friends to Italy a few years ago and we spent only 1 and a half days in Rome and they were fine with that but they hate cities (and had me, who knew my way around to show them around so they didn't 'waste' any of the time which most first timers do).

And two and a half days is very little for the Amalfi Coast. Not really worth the half day each way to get there. I love the Amalfi Coast, one of my favorite parts of Italy, but given your constraints I'd do Tuscany. Cause Orvieto, Siena and Florence in one day each is way to short. And I'd add at least one more day to Rome
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 09:58 AM
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I see that you're double-counting your days. You say that you'll be in Rome from the 16th to the 18th and on the Amalfi Coast from the 18th to the 20th. On the 18th, you'll mostly be on trains and buses (or boats), so you won't be in either Rome or the Amalfi Coast that day.

In fact, if you're arriving in Rome on the 16th, you really have only one full day in Rome. If you're leaving the Amalfi Coast on the 20th, you also have only one full day there, and it really wouldn't be worth the long trip to get there.

I don't know how you're counting the days after the 20th, but try to lay your days out one by one, marking some as travel days. Even very short transfers have a tendency to occupy your time for the whole day, leaving little time for anything else.
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 10:04 AM
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I live in California and have explored it extensively. I have a hard time imagining Tuscany as Napa(esque) as It is such a varied landscape. Yes there are vineyards and wineries but the agrarian nature of Tuscany is vastly more prevalent. Towns and villages like Montalcino, Montepulciano, San Quirico, Pienza and the monasteries are unique.
I agree that given your itinerary, a visit to the Amalfi Coast seems way out of the way especially with part of your group exiting from Milan. You won't go wrong increasing time in Tuscany as it is an area which is best enjoyed slowly and not rushing to do one day visits of multiple towns.
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 10:23 AM
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You are making a big mistake in your listing of times twice being in a place. Travel days cannot count as while sightseeing days. It makes you feel you have more time for sightseeing than you actually have. You are not spending a few days in Rome. You are spending 1 day plus a bit more in Rome.

Whatever day you are arriving cannot count for more than 1/2 day of sightseeing, so if you are arriving in the 16th, and going to the Amalfi Coast on the 18th (at least 1/2 to 3/4 day of travel for that), you do not have the day of the 18th in either the Amalfi Coast or Rome! You have only one whole day and 1/2 of another for Rome. If you have not been there before, that is really shortchanging Rome.

So, you have the 19th and 20th on the Amalfi Coast.

On the 21st, you are going to Tuscany and your Brother is going to Como from the Amalfi Coast. Their trip will eat up a whole day. Your trip will be 3/4 of a day.

Then, you have 22, 23, 24 in Tuscany.
25, 1/2 day of travel to Venice
26, Venice
27, Venice
28, fly home.

When is your trip?
How many days do you actually have on the ground?

My advice.
Add time to Rome
Your Brother and GF should see either Amalfi or Como, not both. Amalfi is spectacular. Choose either Amalfi or Tuscany.

Venice is beautiful, but does not fit well with the rest of your trip. Como does not fit well either.

You could all skip the AC and do the rest of the trip. Have to make some choices.
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 10:54 AM
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IMHO, and I have been to all, Big Sur is nothing like the Amalfi Coast, and Napa Valley is not like Tuscany.
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Old Feb 26th, 2017, 12:37 PM
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The Amalfi Coast is very popular for good reason, it's gorgeous and there's no place like it. I've been to Tuscany many times. It is like Napa but Florence is amazing out of the whole Tuscany deal, I would go back to Florence which I like a little better than Rome. I'd go to the Amalfi Coast which I am doing in June ;-)
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