ShilpiC

Hi!
We plan to be in Europe for 15 days end of June 2014. And while am dying to be in Italy ( this will be our 4th trip....but till now have only seen Rome Florence and Venice) , DH is sure he wants us to spend 5 days in Paris. So after a lot of debate, this is the tentative itinerary.

I request help on itinerary review and hotel feedback.

June 21- Reach Rome around noon
June 22- Longer overdue Vatican visit
June 23-Train to Sorrento-Stay at www.sorrentoflats.com
June 24,25,26- Stay in Sorrento ( day trips to Mt.Vesuvius/Naples)
June 27,28,29- Stay in Positano -Stay at Villa Rosa
June 30-Fly Naples to Paris
July 1-4- Paris ( NEED APARTMENT)
July 5- Fly back home


We are a couple in late thirties with a super cool 6 year old who claims to love travelling and love Italy ( its just the Gelato I think!).

Please advice if this itinerary seems logical and comments on the stay options.

adrienne

Your husband isn't getting his 5 full days in Paris. Other than that the itinerary seems reasonable.

Bedar

You'll be over your Italy thing after you've been to Paris. Give it a go and spend less time in Italia.

dwdvagamundo

Respectfully disagree with Bedar. Five days (or four) in Paris is enough for a first trip. The Naples area and Amalfi coast are very high up on our list of the most beautiful places we've seen.

Instead of Mount Vesuvius, which you'll be able to see from afar, visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, and see the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

I think it's realistic, given that you've been to Rome.

ira

Hi shil,

You want the seacoast. He wants Paris.
You could save a lot of time and travel if you flew into Naples and skipped Rome this visit.

AJPeabody

If you skip Rome, you would have enough time for an overnight on Capri between Sorrento and Positano, with 2 nice ferry rides.

TPAYT

italy, various places---3 trips
Paris + various places---booked for #10

Other than that, I have no strong opinion on the subject!

nytraveler

What type of coast are you looking for? The Amalfi Coast is very cute and quaint (and full of expensive, beautiful people) and has a lot to see and do - but the beaches are not much. Unless you have a hotel with a private beach that has trucked in a bunch of sand they are primarily pebbles - or rocks - narrow, in towns, often with small boats pulled up nearby and boring water. If yuo are thinking Carib beaches - or US beaches - this is NOT the same thing at all. If you want the whole experience - it is great - but not for beaches/swimming.

Jean

No mention of Pompeii and Capri... ?

Shar

Paestum is definitely worth a visit as long as you are down Naples way. best preserved roman temples and wonderful Buffalo Mozzarella. 3 days in Sorrento and 3 days in Positano when they are pretty similar although I am partial to Positano. You could squeeze an extra day in paris if you give up 1 in Sorrento but do take in Capri.

ShilpiC

Thanks for all the responses. Dont know how I skipped mentioning Pompeii and Capri....definitely on the list and yes, after reading zillions of Fodorites views, am trying to convince DH to spend one night in Capri and not just a day trip (he and my son are the lazy kinds who refuse to move from an apartment/hotel before 4 days).
As for Rome....cant skip. Last summer I could go in as was wearing a sleeveless top and tehy refused me entry into the Church. So been feeling the urge to go back again...and yes, am in love with Rome!
Beach....am aware is not sandy like we expect....but the romance of Positano has been luring me for long. So am going for the beauty of AC and not actually swimming much....thanks for pointing that out.
Must admit, I am looking forward to Paris too....never been to France!
Any apartment / hotel in the range of 200-250 Euro in any of the places? Plan to finish bookings by this week !
And btw, I am a photographer.....any tips from you travel enthu photographers who have been to these places?
Thanks in advance!

txhomes

We stayed at this apt in Paris & you can't ask for a better view of the Eiffel Tower. Coming home & having wine on your balcony while the Eiffel tower sparkles is amazing. I think you have a great itinerary. We also thought the Amalfi Coast has one of the most beautiful views.
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.ph...effeil-terrace

Paqngo

Go to Ravello and see Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Some of my favorite pictures were taken in Ravello. It is a ferry ride from Positano to Amalfi then a bus ride or taxi to Ravello. Have fun.

JulieCallahan

Just returned yesterday from 2 weeks in Rome, Amalfi (Positano) and Naples. For me, it will never be Paris. I love Italy but found Positano a bit too pretentious (that said, I am not a shopper). The Amalfi coast is beautiful, which all comes at a price.

ShilpiC

Just wondering....given that I am in positano for 3 nights, the first base is Sorrento better as a base to explore the bay or Naples?

JulieCallahan

Great question - and hard to answer. I can only tell you what I would do should I repeat this trip. I would stay in Sorrento. I just found the seaside villages of Amalfi too much (too expensive, too pretentious, too filled with tourists and stores). That said, the coast is gorgeous. Amalfi is, to me, a victim of its own success.

Naples is a distillation of the best and worst of Italy. We liked it, many do not. You can just as easily explore Pompeii from Sorrento as you take the Naples.

As I said, tons of people on this forum will disagree. I guess you will have to go and figure this out for yourself. Enjoy!

JulieCallahan

oopss... sorry, wrote the above on the train this AM and lost track of time (had to exit very quickly!).

On that last bit, I meant to say... You can explore Pompeii from Naples or Sorrento equally as the train to Pompeii runs between Naples and Sorrento and is, I think, pretty equidistant.

I too like to move as little as possible.

ShilpiC

Thanks....will stick to Sorrento then.....and I have that feeling about Positano like you share ( had the same for Venice).....but nonetheless need to do it to figure out for myself ! And the for the record, inspite of being super touristy and overrated, I fell in love with the magic land of Venice and went twice !

Any record for apartment in Sorrento?

Txhomes: the Paris apartment looks lovely. Thank you. But not available for our dates.

JulieCallahan

I too love Venice.... have fun.

ekc

Book ASAP, as many places in Positano have been booked for months. Depending on when you will be on the Amalfi Coast, there are a couple of festivals that happen the last week in June.

Sorry I can't help with hotel recs, as I always rent an apartment for a week when I visit. Like your husband and son, I hate moving locations, wasting precious vacation time packing/unpacking, checking in/out, transportation, etc. At this point, use www.venere.com to search via your budget. In Pos, choose a place as close to the beach as possible.

I adore Positano and have visited for a week each year for the past 4 years and do not find it pretentious. Sure there is one main walking route that is lined with shops, some expensive some not. But there are many many other parts to Positano and it is easy to escape the crowds and explore the hidden alleys and stairways.

Try not to over-schedule yourself when you are on the AC. The area really is all about relaxing and enjoying life and the scenery.

One of my favorite ways to spend the day is taking the boat and relaxing on Laurito Beach and having lunch at Da Adolfo. In fact we will be there the last week of June and will be making our lunch reservations soon! Fornillo Beach is also great for getting away from the crowds at the main beach.

Travel via ferry as much as possible. The bus is a hot crowded mess during the season.

If you have a smart phone, there is a great app for the AC with lots of dining/shopping/transportation tips, including Capri. Amalfi Coast Travel Essentials.

Enjoy your trip to my favorite place in Italy!