Mark_Malkemus

We are planning to stay approx a week in each of these places next summer. Don't know where we'll be flying into yet. My thought is to fly into Rome, stay a night or two (we've been to Rome before), take a train to Amalfi Coast, and on the way out either rent a car for the rest of the trip or take a train to each area. Does anyone have an opinion on train vs. car for the Amalfi/Tuscany, Tuscany/Lakes, Lakes/Dolomites legs of the trip. Is it easy to rent a car somewhere in Sorrento, etc? Or should we take the train to Tuscany and try to rent there? Thanks.

bobthenavigator

I trust you mean next summer--2012.
I would fly into Naples and stay in Positano for a week----see www.summeriniatly.com

I would get my car in Sorrento[Autoeurope.com] and drive to my Tuscany location---that can be a long story.

I would end in the Dolomites[Val Gardena] and fly home from Venice.
What a nice trip---I am jealous, but then we have been to all of those in the past 3 years.

Mark_Malkemus

Yes, summer 2012. I've read that we should take the train to Salerno from Rome, then ferry to Positano.

So, you're saying train/ferry/bus to Sorrento, get car, drive to Tuscany (Greve, maybe).
Don't know where we're staying in Lakes area, but yes, I want to do Val Gardena.

Thanks.

Any other suggestions, general or specific, I'd be happy to hear.

bobthenavigator

If you stay in Amalfi then Salerno becomes the better option. Otherwise, get the car in Sorrento---the drive to Tuscany is not that bad from there. Why Greve? Consider Siena or further south.

Click on my name for a trip report on the lakes and Dolomites.

Mark_Malkemus

I don't know why Greve, exept that I've read good things about it. And since I'm heading still further north after that, I don't really care where in Tuscany we stay, other than it fulfilling my myriad requirments (an hour or less to Florence, less than 10 minutes from a town with restaurants, groceries, pool, great views etc etc)!

Jean

I won't tell you where (or where not) to stay in Tuscany, but I suggest you do some thinking about what you want to see/do in the area before you pick your base. Southern Tuscany is beautiful, but it can put you too far for exploring some parts of Tuscany as day trips. If you plan to drive into Florence, make sure you map a route that avoids the no-driving zones or you'll get an expensive ticket.

http://www.florence-on-line.com/maps...g-map-ztl.html