erinmusc

Hi everyone! My boyfriend and I are going to Italy in the end of March/beginning of April. Neither of us have been to Italy before. Our trip is 11 days, 10 nights. We are flying round trip, in and out of Rome.

We arrive at 10 am on the first day and leave at 12 pm our last day. We just booked our flight and most of what I have read says to NOT pack too much into your trip and pick what you really want to do. I have a bad habit of trying to pack too much into my international trips, but we both really want to see the attractions in Rome, go to the Amalfi Coast (or surrounding areas), and Tuscany/Florence.

Most of what I have read says to do two (maximum three) destinations in our time frame. I would think the best way is to fly into Rome, then immediately travel to Amalfi or Tuscany once we arrive. I know Amalfi and Tuscany are pretty far apart and would take at least half a day travel time. Is this doable? I figured it would be best to end in Rome since we are flying out of Rome.

I am open to any suggestions and just interested to see what everyone did on their trips to Italy? What were the cities/attractions that you would recommend not missing, or how did you organize your trip?

Thanks so much for the help in advance!
Erin

nytraveler

Just be aware that you are traveling at the very beginning of spring and while you may have flowers and green trees in Tuscany you are way too early for the beach resorts in the AC - the hotels don;t even open their pools until late May.

Jean

I would see Rome + Tuscany or Rome + Amalfi Coast but not all three destinations.

If you're over 25, I'd see Rome + Tuscany and rent a car for Tuscany. (See Florence before or after the car rental.) If you're under 25 (and subject to an underage car rental surcharge), I'd see Rome + Amalfi Coast and use public transportation.

kja

For my tastes, you could visit 2 of these 3 regions, but not all three in the same trip. In fact, I don't think you can do justice to any pair of them with the time you have, but that's just me -- you need to decide what YOU want to see and do and plot it out on a calendar to decide whether it's possible.

FWIW: For me, an introduction to Rome takes 5 or 6 full days. For me, an introduction to the Amalfi Coast takes at least 5 days, 10 or more if you decide to include Naples. For me, Florence itself is worth at least 5 full days. I'm sure you'll find that others have different preferences, which is why I say you need to decide FOR YOURSELVES.

Get a few good guidebooks, or consult them at your local library.

Good luck!

StCirq

The first day is useless except for getting your bearings. The last day is completely shot because you can't do anything but get up and get to the airport. That leaves 9 days, which is not enough time to do any justice at all to 3 destinations. Pick two. If you wanted to roam around, buying RT tickets to/from Rome wasn't the best idea. But that's done, so consult the maps and guidebooks and make the most of two destinations.

mjs

Agree with all above. Pick two not three places.

jamikins

Definitely pick 2. Amalfi Coast to Tuscany will eat up most of a day.

Given the time of year I would do Rome and Tuscany.

vincenzo32951

I mostly agree with above. Late March-early April is an iffy time for the AC.

What I might do in your case is take the train from Rome to Florence on your first day. Get settled in in Florence, and do a couple of days there. It's compact city, so you can see and do a lot in a short time. Exactly what you do depends on your interests.

You could rent a car from there and do Tuscany for maybe three days. Then drop the car and take the train back to Rome for four days. There's lots to see and do there, but you also can take day trips.

Your desire to pack a lot into your trip is understandable, as is wanting to see the AC. But time of year and distance are factors.

Rubicund

You've ignored the loss of actual holiday time when you move from one place to the next. If you visit all three locations, you've got two moves which will take half a day each, so you lose another full day of actually being somewhere. That's why most of us here recommend a maximum of two places with a short break such as this this. Choose the place you want to add to Rome to make up your time.

Having said that, you can "do" all three places in 8 days, but you'll lose too much time travelling without seeing anything.

Blueeyedcod

Give the Amalfi Coast a miss. Most hotels will still be closed for the season and the ferries don't start running until Easter. Stick to your other two destinations and save the Amalfi Coast for when the season is in full swing (September and October are a great time to go).

ccrosner

I think Vincenzo has offered an excellent possible itinerary. Spend the larger portion of your days in the two cities given that you are young and probably will enjoy being out and about at night. Tuscany is beautiful but you may not need to spend a great deal of time there on your first trip.

candj83

Have to agree here. I would stick to a Rome/Tuscany split. Just depends on how many things you want to see and do in Florence and Rome. They offer so much and have great day trips. On a first trip, a 5/5 night split between Florence and Rome could be a great way to divvy your time, depending on sights and day trips you're interested in. Start laying out the sights you want to see to get a feel for how much time you need in each place. Definitely head to Florence on the fast train upon arriving in Rome so you don't lose time staying in Rome twice. Possibly consider a couple nights in Orvieto if you want to stay in a smaller place, though you do lose time moving around. We absolutely love it there.

mikedallas23

I would add that even if you don't want to spend your whole time in Florence within the city, there are plenty of companies offering day trips, or plenty of options for DIY day trips by taking a train or bus. I think this would be simpler than renting a car for part or all of your Tuscany part of the trip since that way you don't have to worry about ZTL zones, picking up/dropping off the car, or figuring out who is going to be the designated driver on any winery stops.

PalenQ

Yes concentrate on Rome, Florence and Tuscany or replace Tuscany with Venice (oh how romantic that place is)- you going by train I presume and buses in Tuscany- book long-distance trains way way in advance to snag deep discounted ducats - www.trenitalia.com - book your own online -much cheaper than just showing up and buying - local trains however - regional trains as they are called - have a flat-fare dirt cheap -just buy say Florence to Pisa tickets at stations.

For lots on Italian trains check www.seat61.com- great advice on discounted tickets - www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Amalfi to Florence is about 5-7 hours depending on where in Amalfi you are staying - by train - more probably by car.

If it were my first trip to Italy I'd do the classic Rome-Florence-Venice (maybe a day trip from Florence by bus to Siena, a perfect Tuscan hill town. Tuscany sounds neat but you'd rally need to rent a car and drive around for some days to really 'do' Tuscany- save that for a future trip.

Cheers!