I''m afraid I don't know anything about your Croatian destinations, but I think the Italy portion of your trip looks just fine. Your idea to get rid of the car in Salerno is a good one.

Did you mean that you wanted to do a day trip from Amalfi to Salerno or Sorrento? In my view, neither town is worth a day trip unless you want to see the greek temple of Paestum, just outside Salerno (not Sorrento) and if that's what you want, you should see it while you still have a car.

Since you are going to Pompei, making time to visit the fantastic archeological musem in Naples is highly recommended, because this is where all the most important (and beautiful) artworks from Pompeii are kept for safekeeping. My suggestion would be to go directly from Amalfi to Pompeii with your luggage, stow the luggage at the entrance to Pompei, visit the excavations, pick up the luggage and stay at a hotel in Naples very close to the archeological museum. The museum stays open until 7:30pm. I know you will be footsore, but even if you only spend 45 minutes there to see the mosaics and the Farnese Bull, you might find it thrilling.

Thank you Zeppole. Maybe we will skip Solerno altogether except for dropping off the car there. What do you think the best way would be to get from Salerno to Amalfi? Ferry or bus?
How about from Amalfi to Pompei?
Great suggestion about the Archeological museum. I will certainly add that to our list and find a hotel closeby.

The "best" way from Salerno to Amalfi may depend on what time the ferry leaves vs. the bus, how much luggage you have, how tired you are, how hot it is.

As you may already know, most car rental offices in Italy close from about 1pm to 4pm, plus Saturday afternoons and all day Sundays.

You should at least get some quotes from drivers and taxi companies for a taxi transfer. It will not be cheap, but you may want the option.

I've never gone from Amalfi to Pompei, and I don't know if it simplest to go to Salerno and take a train, or take a ferry from Amalfi to Napoli or Sorrento and then a taxi to the train station so you can get to Pompei -- or maybe you should take a bus to Sorrento and get on the train there for Pompei. I really don't know. Obviously the easiest -- and most expensive -- way is to hire a driver to take you.

If no one shows up in this thread who does know the answer, put up a separate thread asking.

PS:

If you can't get from Bari to Salerno by noon to drop off your car in the morning, you could consider driving to Pompei from Bari and seeing it (or at least some of it) before you drop off your car in Salerno between 4 and 7:30pm. In that case, it is likely your only option would be a bus to Amalfi or a private taxi.

Have you checked to be sure your car rental in Italy will allow you to drive into Croatia? The itinerary itself looks great.

Zeppole
Our ferry gets to Bari at 8am. I like the idea of driving to Pompei straight from Bari. It seems simpler that the alternatives. It looks like it should be close to a 3 hour drive, putting us there around noon. Then we could spend about 5 hours in Pompei and head back to get to Salerno before the renal office closes. DOes that sound doable? We will then either get a taxi or the bus to the apt in Amalfi. We can go to the museum in Naples on the Sunday before our flight back.

Isabel,
I finally hammered out the details with the car rental and insurance coverage for getting on the ferry. Hertz is ok with both travel in Croatia and getting on the ferry, with prior written authorization.

You have certainly chosen some lovely destinations for this very special occasion!

My overall thought is that you have either selected a generally reasonable pace for a trip that is geared to relaxing strolls with only very limited sightseeing OR a pace that is a bit rushed. Some specifics:

Venice, 2 days (including getting over jet lag) - that should give you time to enjoy several longs strolls and to get out onto the water a bit, and time to see St. Mark's, but likely not enough time for more than a few of Venice's museums, "schools," etc.

Rovinj - 1 day, with travel time on either side, will give you plenty of time to enjoy Rovinj and maybe to visit a couple of hill towns on your way there on onward.

Plitvice Lakes - I love that you are planning to spend the night and give the lakes a day! Because the rest of your trip seems a bit rushed to me, you might want to consider leaving in time to reach Split after your hike through this glorious area.

Split - If you do leave the Plitvice Lakes in time to spend a night in Split, you would have perhaps a 1/2 day to explore the core of Diocletian's Palace before leaving. But i don't think you'll have time for any more than that.

Dubrovnik - sounds like you would end up with about 1 day there, which is less than I think ideal, but again, if your interest is primarily to stroll around, it could work. Definitely walk the walls and visit the Buza Bar!

Amalfi/Amalfi Coast - 3 days could work depending on your interest. If you do leave your rental car in Salerno, consider taking a 1/2 day to see Paestum - remarkable! With the rest of your time in the area, you can visit Amalfi, Ravello, Positano - maybe more if you move at a faster pace.

Naples/Pompeii - a 5-hour visit to Pompeii is not unreasonable. I'm glad I had a bit longer. I would think you would need to plan your time very carefully if you want to spend time at the incredible museum of archeology in Naples. I don't think you would have time for anything else in Naples, unless you shoehorn a brief walk in there somehow.

The bottom line is that I think you would have time to see some wonderful things on this trip, I also think you will have to skip many highlights of these areas if you stick to your plan.

Is there any way you could add a few days to your journey? Or have you considered skipping Istria, Dalmatia, or the Amalfi Coast this time around so you can add a little time to whichever areas you keep in your plans?

Hope that helps!

Shay,

I think your Pompei plan is quite doable. Come prepared for afternoon sun, with a hat, suncscreen, water, some fruit and cheese to keep you going, etc. If you feel rushed, you can always nip back when you are in Naples.

It might not be that warm in May, but in Pompei, 5 hours can feel like a century when it's hot. Almost no shade and it's huge. Just be prepared.

We are glad we went to Pompei, but almost preferred Herculaneum! It's much much smaller, but some houses are intact (roof, wooden doors, whole rooms), which gives a very good idea of what life was like.

We visited both sites in about 5 hours, taking the train between both (it's a few stops).

If you want to splurge in Rovinj, eat at Monte. It's by far the best meal we've ever had abroad, and we travel mainly to... EAT!

The sommelier is fantastic and the cuisine, exquisite. The view from the top of Rovinj is not bad either!

Really, it just made me fall back in love with Croatia.

http://www.monte.hr/

Also, we stayed here in Rovinj and LOVED it. Clean, well situated and very friendly owner. We didn't want to leave...

http://www.booking.com/hotel/hr/trevisol-apartmani.en.html

I think many people prefer Herculaneum for just the reasons you described (and Ostia Antica is ever better than that). Herculaneum was actually a residential suburb of Pompei, and in some ways the volcanic eruption simply smothered the town -- making for better preservation -- whereas in Pompei more buildings ended up leveled in the catastrophe. So a walk around Herculaneum is a more intimate feel for ordinary life in an ancient small town.

That said, if one would really like to get a grip on the classic Roman layout of a city, with its designated main streets and cross roads, its forum, sports and theater areas, the gracious streets of wealthy and their interior gardens, the commercial district and brothel, then Pompei is dramatic. A great many cities throughout Italy and Europe still bear the outlines of this classic urban arrangement, and some of it was imported to the US in the making of new towns.

Oh I am getting more and more excited by the minute!!! So much to plan and such great ideas
I wish we could add another week, but unfortunately that is all the time we have. KJA, as you eluded, the way we have our itinerary, we will mainly get to do long relaxing strolls and some sightseeing! My original plan was to fly into Venice, pick up our car and drive to Croatia the next day, so that we'd have 8 days in Croatia. But since Joe wants to have our ceremony in Venice, we need at least the 3 nights there! I am now wondering if I should completely leave Croatia for another trip altogether, rather than a hectic 5 days! Thanks for helping me see that we would be really missing a lot of the highlights and rushing...

Ok then! I thought about it for 5 mintues...Croatia will be our next trip.

KJA I will keep your Croatia suggestions for then! We will lose the $ for the ferry reservation, but I think this is a good move....I also decided that Joe will not know anything about this and it would be a complete surprise for him! How Fun You guys are now my co-conspirators!

So now that croatia is left out...I need a new itinerary!!!! Starting in Venice and ending in the Amalfi coast....
Thank you Zeppole, Kja and Jojonana. We can still rent a car for the first part of our trip if need be.
So now, I have even less time to plan, but I am even more excited. How should I divide our time? Only Venice and then the Amalfi coast, or maybe Venice and the Dolomites and then train or Fly to Naples?
I will start another post...
So exciting....

The advice and specifics from kja are right on. I will build on his comments.
Assuming you are not willing to give up Rovinj ( I would to spend more time in Dalmatia)I would cut it down to 1 night. Also, while Plitvice is terrific, like most National Parks, accommodation and food are not memorable, I would cut it down to 1 night. Also on your itinerary you would not have time to stop and see the area around Split. In 2010 we drove Zadar to Dubrovnik and because the A1 Highway is incomplete to Dubrovnik we did not have time to see Split. Because Dubrovnik is the jewel (pearl) of the Adriatic and you are driving the whole day to get there you need to add more time ( your schedule is little more than a cruise ship stop).
So, even though 1 night stops are not great:
May 16th - rent car and drive to Rovinj. Exlore
May 17th - Drive to Plitvice Lakes-hike
May 18th - Drive to Split/Trogir. See area
May 19th - Drive to Dubrovnik
May 20th - Dubrovnik/ Surroundings
May 21st - Dubrovnik till we catch the ferry at 10pm

SHAY, I think you've made a wise decision. Having more time to enjoy fewer places is much more relaxing. You had a lot of driving in Croatia in a short period of time......go back when you can savor it.

Hi SHAY,

In case I'm not around for your other post, I think May weather i risky in the Dolomiti. If you are willing to wing those days of your trip, fine, just follow the weather and have a back up plan if it is raining in the mountains. My back up plan would be Lago di Como, and if it was rainy there, then rural Tuscany so you are on your way to the Amalfi.

If you don't like winging it, you shouldn't. There are plenty of lovely places between Venice and the Amalfi that are beautiful in the rain or in the sun. Weather isn't such a big factor as it is in the Dolomiti.

Cancelled the ferry, the actually are going to refund some of the fare!
Dugi, thanks for your suggestions. I'll keep them for my next trip to Croatia.
Zeppole, I was actually trying to find out about hiking conditions in the Dolomites in May. I was looking at 2 nights in Castelrotto. Being that it is an iffy time, I like you idea of winging it.
How long of a drive is Lake Como from Venice? If we end up in Lake Como, would Milan be the closest airport? I know Easyjet has inexpensive flight to Naples from both Milan and Venice.
If we decide on Tuscany, where should we target and then what would be the best way to get to the Amalfi coast?

Yes, Milan has airports close to Lago di Como, and you should compare costs and real travel times with a train trip. Sometimes, by the time you get to the airport, go through security, get off the plane and to the city center of your destination -- you are not all that much ahead than if you had gotten on a train in Milan's central station and gone south to Napoli (4 hours 20 minutes).

I have never been in the Dolotmti in May but my impression has been that the hiking trails are "mushy" from melting snows, and that cable cars that go to hiking trailheads are shut down until June. Castelrotto is not exactly in the Dolomiti park. You need to travel from there to get the best views.

Lago di Como has more reliably favorable weather in May --- certainly no snow, and many of its legendary gardens are in full bloom. If you end up deciding that the Dolomiti in May are not what you want, then you don't need a car to get to Lago di Como from Venice.

Tuscany is a very large region, one of Italy's largest. The countryside that has become so famous is best seen with a car, but one of the things you should bear in mind wherever you go in Italy is that Italy filled with incredible variety. So if you have personal passions, hobbies, delights -- like motocycles, music, gardening, engineering, cooking, pets, knitting, jewelry, boating, metalworking, woodworking, literature, cheese tasting -- you get the picture, right? It can be fun to narrow down the possibilities in Italy by coming to Italy with the specific goal about tracking down your own curiosities (they even make bagpipes in Italy, and have beautiful historic synagogues, etc etc)

If you like hiking, the Amalfi coast offers some of Italy's best hiking and most beautiful views, and in May, the tourist crowds will be less (and they are never enormous on the hiking trails anyway).

Anyway, you should probably start another thread with a different title because many people here who have traveled in the Amalfi and Tuscany won't look at your thread because they figure it is about Croatia and northeastern Italy.

Hi, Shay -

I trust you will visit Croatia another time, and believe that you will enjoy your time in Italy much more by focusing your time and energies there.

You might add another day or even 2 (or 3!) to Venice - that will give you a day to visit some of the islands (e.g., Murano, Burano) and spend a bit of time in some of Venice's amazing musuems and schools.

The Amalfi Coast can easily take a full week or more. With your extra time, you can include not only the places already mentioned, but also Capri and Salerno itself (which many people skip, but which has a few gems). And you'll have no excuse for skipping Paestum!

I'm a great fan of Naples - I love its vibrancy and energy, even if it is a bit on the gritty side. You would have time for archeology museum and, either by staying there a few nights (if it interests you) or making day trips, you could also explore some of its other highlights.

There is SO much to see in the parts of Italy you will be visiting - enjoy!