Italy Itinerary - Comments Please

Old Aug 29th, 2006, 06:20 PM
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Italy Itinerary - Comments Please

Hello Fodorites!

I am a long time visitor to the Fodors site, second time poster and want to thank all of you for your thoughts, insight and advice.

My DH and I are planning our first trip to Italy in May 2007. We initially thought of booking a tour, as we've never traveled outside of the US, but after reading the many wonderful posts on this site, decided we can plan this trip on our own. Our flight and hotels have been booked but we're still deciding on transfers, tours and buying train tickets.

After discussing what we'd really like to see during our trip (me: everything, DH: the beach), we decided on Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast, saving Venice and Tuscany for the next trip.

Here's our itinerary so far, please let me know your thoughts:

Rome - 5 nights
Florence - 2 nights
Positano - 4 nights
Capri - 2 nights

--After a direct flight we arrive in Rome on Sunday morning. We will either book Rome Shuttle Limosine or Rome Cabs for transfer to the Hotel Portoghesi.

We will be in Rome until Friday, and are considering Context Tours for a tour of the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's, as well as the Colosseum, based on the many favorable comments from the Fodorites. I am also planning on scheduling a Scavi tour.

Since I've read that Rome is a great walking city, we plan on taking walking tours to see the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Jewish Ghetto, etc.

--We leave Rome Friday morning to train to Florence. We are staying at the Hotel Davanzati and are still deciding on a taxi or car to the hotel.

We will be in Florence until Sunday and plan on visiting David at the Accademia (will reserve tickets ahead of time), the Duomo, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry, Ponte Vecchio. We could use suggestions here as well.

--We leave Florence on Sunday to train to Naples for our Positano stay. I am debating on having a car meet us at the Naples station and take us to Pompeii before Positano or straight to Positano for a Pompeii visit later in our stay. Would Pompeii be too much after a long train ride from Florence?

We are staying at the Villa Rosa in Positano and are planning on day trips by bus to Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello, Pompeii (if we don't see it on our way to Positano).

--We leave Positano on Thursday and head to Capri. We are staying at the Hotel La Minerva and plan on taking a boat tour of the Blue Grotto and exploring Capri, Anacapri.

--We leave Capri on Saturday morning and head back to Rome for our return flight that afternoon.

I would really like your thoughts on getting back to Rome in time for our 2:00 flight. There is a ferry/hydrofoil that leaves Capri around 7:00 AM to Naples and I believe there is another that departs approximately the same time to Sorrento. I've gotten a couple of price quotes for a car to take us from the Naples port or Sorrento directly to FCO. Pricey, as I expected, but think it may be worth the money vs. the hassle of taking the hydrofoil to the cab to the train to the cab to the airport. I am also worried about a train strike. Would you suggest either of these options or perhaps leave Capri the night before and stay in Rome on our last night? I had looked into flying out of Naples, but the airline does not fly out of Naples and the reason we chose this airline is because we had 2 gift certificates that we had to use before they expired.

We could use some help on planning our individual city itineraries as well and welcome any "sites not to miss" and restaurant suggestions. I also plan on researching the walking tours threads on this site as I'm sure there are many.

Once again, I would really like to thank all of you. Your wealth of information has helped so much in our quasi-planning. I am really looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions for the finishing touches to our trip.

jemom


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Old Aug 29th, 2006, 06:33 PM
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I'm glad you decided to plan the trip yourself. I think you'll find that more rewarding.


Instead of Florence I would choose to go to Venice. There aren't a lot of "perfect" times to see Venice (weather/overcrowding) but if your trip is in May then you are pretty darn well close to the perfect time. Go see the city before it sinks into the ocean haha. Of course it looks like you already have the trip pretty well planned out so you may be past the "changing your itenerary" phase

PS... I'm jealous!
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Old Aug 29th, 2006, 06:55 PM
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I am impressed by your allowing sufficient time to do a pretty good first time visit to those locations. My only suggestion would be to trade one of those days in Rome for another in Florence.

I say this with some feelings because I have an apartment there. You can see the duomo, bapistry and tower in one morning, and David in the afternoon, the Ponte Vecchio at any time, but there is so much more, such as the Uffizi and Pitti Palace, and area around the Piazza Sigoria.... the entire city center is a museum.....and also Florence is so centrally located and convenient for visiting the Tuscan hill towns, city of Siena and coast of Cinque Terra.

I haven't stayed at the Davanzati, but the location is perfect and hotel looks good. You definately don't want a car because you will not be able to drive (or park) it easily... and you will not need it. You can walk almost everywhere and a taxi in Florence is easy, cost effective and in my experience, its taxi drivers are the most honest in Italy. It is only a short 10 or 12 euro ride from the rail station.

I guess that you know that you will be backtracking a bit going back through Rome, but the train from Florence to Naples isn't bad... a comfortable and fast 3 and a half hours on Eurostar. If you hire a car in Naples, use one of the best services, because they can be unreliable. It may be cost effective to have the car for the day; picking you up at the station in Naples about noon, go to Pompeii (not far), have lunch on the way, see Pompeii and then go to Positano in time for dinner. Positano and Capri are a good way to end your trip.
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 06:47 AM
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For your departure day, I would add concern about the boat ride. If you plan on leaving from Capri very early, all could go well, or there could be issues that prevent or delay ferry service. I would prefer to be on the mainland, spending the last night either in Naples with a car service to get to FCO, or in Rome with taxi or train to FCO.
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 07:59 AM
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We did almost the same trip except we saved Rome for last since we would be flying out of FCO.

Landed in Rome and train to Florence for 3 days, then train to Napoli where we were picked up by a driver who took us for pizza then off to Positano where we stayed for 4 days. The off to Capri for two incredible days. The hydrofoil to naples where we took the train back to Rome. We stayed in Rome for 4 days.

I would definitely save Pompeii for a day trip from Positano. It's an easy bus ride to Sorrento then train to the ruins.

Our hotels were:
Florence- Hotel Casci
Positano- Hotel Villa Franca
Capri- Hotel Punta Tragara(unbelievable)
Rome- Del Senato

When in Positano try Max's. The food was so good we went twice. Sireneuse is nice for a patio cocktail and maybe some oysters. In Capri try and take a hike from via Tragara toward the Il Fragalioni. Florence we ate al fresco at Quattro Leone. If you are not scared order the bistecca fiorentine for two. Also in Florence try not to miss the Uffizi Gallery(Leonardo, Botticelli, Michaelangelo, Caravaggio, Raphael,)
In Rome a must is the Borghese Gallery. Bernini's most famous works are hidden inside.
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 08:07 AM
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Hi J,

>We leave Capri on Saturday morning and head back to Rome for our return flight that afternoon.<

AOOOGA, AOOOGA, AOOOGA!!!!!

ALARM! ALARM! ALARM!

You are assuming that the ferries will be running on time, and that the trains will run on time.

You should be in Rome the night before your flight leaves.

>I am debating on having a car meet us at the Naples station and take us to Pompeii before Positano ...<

It's about 3:30 hr Florence/Naples. I would take the 08:53 from Florence and see Pompei on the way to Positano.


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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 08:30 AM
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Jemom !

First off, Ira is right. Don't expect anything to run on time. Remember Murphy - if anything can go wrong it will. Either be in Rome the night before, or put Rome at the end.

I think you've put together a very nice program, but I agree with OpusX. If you put Rome at the end, you solve the problem of getting to the airport on time. I'm sure you are put off by the idea of getting on a train to Florence (or Venice as suggested) right after a long flight, but give it some thought. It's not a bad idea.
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 11:56 AM
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Hi Jemom,

I agree with Ira and Steve - not a good idea to try and make a flight out of FCO coming from Capri.

I had a ticket for the 9am hydrofoil from Capri to Sorrento and guess what - it never came. One finally came 45 minutes later and it was a hair-raising ride due to rough seas! Thank goodness I didn't have a time problem.

With 4 days in Positano, I think you would have time to do Pompeii whenever you wish. I spent 4 1/2 hours there and it was my second trip. Did it on the way to Naples where I really enjoyed spending 1 night and would have liked more!

Your trip sounds great. Putting Florenc efirst is a good idea. Taking a train is relaxing too!

Buon viaggio! You will love bella Italia!
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 12:05 PM
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I'd put Florence first, too. This might seem silly, but I'd set some kind of an alarm for slightly before the train is set to arrive in Florene. If I had taken a relaxing train ride right after an overnight flight, I would have slept very soundly during it!

We visited the Uffizi and the Academia on the same day with no problem. We had a 9 am reservation at the Academia, then walked over to the Medici chapel, had lunch, saw Santa Maria Novella, San Lorenzo and walked around a bit before our 4 pm Uffizi reservations.
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 03:10 PM
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Thank you all for your suggestions. **A special thanks to Ira and missypie as all of your posts have been extremely helpful in our trip planning.**

I am definitely going to think about putting Florence first, perhaps adding another day to Florence and email about changing my hotel reservations. Thank you sssteve for reminding me about good old Murphy! I'm glad I wrote and thank you again for your helpful suggestions.

I'll keep you updated.

jemom
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Old Aug 30th, 2006, 03:57 PM
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Hi

I had the same idea this year and took to planning myself. We had a wonderful time got advice from Fodorites and it all helped. We travelled the whole country by train, we bought our ticket at the station, no crazy waiting in queue, maybe 5 minutes, i was expecting an hour or more, i purchased my tickets for the whole trip in one go. €290 for 3 adults and 2 children for all the below:

Our trip.

3 nights Rome

3 nights Piano di Sorrento in a most wonderful Guesthouse walking distance from the train. "Charming Casa Maria". It is a 4* experience for guesthouse price. Took in Pompeii, Herculaneum, Sorrento and ate in our local which was much cheaper.

1 night Assisi, beautiful, stay away from Hotel Mount Subasio, its view is fab but the quality of the hotel is awful. Completely outdated and mouldy and charges 4* price.

8 nights Florence in Fattoria Settemerli in the outskirts, very easily accessible, but at first the walk from bus stop is off putting but after one or two trips it becomes old hat. It is wow there. We took a day trip to Siena. Beautiful.

2 nights in Pisa and my favourite which was only a day trip Luca. It is a really beautiful town.

Trains, planes and busses all took off on time. I was worried about how tickets worked with trains and busses, but you simply buy the ticket and validate it on the platform (in a yellow box) for the train or on the bus if bussing or physically write the time on your bus ticket this also works.

So have fun and enjoy if you miss a train or a bus dont fret there will be one definitely within the next hour!!!




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