saregama

I will be on the Amalfi coast for a wedding next summer, so want to extend it to a longer vacation in the South of Italy.

Would like to request help formulating an itinerary. I have travelled extensively in the North (ended in Naples... without spending much time there), so don't want to spend time there, but would rather focus on the South and Sicily.

1. favourite spots? not-to-miss places / experiences / etc?
2. travel tips - bus / train / order of places
3. hotel choices?
4. general advice!

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

AP6380

How much time will you have? What month are you going? What is your budget? Will you rent a car? I'm working on my trip report now, but Maratea in the Basilicata and Tropea in Calabria come to mind. Visited both in August, and absolutely loved them. Maratea has been called an "off the beaten track" Amalfi Coast. Check out this article:

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/...es/maratea.htm

Sicily really deserves at least 7 days, in my opinion. Check out my Sicily trip report:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34412340

ira

Hi sare,

I recommend a couple of nights in Naples.

You might find the Naples/AC portion of my trip report helpful:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

bobthenavigator

Find my trip report at slowtrav.com for 2 weeks in south Italy from Positano to Taormina and Puglia.

cmt

Could you be more specific in your questions and explain what your tentative plans are? There is a lot of info here about Sicily, and some also about Basilicata, Puglia, and Calabria, but it's hard to answer without knowing a bit more about your interests, wishes, and time constraints.

saregama

Thanks for the comments and links.

To answer some of the questions:
- going end june/early july (wedding around 4th of july week)
- plan to spend 10-15 days
- budget is flexible: probably will indulge a couple of times, but don't want to blow the bank!
- want to get a good flavour as well as a diverse experience - which is why i thought a combination of sicily, the amalfi coast, etc could be nice
- thinking along the lines of something suggested in the rick steves itinerary for their tour, but without the tour
http://tours.ricksteves.com/tours05/its05/itin.cfm
- prefer to use public transportation where possible, but would like to know where it makes more sense to drive as well

thanks!

AP6380

If you are going to use public transit, or even if you had a rental car, an itinerary like that sounds exhausting. Tours cover so much ground because your transport is all taken care of, when it's on you it's a different story. My personal preference is at least 3 nights in a place, once in awhile I may just do a 1- or 2- nighter, but not often.

Are you going to fly into Palermo or Naples? What is your starting point?