Rome,Positano and? May 2-18 2010

You could explore Umbria which is the region south of Tuscany. You could include a day or two in Assisi which is also gorgeous.

Others will be able to give more detailed suggestions, I'm sure. Have fun planning.

You could consider Puglia ( on the heel of Italy) or Sicily--Palermo and/or Taormina. These will all keep you on the right side of the country to return to Naples.

If you've not booked anything yet, then consider flying into Milan or Venice, see the Lakes, (Como, Garda etc) then go down to Rome, Sorrento/Amalfi. Depends on time left how much you can do.

Hi bx,

Is there a reason you don't like Venice?

You could fly into Venice VCE, Milan MXP or Pisa PSA.

Ira, I already bought the tickets. Flying into Rome May 2 and out of Naples May 18. I've never been to Venice, I'm just concerned with timetable getting around and being in Positano for the end of our trip. Thanks for the help. bx

I would do southern Tuscany and Umbria. Train to Orvieto and spend a night (or two). Pick up a car a head towards Montepulciano/Pienza/Montalcino areas. You could also spend a few days Assisi/Perugia areas. You could keep your car until you get to Sorrento at the end of your trip.

I vote for Puglia. Here are some recent Fodorite reports that inspired me to put Puglia on my list:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/my-party-in-puglia-11-fabulous-days-and-nights.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/just-back-from-puglia.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/10-days-in-amalfi-and-puglia.cfm [scroll down to post at 4/23/09 7:37 am]

Thanks to all for your advise. I'm liking the Orvieto/Montepulciano/Pieza/Montalcino suggestion. We are flying into Rome wondering if we should visit Rome first then head to Orvieto or vice versa? We are traveling by train/bus only. I'm a little confused on Rail pass travel or point-point. Thanks

In terms of logistics, travelers should always plan their more demanding travel up front and leave the more relaxed portion to the end. Accordingly, get your Rome sightseeing upfront.

If I read your OP right, May 2-7 Rome, May 8-12 Positano, right? You have about a week open. Pick a weekly rental (agriturismo) around eastern Umbria and explore from there as home base. I suggest holiday-rentals.com.

bxl, with no car and 18 days, which I'm presuming translates into 15 nights, you have plenty of time to visit Venice, Rome and Positano. Venice is an easy train ride from Rome (about 4.5 hours). You could then go from Venice to the AC via train to either Salerno in about 7.5 hours or to Naples in about 6 (on the EsA) and from either of those places to Positano.

I'd be inclined to start in Rome for 5 nights (you could take a day trip to Umbria if so inclined but I'm not sure it would be worth it because there is so much to see and do in Rome), go to Venice for 4 nights, then to Positano for 5 nights, and spend the last night in Naples, assuming you have an early morning flight. That would be a nice, leisurely pace and would allow you to see 3 fabulous places.

Not having a car is a real shortcoming in southern Tuscany. Pienza and Montalcino don't have train service, and Montepulciano's station is six miles outside or town. Umbria is better -- Perugia, Assisi, Spoleto, and Orvieto are all reachable by train -- but in both regions one of the greatest pleasures is touring the countryside, which requires a car, unless you're going by bike or on foot.

You have a lot of good options. Making the best choice comes down to what you want to get out of the trip. Are you more interested in relaxing and unwinding, or in seeing sights and getting a variety of experiences? You're already planning time in a culturally rich city and a coastal town that's part resort, part fishing village. Umbria would be a nice addition to the mix, even without a car -- it's beautiful in a different way than Rome or the Amalfi Coast, and though it gets lots of tourists, it feels less intensely touristy than your other two destinations.

On the other hand, if you feel yourself drawn to Venice, I'd say go for that. It's a unique experience, and though you'd be spending a lot of time in transit, your schedule is relaxed enough that you can afford it. For an additional twist, you could stop for a night in Bologna on your way to or from Venice ... or stop in Bologna going one way and Orvieto the other, if you aren't put off by multiple changes in hotels.

Lots of options.... I'd say get a good guidebook, read through trip reports here, leaf through travel magazines, and see what appeals to you. Once you've formulated an itinerary, you can get some great help with fine-tuning here on the forums.

Hi bxl,

Flying into Rome and out of Naples, with about 8 nights open.

I would add two nights in Naples.

I would train immediately from Rome to Venice for 3-4 nights, train to Bologna for 3-2 nights, then on to Rome and the AC.

Trains from Rome TE to Venezia San Lucia every hour on the :50. 4:30 - 5 hr.

Enjoy your visit.

(Flying into Rome has only cost you about 3hr travel time)

I have narrowed down my trip to Italy in May 2010.
Rome 6 nights
Orvieto area 4 nights
Amalfi 4 nights
Naples 2 nights
We will rent a car for the Orvieto trip.Can you rent a car in that area? Or outside Rome?We will take a train from Naples to Salerno. What are the chances of a ferry running May 12?Not sure if is to early in the season? Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
bxl

There ought to be good ferry connections on May 12, unless there is horrible weather that is generally not expected at that time of year. And it that happens, you can still get to Salerno then train to Naples.

It sounds like a lovely trip.

Train from Rome to Orvieto, then pick up a car once you are there. But since you are getting a car anyway, why not go back to the Pienza/Montalcino/Montepulciano area? I prefer it to Orvieto. Orvieto is nice enough, but with a car, you can choose much more interesting destinations, and not that far.

Also consider Assisi/Perugia/Spello. Having a car in the Orvieto area isn't all that important, and there are much better rides and views and accessible towns from either of the other locations I mentioned.

I was in that region this past May and May 12 was a GLORIOUS, warm day! That said, the week before had been rainy and cool (not cold...!). Plan for lower 70's.

I would add at least one additional night in Naples.

Because we arrive after a tiring overnight flight, I like to put 1 or 2 easy days at the beginning of my trip, to get over jet lag. At the same time, I want to start out in a city with a variety of sightseeing options, so we can pick and choose according to how we feel.

That's why, for Italy, I like flying into Venice and out of Rome. Flying out of Venice, if you're making a connection out of Europe, you lose time on the ground because you need to leave Venice very early.

To lessen the intensity of travel, we've tried different options over the years. At one time we'd put a 3 or 4 day rest stop in the middle of the trip. But my husband got bored. Now we just add extra days to our stops.

To add to my previous post, a good use of that first jet-lagged day is to move on to the furthest place in your itinerary. That first day is pretty much a fog anyway.

I wouldn't suggest basing yourself for four nights in Orvieto. In Umbria and Tuscany, with a car at your disposal, I think your best bet is to look for lodging in the countryside -- there are lots of converted villas and agriturismi (farm stays, sort of like B&Bs) to choose from. Pick one, and from there make day trips to Orvieto and other towns.

If you stay in the actual town of Orvieto, you're likely to pay more and get less when it comes to lodging, and you'll have to deal with potential parking problems and hassles getting in and out of town. That isn't to say there aren't appealing places to stay in Orvieto ... just that, all in all, staying outside of town is a better option.