dsarah

We are disembarking from a transatlantic cruise at the Rome cruise port on Monday, April 27, 2015. Its our first time in Italy and we want to tour Rome, Venice, the Amalfi coast. We are in our 70s and very timid about using trains and public transportation so we plan to hire private drivers for this first trip to Italy.

Currently we plan to go direct from the cruise port to the Amalfi coast area (via Pompeii) and stay there 2 to 3 nights and do day tours to Capri, drive along the coastline, etc. Then we planned to go back to Rome around Thursday, April 30, for 3 or 4 days before heading to Venice. That would put us in Rome during the Labor Day weekend. What can we expect if we do that (in the way of crowds, increased hotel prices, closure of sights, restaurants)?Would it make more sense to go to Rome first (before the holiday weekend) and then go to Amalfi coast during the holiday weekend, or would we run into more crowds, costs, etc. that way?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

kybourbon

You need to say where your return flight is before people can advise you on which route would be best.

dsarah

After going to the Amalfi Coast and Rome, we planned to end up in Venice and fly back to the States from there. However, we have not yet made return air reservations yet, so plans are flexible. We originally planned 3 or 4 days in each area (Amalfi coast, Rome and Venice) but could extend that.

The only thing we booked so far is the transatlantic cruise that arrives at Rome cruise port on April 27, 2015. Our ship stops in Livorno the day before we get to Rome, so we will do a quick tour of Florence/Pisa on a shore excursion from there.

bvlenci

Most museums and archaeological sites in Rome are closed on May 1st, so you might want to schedule your stay in Rome for a different period, unless you can plan a day that doesn't involve formal visits.

Are you seriously planning to hire a private driver to take you from the Amalfi Coast to Venice? That's about an eight-hour drive, even if you drive straight through with no stops. It would be both quicker and more comfortable by train, although you'd have to change trains somewhere, usually in Rome.

dsarah

Sorry, I was not clear about the train. We don't want to take the train from Rome to the Amalfi coast and back to Rome, and prefer to hire a private driver for that. However, we are planning to take the high speed train from Rome to Venice.

Since the museums are closed in Rome on May 1st, it sounds like it may make more sense to do the Rome portion of our trip first (rather than go direct to the Amalfi coast from the ship). We could spend 3 or 4 days in Rome before leaving for the Amalfi Coast.

That means we would be in the Sorrento, Positano, area, and visiting the Isle of Capri during Labor Day and that weekend -- would we have the same problem with sites not being open. Also crowds in Capri and on the cliff roads?

aprillilacs

I was in Sorrento and the AC during that period this year, and in Capri itself on May 1. The whole area was packed with tourists, and Capri was mobbed. Fortunately we did an overnight in Capri so we were able to enjoy a bit more quiet in the evening a d early morning, but still the crowds detracted from the overall experience.

I would avoid that area around the holiday. Rome is always full of tourists and can absorb them more easily. Even if museums, etc. are closed on May 1, there is plenty to keep you occupied and enthralled, just walking around the city. My choice would be to spend that time in Rome, then go to the AC before moving on to Venice.

Have a great trip!

dsarah

Aprillilacs, thank you for your first-hand account of the Labor Day crowds in the AC area. That is the information I needed. Now we know we will want to avoid the AC during the holiday weekend.

We will do the Amalfi coast first after we disembark the cruise ship on Monday, April 27, for a couple days. Then go back to Rome Wens (the 29th) or Thurs (the 30th) and stay there over the holiday.

Thanks!

kybourbon

I would be tempted to leave the ship at Livorno (don't see the point in staying on to go to Civitavecchia), head to Florence and on to Venice. From Venice, train to Naples and hire a driver there to the coast. After the coast, a driver to take you back to Naples and catch the train to Rome. End in Rome and fly home.

FYI - A driver from Civitavecchia to the Amalfi coast will be about 450€. Around 400€ for the coast to Rome.