nixrtkls

My family is so excited to take the trip of a lifetime to Italy May 26-June 13, 2017. 3 days in Rome, 4 in Sorrento/Positano/Capri, 4 in Tuscany/Florence, 2 in Cinque Terre, and 3 in Venice.

Looking for recommendations. (3 daughters 14-23). Favorite vacation so far was Captiva Island Florida. Looking forward to some sightseeing and relaxation. Follow www.earthtrekkers.com blog, but wanted to get some additional opinions.

Checking hotels and airbnb (since we have 5, rather than 4). We are foodies, and like nature, the beach, pools, quaint vintage shops.

Thank you for any information. Challenging to plan ahead when you've never been somewhere -- and neither have any of your friends.

tuscanlifeedit

Sounds like a great trip, but since you are going to the Amalfi Coast or Sorrento or Capri, might I suggest skipping Cinque Terre and adding time to Tuscany/Florence?

You could have a place in Tuscany with a pool (although do check timing) and also visit Florence.

You mention a lot of towns for the Amalfi Coast. Is your plan to split the stay or just pick one? I might suggest something daring like spending all 4 nights in Capri, which has as beach (not much) as the other spots, but much more sightseeing, and a hotel with a pool wouldn't be that hard to find. Consider Anacapri as well as the rest of the island.

Airbnb and vrbo.com for apartments. Many will have minimum stays. I've also rented apartments through booking.com. They give that option on their filters.

I suggest moving fast on this. Time is very short for your trip.

northie

Our family of 5 including 2 older daughters in 30's stayed in an apartment in Positano - travelled by boat to Sorrento and Capri ( day trips) , explored Positano area even traveling on local bus .

TexasAggie

That's a lot of moving around! I completely understand the urge to see a lot, but you really do lose at least half a day every time you transfer and possibly more time that that. I agree with the poster who suggested cutting the Cinque Terre. Yes it's beautiful, but it's quite crowded at that time of year and you already have a seaside destination further south in Campania (the region of Sorrento/Positano).

TexasAggie

Re: Venice, we stayed in one of the Pensione Guerrato apartments as a family back in 2015. They have the ones advertised on the website, but they also have one that is located in the hotel building itself. It was basic but very spacious. Amazing location and very reasonable price for Venice.

http://hotelguerrato.com/en/#appartamenti
(Click on "Apartments" at the top)

TexasAggie

And re: Sorrento, the Hotel Antiche Mura provided us with a connecting room a few years ago. It's not inexpensive but is a lovely, lovely property.

kja

While I fully appreciate your desire to see all these places, it seems like a very rushed trip to me. I wonder if you are sure that you will have to time to see and do everything that you consider a priority? Here's what I recommend: Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, and be sure to add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

Please remember: Your basic choice is about how much time you actually spend seeing wonderful places, rather than seeing train stations and getting from place to place.

Good luck!

ellenbw

I have to agree with other posters- too many places in too little time. You will spend a lot of time transporting yourself from one place to another and checking in and out of hotels/apts. I would cut out Cinqueterre, and add a day to Rome and a day to Tuscany. There is so much to see in the Rome and if it is your first stop, there is jet lag to consider. I would actually do 3 places in that amount of time, but definitely not 5!

We rented an apt in Rome years ago through SleepinItaly and were very pleased with it.

nixrtkls

Thank you all for reminding me to slowwww down. That's what everyone seems to be saying.

We fly into Rome on May 26 am. We fly out of Venice June 12 am.
Aside from 3 days in Rome, would anyone have a suggested itinerary? We felt like a few days in Tuscany would be enough, but maybe we need to rethink.

We have a wishlist:
1. Rome 3 days
2. Blue Grotto
3. See the views of the Amalfi coast -- from afar and up close. Maybe kayak in the med in Positano just to take it all in from the water.
4. Naples/Pompeii
5. Florence
6. Tuscany -- vespa scooters, maybe bicycles, wine, food, vineyards, rest and relaxation with a little bit of hiking (<2 miles) and biking (<20 miles)
7. Last Supper
8. Amarone Vineyards in Venetto
9. Gondola rides in Venice.

We would really appreciate some time to relax and also some fast paced time seeing things. Your advice and suggestions are so appreciated.

Mimar

Do you plan to rent a car? Most of this itinerary can be done by public transportation, but your time in Tuscany sounds more rural, for which you'd need a car. However, driving in Florence is a definite no-no. Pick a town that has easy access by bus or train to Florence and do a daytrip there.

Make up your mind you're going to miss some of your wishlist. Is it prioritized? Do that. Every trip I have to cut sights and destinations I'd love to visit. The more you learn the more places you want to go.

Your example trip, Captiva Island, sounds very relaxed. Your current itinerary isn't relaxed, except for your time in Tuscany.

The Last Supper in Milan is a definite outlier. You should probably drop it.

The Amarone Vineyards could be visited en route if you drive from Tuscany to Venice. But if you want to visit a winery, you need to make reservations ahead of time.

Sorrento, on the Gulf of Naples, is a central spot between Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi coast. Lots of hotels there.

CaliNurse

So many great suggestions above, including ideas to help narrow the choices.

I did a similar itinerary with my daughter a few yrs ago, but minus the Cinque Terre, and totally agree with Tuscanlitfeed and Texasaggie, that is the stop you could (should)liminate.

A great place near, but not IN the city of Florence, is Agriturismo Savernano. The owners are fantastic, and they have two kids who are probably your kids' ages now. By staying there, you can easily get the quick local train to Florence but also have the wonderful experience of staying in the countryside at a farm/winery/inn--along with great breakfasts, great owner-made wine, and (optional) dinners on the verandah, enjoying the sunset after a dip in the pool! Check out its website and tripadvisor reviews, for example, and see what you think. My daughter and i loved, loved, loved it!

Sorrento is a great base for the Amalfi coast!!

Good luck with planning! Those decisions, given limited time, and (if you're like me) limited funds, are difficult, but your research will pay off in the end.

kja

Again, it really depends on your interests and preferred pace of travel, but FWIW:

3 days is VERY little for Rome, particularly if there is any chance that you will be jet lagged when you start your trip.

There is no guarantee that one can see the Blue Grotto -- access depends on the weather, tides, etc.

If you visit Capri and take a ferry to the Amalfi Coast, you will see the coast from the water.

Pompeii can take 6 hours or more. Naples can take a week or more. If you only want to see the Archeological Museum in Naples -- and it is an extraordinary museum -- it is possible to visit both Pompeii and the museum on the same LONG day if you plan things VERY carefully.

Many people visit Florence as a day trip; I spent 5.5 very busy days in Florence and did not see everything I would have liked to see.

Gondola rides in Venice are very expensive. Riding the vaporetti (water buses) is inexpensive.

Hope that helps!