american_in_italy

Looking for travel tips, must see sights, and itinerary suggestions.

My wife and I have 10 days not including travel to spend in Italy(mid June 2011). This is to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. This will be our first time in Italy / Europe. We fly into Rome and arrive on June 14th at 11am.

So far we have a hotel booked for our first 3 nights in Rome. We have been offered 2 nights following that at a winery in the Chianti region of Tuscany which should allow us to see Florence and Pisa? We would also very much like to see Venice and the Amalfi Coast while in Italy.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

american_in_italy

I am also looking for a recommendation on a very memorable and romantic restaurant for dinner in Rome....perhaps with a view. Thinking of Sora Lella on the Tiber River.....

DownUnder

You could spend a lifetime exploring Italy so 10 days is a good start. I consider both Venice and the Amalfi Coast absolute must sees, but you need more than 2 days in Tuscany to visit Florence, Pisa and all the other interesting Tuscan towns. Lucca should also be on your itinerary. So it seems Rome, Tuscany and Venice for this trip, and as you will want to return, keep Capri and the Amalfi Coast for next time.

rineurope

I would agree with Downunder that "less is more" and to limit your travel time as you only have ten days. I would avoid running from spot ot spot - you'll come back! As far as a romantic location, here's an article with a list, map, and pictures of the rooftop bars and restaurants in Rome - Enjoy your trip: http://tinyurl.com/Rome-Rooftops

mamcalice

With 10 days, you should limit yourselves to 3 stops at the most, ideally 2. Do you also fly out of Rome? If so, I suggest Rome, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast. If you can extend your time in Tuscany by a day or two that would be good - 3 days in Tuscany and 3 on the Amalfi Coast. If you are leaving from Rome, you will have to be there the night before to catch your flight. Thus, it would make sense to go immediately to Tuscany so that you end your trip in Rome.

uhoh_busted

I'd go with Rome Tuscany and Venice, myself. 3 nights Rome, 3 nights Tuscany (you will want that extra day, believe me) and 3 nights Venice. You can train back to Rome assuming your plane tickets are RT starting and ending in Rome. Will you have a car in Tuscany? Personally, I'd plan to do two days touring hill towns and one day visiting Florence. You may like the winery you are staying at so much, you'll just want to hang out there at least half a day. Enjoy the beautiful countryside.

You'll be back.

american_in_italy

I have already booked the flights and three nights accomodations in Rome upon arrival, and yes we fly out of Rome. So.... I am trying to plot it all out. We are trying to pack in as much as possible as this is a special trip to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary, that we are not likely to repeat in the very near future. Here is what we were kicking around currently for an itinerary:

June 13 Travel to Italy
June 14 Arrive in Rome(booked for 3 nights)
June 15 Rome
June 16 Rome
June 17 to Tuscany(offered 2 nights at a winery there)
June 18 Tuscany
June 19 to Venice
June 20 Venice/Murano
June 21 to Amalfi Coast
June 22 Amalfi Coast
June 23 Rome
June 24 Travel back to US

We are considering no rental car for the first 3 days and then using a car for the rest of the trip.

jamikins

The thing about moving so much is that you lose 1/2 a day at least changing hotels, waiting for trains, travelling etc that you could use actually seeing and experiencing these places.

You wont be able to see Florence, Pisa and Tuscany in one full day.

Also, it will take 1 whole day to drive between Venice and the Amalfi Coast.

You really dont need a car in Venice or the Amalfi Coast.

I would really consider dropping with Venice or the Amalfi Coast and adding a day to Tuscany at least and a day to Venice.

bellini

I really think your proposed itinerary is madness
June 19th for example to Venice- so a day travelling and June 21 from venice to Amalfi coast- another day spent travelling which leaves you precisely ONE day in Venice. I have spent whole weeks in Venice and still not exhausted its wonders! After a whole day travelling on Jun 21st you will just have one day for the Amalfi coast. This sounds more like an endurance test than a holiday.
If you have a penchant for the art of Italy, Rome, venice and Tuscany would be my top suggestion!

StCirq

With that itinerary, this will be an anniversary to be remembered - and not fondly, either. If it were me, I'd ditch you around June 18 and go off on my own to explore Tuscany.

american_in_italy

Thanks for all the feedback. We are discussing taking Venice or the Amalfi Coast out of the itinerary. They both look so beautiful though. We may have the option to move the 2 nights in Tuscany to other dates.

ekc

I would limit your trip to 2 stops - Rome and Tuscany/Florence. With 10 days you really need to limit your time in transit, switching hotels. You could start with 4 days in Rome (must of the first day is lost to jetlag) and then 5 days in Tuscany and Florence and then your final day in Rome before you fly out.
One you start looking at train schedules and driving times, you will realize how much time is lost when you try to pack too many destinations into a trip.
You may not like our answers and wish we would give you the thumbs-up on your itinerary, but we are just giving you honest opinions based on our actual experience.

american_in_italy

I appreciate the candid opinions! We wouldn't want to try to cram in too much and ruin our trip.

virginiafish

I agree with less is more. Hopefully, you will return and Italy is a slow paced place to be savored with long meals and wine and walks.

socaltraveler

I agree with everyone who is saying that you have too much on the plate, too much criss-crossing the country. From your itinerary, you will have one actual day for the whole of the Amalfi Coast, so that should come out. Quite honestly, if you really want a romantic trip that is also a vacation, with 10 days, I would visit Rome and spend time in Tuscany/Florence with day trips to Pisa and perhaps Siena or another Tuscan town (and trust me, we started out planning our first trip or two with way too much as well). You will love Italy enough with a slower trip that you will be planning your next one on the way home. Venice, well, perhaps with 10 days you could do that, but really you would have maybe 2 days there and that is hardly enough time as well. Rome & Tuscany in 10 days is a really nice trip - happy anniversary, happy planning.

excited_confused

Hi, I am one of those people who like to see as much as possible too but yes, you do need to cut either Venice or the Amalfi coast. We did a similar trip a couple of years ago & did not go to Florence though we did spend a night in Siena which we loved. Instead we added 2 nights in Bellagio since we were flying out of Milan. It was very hard for me to let go of the idea of including the Amalfi coast! However if you are flying out of Rome, you can keep Venice & save the Amalfi coast for another time - a trip that I am really looking forward to!

namaka

We took our kids with us to Italy in 2009

We spent:
4 nights Venice
1 night Orvieto
6 nights Rome
4 nights Amalfi
2 nights Capri
1 night Sorrento

The difference being that we did it over the course of 3 weeks and still wish we would've had more time in each place.

Slow down; you will be back!