10 days Italy October 2016
 

Hello first time to Italy - 10 days - thinking fly into Florence ,2 -3nights, trains to Rome , 2 nights, train to almalfi 2 -3 nights, fly home from sorento- not sure really what to do at any spot or where to stay and if that is to aggressive - like to sight see, eat, active ( bikes etc) -couple Late forties,don't require lavish accommodations,mid range -thanks!

I'm sorry, but this trip sounds very rushed to me. I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Only then can you begin to see whether your plan works.

Everyone will say it's too rushed. Two nights only yields one full day.

By the way, Sorrento has no airport. You'd fly out of Naples meaning you'd stay there the last night.

Two nights in Rome give you just one day. IMHO this really makes no sense; it takes 3 full days to see even the most basic major sights in Rome.

Agree to research each of these cities in guidebooks to determine which things you want to see and have some idea of hoe long it will take. (Are you much more interested in pre and early renaissance art - Florence - than ancient Rome - besides rome, vatican city and a massive number of museums, galleries and churches.)

And you would need to leave Sorrento about 5 hours before catching a flight home from Naples.

Nobody has to leave Sorrento 5 hours before catching a flight out of Naples airport. It's a 90 minute taxi ride or ferry+taxi ride, and even if you want to allow more time for road traffic, being at the airport 90 minutes before your flight is more time than most locals would build in.

But you would probably do better to fly into Naples, go to Sorrento, and work your way north to fly out of Florence.

If you are not sure what to do where you are thinking of going, read a guidebook. Whether or not your trip is "too rushed" or aggressive depends on what you want to do in each city. There is no biking (cycling) in any of the places you mention.

And there is no train to Amalfi. You take the train to Naples and get to Amalfi via bus or private driver, or you take the train to Salerno and get to Amalfi via bus, ferry or private driver.

There is great hiking on the Amalfi Coast but you need more time.

I will just say that I have not been to Florence, so can't comment. I am not big on changing locations often. I believe the "lure" of seeing it all seems like a great idea, but will more than likely leave you disappointed and tired.

We stayed in Rome 9 nights several years ago and took day trips to nearby towns. We felt like that made it possible to see a lot, not travel too much and nt waster valuable time packing suitcases and checking in/out of hotels. We did not see everything in Rome, even with that amount of time there but we loved Rome!

This year, we hit the Amalfi Coast for 9 nights. We did change hotels after 6 nights but only to a spa hotel 30 minutes away. Amalfi does have beautiful hiking and we wished we had done more of that. It's a gorgeous area and we enjoyed it immensely.

I would cut out one destination to give you more time to enjoy the destinations you choose.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your trip. Italy is beautiful!