chicago2

I am going to Italy with a friend (2 women in 30's) from June 17th-28th. This is our itinerary, which I know is a lot in the time we have, but figure this will give us the opportunity to figure out what we like so the next time we can spend more time in specific places. Neither of us have traveled in Europe before and need all the help we can get!

June17: Depart CHI
June 18: ARR Milan 6:30 am train to Venice
June 19: Venice
June 20: train to Florence
June 21: Florence
June 22: train to Sorrento (via Naples)
June 23: Sorrento
June 24: Sorrento
June 25: train to Rome
June 26: Rome
June 27: Depart Rome- CHI

Lots of questions!!! We have not booked anything other than hotels and flight as of yet. What do we need to book/order before we go (as far as museums/tours/trains, etc) I know it is the busiest time of the year. Should we have already booked more??? I know we will have more questions, but will start with this. Thanks!

PalenQ

For train info: www.trenitalia.com and online you can get some 241 offers and online only specials but often they go when they come on 60 days in advance.

But summer schedules after June 10 are not yet loaded so go daily and see what you can get. You'd have little problems buying tickets on site as there are soooo many trains on these routes but you could save online.

Forget the Italian railpass as you are not nearly traveling enough on trains to make it pay off. No pass for you!

TravMimi

Looks good for a scouting trip to some of Italy. You can get reservations online for the Accademia in Florence to see Davide. There are lots of sites like Tickitaly.com . If you are going to buy train tickets online wait to within 30 days so all the runs are up. You don't need tickets ahead of time for most places, such as Pompeii. Have a great trip.

suze

wow - fast paced, but you must realize that? with just two days in each city.

i like to book my hotels ahead but trains, tours, museums, etc. i figure out after i arrive (but that's just me, some people have everything set in advance).

jjkbrook

it looks to me that your are going to spend an awful lot of your time in transit whizzing by Italy instead of in it. Id skip one of your cities (prob Sorrento because of the distance but depending on what sort of thing you like best maybe Florence or Venice) and add another day to Rome.

Jean

To each, his/her own. Some people like this "sampling" of a country but can't always remember what they saw where, so I'm not sure how that helps in figuring out where to spend more time on a future trip. If I had only 10 days on the ground, my itinerary would cover 2-3 places in closer proximity to each other (i.e., Venice, Florence, Rome).

kbrennan

First trip to Italy, I would spend 2 nights in Venice, 3 nights in Florence (side trip to Pisa - that thing is really leaning!), and 4 nights Rome (side trip to Pompeii or Herculaneum.) Save Sorrento and other places south for a lazier trip to Italy.

nytraveler

If you hadn't said you had already booked your tickets I would say you shokld land in Venice (3 nights), trin to Florence (3/4 nights - with one a day trip to tuscan town) and Rome (3 nights). (And this is still cutting Rome seriously short.)

As it is you will spend so much time traveling on trains, in and out of train stations, getting to/fro hotels and checking in and out you will have little time to se/d o anything. And no time to just sit in a cafe and enjoy the pace of Italian life.

I really encourage you to rethink this - so you enjoy your vacation - rather than regret all you missed.