2-3 weeks in Italy.
 

My first plan was to rent a small place (have one in mind) in Positano and then just travel a few places from there. I would be arriving middle of March and assuming I fly into Naples, would it be better to catch some form of public transportation to Positano and use that also to travel to other cities, or rent a car? I mean to just base in the little place in Positano, but if my sister should join me I would want to show her Venice and the hills of Tuscany, and maybe Pompeii. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

Venice and Tuscany are not day trips from Positano so you would need some overnights and would be paying twice for hotels. There's not a whole lot of places you can get to and back in a day. Why Positano in March? It will be cold and damp. It's more of a summer town to visit. In the winter months cities are best so you have a variety of indoor activities.

I believe a lot of places on Amalfi Coast will still be closed in March[ restaurants etc]. We were there on April 2 of this year and things were just opening up.

I was planning to stay until the end of March. I need to go some place that is quiet and I can relax. I took care of my mom for many years and now I lost her, and I need some time alone to be able to move on. If my sister comes over too she will want to see the places I have been before. Should I maybe fly into Florence and out of Venice and plan places to stay in both? I don't know what to do, and this has always been the plan when my mom didn't need me anymore.

Sorry about your mom.

Definitely fly into one airport and out of another. Rome may have better prices and also more flights than Naples. Depends on where you are coming from; check both for Amalfi Coast.

Sorry about your Mom.
Was March a mistake? Are you waiting until next year to do the trip? March can be so blustery, yes, even in lovely Italy. Can you wait just a bit until at least the end of April? It may still be rainy, but you have more chance for sun.

A completely different consideration might be Southern Spain - Andalusia, especially Seville area.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Why are you waiting almost a year to take this trip and are you sure you will need this quiet and alone time in another 10 months?

Florence and Venice are wonderful places and will allow you more options in things to do and restaurants. You can find quiet in both of those locations. As an alternate to Florence you might consider Fiesole in the hills above Florence with easy access to the city via bus. Venice is quiet once you're away from the Rialto/San Marco areas.

Thank you everyone for your condolences. I was going in March because it was less expensive and not too hot yet. Maybe I should look into something else instead such as Adrienne's suggestion of Fiesole. I was looking among the vineyards and not so many tourists. I know, I would be one of those tourists! :) I want to walk to a small place for a glass of wine, and not have so many people around me. Every vacation for the last 18 years has been with my mom, even before she needed fulltime help, because I was the only one of her children that had a job where I was off in the summers, then in 2006 I had to leave my job. I cherish every moment and would not change it, but now I need some time where I only look after myself. But that has to include not too much stress of having to drive places or fear of train schedules. I will be coming from the USA.

The center of Florence (where you find the most tourists) is very small and will be quiet in March. That's not to say that there won't be tourists but there will be plenty of cafes/restaurants a bit outside the center (away from the main influx of tourists) where there won't be a lot of noise and traffic. There are lots of small streets with cafes where you could enjoy quiet.

Venice, away from the main tourist areas, is very quiet as there are no cars. You will only hear some motorboat noise and that is minimal as they can't zoom through the small canals.

I encourage yourself to think hard about what you're planning as a year after your loss you will feel a bit differently than you do now. And perhaps you will not want to isolate yourself as much. Other than very large cities there are many areas where you can find solitude and quiet yet avail yourself of the activity small cities afford.

Can you let us know what you find fearful about train schedules? That's a bit baffling to me.

I was reading an article on here about getting train tickets and it sounded complicated. One suggestion was to take a ferry to one place and then the train to avoid so many changes. I really appreciate all of the advice I have received here, I think I may have to rethink everything. Thank you again, this may be another one of those things that remains a dream.

<Should I maybe fly into Florence and out of Venice and plan places to stay in both?>

I think that would give you a lot more flexibility by being in or near cities, able to get around by train and public transportation, not needing a car. Especially when the weather is still cool possibly rainy etc. I believe you can find peace and solitude in larger cities not only the country-side.

I am very sorry for your loss.

I don't think you should give up your dream.

I think by rearranging things a bit you can eliminate the stress.

I have only been to Italy twice, Venice both times, when I needed a train ticket, I just went to the train station and bought one. It was no big deal.

Again don't write off the cities. I think staying in Venice for a month, in one of the quieter areas, would be sheer bliss.

From Naples to Positano you have two options. Train to Salerno with no stops. It's a regional train and there is no price advantage to booking ahead. Show up at the station and buy your ticket. Then bus to Positano.

Train from Naples to Sorrento. It's a commuter train and you can't book ahead - buy a ticket on the platform. In Sorrento, you get the bus from in front of the train station but you need to buy a ticket first. I don't know if there are ticket machines at the station but there weren't when I was last in Sorrento. You buy your tickets from any bar - there was a bar on the corner, just a few feet away.

Train tickets are not usually complicated but some people can make anything complicated.