As a first time participant, I'd like to compliment all the kind travellers at this site who offer their experience. I've travelled five times to Europe, including Italy, four times with high school students (I teach), and once with my wife and three children. I'm very excited about our 25th anniversary trip for 2 weeks to our favorite country, Italy, and would appreciate any tips. We are thinking 3 days in each romantic spot--Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Cinqe Terre, and the Lake District (Como? Garda?). We're very happy in 2 and 3 star, clean, family run hotels where the owners become part of the fond memory of the place. If you have any gems, I'd like to hear about them, as well as romantic spots or moments. Ciao.

What is your hotel budget per night? Have you been to any of these areas before? Do you want to include sightseeing or just relax?

Hi,

What time of year are you going?

Do you know your arrival and departure cities?

Are you planning on renting a car for any portion of the trip?

To me, romantic spots in Italia all have two things in common:

They're hard to get to -- which is why they've stayed so romantic looking.

And they're swamped with tourists -- which makes them a wee bit less romantic than advertised.

HOWEVER, to begin with your itinerary:

One romantic thing you might consider is taking a ferry boat from Napoli to Genova as a way of traveling between the Amalfi and le Cinque Terre. Unusual, but then you'd experience the mediterranean as people historically did in Italy, and it could be memorable.

But otherwise, it's hard to advise without knowing more about the basics of your trip, like airports, mode of land transport, etc.

It's so nice to hear you'll be staying in two stars. They are often so charming.

Thanks for the replies. Hotel budget hopefully is $150 or less (I have a recommended place in Praiano, near Positano, for $135) The trip would be low-key, slow-paced sightseeing and relaxing--soaking up the culture (we've done Rome, Florence, and Venice for the sights before). We will go late June, early July of next year. I'm guessing train as main transport, but I thought maybe a car in Tuscany, for short trips to hill towns. Current plan in fly into Rome, train to Sorrento, bus to hotel and to Positano, Amalfi, perhaps boat to Capri, then train up to Florence, pick up car, stay in hotel, b and b, or villa in Tuscany, then leave off the car, train to Cinque Terre, train to Lake Como, train back to Rome (unless we can swing Milan for departure).
The idea of the ferry up the coast is quite intriguing.
Again, thank for your ideas.

If you take the ferry from Napoli to Genova, then take a train to Cinque Terre, you can pick up a car in La Spezia to drive to Tuscany, and then keep the car to drive to Lago di Como. One hopes you can fly out of somewhere closer than Roma (try Venezia and Pisa or Florence airports, too). Don't forget that going back, a one-stop isn't as grim as going the other way, since it's not a red-eye, so you can look at flights out of a number of airports that make a stop in Europe or the UK, where you can switch to the US.

The problem with the ferry from Napoli to Genova for you itinerary is that you've got all your beach time in one lump. Wouldn't necessarily bother me, but if it bothers you, and you're not averse to driving, you might think of renting your car in Sorrento and driving it Tuscany. However, you'd want to get rid of it before going to Cinque Terre.

Hi I,

>3 days in each romantic spot--Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Cinqe Terre, and the Lake District..

May I suggest not doing both the AC and the CT in the same trip? Too much of a muchness.

Add 1 day to the AC and 2 to Tuscany.

Enjoy your visit.

That's too many destinations too far apart in too short of time. You will be spending more time on trains and changing hotels than relaxing/sightseeing. You really need to drop a location(s) and book flights into one airport and out of another.

$135 (85&euro sounds extremely cheap for Positano. Has that price been confirmed? Even the Hostel Brikette in Positano is 75€ per night and I wouldn't consider it romantic unless you like very basic.

Where are you flying from? Sometimes you can find cheaper flights into Nice (not that far from Genoa) than Milan. You might also look at flying into Pisa and starting there. Look at flights into Naples also. When you consider train costs (Rome airport to Rome-11€ per person, Rome to Naples -about 30€ per person, Circumvesuviana Naples to Sorrento about 5€, bus to Positano - 2-3&euro, it might be as cheap to fly into Naples and would save time.

There is a bus from Rome airport to Salerno (a bit south of Positano), but it's once a day and the departure time might not work for you (afternoon 1:30?). Once in Salerno you can catch the ferry to Positano or the bus.
Buono Tourist runs this bus and also has a bus from Naples airport to Salerno. Their website is not user friendly.
http://www.buonocore-group.it/

Congratulations, I just celebrated my 25th also. We went to Ischia, just the 2 of us. First vacation alone in 23 years. Great place, romantic, casual, relaxing and beautiful. We loved it. Unlike the Amalfi coast which I looked at it has sand beaches if you like that and not many Americans.

If your Positano hotel isn't as advertised, Da Salvatore in Ravello has six pretty doubles, all with sea views and small balconies, at its restaurant. I paid 90e.

I agree you have a lot of destinations, but think it could be enjoyable provided you are not planning on sightseeing in your destinations, beyond walking to the local church or garden before lunch. And that you pick modes of transportation you enjoy.

If you love the sea, I don't think Cinque Terre and Amalfi are too much the same. The cultures and cuisine and colors are dramatically different. I find spots other than le Cinque Terre romantic, so I would pick Camogli if I were taking the ferry from Napoli, or Portovenere (perhaps the most romantic spot in Liguria) if you have a car and are coming from villa in Toscana. If you can afford it, keep the car to drive to Lago di Como, dropping it off in the town of Como for a romantic ferry ride to your lakeside destination or keeping to help get you to the airport if you fly out of one in the north.