My wife and I (both 30) will be traveling to Italy in late March, and thanks to many of the recommendations and ideas on this board, we think we've put together an acceptable itinerary. Flights and hotels have been booked. We are planning to spend the majority of our time in Rome this time around, and save the northern sections (Venice, Milan, Pisa, Tuscany) for our next trip, whenever that may be. I’d welcome any comments or suggestions, especially since it will be our first European vacation.

Saturday: Arrive Naples @ 6:30 PM; find our hotel near Piazza Dante; PIZZA

Sunday: Pompeii & possibly Mt. Vesuvius; Roam around Naples (centro storico, Piazza Dante, Piazza Bellini, etc); more PIZZA

Monday: Archeological Museum, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo; Early evening train to Rome; find our hotel in Campo de Fiori; night walk & dinner in Rome

Tuesday: Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel; St. Peter’s

Wednesday: Papal Audience; Scavi Tour (tix already secured); Mass @ St. Peter’s; Castel Sant’Angelo?

Thursday: Day trip to Florence – Early train; David/Accademia; Duomo; Ponte Veccio; Santa Croce. Train back to Rome in time for a late dinner. (I know the Uffizi is generally considered a must-see when in Florence. Should we try to squeeze it in as well, or put it on the top of our schedule for the next trip?)

Friday – Sunday: Our three weekend days have not been set in stone, but would include Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, Capitol Hill, Circus Maximus, St. Peter in Chains, Holy Stairs, San Giovanni, and if time allows Borghese Museum, National Museum of Rome, Catacombs, Baths. Of course, we would hit Piazza Navona, Trevi, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trastevere during these days, if we didn’t include them during our late afternoon/evening strolls earlier in the week.

Monday – Fly back to USA @ 1:30 PM

Even though it looks like a full slate, we feel there should be plenty of time for us to hit the majority of the sites listed above, but still have a chance to relax and enjoy cappuccinos and gelato on a daily basis.

Is there anything we’re missing, something we should do differently, etc?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Hawkiz,

My only suggestion is that on your first day in the Naples area, you won't have time (or energy) for much more than Pompeii. Unless you are flying first class and actually get some sleep!

Also, I would skip Florence this trip and do it more in-depth on the next. Do a closer day trip out of Rome, maybe Orvieto or Tivoli. I love both!

Last, but definitely not least, move the Borghese up on your list - right behind the Colosseum and Forum. You'll be glad you did!

Buon viaggio!

Dayle's suggestions are all good ones.
Overall, it's a good itinerary. Just don't be surprised if you can't cover everything you want to during that Friday thru Sunday period in Rome.

Hi H,

>find our hotel near Piazza Dante; PIZZA

I can recommend the Pizza Bellini
Walk up the Via Port' Alba from the N side of Pzza Dante. Go left 1/2 blk to Pzza Bellini. Turn right.

They also have excellent lemon tarts.

>Thursday: Day trip to Florence ...

If you start at the Accademia, you can walk downhill to the Duomo, the Pzza Signoria and the Uffizi, see the Ponte Vecchio, have a gelato and walk back to the train station via the Farmacia SMN.

However, I think that I would skip Florence this trip (combine it with a visit to Venice) and add a day to Naples.

Thanks for the input and suggestions. Much appreciated!

Hi Hawkiz,

Sounds like a great week +.

Everyone travels differently. If you have your heart set on Florence, go for it, and you can always go back for more on your next trip. I was surprised at how quickly we were able to see the highlights of the Uffizi. I guess I was expecting the NYC Met or Louvre equivalent. This is a surprisingly smaller place, but some not-to-be missed paintings if you're an art lover.

Agree with Dayle about the Borghese in Rome. DH and I are 50+ and we saw 2/3 of your Friday-Sunday list. Rome is so fascinating, that we just kept walking from one place to the next to the next.

If the religious sites are of interest to you, don't miss the Mamertine where Apostle Paul was thought to have been imprisoned - near the Forum and Capitoline Hill.

Also, consider seeing the church of St. Clemente, (located between St. John's in Laterano and the Colosseum - three levels of churches built one on top of the other & great mosaics).

Have a great trip! SusanEva

Another vote here for Borghese Museum. It wasn't on my original itinerary and ended up being one of the more memorable sights behind Pompeii and the Colliseum.

One thing you might need to consider is that, based on our experience, many of the roads are closed to vehicles on Sunday (though it was the Sunday after Epiphany-not sure if that made a difference or not). This meant many of the bus routes were altered or cancelled. We didn't realize this and had to walk from Circus Maximus all the way to the Spanish Steps-a bit much for us with 3 kids in tow. All still very worth it, but if this is the case every Sunday, plan carefully and/or plan to walk a lot.

I tend to agree with those who suggest slowing down just a tad. My husband and I are in our thirties and travel quite a bit. Our plans always err on the side of trying to do too much and we amend as we go. I would suggest paring down. Your first full day you will still be jet lagged. Pompeii is amazing and huge. You may only have the energy for that on Sunday. I would skip the day trip to Florence. It's a 2-3 hour ride and you'll be rushed once you're there. If you're aching to get a different vibe, then the Orvieto option is a good one. It's quiet, beautiful and not as far. Rome is our favorite city in the world. Enjoy!