My fiancé and I are planning our honeymoon. We intend to do Venice, Florence, and Rome and would like to do a stop by the sea. We were originally thinking Positano, but we've recently heard about the Cinque Terre. How far is Cinque Terre from our other planned destinations, versus Positano? Suggestions? Comments?

If you are young, honeymooners, and like to hike and walk then Cinque Terre is wonderful...and romantic,. The best way to see its beautiful coastline is walking from village to village high overlooking the water. Almalfi coast is beautiful, but transportation is the question. Very difficult to drive yourself, but there is good bus service. Again there would be walking involved. Poistano is nice, (steep) and from there there are many day trips. It's easy to get to Cinque Terre from Florence. Rome and Venice are a long way apart. Our son and his wife enjoyed a nice honeymoon last year starting in Venice, then to Florence, then over to Cinque Terre, then up to Lake Como (Bellagio etc). They had one week. Rome could be another time...and it is a terribly large, bussling city...and hang on tight to your belongings,..wallets, purses etc.(Perhaps, however, you have always wanted to go to Rome.)

We are definitely doing Rome, Venice, and Florence. Just trying to decide if we want to do a coastal city as well. It would be nice to have a couple of days to just relax and look at beautiful scenery. We aren't interested in doing a lot of hiking or backpacking. We don't care so much about nightlife, although we do want to eat! We are also deciding if we want to rent a car and have a more leisurely drive through Tuscany or if we want to do trains and stick with the major cities. If we drive, would Cinque Terre be easier? Which is more convenient for our other three cities?

If you aren't interested in hiking, then I'd say the Amalfi Coast would be better.

Spending a couple of days "just relaxing" sounds good, but if you don't like to hike, then "just relaxing" in the CT would basically involving sitting and looking around or strolling about 12-16 hours a day. The scenery and hiking trails are about it. Most people can take only so much of real "just relaxing."

The Amalfi Coast has a much greater selection of relaxing activities than does the CT.

Hi Jun,

I suggest that you stick to Rome, Florence and Venice.

Oddly enough, it is quite possible to just relax in all three places.

I think that you will enjoy taking the No.7 bus from the Florence train station up to Fiesole, seeing the Etruscan ruins, wandering the town and having bottle of wine at the Blu Bar on the square and watching the sun set over the city.

Cinque Terre is closer to Florence, but Positano/the Amalfi Coast is closer to Rome.

Although they have a different feel, both have wonderful scenery and both would be fine choices for a honeymoon. The five Cinque Terre villages -- especially Vernazza -- are all very scenic but I think that Positano is spectacularly scenic. Positano -- and the Amalfi Coast/Sorentino Peninsula in general -- has, IMO, a much more upscale feel to it than Cinque Terre.

Hi,
You did not say what time of year you are going......
Anyway, I would go to Amalfi coast to either the town of Amalfi where we stayed the the Hotel Santa Caterina, stunning on a cliff with an scenic elevator down to the rocky coast where the pool deck is with steps into the sea! Or, the beautiful Le Sirenuse where we stayed for two nights....beautiful spa, pool, food....all you want to do is walk, eat, have a drink, walk some more, eat some more....don't miss a visit to the hotel spa for a massage, the best I have ever had and then a dip into the spa plunge pool and then out to the beach. Oh, don't forget to buy some of the local ceramics....the shops are everywhere!
Let us know what you decide!
Enjoy,
John

Hi Jun,

When are you going and how long are you staying?

Dear Jun 04,

For your honeymoon - travel north to south, Venice is a great start, then end on the Amalfi Coast. Hire a driver to pick you up at the train (Eurostar)station in Naples and bring you to your hotel. Have same driver, who will probably be your friend by now drop you off at Naples Airport for flight back home.

Very stylish and STRESS FREE end to your wonderful honeymoon

TamT

Tough choice--it depends on your style. Do you shop at Lands End and REI, or at Talbots and Bloomindales?

Cinque Terre is "nice" and "lovely," but the Amalfi Coast is spectacular. Again, you didn't say how much time you have. We stayed in Sorrento, on the sea, and took days trips, by public buses, to Amalfi and Positano. Other day trips took us to Capri and to Pompeii. Of course, C.Q. is much closer to where you will be. You are young! You will return to Italy someday. Don't try to see it all at once. We were in Sorrento for 2 weeks -- it is a great location for day trips and you get the true feeling of the place. We did C.Q. in 3 days. And yes, you need a car in Tuscany.
Good luck!