My husband and I are planning our 1st trip to Italy, leaving the bambino behind. This may be our first and only time to visit for several more years so we're trying to make the most of it. BUT, we also aren't A-types so we like to relax. No offense to A-types. So, we're doing Rome/Florence/Venice, 14 days on the ground.

Then we started thinking about Pompeii, then I saw how close it is to the Amalfi Coast which of course I would LOVE to see. Refer back to the message title: cliffs + water= vertigo. We found this out when my husband (almost)proposed to me in Big Sur. I had a panic attack, so the proposal had to wait until we got to Carmel solidly on ground. And I get bad motion sickness, mainly in cars not so much on big boats.

So am I crazy to think that we could...MAYBE...see the Amalfi Coast on the ferries as a day-ish trip? I am thinking taking train from Rome to Naples, to Pompeii, visit there for what looks like 1/2 day, then carry on to Sorrento for the night. Get up, hop some ferries for Amalfi or Positano, walk around,

I dont understand...
in 14 days you want to do Rome, Florence, Venice, Pompeii, and Amalfi Coast?
Or are you thinking of doing Amalfi Coast instead of Florence and Venice?

(Ok, my computer just did a crazy thing and posted ) then hop back on the ferries and land back in Naples or Sorrento for the night, and leave the next day for Venice/Rome/Florence on the train.

So is it worth it to just see and not stay?

Personally I think that is too much to do in 2 weeks.
You will have plenty to keep you busy in Rome/Florence/Venice, especially factoring travel time.

The Amalfi Coast is wonderful, but I dont think you will really get much of a feeling for it by just driving and looking at it by boat.

Im not as much of an expert as some people here though. But my first impression would be that if you "like to relax" you shouldnt try to squeeze so much into this trip (vertigo or no vertigo).

Only planned on 2 nights in Rome since it's not as much of an interest but we're flying into there. So we were thinking of Pompeii/Sorrento Day 3, day-tripping only to Amalfi Coast Day 4, then traveling to our next destination, which looks like Venice, Day 5. 5-8 Venice, 9-14 Tuscany.

It's the Pompeii thing that's throwing me off. If we decided it wasn't that important, then I'd forgo the thought of Amalfi.

After two days in Rome in August 2005, we retreated to Sorrento for 5 nights. We decided to skip Pompeii because we heard that there is not a whole lot to see and that the dust can be hard to deal with if you have allergies or athsma. I was at the pharmacia on day one in Sorrento with a cold, so skipping Pompeii was OK by me. Instead we spent our first full day in Sorrento tooling around town and seeing what it had to offer. It was VERY relaxing. Day two we took a self-guided walking tour of the historical sights in Sorrento from a Fodor's book. We saw many of the local sights in one short morning and had lunch at Ristorante di Leva at Marina Grande and it was wonderful. After all that walking, we asked a local fisherman to drive us back to our hotel (Parco di Principi) and he gladly obliged for about the same amount that a cab would have cost. It was one of the highlights of our trip, driving ourselves in a small boat and seeing the view from the water. Day three we took a tour bus to Capri and it was very crowded and hot. Although we did get to take the chair lifts to see the amazing scenery from above the island (which we would have never made it to if we went on our own). Day four we opted for a private driver to give us the abridged tour of the Amalfi Coast. We spent a full day and our driver sped right past the traffic and dropped us off right where we wanted to be. I cannot imagine driving this route and getting through everything so quickly. We just went to Amalfi and Positano and stopped at a few great places for photos (suggested by our wonderful driver Paulo). That area is crowded to the point that you can hardly move. So, if you want to relax, stay in Sorrento and take day trips for your excursions.

My point - finally - you will definitely get sick on the tour bus. It was terrifying how fast they would drive right on the edge of cliffs. Get a private driver from your hotel and take a book. You'll thank me later, I promise.

As a vertigo sufferer, I had little problem on the bus. I bravely sat on the outside (the side that was on the cliff and water in the front seat) so I practically saw the water right underneath! It made me a bit uneasy (especially when the bus grated against the guardrail) but it was gorgeous and worth it.

If it is ancient ruins you are after, many have raved about their visit to Ostia-Antica, which is much closer to Rome than Pompeii: http://www.ostia-antica.org/

I have not been there myself, but have seen numerous accounts by others remarking on the quality of their experience there. I am not suggesting this is a subsitute for Pompeii, which is much larger in size and stature, but but rather an alternative to consider on an itinerary that already looks to be pretty packed.

Hi G,

My Lady wife has vertigo.

She bravely put up with one trip on the Coast Road.

From then on it was ferries.

If Pompeii is a must for you, then you have a good plan.

You can also train to Salerno and take the ferry to Amalfi one day and to Positano and back the next.

When are you going?

I would suggest that you buy "TravelGum" from a local pharmacy, or possibly a tabacconist before the winding bus trip along the coast. TravelGum has ginger in it, which will help with your stomach acids. Chew it for at least 15 minutes prior to getting on the bus. It's worked for me many times on the Amalfi Coast!

You should give more time to Rome. We didn't think we would really be interested on our first trip either and it was our favorite place!

I have vertigo and did not have any problems in CT (other coast) but the trains play hell with the motion sickness.

Have a great time!

For motion sickness, try Ginger - yes, the spice, only sold in pharmacies in the form of easy to swallow capsules.

While moving, try not to read, and look ahead only, don't turn your head to the sides. If on a bus, take aisle seats, not window.