Hello,

My boyfriend and I will be going to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks at the end of June, beginning of July. We pretty much have our hotels booked but just need some help with other details.

1) If you had only one day to either rent a car and drive through the Val d'Orcia region or take a bus to San Gimignano, which would you choose? We will be staying in Siena.

2) If you had to pick one boat tour either around Capri or Positano, which would you choose?

3) Please suggest a great walking tour in Rome. Usually I don't like tours but I love history and think an educational and fun tour would be worth it.

4) We intend to take a train from Rome to Naples and then ferry from Naples to Positano. How far is thr train station in Naples from the ferry dock? Will we need to take a taxi if we have luggage?

5) On the last day of our trip, we will take a ferry from Capri to Naples. We want to then head out and see Pompeii but have an early morning flight home. Where in Naples should we stay in order to be close enough to the train station to catch the train to Pompeii but not get stuck in traffic the next morning?

Thanks for everyone's help!

Hi Lawgirl,

Only 1 day to see the Tuscan countryside? That's a shame. Is your itinerary that rushed?

It's a hard call, San Gimignano is a bit closer and it's very beautiful. I especially liked all the towers and the views. I'm not sure that I would want to spend the whole day there during peak season and have to put up with the hoards from the tour buses.

Southern Tuscany is further, but I would get a very early start and spend the day seeing one or two of the towns, or one town and Sant'Antimo and a winery. Renting a car for just 1 day will be costly. Maybe hire Luca from I forget what company?

Where are you staying on the Amalfi Coast? If in Positano, I would recommend getting around by boat. Much more pleasant that the SITA buses. Then you will see the coastline that way. If you have another day, I really enjoyed the small boat tour (2 hours) around Capri. It was the highlight of my visit to Capri.

I used Context Rome for their Antique Rome tour of the Forum, Palantine Hill and Coloseum and for the Arte Vatican tour. Both were excellent. I don't think you need a tour for walking around to the major sites of Rome. They are easy to find on your own with a good map and a guidebook.


Take the ferry or aliscafi (hydrofoil) from Capri to Sorrento, then the Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Pompeii Scavi. Leave your luggage and see Pompeii. Go on to Naples afterward. Sorry, can't help with where to stay near the airport.

Buon viaggio!
It's not clear whether or not you are flying home from Naples.

Dayle, thank you for your suggestions! Unfortunately, my boyfriend would only agree to two days in Tuscany and one of those days will be spent seeing Siena. Are the hordes of tourists in San Gimignano that bad in July? Would we have to wait hours to climb the towers. Our hotel offers a SmartCar rental for 80 euro per day. Alternatively, we can take a Brunello Winery tour to Montalcino for 60 euro per person. Which would you choose?

We will be staying in Positano for 3 nights and Capri for 2 nights. I was thinking of doing a boat tour with Salvatore in Positano. Maybe see the Blue Grotto in Capri. Are these worth it?

Great suggestion about taking hydrofoil to Sorrento and leaving luggage in Pompeii. Is the checked baggage option safe? What if we have two 24 inch suitcases?

We will be flying out of Naples on a 7 a.m. flight. I just don't want to be stuck in traffic. If I stay in a hotel in central Naples will I have a hard time getting to the airport early on a Sunday morning?

Thanks so much!

OK, if Siena is a definite, then I would recommend going to southern Tuscany for more variety. Personally, I would choose drinking Brunello over almost anything else!!

The Brunello tour sounds fun. The advantage is you can enjoy as much as you want and not have to drive.....I would see exactly what is covered in the tour and the time spent in each place, etc. before commiting to the tour.

Very, very early Sunday morning traffic in Naples will be the least traffic of any time! I wouldn't be concerned. Just have your hotel arrange a taxi for you ahead of time and allow plenty of time for airport checkin.

I took a taxi in Naples on a Friday evening rush hour and it was a blast! Yes, the traffic was bad, but really not much worse than southern California. Great driver.

I took an around the island boat tour in Capri, but didn't see the Blue Grotto due to rough seas. No problem, still enjoyed it very much! Other Fodorites highly recommend Gennaro, that's all I can say.

Hi L,

1. Bus to SG early in AM or late afternoon.

2. Capri

4. I suggest that you take the train to Salerno and the ferry (docks are 3 blks from train station) to Positano.

You get to see almost the entire AC from the water.

For Ferry schedules Positano – Amalfi - Salerno (P.zza della Concordia):
See http://tinyurl.com/j4ufa