We have decided on Italy for our fall trip this year-but must travel week of Thanksgiving 11/22-29. Amalfi is a must for us...any advice what city we should use as a base(or initially fly into)??? We'll probably rent a car, but also do alot of walking.

Could you seasoned pros help us to begin the planning? We'll leave out of Atlanta-what city would work best for us to fly into??? Thanks a bunch! Debbie.

I would suggest you get a good guide book, such as Rick Steves. He does have sample itineraries for Italy and you could read about the cities you want to see. He also has walking tours for some cities. Once you know specific cities you want to see it is easier to recommend enhancements, out of the way places, accomodations etc. Check out a book store and see which of the travel books have your perspective on traveling and budget. Research is half the fun of the trip figuring out what is there.
I am sure many others will chime in with their favorite stops in this area. We really enjoyed Capri and the logical main airport is Rome. If you only have a week, you may want to limit how many stops you make so you will not spend all your time driving.
Happy Planning

I assume since your dates are 11/22-29, you will fly from Atlanta on 22, arrive in Italy on 23. 11/29 will be totally taken up with flying back to Atlanta. Therefore, you have 6 full days including your arrival day. (And you will be tired on day 1.) Not much time.

If Amalfi is a must, fly to Naples and stay in the Naples-Pompeii-Amalfi area only. You could fly into Rome and immediately train to Naples. (I'm not sure that a car would be necessary for such a visit.)

I've done 6-day trips to Italy at Thanksgiving a number of times. I love the less touristed season. The weather is usually similar to home (northeast USA) or better. I concentrate on a city with an airport (Rome, Florence, Venice) so there's no crazy travel connections once I arrive. With that length of visit you get a good feeling for the place, see the sights at leisure, maybe take a day trip or two to a nearby town.

To help more, we need to know who is traveling and your interests.

ellenem is right on with her time estimation. 6 days are tough!
It's hard for me to imagine spending no time in Rome, so if you fly to Rome and stay there for 2 days, train to Sorrento as a base for 3, you can train from there to Naples, Ercolano, Pompei or Amalfi and Ravello during that time. You could also homebase in Positano or Amalfi itself if those are the attractions. Although it's cooler, if there's no rain or fog, the walks around the gardens up in Ravello are really wonderful!

I'm also an off-season fan of Italy. I go often on my birthday which is when you're going, and though in the higher reaches like Umbria, it can be bitterly cold, where you are should be great. Hardly any big crowds, easy access to museums, restaurants etc.

I would get a guide, or even surf and see what things interest you--why Amalfi? an old dream, or particular artifacts? It's a pretty amazing town. If you think the ride from Sorrento to Positano is a nail biter, wait to travel up to Ravello inthe little bus! Big fun!
Anyway, What you want is more of that-you'll find plenty of surprises anyway, so plan a few definite things you want to see.

Then I'd travel back to Rome for a last dinner there and fly out the next day.

Oh and to amen to ellenem again, drop the car idea. Even if you stay one night in Rome and then travel or travel directly, trains are faster and leave you both a chance to look at the scenery and not worry about navigation, or what to do with a car!

If you have to travel in November, be aware that not only is the weather cold and rainy along the Amalfi coast, but most of the better restaurants and some of the hotels. Average temp in Naples in November is 52 F. Capri will be basically shut down, and the ferries will not be running very often. I am not sure that the Amalfi coast in November will fulfill your expectations. Take a look at the Hotels and Restaurant listings above (click and scroll down to Italy/Amalfi Coast & Capri. You will see how many restaurants and hotels are closed in November.

Rome would be a fine choice for November, while it will be cool and probably a bit rainy, at least everything will be open and the city is magical at all times of year, IMO.

I'm glad cicerone made the point that it will be off season in Amalfi. Pehaps you should save this dream location for a time when it will be at its best.

I was in Rome for 6 days at Thanksgiving last year. The weather: rain two days, sunny most other days, warm enough to wear a light shirt with leather jacket over it, unzipped. Then the last day it got much cooler and we added a sweater layer under our jackets and gloves. I've been to FLorence at the same time of year and experience similar pleasant weather as well as very cold weather. Check the five-day forecast online before you go.

WHew! What a wonderful start for our planning. Thanks to all of you for all the great advice.The only reason we'd wanted to travel that week was because our vacation days would tie-in with the Thanksgiving holiday. This has always been a major issue...lots of travel ideas, but limited vacation time to do it all!