klowe17

Hi everyone! My wife and I are in our early 30s and can't be more excited to take our first trip to Italy next year! We will be there for 15 nights, and will be spending our time in Tuscany, Positano, and Rome. We are interested in history and ruins, architecture, walking and exploring, road trips, food, drinking and relaxing, beaches, outdoors, and have some interest in museums. Let me know what you think of our proposed itinerary, and if you have any suggestions.

Day 1: Land in Rome, Train to Florence. No plans, relax, maybe check out Santa Croce - Staying in Sant Ambrogio neighborhood for two nights

Day 2 - Explore Florence - Accademia, Duomo, Piazza della Republica, Piazza del signoria, Uffizi Courtyard (no entrance), Ponte Vecchio, Oltrano

Day 3 - Rent car in Florence - Drive through Chianti region on the way to our agriturismo outside of San Gigmiano. Will stop and explore Chianti villages along the way. Spend late afternoon/early evening in San Gimigiano. Staying 3 nights in agriturismo outside of San G.

Day 4 - Drive through the Val d'Orcia with stops in Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montechiello, return to agriturismo

Day 5 - Morning drive to Volterra, Monteriggione. Return to agriturismo early afternoon to relax by pool, wander nearby trails and vineyards.

Day 6 - Drive to Siena, drop off rental car, Spend day/night relaxing/exploring in Siena - 1 night in Siena

Day 7 - Early train from Siena to Salerno, Ferry from Salerno to Positano. Night relaxing in Positano. 5 nights in Positano

Day 8 - Relaxing day/night exploring Positano and hitting the Beach - Maybe Da Adolfo

Day 9 - Day trip to Capri, Circle island tour, explore Anacapri, Night in Positano

Day 10 - Day trip to Ravello, Amalfi, Night in Positano

Day 11 - Relaxing day/night exploring Positano and hitting the beach

Day 12 - Stop if Pompeii on the way to Rome (Possibly private driver?). Explore Pompeii, then catch train to Rome. Staying in Trastavere - 4 nights

Day 13 - Explore Rome - Coloseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Trajan's Column and Market, afternoon/evening in Monti - Return to Trastavere

Day 14 - Explore Rome - Campo Di Fiori, Piazza Navone, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Di Spagni, Piazza del popolo, shopping down via del corso. Dinner in Trastavere

Day 15 - Vatican Museums, St. Peter's, (vatican streets worth exploring?) Outside of Castel San Angelo, Walk along Tiber to Jewish Ghetto for Dinner and relaxing, return to Trastavere

Day 16 - Fly out of FCO

HappyTrvlr

Why are skipping the Uffizi Gallery in Florence? It is a small museum filled with some of our world's treasures.
Pompeii is on the way from Amalfi Coast to Rome and is an incredible site. Hire a driver to drive you there and wait with your luggage for 2.5-3 hours; then your driver can take you to the Naples train station to take the fast train to Rome.

RonZ

Personally I would probably take the train to Florence, get to the airport and pick up a car [which is where you get one] and return it there, then the stay in Florence. Do Siena as a day trip [1:20 on the bus, which goes to the center of town]. That saves a hotel change. Then a much easier trip to Salerno.

We have never left luggage unattended in a rental, but that is up to you.

Train schedules here:

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Blueeyedcod

Your five nights in Positano are a little hectic IMHO. Forget Da Adolfo - it's living on past glories, its staff are haughty and you're stuck on its little beach all day unless you want to climb over 500 stairs and walk back to Positano along the highway. You also have to reserve ahead, they have no website for reservations and good luck getting them to answer the phone.
If you want to eat on the beach, Fornillo Beach in Positano has a little beach bar called Il Puppetto - with great food. It's on the shore, serves amazing cocktails and you can rent sun loungers for the day. It's a short walk from Positano's main beach.
The ferry to Amalfi is 8 euro but can get very crowded so try and leave early for your day trip. The bus to Ravello is 1.25 euro or there is the open top bus that is around 5-7 euro.
Amalfi is beautiful, explore the cathedral and the little streets. If you have time, Atrani is the adjacent village and is only half an hour away on a path used only by locals and a few tourists who have done their homework.

Jean

You don't say what time of year you're going... In summer heat, I would find this itinerary a bit ambitious and five hotels in 15 nights too much moving around.

I would need more than one day for your Florence list. And you're skipping more than just the Uffizi.

But it's your trip. My preferred pace is apparently slower.

sandralist

I think your plan is very well thought out. My compliments. I'm older than you, but I would have no trouble with that pace. People have various strong opinions on what you "must see" or do, but unless you are really motivated to go someplace like the Uffizi, skip it. Familiarize yourself with the collection, and if you'd rather be visiting the smaller gems of Florence, it's the best choice for you.

I think it is a good idea to sleep in Florence before renting a car, and you will probably enjoy Siena more by spending a night there, even though starting from there is not the simplest way to get to Salerno. Personally, I think the Amalfi coast is a place to go to relax, not suffer "FOMO" (fear of missing out) about this restaurant or sightseeing target. Do what appeals to you when you get there. You might just want to do nothing.

If you do want to see specific things in Florence, some of the most famous require advance reservations or else you end up standing in line for hours. Any good guide book will explain which ones these are.

Good idea for a private driver to Pompeii.

Do you mind some spelling corrections? The most important is that it is TrastEvere (3 e's, not 2 a's). It means "across the Tiber". Also, piazza di Spagna (piazza of Spain), Campo de' Fiori (field of flowers) and piazza Navona (too complicated to explain, but a guide book will tell you).

Have a fun trip!

sandralist

PS: I meant to add that the streets immediately around the Vatican are not the most interesting streets for exploration, and meandering and cafe-hopping your way to Campo de'Fiori is the more rewarding way to go, especially since your legs and feet will be quite tired after touring the miles inside and outside the Vatican and around Castel Sant'Angelo.

sandralist

Last thought: I re-read your plans for 5 nights on the Amalfi coast, and I don't see them as "hectic" at all. You've got 2.5 days with no fixed plans. Not my idea of "hectic". When you get there, you might want to change some of your plans if buses are too crowded or weather isn't on your side, but these villages are tiny places jammed with souvenir stores. The setting is beautiful and it is fun to hike and swim and visit the gardens or make the effort to visit Anacapri-- but your five nights there are well-paced for that.

isabel

On your day trip to Ravello and Amalfi you might consider the hike down from Ravello. We took the bus up (from Amalfi) and then after visiting the town and the villas, we hiked down, through Atrani, to Amalfi. Takes a little over an hour. No way I would do that hike going up, but going down it wasn't too bad (still fairly strenuous going downhill). The views are no better than they are from up in Ravello, but if you are into hiking it was definitely worth doing. Even if you don't do that, I highly recommend Atrani, which is a short walk from Amalfi.

A similar hike on Capri is from Anacapri down. There are steps (I think about 1000) called the Phoenician Steps - goes from the Villa in Anacapri down to the harbor.

Both of these were places where we were virtually alone (in July) so if you want to get away from the crowds for a bit they are good for that - and of course the views.

klowe17

Thank you all for such great feedback! To answer a few comments/questions:

We are skipping the Uffizi because we aren't art lovers. We figured one museum was enough, and we had more of an interest in seeing David. With more time in Florence, we probably would go, but have to prioritize. Did not want to spend the majority of our short time there in museums.

We are going in June. I know 5 spots in 15 nights seems like a lot, but 3 of those are very close. And two of them will be reached via driving, which we consider part of exploring and fun! So it's not like we are going to be sitting at train stations every other day.

Sandralist - thank you for the kind words, we spent a lot of time researching! As you said, I really don't know our time in positano could be thought of as too hectic

Great idea on the hike back from ravello. I will need to look into the route, unless anyone has any useful links?

sandralist

http://www.theamalficoast.net/atrani/english/walks.html

http://zukini.travellerspoint.com/118/

klowe17

Thank you! So is the best option to hike from ravello to atrani, then to amalfi (an hour hike total?) then catch a ferry back to Positano? My wife isn't a big hiker, is this too strenuous for her?

ekc

Yes, that is the best option. It is all downhill from Ravello to Atrani - just a series of a 1000 steps down the hill. The walk from Atrani to Amalfi is via alleys and stairways, so not really a 'hike." Just lots of steps.

Yes, the ferry back to Positano is your best option. The buses are miserable, especially in the summer. I usually spend a week in Positano in June and have never taken a bus because they are so packed.

Pupetto is a good option for one of your beach days. We usually spend at least one day on the main beach in Pos and just get a pizza and a bottle of wine from L'Incanto (on the beach) and eat in our swimsuits on our beach loungers.

Da Adolfo is a gamble. Some people hate it, some people love it (but mainly for nostalgia IMO). A new establishment opened this summer on the same beach (Laurito) that looks really nice - Treville Beach Club. I am adding it to my list for next June.

If you haven't already booked for accommodations for Positano, get on it quickly. I know it seems crazy, but in this internet-driven world, many places are booked a year in advance. In August I reserved an apartment for my trip next June.

I agree about skipping the Uffizi - it is very dense especially when you have limited time.

Blueeyedcod

As usual someone has picked up on my *opinion* and lambasted it - lol - to be expected.
OP Positano is mostly a relaxed destination. You're choosing to visit the busy tourist areas of Amalfi, Capri and Ravello which will be full of tourists. I didn't say your pace was hectic - but the crowds will be. Have you thought of Scala? The bus to Ravello stops there and it is whisper quiet with the same amazing views as Ravello.
The walk from Ravello to Atrani is stairs all the way so if you both have knees that can cope - and being your age I guess you do - then it will be fine.
There is another beautiful walk at the back of Amalfi called the Valle della Ferriere (Valley of Iron) with abandoned paper mills and waterfalls. It is not very well known and only takes about 2-3 hours for the round trip. Not strenuous at all.

sandralist

Blueyedcod,

It wasn't just me but the OP himself who was puzzled by characterising their five nights in Positano as "hectic". Go back and read what you wrote. Then read what I wrote -- which was hardly "lambasting" anything (boy, you are emotional about EVERYTHING) but just saying I disagreed with this idea the travellers were spending 5 "hectic" nights in Positano. Since the OP had not revealed when they would be traveling, I don't know how you came up with the certainty that the "crowds" would be hectic. Try to relax even though you are not in Positano!

klowe17

Thank you, Scalia and Pupetto both look wonderful!

There have been mentions of the difficult travel from Siena to Salerno, what makes this so? It looks like a 5 hour ride with one change, which doesn't seem too bad...

ThomasSchwarzmann

I just entered a Forum topic pertaining to the Christo 'Floating Piers' installation in the North/Lombardy region - you can read a great expose on it in the NYTimes it will only be there for two weeks late June - I read that you're not into museums on this trip but this experience is a once in a lifetime in a beautiful part of the country...something to consider

dreamon

I thought your plans sound great and make me quite envious. Only comment is that Day 4 could be a very busy one but you can start early and end as late as you like so no real problem. A drink in the main piazza of Montepulciano late in the day is a really pleasant thing to do if that fits your plans. I don't know how long it would take to drive to the area from San Gimignano as we did this by bus.

klowe17

Thank you! From what I've researched, the driving portion will take about 4 hours, so we will definitely need an early start! We love road trips,so we aren't worried about too much driving through this beautiful countryside.

bvlenci

<< Why are skipping the Uffizi Gallery in Florence? It is a small museum filled with some of our world's treasures. >>

<i>Small</i>? Whoever said that must be mixing it up with a different museum.

I agree that it's not a museum for people who think art is ho-hum. It's very concentrated on paintings of the Italian Renaissance, with a heavy focus on religious subjects. Even people who like art might find it repetitious.

There are some excellent smaller museums in Florence, and many of the churches are also museums, because of the splendid works of art they have. However, if you're not interested in art, there's no reason why you should visit any of them.