First Trip To Italy
 

My husband and I are taking our delayed honeymoon trip to Italy in mid-October! I've been dreaming of taking this trip for about 10 years so I'm definitely trying to squeeze in as much as possible in the roughly two weeks that we'll be there. We're very excited and have entirely too many locations on our must-see list so I would love any advice from the more experienced travelers on what to cut and reserve for our next visit. Here's our plan so far - we're flying into Venice and out of Naples, planning to visit:

Venice (2 nights)
Florence (3 nights)
Cortona (2 nights)
Rome (3 nights)
Naples (4 nights)
Day trips to Amalfi Coast , Pompeii , Positano

We're each planning to only bring a backpack since we'll be traveling so much - so any thoughts on where to store backpacks while we visit touristy spots in the major cities would be really helpful. Really any suggestions are welcome - all we've booked so far is our flight and two nights in Venice so everything else is up in the air.

Thanks in advance for your help!

That plan looks pretty good actually. I've never been to Naples or Corona, or the Amalfi Coast, though.

I do wonder if Cortona should be a one-night visit, to add the extra night to Rome. Is there a special reason you choose Cortona?

Three nights in Rome is the minimum I'd recommend, because Rome has so much to see and it's slightly spread out.

I would skip Cortona. Add a night to Venice and Rome.
3 nights Venice
3 nights Florence
4 nights Rome
I would then see if you can book a room in Positano or Amalfi for 2 nights and spend your last 2 nights in Naples. On the way from the Amalfi coast to Naples stop in Pompeii

It's your trip, your 10-year dream... but...

I understand the desire to see a lot, but I would want more time in Venice (will you be jet-lagged?) and Rome (so much to see). I would prefer 4 hotels in 14 nights, or I'd add a couple of nights if possible.

I also question Cortona over other possibilities. I would probably pick Orvieto instead.

I would stay in Sorrento rather than Naples. Naples is a great city, but your day trips are all closer to Sorrento. Did you want to see Capri?

Skip Cortona. Definitely add a night each to Rome and Venice.

Oh, also, stay in Sorrento rather than Naples.

You can use regular luggage, much easier. You are staying in cities, not hiking through the countryside. You are not sleeping in train stations, and I assume you will have hotels in the cities you are staying in. You will leave your stuff in your hotel.

I'm in agreement with lancer11.

Have a wonderful time and please share your experiences upon your return!

>>>Florence (3 nights)<<<

I agree you have too many locations for that length of trip, but do you have a big list of must sees in Florence? Perhaps pick up a car upon arrival in Florence and stay in Tuscany for 3 nights (dropping the car in Florence, visit a day or so and then head on to Rome). I'm not sure why you picked Cortona, but there isn't a lot to visit there. You also said you were using trains and while it's possible to get from the train station (Cortona is a hill town and doesn't have one) to Cortona, it just adds to travel time.

I would stay on the Amalfi coast if that's your priority instead of so far away in Naples.

With your current schedule, you have 1 day in Venice, 2 days in Florence, 1 day in Cortona, 2 days in Rome and 3 days in Amalfi area. That's 9 days actually for sightseeing and you are traveling 5 days (not counting the additional traveling on the coast). Is that enough time to actually see the things you want in each of those locations?

>>>We're each planning to only bring a backpack since we'll be traveling so much - so any thoughts on where to store backpacks<<<

I wouldn't backpack. I would take luggage on wheels. With 2 weeks traveling, you need a bit more clothes than would fit in a backpack since you haven't allowed time in your schedule to do laundry (you will also want to buy a few things to take home). As for storage while sightseeing, I don't see why that would be a concern. You would leave your luggage in your hotel room until you check out.

If you decided to do lancer's itinerary, I would only put the final night in Naples and leave the other 3 on the coast because you haven't listed Naples as a place you wanted to see.

Trains are great for cities like that - cars a boondoggle -off-limits in many city centers. But booking trains in advance can yield deep discounted tickets if you are fine in being pegged to a certain train at a certain time and not being able to change it - most are - www.trenitalia.com is the official site of Italian Railways and book on there yourself is getting easier it seems.

For lots on trains check www.seat61.com - great advice on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. First class tickets are also discounted and if not much more than the cheapest 2nd class ticket go first class - significant benefits IME - especially room to stow luggage.

I would not base myself in Naples to do those day trips but in say Sorrento, a much more relaxed place and better situated for Amalfi and Pompeii.

You may consider axing the Naples area completely do centering another trip around that.

Then put more time into Venice, Florence and Rome and do day trip from Florence to some iconic hill town like Cortona or Siena,etc.

Dump Cortona. Forget backpacks - take the smallest rollabards you can find. Add nights in Venice and Rome.