We are taking a tour of Italy this summer. Our trip does not include Florence which my husband has never seen. We will arrive in Rome on a Saturday morning and are planning on taking the fast train to Florence Saturday morning after we arrive. We are to meet up with our tour group on Wednesday in Sorrento.
We have some options:
1) See Florence, do a wine tour day, and meet up in Sorrento with our group on Wednesday.
2) We could skip Florence and go to the Amalfi Coast with some friends and meet up with our tour in Sorrento on Wednesday.
3) Florence, wine tour, and then meet friends on the Amalfi coast and meet up with group on Wednesday. which is what I would like to do if this is possible.

We will be seeing the Amalfi coast on our tour, but will most likely just be a half day trip.. Could we do Florence and still have time to spend some time on the Amalfi coast with our friends and catch up with the group on Wednesday?

I don't understand how #1 and #3 are different?

I did just this a few years ago. If you can get around on foot quickly, plan and get reservations for museums by phone or internet in advance, spend as much time as possibe in Florence, on both sides of the Arno, seeing museums, churches, and just walking throughout the city. Fodors has wonderful guided walks and dining recommendations for Florence. Dorling-Kindersley guide is also terrific; you'll see it in many languages on the streets. I would skip the wine tour; they are nice, but the best thing about them is the opportunity to see the countryside,which you'll do on the train south. I took the train to Siena for a day, instead. Amalfi Coast is totally different. Rick Steves recommended a driver to take you around; he was terrific --- great personality and frees you up to take your eyes off the road. The ferry from Naples was a good way to get to Sorrento, instead of the local train, which makes many, many stops.

I think #1 is spend as much time as possible in Florence and head to Sorrento only in time to meet up with tour, and #3 is spend a day or two in Florence and then spend a day or two in Sorrento before meeting up with the tour.

I can't make the choice for you, but I'll point out that, as much as I love Florence, summer is not when I would want to go there. Hot and crowded. If you think you'll be back to Italy some time, put Florence on a future itinerary.

But what will the tour cover in the Sorrento/Naples/Amalfi Coast area and how many days will you be there? Have you been to Rome?

FYI, the train journey from Florence to Sorrento will take about 4.5 hours, so if you need to meet the tour Wednesday morning you'd have to leave Florence on Tuesday. Not all of the top museums and sights in Florence are open every Monday, and you would have to plan carefully for your brief time there.

Hi L,

>....which is what I would like to do....<

Then do it.

Train schedules are at http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD

Where on the AC will you be with your friends?

Thanks for all your input.

The last time I trained from Florence to Sorrento (you have to train to Naples then change to the local train to Sorrento), my train in Florence was almost two hours late which made for a long travel day.