Florence, Capri and Amalfi
 

Hello All!

First and foremost, I would like to thank all of my fellow travelers for helpful suggestions with respect to the planning of my trip! I am leaving in exactly one week from today and would love any last minute tips/ideas. For example, which are the best day trips from each of the cities I am travelling to:

Lake Como: 5/29-6/3 Friend's wedding

Florence: Hotel Continentale 6/3-6/7

Capri: JK Place 6/7-6/11

Amalfi: Convento di Amalfi: 6/11-6/14

My husband and I are going to rent a car while in Amalfi, so we can drive around and explore Positano, Sorrento, etc.

While in Capri, any suggestions? Day trips? Should we rent a boat?

While in Florence, aside from the museums, we are thinking Fiesole, Siena, san gimignano. Any place else? Can anyone suggest a wine tasting tour?

Thanks in advance! This is so not like me to leave all of this for the last minute, but life has thrown me a few curve balls lately!

I HIGHLY discourage the thought of renting a car while in Amalfi, especially during the summer months. Traffic is terrible and parking is scarce and very expensive. It is very common for the parking lots in Positano to fill up in the early morning hours and there is little/no on-street parking.

Amalfi is a public transportation hub and you can easily get bus and ferry connections to the other towns on the Amalfi Coast. The ferry runs between Amalfi and Positano almost hourly.

You could see Sorrento as a day trip from Capri - much easier than from Amalfi.

If you like ceramics at all, Vietri Sul Mare is an easy quick day trip via bus from Amalfi.

With only 3.5 days in Florence (you lose a half-day each time you change hotels/cities), I would limit my day trips. Fiesole is a quick trip (half-day), so that is doable. Siena will be a full-day - be sure to get there by bus. If you do both of those, you will then only have 2 days to explore Florence proper.

Slow down, relax and you will have a great trip!

You really cannot explore Positano by car. I was in Positano in April, that is 2 months earlier in season than your visit. Even so, I knew I was near Positano because about 1km or so before Positano, I suddenly saw continuous rows of cars parked at the road side on this narrow coastal road, because there was really no easy parking available in town. Even at that time of the year, the narrow loop road through Positano was full of people and bumper to bumper traffic.

I concur with the suggestion to not rent a car in Amalfi. As he said, parking is scarce and overnight parking can be very expensive. In addition to the ferry there is hydrofoil servic e between the Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, Capri and Naples. The cost of renting a boat is exorbitant anywhere in Italy, but especially in a tourist place like the Amalfi Coast. While in Florence take a train and spend a day in Lucca, a jewel of a walled town, which is human-sized and a delight. Rent bicycles and take a tour on top of the very broad, tree-shaded town walls dating from the 1500's.

What airports are you flying into and out of?

Where are you staying on Lake Como? And how much free time will you have for sightseeing?

Have you made reservations for museums in Florence?

Have you been to any of these places before?

Three full days on Capri would probably be more time than I'd want to spend there (within the constraints of your dates), but I guess you could go to Naples one day. Do you have any interest in Pompeii?

For Florence, I absolutely agree with the Lucca suggestion.

My husband and I adored it. We did dinner at Trattoria Da Leo and took a late train back into Florence. The town was all but abandoned after sundown, which made for some amazing pictures, and the train ride home was quiet and peaceful.

I only like to stay at Quisisana in Capri.

Luna is also good but they are snooty x 10.

And if anyone knows snooty it is moi.

We always stay at the Savoy or Helvetia e Bristol in Firenze.

Thin