hawaiihoneymoon

Hello! My husband and I (in our mid-20's) are spending about 2 weeks in Europe this summer. Of which we are trying to squeeze in France, Switzerland and Italy. So, given about 5-6 days for Italy we want to see Rome, Venice, Florence and the Amalfi Coast (including the Capri Isle). we've done some research on ths site and it seems like people have warned travellers of doing TOO MUCH.

So in hopes of easing our trip a bit, I wanted to take out either Florence or Amalfi Coast. Which one is a MUST SEE for 1st time Italy Visiters? And how many days would you need while you are in the AMalfi region?

bobthenavigator

I think you know the answer--just look at your map. Frankly, I would do just 2 destinations in that time---4 is out of the question.

tpatricco

I agree with Bob. This is your honeymoon. A trip of this caliber, trying to cram so many destinations into only two weeks seems unwise. By midway through you will be exhausted from all the traveling between cities, and likely will not have enough time at each to get any quality sense of any of it. I suggest re-evaluating your wish list and picking the two you want to see most and spending a week in each. Do you realize you are trying to see THREE COUNTRIES in 14 days? There will be many more wonderful trips in your lives together. You don't have to do it all in one visit! Quality over quantity is always better IMHO. Good Luck! Trish

faperry

If you're only spending 5-6 days in Italy; go to Venice and Florence, they are close enough to each other that you won't spend too much time traveling. They are also very romantic. Don't forget, traveling between places takes up time too.

hawaiihoneymoon

HI thank you for your replies. This is not our honeymoon - we went to hawaii on our honeymoon(hence the username). This will be our summer 1 year anniversary trip and we don't mind having a busy timeline.

But, we definitely do no want to spend more time in a train that at the actual spot. This is so tough - I've seen pictures of the Amalfi Coast and it is SOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! BUt family and friends are also recommending we see Florence. By train I thought Naples is only about 2 hours from Rome? Also don't they have day trips to go there - so it can't be that bad? Very very confused!

MFNYC

I agree with the 2 stop proposal and would suggest Venice (a must) and Rome, unless you are very much into art, then FLorence istead of Rome. Thge other option would be to eliminate a country and spend more timein Italy. You can easily spend a week in Rome alone if you've never been. Other major cities or areas really need a good 3 days each.

StephenG

Do you really think you can squeeze in France in only 2 weeks, let alone Switzerland and Italy.

mamc

It is hard for me to respond to this because I agree that there is just too much planned for two weeks. I would choose one country and plan to see all of the things you want to see in that country. If you choose Italy, it would be fast-paced but probably you could see Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi coast. Most of the people who are advising you to be a bit more selective, tried the same mad swing through Europe when we were in our early to mid-20's and learned from experience that you will miss so much traveling this way.

tpatricco

We spent 10 days in Italy, first trip. Arrived on Friday morning and spent first 2.5 days in Rome...train to Naples, and on to Sorrento. Stayed in Sorrento and visited Capri, & Amalfi as well for another 2.5 days then train to Florence for 3.5 days and then back to Rome for 2 and then home. It was enough for a taste, but we felt rushed and certainly could have spent more time at each destination. Resist the urge to try to do it all! You will spend more time enjoying and less time on the train!

happymz

Hi hawaiihoneymoon! I don't think what you propose is impossible. True, it will be a very busy trip, but you can fit in most of this if it is something you really want to do! I am in my late 20s now, and have had some whirl-wind trips to Europe myself, and while it's certainly not ideal, it's the best many of us can make of it when we only get 2-3 weeks vacation time, and don't want to put off seeing Europe until we're retired!

Whether or not this is do-able largely depends upon the type of travellers that you and your husband are. If you don't mind taking an overnight sleeper train from, say, Zurich to Rome, that will save you from losing days to travel time. If you're not big museum people (as I am not - to me the natural scenery is more my type of art!), that also cuts time - you could easily spend 2 hours waiting to get into the Uffizi in Florence, then hours wandering around it, if that's your thing. If not, it may be enough for you to see most of Florence in a day.

I first travelled to Italy on a tour - Contiki's simply Italy trip which basically put us in Rome, Florence, San Gimignano, Pisa, Lake Como, Verona, Venice, Assisi, Sorrento, and Capri - all in 12 days. Was it hectic? Yes. Was it wonderful? Absolutely.

If you are good planners (which you must be if you are on the Fodors message boards!), don't mind overnight trains, and have alot of energy, you can do this. Also, packing light will be essential if you're spending alot of time in transport.

Depending upon how you get to Italy - whether you will fly directly there, or take the train from elsewhere, once you get there Rome is only a 2 hour train ride from Florence, and Florence is only a 3 hour train ride from Venice. Rome is also just a 2 hour train ride to Naples. From Naples, you can take a ferry directly to Capri (45-60 minutes), or public transport to Sorrento (where you can also ferry to Capri) and down the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast drive is only about 2-3 hours, without stops, so it's definitely something you can 'see' in a day. Can you do everything everywhere? No. But you can certainly get a flavor for it, and you'll know then where you'd like to go for your next trip when you actually have more time to spend.

Good luck!

erdoc

Hi! Well, my husband and I are in our late 20's now, and are returning to Italy for the 3rd time in 7 years. Last trip was 2 years ago to the Amalfi coast. We spent 6 days just on the coast and could have easily spent double that amount of time. We did the backpacking through the all the cities thing in college, and honestly at this point I don't think I could do it again. However, I completely understand where you are coming from. If you guys are good travelers, then a blitz tour may be for you. Also, as mentioned in the above posts, are you an art lover, or more of a nature person? A slower vacation really allows you to savor all the wonderful parts of Europe. Looking back now, I'd rather go on the assumption that you will definitely return and plan from there. The Amalfi coast is gorgeous, and if it's at the end for your trip it's a great way to unwind at the end of your trip

m_kingdom2

You sound like you are simply trying to fit in everything just for the sake of it. Why do you want to go somewhere - for your own satisfaction ,or to say you've gone there?

Florence is historical, and arty - Amalfi is a seaside town in essence, albeit a fantastic one. Do you want culture or relaxing days with nothing too much to do? Yes there's Pompeii, and Capri ("the Capri Isle" how quaint you are my dear) but they're not really as intellectual as Florence, so I'd say do the Neapolitan Riviera, leave Florence for someone else.

hawaiihoneymoon

happymz - EXACTLY! I am in total agreememt with you. People warned us about the same thing when I posted questions on this board regarding Hawaii. We visited 2 islands and did SO many activities on our honeymoon. We had a blast and would not change a thing about it. I guess everyone vacations differently.

Regarding Europe - We are NOT museum people. We would much rather spend time outdoors and absorb the culture, food, sounds, etc of the country. We are not relaxing vacationers, either. In my opinion, I can get all the sleep I want at home. When we are on vacation, we want to see and do everything. We are not afraid of being on the go 24-7. Also, since we only get 2 weeks out of a year to vacation - we cannot spend the entire vacation on 1 country. Considering we are in our late 20's and we would like to travel before having children - we definitely are trying to get a high level experience if Italy. That way, we can possible go back in the future and concentrate on the parts we enjoyed the most. No, we are not traveling to just say we travelled there. We definitely get bored very quickly - and thats why I am afraid that spending SO much time in one spot is not what we are looking for. I have already been to many parts of Europe - just not Italy and have seen them in the same manor.

With that said - I am very curious about the flying alternative to the locations mentioned above. I know flying time will be much quicker compared to train - but considering train time is only about 2 hours. By the time you get to the airport, check in, get on the plane, take off, land, get bagage, etc - I imagine the travel time is almost the same. I am assuming for longer distances like Paris to Venice - flying would be the better choice? The reason Paris fits into the equation is because we are flying from the US to Paris. We got an awesome rate to Paris - approx $350 roundtrip. Whereas to Rome it was nealry $800.

So we are planning on spending approx. 2 days in each location. This is meant as a getaway to see other parts of the world. Not a life altering experience where we need to spend 10 days in rome to discover each aspect of its culture. The only thing I am afraid of is the train travel time. Which was my question in the first place.

This is the rough itinerary -
Day 1 and 2 - Paris.
Take night train to Geneva(7 hours)
Day 3 and 4 - Geneva.
Train to Lucerne (2 hours)
Day 5 and 6 - Lucerne, Switzerland.
NIght train to Venice (11 hours)
Day 7 and 8 - Venice.
Train to Rome
Day 9 and 10 - Rome.
TRaing to Naples (2 hours)
Day 11 and 12-Travel to the AMalfi Coast (day trip to capri).
Day 13 and 14 (stop in France somewhere).
Day 15 - Back to Paris to fly back to the US.

I know it sounds hectic which is why i wanted to know if we should do FLorence or Amalfi Coast - since we can't fit in both. And we are considering taking out Switzerland - which would free up another 4 days for France or Italy. Any opinions or advise???

happymz

Hi hawaiihoneymoon! Something I forgot about entirely in my post - absolutely, flights are an option between places. Last spring my boyfriend and I spent 9 days in Europe - flew in/out of Amsterdam because, like you with Paris, that's where we found the cheap flight, and used cheap intra-EU flights (Ryanair), trains, and a rental car from to get from Amsterdam to Paris, Paris to Ireland, Ireland to the Mosel Valley in Germany, up the Mosel to Cologne, and from Cologne back to Amsterdam. I know that sounds like an incredibly crazy itinerary, but we did have reasons for jumping around so much - were visiting friends/ family in most places. Anyway, bottom line, we loved the Ryanair experience - flexible and cheap - and I would definitely recommend use of the budget intra-EU airlines. One of the best sites to research these flights is www.whichbudget.com, which I found via these boards. That might be your best option as you get toward the end of your itinerary - finish up in Italy, then fly one of these airlines back to France, allowing 1-2 days in Paris or nearby before your flight leaves for US just in case you have any problems with a cancellation, etc. Maybe even consider leaving part of your planned time in Paris for last, to absorb that extra time? Also, I know it's not easy to pack with just carry-on baggage for a 2-week trip, but if you can go that light, that will save you time (and concerns about lost luggage) too. That helped us.

As for what to do with your extra time...I would definitely try to add a day to the Amalfi coast. I agree with an earlier poster that the coast might be great for you at the end if you're in need of a bit of relaxation. But if you skip Switzerland (which I regrettably can't comment on, not having been there myself), I would also recommend you consider Florence, at least for a day between Venice and Rome. I did very little of the museums but did make sure to see Michaelangelo's David (one of few recognizable pieces of art for me, again, being not an art person - please don't hold it against me, by-product of being a science major!). But also, the city itself is just beautiful. The Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, the great food, good shopping, etc. - if you do drop Switzerland, Florence is definitely worthy of a visit - and anyway, it is right between Venice & Rome!

Good luck!

owlwoman

Hi,
We did a similar trip two years ago, flew in/out of Paris, 3 days in Paris,picked up a car, one night in Beaune, one in Vevey, Swtizerland, drove through the Alps into Italy (beautiful drive!), stayed in a little town in Peidmont, Canelli. Now, we'd done the Rome/Florence/Venice/Amalfi Coast trip already, so we then spent 4 days visiting the Cinque Terre, then came up the Italian Riviera, along the French Rivieria, headed North and stayed in Aups for 2 nights, 1 night in Lyon, then back to Paris, staying in a suburb before out flight back the next day. Now, you could drive to Venice then Florence and in 14 days, I think you'd also be able to get the Amalfi Coast in. Positano was the most romantic place I'd ever been in my whole life. Then come up through Rome and head back to Paris. It would be a bit of driving, but alleviate the whole train schedule thing. Plus, the small towns in Europe are the most charming of all, especially if you like observing people. I live in NYC, so Rome was ok, but I'm not really into cities when we travel. You will have a great time!

toppy

I am not very experienced but I did spend 2 days in Florence and 3 in Venice. I'd skip Florence and opt for Amalfi Coast, although I have never been there. Venice is a must IMO, and I'd go back for a longer visit. I loved this city. Florence however seemed to be mostly museums. I love art, but enough of David for me! The real David was there, and all the copies. No we did not buy the boxers! But Do Venice !

MFNYC

Drop Switz., add days to Paris/Rome/Amalfi (you'll need a nice beach break after all this travelling). Many flight within Europe are very reasonable. I think one airline is volare air. It's worth looking into. It can save you lots of time.

MFNYC

I just wanted to add, you can still travel to Europe with kids. My kids have become pretty good travellers museums and all.

Your trip is shaping up nicely.

hawaiihoneymoon

Yes, I know its true you can travel with kids. But that would mean waiting a few years before they are old enough to appreciate it. I would imagine in their earlier years, all our trips will be to disney!!! Well, I looked into Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Whichbudget and Volare. It is amazing how cheap these rates are. Then I realized the prices are in Euros! But it still is pretty cheap. But most importantly - it will save is A LOT of time. I guess that is worth the $$ right there since we are trying to accomplish so much in so little time. Yes, we have a list of MUST DO's - which include Venice, Rome, Paris. Our maybe's are Switzerland - I have already been there but I wanted to share it with my husband who hasn't. Florence is definitely a maybe since - as people have said in this post - it is a musuem type place. we live in NJ and have visited NYC and Philly museums. I know I know - before you jump down my throat!! Its not even close to being the same thing - but we get very bored in art museums - like Happymz said - maybe it is the fact that we too are both science majors! AT any rate - it sounds like we may be able to squeeze in switz after all since i just discovered that the flight is only a couple hours. That would work out perfectly. So Florence is still in question - i guess i will have to do further research about the city to decide if it something we want to see this time around. Or maybe try to do as much as we can in 1 day. Thank you sooooo much for all your help!!

MFNYC

There's a very nice little history of science museum in FLorence.