My 3 friends and I are going to italy this summer for 17 days. This will be my 4th trip to Italy and all of my my friends first time. I'm trying to plan the entire trip for us, I know they should spend time in rome,florence and Sorrento. Florence(1 week) and sorrento ( 1 week) are great areas to base ourselves in. Florence we can day trip to siena, venice, fisole
san gimingnano (all of which I've done 3 times before) in Sorrento we base ourselves there for day trips to capri and pompeii. Any ideas of where I can go because I do not want to repeat the same places???

Please repost this question with a sensible message "header" - - for example "Seeking itinerary advice for my fourth trip to Italy, accompanied by three first-timers".

I'm sure if you stop and think about it, you'll recognize how you do yourself - - and everbody else - - a disservice by not telling in the message header what your post is about.

Imagine looking at the 50 questions shown on the lefthand side, and they all had message headers like yours!

1. Help meee!!
2. I'm clueless!!
3. Don't know what to do!!!
4. Please!!!

You get the picture...

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi Mariastefnyc, yes a thread indicating what help you need would bring you more responses I should think.

About a day trip to Venice from Florence. Not a good idea IMO.
Imagine you plan on doing this by train. You will not have much time in Venice. You will be there with all the other daytrippers.

I would "forget" Venice or go and stay there a minimum of two nights at least.
At least that way you will have one full day of not arriving or departing.

Am rushed right at the moment so will close with just that thought.

Whatever you decide have a wonderful trip with your friends.

LoveItaly gives good advice. Venice is not a good destination for a daytrip from any location. This is especially true in the summer when the stampeding, daytripper herds are at their peak. And it's a about a 3-hour train ride one way.

Thanks Rufus, I failed to mention that. Yes indeed, a six hour round trip train ride from Florence to Venice and back to Florence plus the time getting to the station, waiting for the train, hoping it is on time etc.

My last experience at the Florence train station to go to the area of Venice (further north of Venice) the train was over two hours late.

So do reconsider.

To go to Italy for 17 days and only spend a few hours in Venice is almost ludicrous, especially when you say you're plannng 7 days in Sorrento and only list trips to Capri and Pompeii during that period.
And just to get you to rethinking your itinerary, how about something like 4 days in Rome, 6 in Florence and Tuscany, 3 in Venice, 4 in Sorrento?

Hi Howard, that sounds like a nice itineray! I would consider this Mariastenfnyc. Imagine your would have a beautiful trip.

Maria, My comment is to the fact of you trying to "plan the entire trip" for everyone. I would never want to be in that position!

Maybe you can get some general itineraries and ideas laid out, then have a meeting with everyone involved. Get them into various parts of the planning. Trade some guidebooks around. Different people research different cities then share what they've found. Like that.

You don't need to have been to Italy before to take care of making the hotel reservations in a city, or collecting maps or touring ideas, for example.

Traveling as a group of 4 singles can be a challenge. Some trip planning meetings might be beneficial to test out the dynamics of your group as well.

t