Help/Questions for Italy trip
 

My husband and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary with a trip to Italy. We leave for Venice on Friday, July 30. I have booked the Falier Suite at the Antico Doge and a canal view room at the American. I don't know too much about the Antico Doge, so I played it safe and double booked.
We take a train from Venice to Florence on Aug. 2 and stay one night at the Bellettini (room 52, based on comments from this board).
Next day it's a train from Florence to Naples and on to Positano. We reserved room 210 at the Miramare (again, based on research from this board).
Aug. 7 we go to Rome, staying in room 77 at the San Carlo (yep, board again!). We leave for home on the 10th.

Questions:
1) We visited Pompeii several years ago. Should we do Herculaneum this time around? Does anyone know what time the sites close? I was thinking of doing one or the other on the way back to the Naples train station on Sat. 8/7 so as to avoid wasting one of our days traveling to and from Positano.
2) Can anyone recommend a driver or service for transportation to and from the Naples train station and Positano?
3) I would appreciate any current feedback and/or pictures of my hotel choices.

Thanks so much,
Cheryl

Dear Cheryl,

Congratulations to you & your husband.

Sounds like you are packing alot into your trip.

Venice 2 Nights 7/31 & 8/1
Florence 1 Night 8/2
Positano 4 Nights 8/3 to 8/6
Rome 3 Nights 8/7 to 8/9 departing 10th

You will spend alot of time on the trains. So I would consider skipping Florence and flying from Venice into Naples. The driver can pick you up at the airport and bring you to your hotel in Positano. This will be a long drive, as it take time to go down the winding Amalfi Coast.

Just from my experience of 3 major points (Rome, Venice & Sorrento, which included a day trip of the Amalfi Coast & Paestum) for a full 2 week 1st time trip - we felt we short changed Rome and Southern Italy.

The hotel we stayed at in Sorrento had a driver pick us up, whom we liked very much.

We have his information:

Francesco Marrapese with Autoservizi De Martino in Sorrento (they will drive you to your hotel in Positano): email: [email protected]
Phone; 081-8782801
Fax: 081-8071013

This was from our trip during September 2001.

Hope your trip is as wonderful as ours was. We are planning a return trip next year with my Mother and Niece.

DAJ

Hi cheryl,

I'm also a bit concerned about your schedule.

You will have only Saturday and Sunday in Venice.

You are then going to Florence for only one day and it's a Monday, when the major museums are closed.

The 3d is pretty much lost getting from Florence to Positano, and the 7th is pretty much lost going from Positano to Rome.

I think that if you can't change your schedule that I would second daj's advice: skip Florence and fly from Venice to Naples.

See www.volareweb.com

For transfers from Naples airport to Positano, I can highly recommend
Renato Cuomo

www.cuomonet.it [email protected]

Happy Anniversary.

I hate one niters---fly to Naples.

ttt

Thanks all for your help! I will check out the driver!! We are doing evening trains to cut down on wasting daytime and to give us time for some quiet and wine (we'll bring our own)after trecking all day.
We last went to Italy 2 years ago, so this trip is to catch up hubby, who missed Venice and Florence last time around (he made it to the six days in Positano and the five in Rome). I went to all the museums etc. in Venice and Florence, so I am set. The Philistine is not interested in them. He's just going for a taste of food and ambience, which we raved about when he joined us in Positano (he felt a little slighted, so I am "giving" him those days there to make up - like it's a hardship!). I dragged him all around the Amalfi coast and through hours of sightseeing in Rome, which he actually enjoyed! This trip is to give us a little private, alone time away from our still-at-home college graduates.
I am very interested in feedback from recent travelers for the hotels I have chosen. Also, if anyone has info on what time Pompeii/Herculaneum closes on Sats., I can figure out the arrangements for our driver.
Cheryl
Cheryl