I'm planning a two week trip to Italy next April. Current thoughts are to spend three nights in Rome, then pick up car for rest of trip, spend two nights in Sienna, 1 in Assisi, 3 nights on Amalfi Coast, 1 night in lower Italy enroute to Sicily, 1 night in Aeolian Islands, 2 in Taormina, return the car in Catania and fly Rome/home. (Have visited Florence once before & will leave Venice, Florence & northern Italy for a future trip.) Questions - does this seem like a workable plan or what changes would you suggest? Where to stay on Amalfi Coast and why? Have heard Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello and Positano all recommended. I'd want to do day excursions to Capri and Pompey. Where to stay in the Aeolian Islands - Stromboli? Appreciate any "Fodorite" advice! <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR>Irene <BR> <BR>

Borderline "busy" (about the way I would do it) - - but well thought out, just glancing. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Looks quite do-able to me. One suggestion, find a place on the Amalfi Coast with view and parking. I'd try for someplace in Ravello first. Don't know your budget, but the affordable Onde Verde had a great website, has had some favorable recs here, and we drove past it (you don't do a lot of stopping off along that road) and it made me wish I'd stayed there.

oops. Tried to add on but it got lost -- <BR>Onde Verde is in Priano (Priaino? they use lots of vowels) and well located for visiting Positano, Amalfi, Ravello. Driving the coast road is an adventure in concentration. Glad we did it in May and not July. April should be decent, too. You can take a back road across the mountains to the A1 to do a daytrip to Pompeii, which was awesome. You'll be driving up and down mountain roads through vertical vineyards and lemon groves.

Hi - thanks for the replies. I try to find a reasonable balance of busy (there's just so many places to go and usually only one trip per year!) and relaxing but that's the hardest part of planning a trip! I'm wondering if I should cut one additional hotel change and could spend three nights in Taormina, with a day trip to the Aeolian Islands instead. Anyone done that? Diane, the website for Onde Verde IS wonderful - thanks! Prices look much more reasonable than I'd expected too so I'll probably contact them when I firm up my dates. The drive to Pompey sounds great (easy for me to say since I usually let my husband drive!) Any other tips? <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR>Irene <BR>

Irene, that looks very doable but I would add some small revisions. <BR>You do not need to stay in Assisi. You can drive there--spend 4 hours--and then head south and stay near Orvieto that nite--saving time for the next day drive. Check out Villa Bellago on Lago Corbara for good value. <BR> <BR>As you drive south from Amalfi try to stay in the Acquafredda/Maratea area on the coast---lovely area. You can find my trip report on a similar itinerary by going to www.travel-italy.com and looking under feature articles. The title is " Navigating with Bob and Ed". <BR>I would stay in Positano if you plan to do Capri as well. I often travel Italy in April and like that time of year. <BR>Good luck and buon viaggio ! BOB

Irene: We spent a VERY memorable trip on Eolie islands (believe it is Aeolian in Eng.) islands of Lipari, Stromboli, Panarea and Volcuno. Just today I compared my trip here to other parts of Italy and could not compare. Just to see Stromboli vent its steam at night is a sight! Climbing to its volcano shaft at close to midnight is another thrill. Swimming atop a dormant volcano off Vulcano, seeing 20+ feet down was an experience! After we left these islands we went to Mt. Etna and it was a let down (enjoyed it in my first trip there but had not been to above islands before it). Left and went to Taromina and it was not as I had rememberd it. Very tacky, touristy and heard many American accents. We stayed only one of several nights there. SUGGESTION: more time on Stromboli and others and less on Taromina. Buona fortuna.