help with italy itinerary-first trip
 

We are attempting again to plan our trip to Italy. It has been put off a couple of times now and it is ABSOLUTELY happening next year!

Now we just have to decide where to go. We are planning on late April/early May, and are trying to squeeze a full two weeks out of our jobs, but that isn't confirmed yet. But we'll assume that it is...

We definitely want to go to Venice, and I really feel like we have to go to Rome since it will be our first trip to Italy and I can't see not going to Rome. We are trying to decide if Florence would be the next best option for our third stop, or if we would be better suited going somewhere else this time and seeing Florence another trip. Neither one of us are big art fans, and we aren't wine people, and (please correct me if this is completely wrong) it seems like that is what that area of Italy is best known for. My husband is a much bigger fan of beaches and relaxing than of anything related to art.

So for those of you who have been to Italy before, is there still a lot to do/see in Florence/Tuscany besides the art/wine stuff? And if so would the short amount of time we would have there really do it justice, or would somewhere else be better for just a few days and we could hope to spend more time in Florence if we ever make it back to Italy? From reading other posts, it seems like a lot of people are staying or recommending staying in that area for a full week.

Thanks! I am just starting my planning for this trip, so any advice would be helpful!

I have taken a two week trip to Italy in the past and have visted Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, Rome and Venice. It worked out fine.

The order we did was flying into Rome, taking a train down to Sorrento, taking the train over to Venice and flying out of Venice.

It is best to fly in and out of different cities if you are moving around in a short amount of time. In which case you could fly into Naples and train to Rome, Venice and then fly from Venice or vv.

Florence and Tuscany region is beautiful with or without wine but you I advice not to overextend yourselves more than three cities/areas.

You will have some tough choices to make---I suggest you plan 3 trips in advance since you will return. Rome deserves 5 days and do make make it mandatory--it was my 8th rtip to Italy before I sat foot in Rome. Here are some sample itineraires to consider:
BOB the NAVIGATOR’S FAVORITE ITALY ITINERARIES
UPDATED AUGUST, 2006
After 23 trips to southern Europe, and having developed more than 180 customized TRIP PLANS for others, I am now older and hopefully wiser. Here is an updated version of my favorite itineraries & my “Bella Italia” photo gallery. I hope you enjoy.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3827

1. BELLA ITALIA: Five destinations in 15 days—car & train travel
* Arrive in Milan[MXP] & depart from Venice[VCE]or vice versa.
* Itinerary to include the Italian Lakes, Ligurian coast, rural
Tuscany, Florence, & Venice. Suggested timing is 3-2-4-2-4.
* Option: Drop the coast & rent a villa in Tuscany[ 3-7-2-3].
* Best time to go: May & June or Sept. & Oct.

2. LA DOLCE VITA: Three destinations in 12 to 14 days-car & train
* Arrival & departure from Rome[ FCO] or arrival in Naples
* Itinerary to include Rome, the Amalfi coast, and Tuscany
* Best time to go: Easter to end of October
* Option: Fly into Naples & stay at 2 locations on the coast

3. CLASSIC ITALIA: Three destinations in 12 to 14 days-car & train
* Arrival & departure from Rome—may start trip in Florence
* Destinations to include Florence, Rome & Tuscany/Umbria
* Best time to go: Anytime, but May & Oct. are my favorites
* Option: Consider a weekly rental in Tuscany/Umbria

4. SICILIAN CHARMS: Five destinations in 15 days—car travel
* Connections to Catania & Palermo via Rome or gateway city.
* Itinerary to include Taormina, Siracusa, Palermo & more.
* Best time to go: March to November—May is best for flowers
* See: http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=634

5. THE VILLAGE SAMPLER: My favorite venues for those who enjoy natural beauty and quaint, small villages. Arranged north to south.
* Arrive Milan & depart Rome—car travel-- 3 nites per location
* Itinerary to include Lago Orta, Castelrotto/ Ortisei[Dolomites],
Portovenere[Liguria], Montalcino[Tuscany], & Spello[Umbria].
* Best time to go: May to October for the lakes and Dolomites
* Option: Pick 3 out of 5 and stay longer in Tuscany/Umbria.

Thanks for all the info! Looking at a map, would it make sense to fly into Naples, spend a few days at the Amalfi Coast area, visit Pompeii while there, then head up to Rome for a few days, then on to Venice and depart from Venice? I'm not sure how much flights are into Naples but it seems like it would eliminate some backtracking by going into Rome, then down to Amalfi area, then back up past Rome to Venice.

It is the best idea really, given your limited time it does eliminate backtacking. You are traveling in a direct direction. It saves train travel from Rome and you can catch the Circumvesuviana from Naples to Sorrento or hire a driver.

Just a thought: you won't be able to do any beaching in late April or early May. Are you and your husband more interested in scenery, shopping, history, food, churches?

It can make a difference in your choice of destinations.

I would say that you are generally on track assuming that the biggest draws in Tuscany are art and wine, but there is also food, some spas, and some very pretty, if not dramatic, scenery. And lots of history, too.

I think that Florence may be my top shopping city in Italy. For me, it is walk a step and gawk, walk another and gawk some more. Maybe you don't want to dismiss Florence if you prefer shopping to history or hiking or scenery.

Is it cold at the Amalfi Coast in May? If so, that's a bummer!

My goal in choosing an itinerary is to make both myself and my husband happy with the trip. I think my husband would really like Venice and probably Rome (or at least I know he would like to see some of the sights in Rome) but I don't know how much he would like the Tuscany region. He likes beaches! That's all! Just beaches! :)

I will be heading down that way next year as well. I will be in Priano, but my flight is out of Rome at 1240 pm. What is the best way to travel from Priano to Rome and how long does it take? Should I rent a car?

My son and I went last year for our first trip. LOVE Italy!!! Rome is an absolute must! Do your research online for places you would like to visit. You can plan ahead, buy tickets online, and save yourself the headache of waiting in long lines. This was especially helpful for the Vatican. Florence is a beautiful place; however, I would rather see the countryside of Tuscany next time around. Without a car, this is hard to accomplish though. We visited Venice. It was rainy and cold. It was nice but I am not on an urgent mission to get back there anytime soon. Milan! We loved Milan. The Duomo and the Last Supper fresco made the trip north worth it. And for our final stop, we went to Turin. Turin/Milan/Rome were our favorites. Never made it to the Amalfi Coast but desperately want to.

You will need more than 2 weeks to see all the places in Italy. We are planning our second trip and even now having been, it is difficult to narrow it down. Constantly moving from city to city can wear you out, so we are planning more time in a few places rather than a few days in several places.

Hi debrad,

i like the Naples/amalfi, Rome, Venice plan, except that I'd do it in the opposite direction. this gives you a chance to acclimatise yourselves to Italy in the relative ease of Venice, before the business of Rome, and the chaos of Naples.

please please don't try to do it all at one go - you want to want to come back don't you?

4,5 & 5 [nights in each place] would be good, and you could save a bit by staying in apartements, especially in Rome. I'd suggest a hotel in your first place, again so that you can acclimatise.

have a great trip,

regards, ann

"He likes beaches! That's all! Just beaches!"

I think too much of your thinking is oriented toward feeling you "must" do something in Italy because it is recommended by other people or educational. You don't have to go to Rome on your first trip to Italy. I didn't. I went my third trip to Italy. And I now live in Italy.

I recommend that you go to Venice, spend four or five nights there. While you are in Venice, take a day trip to Verona and see the Roman arena there. Then fly to Napoli and go directly to the Amalfi coast. Spend four days there. Then consider this: book yourself into a beautiful Napoli hotel for one night, but spend the day in Pompeii. Then take the train to Roma, and spend two nights there before flying home. If you enjoyed these last nights, you'll know the next time you come to Italy you'll want to spend more time in Rome. But if the high point of your trip was Venice and the Amalfi, you'll know the next time you go to Italy, you'll probably want to go to Sicily.

So many choices!!

What to do! :)

Thank you for all of your advice. I wish I could go everywhere!

Good idea about switching to arriving in Venice, then Rome and then flying out of Naples. It will be warmer by then. May can be very warm on the Amalfi Coast and the later you go the warmer and beachier it will be.

Based on everyone's advice, we are now thinking of flying into Venice then traveling to Rome and finishing at the Amalfi Coast and flying home from Naples. Assuming 14 days total, two we'll say are travel days getting to and from Italy, would 4 days in Venice, 4 in Rome, 4 at Amalfi Coast be a good split? And if we can't get the full 14 days and have to eliminate a day, which stop would be the best to take away a day?

And how long of a trip would it be by train from Venice to Rome and from Rome to Amalfi? Would we be losing an entire day for those trips?

We loved Florence, and were there in early May like you will be in Italy. It's a lovely time of year to see Rome, too, because the flowers are all blooming on the Spanish Steps and everywhere else.

What if you spent one or two nights in Florence, on your way to Rome? You may or may not be able to return to Italy, so it seems a shame to miss Florence. It won't be crowded in early May, and it's a charming town just to wander its streets.

Our trip was 15 nights: 3 in Rome, 3 in Florence, 3 in Venice, 3 in Santa Margherita Ligure, 3 in Nice (France). Flying into Rome and home from Nice. It was a wonderful itinerary.

It is hard to say which city to take a day away from. Why don't you really do some research on each one and figure out which would be better. Remember you may have jetlag on the first day you arrive.