Help with our honeymoon itinerary -- 12 days in Rome and Positano
 

Hi,

My fiance and I are beginning to plan our honeymoon to Italy this coming August. We are well aware that August is a hot and crowded time to visit Italy, but we are hoping to make the best of it!

Our basic itinerary is:

Tuesday August 2 - Saturday August 6: Arrive in Rome. Spend a day visiting the Colosseum and the Ancient City. Spend a second day exploring Vatican City. Spend a third day just wandering and relaxing.

Saturday August 6: Travel from Rome to Positano by taking a train from Rome to Sorrento, and then a ferry from Sorrento to Positano.

Saturday August 6 - Saturday August 13: Enjoy our villa (already reserved!) in the center of Positano. Spend several days this week just relaxing and exploring the town. Take a day trip to Pompeii, and another day trip to Capri. Consider visiting Ravello and other towns along the coast as well.

Saturday August 13: Travel back to Rome (using the reverse of our prior route). Check into a hotel, and grab one last great dinner before boarding our flight home on Sunday.

My main questions...
- Overall, does this seem like a good itinerary? The only part we have booked so far is the apartment in Positano, so those dates are set.
- Any tips on the best tours and must-see sights in Rome? We have heard great things about the Scavi tour and also will try to get tickets to a Papal Mass on Wednesday. Any other tours we should reserve in advance?
- Any tips on where to stay in Rome? We are comfortable with modest accommodations. As long as the place has a clean bed, A/C, and a location near the sights we want to see, we will be happy!
- For the boat trip to Capri, I've read that the ability to see the Blue Grotto and get the most out of the trip is highly dependent on the weather. So my thought is to just book Capri once we arrive in Positano. Is that right? Or do we need to book in advance?
- What is the best and most cost-effective way to take an excursion to Pompeii from Positano for the day?

Any other tips and feedback would be much appreciated! We are so excited.

Thank you!

Sounds reasonable to me; you know that it will be hot, so go for it! I have been to the Amalfi Coast a couple of times, but only off a cruise ship with a driver, so can' comment on staying there. My wife and I have been to Rome a number of times, and there are some great places to go. There are the usual suspects -- the Coliseum, the Forum. W really enjoyed the Borghese Gardens/Museum. On our last trip, we did the Scavi tour and it was a treat. I would also add a guided tour of the Vatican. Ours was arranged, again, by the cruise ship, but it was a "must see"!

Some answers:
- IMO yes it sounds like a good plan overall!
- On the last leg of your journey from Rome to Positano, you might want to consider taking the Sita bus instead of the ferry. The bus departs from right in front of the train station, whereas you have to go down the hill to get to the ferry - not so fun with luggage... You'll have plenty of time during your week to take advantage of the ferry!
- In Rome: I agree that the Galleria Borghese is not to be missed (even if like me you're not a lover of the Baroque!); you will need to book this in advance. We found the Fodor's Rome guide helpful in figuring out our priorities and rough itineraries.
- Best and most cost-effective way to see Pompeii is to take public transit there: from Positano, you could take the Sita bus to Sorrento and transfer to the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Pompeii-Scavi. I'm sure someone else will chime in with ferry options. (We were there too early in the season to be able to use them.)
- You might want to look into the Campania Arte Card, which in addition to cultural sites entry has an option that includes public transit in the region (e.g., Circumvesuviana train and Sita bus).
- I never stop raving about our day spent on the Sentieri Degli Dei (Walk of the Gods), from tiny Nocelle above Positano to Praiano. If you like hikes (and don't have vertigo!), do check out at least part of the trail.
- If you haven't found it already, there's a ton of recent info on this forum about the AC, Sorrento, Pompeii, Naples... Click on my name for posts I've commented on; look for Marija's wonderful, food-filled trip report on Naples; look up the Fodorite called GAC for all the Italian train info you'll ever need to know; and A_Brit_in_Ischia for likewise knowledgeable info on trains (instructional photos!), Campania and more. :D

Jamie, it looks like a great trip and similar to one I am going to take in 2012! Which villa did you rent in Positano?

You know can't take the train directly from Rome to Sorrento, don't you? You have to go to Naples and then switch to the Circumvesuviana train (in the lower level of the Naples station) to go on to Sorrento, and from there either take a SITA bus or a ferry to Positano. The alternative is to take a train from Rome to Salerno and then take a ferry from Salerno to Positano.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'd love to hear more on people's opinions on getting between Rome and Positano, as well as the best things to do in each area.

ekc -- the villa we rented is here: http://www.summerinitaly.com/eng/ren...584!italy_.htm

We wanted something under $1500 for the week, with a big ocean-view terrace, and walking distance from the main part of town. This one fit the bill, and the reviews were great. So far the management company has been quick to answer questions as well!

Thanks Jaime, the villa looks great! There will be 5 of us girls, so we will need something bigger, but good to know that Summer In Italy has been easy to work with.
Depending on our arrival time in Rome, we are planning on taking the train to Salerno and then the ferry from Salerno to Positano (ferry dock within walking distance of the train station), or the train to Naples and then ferry from Naples to Positano (taxi from Naples train station to ferry dock).
Ggreen is right - GAC has great posts on here and Slowtalk (I think) describing the transportation options.
If you are looking for a little nightlife, there is a great club down by the beach in Positano - "Music on the Rocks".
We are also planning daytrip to Pompeii (likely ferry to Sorrento and catch the train from there).

ekc: If you do FCO/Rome/Naples/Positano, IMO, the big, big advantage of taking the Circumvesuviana to Sita instead of a ferry is that it's a *super easy* transfer down a level at Naples Termini. (A_Brit_in_Ischia has even made a post with step-by-step photos of the newly renovated station.) And another easy transfer to the Sita bus, which if asked will stop where you need along the route. While the Naples ferry dock isn't super far away, it's not walking distance (as you rightly imply by the taxi), and after flying and training, I'd rather not have to schlep any farther than necessary!

Another nightclub rec near Positano is the Africana.