Help with Tuscany, Rome, Amalfi Coast Itinerary
 

We are planning a trip to Italy in late September. We want to spend 3 nights in Rome, 4 nights in southern Tuscany(with a car rental) and 3 nights in Positano. We will most like fly roundtrip to/from Rome but are willing to pay the extra to fly into one city and out of another. What order would be the best to use the most of our time? I am unsure about car rental drop offs etc. Thanks in advance for your help.

We're doing a similar trip in May. We are flying into Rome, taking the train to Orvieto (in Umbria, near Southern Tuscany), spending a couple of nights in Orvieto, then staying in Montalcino as our base to explore the rest of Southern Tuscany.

Then we'll drive back to Orvieto, drop off the car and take the train to Sorrento via Naples. After five nights on the Amalfi Coast, we'll train back to Rome where we'll spend two nights before flying home.

Your only possible time-saving alternative is to fly an open-jaw using Florence and/or Naples, but you'll run into multiple layovers and will spend any time saved driving in the airport watiting for a connection.

Assuming you are going to be near Florence of Pisa, I would do an open jaw ticket into Pisa or Florence and out of Naples. This will be the least amount of backtracking. ( If you are going to be near Pisa, then fly into Pisa.) Rent the car either at the airport in Pisa/Florence or in town in Pisa/Florence, and head to wherever it is in southern Tuscany which is your destination. Then take a train from Pisa/Florence down to Naples (with a change in Rome), the entire train trip should take between 4-5 hours. (Alternately, you can fly from Pisa/Florence to Naples, but most flights require a change in Rome so it is probably faster overall to take the train or drive.) You can either continue from Naples by train and bus to get to Positano, or take a taxi or limousine service. A taxi or car from Naples to Positano is about an hour at a leisurely pace to enjoy the stunning scenery.

You could drive yourself from Pisa/Florence as well, but this may be a lot more expensive given drop off charges, fuel, and parking on the coast which is difficult to find and expensive. You also really do not need a car on the coast, esp if you are staying in Positano.

From my checking prices for a similar trip I am doing in April, it is not any more expensive to do an open jaw ticket into Florence and out of Naples than a round trip in and out of Rome. The problem with flying out of Rome rather than Naples is that virtually all US bound flights depart in the morning, which means you have to leave the Amalfi coast the night before and either stay around the Rome airport or stay in Rome. Not really an attractive option, IMO, compared to just going to the Naples airport in the morning for your US flight, i.e. you get to enjoy one last night along the coast which is so beautiful, esp as you only have three nights there.

The open jaw tickets will require connections in Milan, Paris or elsewhere, so this will add some time, but compared to the pain of getting back to Rome for one night and the cost of the "wasted" hotel room for the last night, I think it is worth it. Depends on where in the US you are departing/arriving, as you may have more connections than say from an east coast airport like JFK or Newark.

Hi liz,

You can fly in to Naples or Rome and out the other for about the same price as a RT.

1. Fly into Naples. Take Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and SITA bus OR hire a limo to Positano.

Return to Naples and take train to Florence. Pick up car and see Tuscany. Drive to Orvieto and drop car. Take train to Rome.

2. Do trip in reverse.

Train and bus schedules and prices are at
www.trenitalia.com/en
http://www.vesuviana.it/orario_ol/orari.asp
http://www.sita-on-line.it/

We are doing this same trip in May. We are flying into Naples, having a private driver take us to Positano for 4 nights then back to Naples. Then we train to Rome for 3 nights. Then train to Florence, rent a car, and spend 3 nights in Tuscany. We then return the car to Florence, spend the night and fly out of Florence early to London and back to the states. It sounds confusing but I can't wait.

hi PattyB, Where did you find your private driver?

What hotels have you selected? That is our itinerary to a T.

Have fun!!

This may help:

NAVIGATING on the AMALFI COAST
HOW TO GET THERE: You have to want to—it may not be easy. The best option is to land in Naples, but that is not always feasible. Most travelers access it from Rome by train to Naples—a trip of less than two hours. Once in Naples, you have a choice. The local commuter train, Circumversuviana, leaves from the same train station and takes about an hour to SORRENTO, with a possible stop at “ Pompeii Scavi” to see the famed ruins. However, to access any of the coastal towns you must then take a SITA bus or a taxi.

The best option is to hire a private driver to meet you at the Naples station or airport and take you directly to your hotel. Expect to pay about 100E.
www.cuomonet.it www.tourofitaly.com www.francescomarrapese.com
www.angelodriver.com

WHERE TO LOCATE & WHAT TO SEE: Ah, what not to see? This is the most stunning scenery in all of Italy---be sure to pack the camera. Your daily activities will be somewhat determined by your location. SORRENTO is really on the Bay of Naples and not the Amalfi Coast [AC], but is the most convenient location for day trips to Pompeii and the Isle of Capri. The town is larger & relatively flat. In contrast, POSITANO is the most spectacular village on the AC but is almost vertical and a real challenge for your legs.
Hotel choices in Positano should be evaluated by their location in town relative to the beach or position on the hill above the beach. AMALFI & RAVELLO are other popular destinations but are further down the coast.

NOTE: Any of the drivers above can be hired for day trip excursions but should be booked well in advance. Expect to pay about 35E/hour.

This thread was started more than 9 years ago.