Honeymoon: 9 days in Rome...too much?
 

For my honeymoon, my future wife and I would love to visit Rome (she is half Italian). While I have had the opportunity to do a lot of international travel, neither of us has ever been to Italy. We will be going in Sept or Oct.

I was originally thinking of 6 days in Rome, 3 in the Amalfi Coast....but am now leaning toward having the entire stretch in Rome and have some of the days be day trips somewhere. My thinking is this allows us to enjoy our wine and food in the plaza as well as not feeling rushed at the various sites.

is 9 days just too much? Is there enough in Rome to keep us busy? What are some good day excursions we could take outside of Rome (we will not have car)?

Thanks....I love reading through these forums!
-JC

Would you consider four days in Rome and five in Tuscany?This would give you a nice mix of city and countryside. You'll find excellent food in Tuscany.

IMHO you can never spend too much time in Rome. On our fifth visit we spent 10 days and enjoyed every single one. Think about renting a nice apartment which will give you space and flexibility for eating. There are many easy day trips such as Orvieto, Ostia Antica, or even Pompeii. (Despite it being our sixth visit we never did get around to a day trip!) Congratulations on your wedding.

Oops. Should read sixth visit in both places!

Nine full days on the ground, not travel days? I love Rome and certainly would not get bored in nine or even ninety days there, but I think a 6-3 or even a 5-4 split would be nice for a honeymoon. I'm not huge on day trips; I usually like to spend the night somewhere. But of course lots of people are just the opposite. There are many convenient, interesting places to visit for a day from Rome. I'll leave those who do day trips to comment further.

Congratulations on your marriage.

Can I marry either you or your wife?

I guess not! I'm already married!

Of course there is enough in Rome to keep you busy! And not only busy, but fascinated, thrilled, aroused, amazed, educated and aching for more. And if, once there, you want to escape the city -- as Romans themselves often do -- there are no end of options depending on your interest and moods.

In Rome itself there is antiquity, Byzantium, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, high art, low tricks -- I'm not going to go on and on. All I'm going to suggest for starters is that if you luxuriate in Rome for 9 days, think about going to Ostia Antica (the scavi) BEFORE going to the Forum. I think people get a better grip on what the Forum in Rome was if they first see the Forum in Ostia.

The food of Lazio and Rome is prized by gourmands the world over, while the food of Tuscany gets an eye roll. (Read Fred Plotkin's "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler"). And in Rome, you not only have antiquity, and Etruscan and Greek artifacts, you have castles, mosaics, a police museum, a pasta museum, the Renaissance -- there are more Michaelangelos in Rome than in Tuscany -- and all the complications of Felllini and la dolce vita.

There is music, football, gelato and the real deal Italian life.

For excursions out of Rome, Ostia Antica is tops. Gaeta and Sperlonga are not out of reach. Orvieto is an hour away. Florence (Firenze) 90 minutes away.

Of course you are doing something radical by not going to a the tourist preserves of under the Tuscan sun and the Amafli coast.

I say go for it. You'll learn a lot, and if it gets to be too much, hop on a train or bus to somewhere and chill.

We just spent eight days in Rome (our third visit...and longest). There's plenty to do and it will definitely keep you busy, but as for me, I don't think I would want to spend my entire honeymoon there. In September, either the Amalfi Coast or a visit to the countryside in Tuscany would make a nice (and romantic) diversion from hectic pace of Rome. Below is my website, It has stories and picture from our 2009 trip to Rome and our 2005 trip that goes to the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, along with Florence, Venice and Rome. Have a great honeymoon!

http://web.me.com/tomfielding1/Tom_%...e/Welcome.html

As others have said, there is plenty to do in Rome, but for a honeymoon, I would definitely split the time and go to the Amalfi Coast because I think it is one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world. I would prefer September over October.

I'm another who suggests for a first trip, that you break it up:

1. Rome & Amalfi Coast (Positano) if you'll make this trip in the first half of Sept

2. Rome & Tuscany countryside (Val d'Orcia - around Pienza)

Stu Dudley

Most honeymooners I see have an incredible amount of luggage. That alone would keep me in Rome. If you have a reasonable amount of luggage, I would go to two places.

I admit, I am hung up on luggage.

"First trip"? Is this Italy for people who need training wheels? I think today's travelers are more sophisticated than that.

I will only add -- not to try influence you, carlyman-- that the root of the word "romantic" is -- ahem-- ROME.

Hmmm...this isn't making my decision any easier!!! :-)

For now, I think I've ruled out Tuscany, Venice, and other wonderful Italian destinations. So the question is all Rome, or split with Amalfi Coast.

Another twist is that I am booking the flights with my airline miles (business class, woohoo!)...so I have to fly in and out of the same airport.

How easy is it to get from the Amalfi Coast to Rome Airport?

Thanks everyone!!! Lots of things to think about :)

I'd stay in Rome the entire time, in a heartbeat. I love, love, love Rome.

It's not the kind of place to race around. Remember, you'll most likely be exhausted if your wedding is right before the trip...so, the less running around and schlepping from place to place with you luggage, the better.

Although it sounds wildly extravagant, it is sometimes be wise to arrange for a private car transfer from Rome airport to the Amalfi. Otherwise, you have to negotiate several train switches, plus a bus (or a car transfer).

It may add $150 or more to the cost of your arrival travel per person. But that can be really worth it when seen in the light of beginning your honeymoon on the best foot possible...

Have you checked into flying in and out of Naples? At the end of your honeymoon, following Rome, a return to Naples might be fun.

In your case, I'd probably fly into Rome and proceed straight to Positano for the first portion of the trip. Then back to Rome for the remainder. Assuming you are from North America, you arrive at Rome in the morning and have daylight to get to Amalfi by train. Return to Rome by train; you'll likely need to be there your last night to catch an early flight out.

Thanks again everyone...

Twisting kayd's recommendation, would it make sense to fly in/out of Naples and head to Rome immediately...spend 6 nights there, and then had to Positano for 3 nights?

It is fairly easy to get from Positano to Naples airport, no?

(And yes, I will be flying from the US)

It is easier to get from Rome to its airport than from Positano to Naples airport.

"Fairly easy"? Only if you hire a car to take you.

If you fly into Napoli airport, you either take a taxi to the train station and train up to Rome, or get a car transfer to Rome.

But if you land in Napoli, wouldn't you perhaps prefer to begin your honeymoon in a veg-out, stare at the sea from your bedroom hotel room, occasionally wandering out to the terrace with a glass of something to watch the sunset from your terrace in your bathrobe or bathing suit-rather than plunge into an international city, screaming with things to see?

Stepsbeyond: I guess my thinking was do all the busy city stuff in the beginning and then relax with the sunsets at the end.

...but I think you may have a point that starting out that way would be better (and easier).

Time to talk it over with the fiance!