We will be going to Italy for our honeymoon for 10 days in October. It'll be my first time there so I want to see as much as I can in that time without over doing it. I am also a photographer so I will be spending a lot of time behind the camera.

We have our flights booked flying into Venice and out of Rome. Right now the plan is to stay 2 nights in Venice train to Florence stay 3-4 nights there. Maybe rent a car to tour Tuscany. Then on to Rome for the rest of the trip.

My question is, would it be too much or too hectic to try to add a day trip to Amalfi from Rome or does that deserve a night? I realize that it is 3 hours away, but everyone says that I have to see it. Thoughts?

Is there anything else that is a must see? Any really good areas to photograph besides the obvious?

We still have yet to book our rooms and I am having a really hard time narrowing it down on tipadvisor.com. Too many options and a bit overwhelming not knowing the areas. Any advice there would be great as well.

Thanks in advance.

Others can probably comment better, since I have not driven from Rome to Bay of Naples/Amalfi (only took train), but it seems far for a daytrip. Definitely is via the train.

Hi K,

With 10 days in Oct, I think you have a very nice honeymoon with *3* nights in Venice, 3 nights in florence (you could daytrip to Siena), and 3 nights in Rome.

The AC is not at its best in Oct. Save it for another visit.

Have a nice visit.

It is far for a day trip...we've driven it and it takes a few hours to get down...too much to see for a few hours time there. Definitely choose to stay a night if you do it - maybe around the Sorrento area. Honestly you might want to save Southern Italy for a second trip so you don't exhaust yourself on your honeymoon...then you have a good excuse to come back too!

In Tuscany, Cinque Terra, Lucca, and Viarregio are areas I would suggest especially if you want to do some photography. All are relatively close to Florence - Lucca is about 40 minutes drive to the West.

I have family in Lucca, and have been there twice, so if you need specifics about the area, let me know.

Ira has given you excellent advice here. Venice should get another night as the first one will probably be lost to jet-lag & post wedding fog....Make the Amalfi Coast in a better season the "reason" to begin a "trip fund" for the next visit.

travel_junkie,

So is the cinque terre a possible day trip from Florence? Or should I schedule a night there?

thanks to everyone for the advice so far.

Dear K,

The CT is not at its best in Oct. Save it for another visit.

katfish,

I have not been to Cinque Terre, I've only heard stories...but I would think you could probably do a day trip from Florence. In October the area should not be very busy, so you could probably play it by ear and if it looks like you want to spend more time you could probably find a place to stay fairly easily.

Here's a link to some info on Cinque Terre:

http://www.cinqueterre.it/en/index.asp

I agree that neither the Amalfi Coast or the Cinque Terre is at its best in October. And the Cinque Terre would be a horrid day trip from Florence, in that you'd spend more time travelling than enjoying. (And, not everybody says to go to the Amalfi Coast - we've been to Italy a bunch of times, and the furthest south we've gone is Sorrento, and that only because Pompeii was on my life's list of places to visit. But that's us - we love the Cinque Terre, and prefer northern Italy to southern, partly because we like northern Italian food. Anyway, think about what YOU like/prefer.)

Are you city people, or do you like to visit rural areas as well, or have a mixture? Particularly if you think you'll be back someday, consider whether you want to leave out Florence on this trip (not that I'm saying it's not worth visiting, by any means), and, for example, visit Venice, the Tuscan countryside, then Rome.

Re narrowing down hotel choices, do some searches on Travel Talk for favorite hotels of Fodorites. In Rome last year, we stayed at the Albergo del Senato, which we enjoyed very much, and has a great, central location by the Pantheon. In Venice, we stayed in the Cannaregio, and area I like, but most people prefer areas closer to the Piazza San Marco and/or in the Dorsoduro.