Anderson87

Hi There,

My boyfriend and I are approaching the final stages of booking accommodations for our upcoming trip to Italy. We have nailed down the places we want to visit, and the times frames in which we want to stay. We are flying in and out of Rome, we have already been advised to save Rome until the end of our trip. I am really just looking for any feedback, maybe suggestions on what makes 'more' sense than perhaps what we have laid out ourselves, which is as follows, in no particular order:

Positano- 4 Nights
Florence- 3 Nights
Tuscany- 4 Nights
Rome- 3 Nights

Right now we arrive on September 11th in Rome, we plan to then continue our travels straight to Positano. We want to stay there for 4 nights. We have researched accommodations and this is do able, we will be booking in the next couple of days. NOW from this point I would love to know what makes the most sense to you seasoned travellers. We will not be renting a car for this trip, so we will rely on public transit to get to and from each destination.

Perhaps you think Positano is better situated at the end, or in the middle of this sequence. I would really just love to hear from others to get their take on what makes the most sense before we finalize our accommodations.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

WWK

The only slight revision I'd make is this:

Positano
Tuscany
Florence
Rome

Reason is that you are probably taking the train from Florence to Rome, so it's less backtracking this way.

How are you getting from Positano to Tuscany or Florence? Train from Naples to Florence then car? Private transfer?

And do you need any help re: accommodations in Positano? Just returned from another visit there.

Jean

If you're not going to rent a car, I suggest you stay in Florence and make day trips by train and/or bus. Fiesole, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca, Arezzo, Bologna, Montecatini Terme are all easy day trips using public trans. If you want to experience the smaller, more remote towns in Tuscany/Chianti, you could hire a driver for a day.

Depending on how many day trips you plan, you might make it 6 nights in Florence and add a day/night to Rome. But there's a lot to see in Florence, so don't cut yourself short there. Figure out what you want to see, check the open/closed hours/days of everything, and then decide how much time you'll need. Another option would be to train Florence-Orvieto and spend a night there before going to Rome.

ekc

I agree - if you don't have a car, stay in Florence and do day trips into the countryside. Definitely take a day from Florence and add it to Rome.

I would also go directly to Florence, as it is a much easier "commute" than getting down to Positano, especially after a long flight. Then train from Florence to Salerno, and ferry from Salerno to Positano. Fantastic way to reach Positano and see the Amalfi Coast (my favorite place in Italy). And travel by ferry between towns as much as possible, to avoided the dreaded packed SITA bus.

You had better book your place in Pos ASAP, as early September is still high season.

The_D_Dawg

Hi, we just completed a 7/5-7/20 15 day Venice, Florence, Sorrento, and Rome trip and (rather than writing a trip report) have a few quick observations.

Agree with Jean - don't short yourself on Florence - it is beautiful and you can access Tuscany from there. The trains work very well.

When you go to the Amalfi coast you will want to visit Pompeii.

We did Venice & Florence and then went to Sorrento as an interim respite before heading to Rome. There's a bit of back-tracking but all these locations (via train) are within 3-4 hours of each other). We did it and it's not a problem and the comfortable trains and Italian countryside are wonderful to see in a way you don't see otherwise.

Assuming you haven't been to Rome, I think you're shorting yourself on Rome - which s/b at least 4 days. Also, consider Ostia Antica (40 minutes outside Rome via train) if you don't go to Pompeii.

Get a Firenze Card in Florence and bypass the lines.

Climb the Duomo Cupola in Florence (and maybe the Campanile).

You don't need a car - you can do everything on your list by train (purchase in advance (except the local trains)).

If you go to Pisa as a 1/2 day side trip and want to climb the tower, you need to purchase tickets in advance as walking up and trying to purchase them is limited and you will have a long wait.

In Rome, investigate guided tours for the Vatican and also the Colosseum / Forum / Palatine Hill (check Walks of Italy and Through Eternity tours). Also check out the free Rick Steve's downloads for audio tours with maps (i.e. for Uffizi, Pompeii, Ostia Antica, etc.)

Dave

ekc

"When you go to the Amalfi coast you will want to visit Pompeii."

I respectfully disagree. I have been to the Amalfi Coast 3 times in the last 2 years and have yet to make it to Pompeii.

tuscanlifeedit

ekc's plan is a good one if you will have a long flight to Italy. Go straight to Florence after the long flight.

If you really won't have a car for "Tuscany" then it does seem like a good idea to stay in Florence and do day trips. I might suggest a quiet neighborhood for your accommodations, because Florence can feel very crowded.

Consider

Florence: 5 nights with a couple of day trips
Positano: 5 nights with day trips
Rome: 4 nights

I also second ekc's suggestion to train from Florence to Salerno then boat to Positano.

If you really must see Pompeii (which I don't think you actually mentioned) you could do it on your way to Rome.

However, if Pompeii isn't on your agenda, I think taking the boat back to Salerno from Positano, then train to Rome, is a good way to go.

WWK

I disagree a bit with the posts above. We just flew to Rome, then continued on to Positano. It may be a style of travel question, but I really like to go to my R&R place first, even if it's a little out of the way. I think cities are too hectic for me and my husband after a long flight, especially if it's a first visit to that city.

In Positano, you can rest, eat some of the best meals that you'll ever have in your entire life, and stare out to sea. When you're recovered from the jet lag, you can explore the coast, then prepare for your next (city) destination.

There are a few options for getting to the coast. The most expensive is hiring a private driver to pick you up at FCO ( about E500). You can also take a fast train from Rome to Naples. Trip time is just over an hour. Then you can hire a private driver to transfer you to hour hotel in Positano. (E 120).

Or, you can take a local train from Naples-Sorrento, then switch to the boat if it's running in September, or the dreaded SITA bus for the last leg of the trip.

We've never taken the train Rome-Salerno, then ferry to Amalfi etc., but that seems to be a popular option, too.

WWK

BTW, I've been to Pompeii twice, once with my kids, once with my husband. Fascinating if you're an archaeology/history buff, not so much otherwise.

bobthenavigator

I owuld start in Florence and end in Rome---easier logistics.

Anderson87

I am always blown away by all the people that take time out of their day for respond, it really is so great! I thank everyone for their comments.

We were told Tuscany was amazing and liked the idea of seeing and staying in a 'not so commercial' place. We are looking forward to going to local markets and kind of 'living like the locals' and were told Tuscany is the place to do this! That being said we had heard wonderful things about Florence and were told not to miss it, but were told its more expensive and like someone mentioned 'crowded.' Does anyone have any suggestions of place that is close to Florence but also 'off the beaten track a bit'? A neighbourhood just outside of Florence perhaps that will still allow for the ease of day trips with accessible transportation.

Also, and feel free to correct my notion, we were told 3 days is more than enough for Rome. We live in Toronto, a big metropolitan city, and of course this city is amazing and unlike any other, but we really want to see the countryside and coastal cities more. That being said we do want to explore Rome, thus leaving 3 days on the itinerary.

Are we missing any 'must see' spots, relatively close to any of those locations? With knowing we want more of an 'live like locals' feel as opposed to the heavily tourist destinations, anything gems anyone wants to share?

Anderson87

Also, just trying to figure out the suggestions for going to Florence before Positano after arriving in Rome. Looking at a map, I don't really see the logic in that, it almost looks to out of the way. Am I having a blonde moment right now?

Can you train from Rome to Salerno and then take the ferry over?

Jean

"Off the beaten track" in Tuscany and "not renting a car" just don't go together. If you want to get away from crowds, you need to rent a car. If you don't want to rent a car, you need to stay near transportation which happens to be (generally) where the crowds are.

You could stay in Siena and make an excursion or two by bus, but you are at the mercy of the timetables which are not always tourist-friendly, and Siena is not "off the beaten track" by any stretch of the imagination. IMO, it would be easier to find a quieter neighborhood in Florence and still be close to the transportation options it offers. Santo Spirito (Bellosguardo, Frediano) south of the Arno or even Fiesole in the hills above Florence.

I think the suggestions to put Florence before Positano relate to the travel times involved. FCO to Florence is about 2.5 hours, and you arrive in the city center. FCO to Salerno is 3.5 hours, then you need to take a ferry to Positano and then a taxi to your hotel. That's a lot after a long flight. And most trains from Florence to Salerno take less than 4 hours.

Jean

I meant to comment on "3 days in Rome." It won't be 3 days no matter how you order your itinerary. It will take you a half day to move from your Florence hotel to your Rome hotel and a little longer than half a day from Positano to Rome. Since your stated priority is the coastal cities and the countryside, 2.5 days in Rome may be enough but you'll only see a short list of sights.

traveldelight

If it helps.... We just did a trip to Italy in June , we took the fast train to Salerno from Rome and did the same on the way back it was very convenient , from Salerno we took a scenic cab ride and reached our destination in amalfi in under an hour, positano is half hour to an hour away depending on the traffic situation. A ferry is also a good idea.

The_D_Dawg

Ferry is very nice....

Go Sabres! ;-)

yorkshire

Though I am not one to shy away from tacking on additional travel after an overnight flight, I think the train to Florence would be my limit. Traveling to the AC first would be too taxing.
Florence is also probably a good place to get acclimated, and finding an apartment or a small b&b in a quiet area will give you the feel you are looking for.
I also like staying in small towns, the only issue is to find the one that will do it for you (my time in Tuscany has been minimal). As long as you don't care if there is convenient public transportation then you'll be fine. I would concentrate on finding a town where there is easy access to walks or bike rides into the surrounding countryside. However, you might want to take one of your nights in "insert small Tuscan town here" and add it to Rome if you think you might get bored just kicking around in one small town.

ekc

3 days is not more than enough for Rome and Rome is nothing like Toronto or any other big city. On our first trip to Italy my husband insisted we visit Rome, which I wasn't too enthused about in part because I saw it as just another big city. Boy was I wrong. The history, architecture and art is just astonishing and it is now one of my favorite places in Italy (besides Positano).

4 days is a minimum, which really is only 3.5 days, because it will take you half of a day to get there from Positano - the first ferry leaves Pos at 10 and gets into Salerno at 11:10. You then catch the train to Rome, which will get you into Rome around 2. Get to your hotel and check in, you won't be ready to go explore Rome until 3.

Caliban

Do not subcumb to the Instantaeous Transfer Illusion. Every time you change from one transit mode to another, there is a lag. True, the train from A to B takes 2.5 hours, but there is still the time needed to get to the train, buy the ticket, get to the track and board, and then you do have to leave a little slack time or risk missing the train. And, what if you arrive at A and the next train to B is 2 hours later? Will you also want to eat? Use a bathroom? More time.

One of your proposed routes has arrival from a plane, taking a train then getting to a ferry. How much time will you need to make each transfer? Will the plane be on time? Will the plane/train/ferry schedules mesh?

You plan on being in 4 different places on this trip if you count arriving in Rome and leaving from Rome as two different locations. That means a lot of going from place to place and not so much time actually in a place.

I suggest rethinking your goals and doing only 2 places, say Rome and Florence plus vicinity. Or the coast plus Rome. You will have more Italy and less crazy.