Italy - 9 nights - Venice, Florence, Orvietto, Sorrento, Rome
Feb 19th, 2014, 07:22 AM
#22
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Susan,
Please don't cry. Your trip is going to end up being wonderful.
There are two things people often do not expect in Europe. Countries are larger than they think, so places may be further apart than they thought and you can't always just zip from place to place. Unlike the US, train service is excellent and often faster and cheaper than renting a car.
Another thing is frustrating for first timers. So many places in Europe are dense with things to see or places to visit, that the more they read, the more they want to squeeze in. The temptation then is to spend lots of expensive time rushing from place to place, not seeing much of anything, just a 10 minute experience here and there.
Example is the blue Grotto. If you are going to the AC for a few days to see Pompeii, Naples, Herculaneum, Positano, Amalfi, etc. then seeing the Blue Grotto works, but to spend a hundred or so dollars for a five or six hour RT to get in a little boat and go inside a cave for ten minutes is not worth it when you could have spent that whole day sight seeing rather than traveling. It would also be a shame to go all that way and not actually see the AC or Pompeii.
As far as driving. There is absolutely nothing special about driving between Sorrento and Rome. It is cheaper, easier and faster to take the train. If your husband loves driving and wanted some special experience, there are places he might like to do that sometime. Sorrento to Rome is not one of them. Staying in or near Florence for a couple of days and renting a car for the Tuscan countryside would be a better experience for him, but with your time frame, probably not worth it. Much easier to add a night to Florence and do a day trip than to do a night stop-over some place.
Please don't cry. Your trip is going to end up being wonderful.
There are two things people often do not expect in Europe. Countries are larger than they think, so places may be further apart than they thought and you can't always just zip from place to place. Unlike the US, train service is excellent and often faster and cheaper than renting a car.
Another thing is frustrating for first timers. So many places in Europe are dense with things to see or places to visit, that the more they read, the more they want to squeeze in. The temptation then is to spend lots of expensive time rushing from place to place, not seeing much of anything, just a 10 minute experience here and there.
Example is the blue Grotto. If you are going to the AC for a few days to see Pompeii, Naples, Herculaneum, Positano, Amalfi, etc. then seeing the Blue Grotto works, but to spend a hundred or so dollars for a five or six hour RT to get in a little boat and go inside a cave for ten minutes is not worth it when you could have spent that whole day sight seeing rather than traveling. It would also be a shame to go all that way and not actually see the AC or Pompeii.
As far as driving. There is absolutely nothing special about driving between Sorrento and Rome. It is cheaper, easier and faster to take the train. If your husband loves driving and wanted some special experience, there are places he might like to do that sometime. Sorrento to Rome is not one of them. Staying in or near Florence for a couple of days and renting a car for the Tuscan countryside would be a better experience for him, but with your time frame, probably not worth it. Much easier to add a night to Florence and do a day trip than to do a night stop-over some place.
Feb 19th, 2014, 10:56 PM
#23
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Thanks you very much Sassafrass?? It really helps a lot
At this stage we've changed to 2 nights Venice, 2 nights Florence (using train between the 2) get a car after our stay in Florence and drive via Orvieto(1night stay) and go to Rome where we give the car back and do our final visit in Rome.
And by the sound of it, only then decide if there's time for a day trip somewhere??
we're still wondering about doing the last part (3 nights Rome) and maybe just maybe take the train towards Naples/??? sleep the last night there?? and go back late afternoon to Rome airport when we fly back 10:00 at night?
Dunno about that part - at least the first section is finalized?
At this stage we've changed to 2 nights Venice, 2 nights Florence (using train between the 2) get a car after our stay in Florence and drive via Orvieto(1night stay) and go to Rome where we give the car back and do our final visit in Rome.
And by the sound of it, only then decide if there's time for a day trip somewhere??
we're still wondering about doing the last part (3 nights Rome) and maybe just maybe take the train towards Naples/??? sleep the last night there?? and go back late afternoon to Rome airport when we fly back 10:00 at night?
Dunno about that part - at least the first section is finalized?
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