Italy experts - suggestions for what I should book ahead
 

Hello - I just finished working out my July/August trip to Italy and wanted to solicit recommendations for favorite activities/excursions you may have enjoyed while visiting the destinations where I'll be staying. I arrive in Naples on July 19th and depart from Naples mid-August. I'll be solo for nearly two weeks before my partner joins me for the final 2 weeks. Here's where I/we will be:

Night 1: Staying in Naples at my favorite B&B. This will be a chill, settling in kind of day.
Night 2: Rome at a friend's place as I work my north.
Nights 3 - 6: Lerici. Suggestions for visiting the Cinque Terre from here? Favorite walks?
Nights 7 - 9: Lucca. I'm staying a couple of km outside of the wall and will have a bicycle to get around. Do you have any tips for restaurants or agrotourisimos in this area?
Nights 10 - 16: (3 nights solo, 4 w/my guy who is along for the remainder of the trip) Florence. I'd love recommendations for wineries and other day trips from Florence. Also, where to catch sunset.
Nights 17 -19: Rome. Favorite restaurant for a special occasion? We'll be celebrating a milestone birthday. Rooftops for apertivo?
Nights 20 - 23: Panza area on Ischia. Have you been to Ischia? What beaches did you absolutely love? Did you visit any thermal waters?
Nights 24 - 27: Naples. Tips on ferrying to Amalfi Coast and other day trips from Napoli would be welcome.

My itinerary in terms of where I'll be is firm. Just looking to color in some details, particularly trying to ascertain if I should book certain things in advance - ferries, museums and other historic sites. Thanks for any wisdom and experience you might offer. Grazie!

For Lerici to CT, check ferry schedules. But I’d just stay in Lerici and walk to Tellaro!

Oooh, Yorkshire! That looks perfect. Thank you. :love:

Jacopa is a great restaurant that in the summer normally sets up on the rooftop of the building, with great views of Trastevere, doing aperitivo and, I believe, a dinner formula that's basically apericena (you get multiple small dishes, some of which you can choose).
Otherwise, if you want to splurge, there's Aroma, a Michelin-starred restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Colosseum. If you really, really want to splurge, La Pergola has a rooftop garden and is Rome's only restaurants with 3 Michelin stars (and 3 forks on the Gambero Rosso guide, and a host of other awards). Otherwise, without terraces, Glass Hostaria is a standout restaurant (1 Michelin star, also 3 forks on Gambero Rosso).


Ferry schedules/lines are mostly on Google Maps and other apps offering public transport navigation; if not, you can easily find them online. There are no special tips to give, I'd say. For the Amalfi coast, it might make sense to take the train to Salerno and take the ferry from there, or you can take a direct fast ferry, or you can go via Capri...

As for other day trips, there's tons of options: the town and beaches of Bacoli and the nearby ruins of Baiae, the Caserta palace, the summit of Vesuvius, the archeological sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplontis, the resort town of Sorrento, the islands of Procida and Capri... It really depends on what you're after.

Jacopa looks great - thanks, mbrevitas!

I can understand and appreciate the elevated experience of the Michelin-starred restaurants you mentioned, but don't think they'll work on this extended visit. Filed away for the next trip.

Would you suggest booking ferries in advance? If so, how far?

Bacoli looks like a great option. Have you been to the beaches there?