My husband and I will be visiting Italy for the first time in May 2010. This is our itinerary so far:
Milan (2 days)
Venice (3 days)
Florence (3 days) with a side trip to Pisa
Rome(6 days) with a side trip to Olvieta

My question is: We would like to visit Pompeii. Is a day trip from Rome doable? Or do you suggest a day or two in Naples? We do not have a desire to visit Naples but will if needed.

Thank you,
Jo

Where is Olvieta? I googled this town but google could not find it. Do you mean Orvieto or Olivetta?

Your itinerary looks fine. A day trip to Pompeii will be a very long day as it involves a 5 hour round trip train ride plus about another hour for connections in Naples.

With only 6 days in Rome, one of which is to some other town (Olvieta) I would suggest seeing Ostia Antica, right outside Rome (about 1/2 hour) rather then Pompeii. You can take public transportation to get there. It's the remains of a Roman town and will give a flavor of what an ancient town looked like.

I agree that Ostia Antica is a more pleasant day trip than Pompeii.

If Pompeii is essential to you, you can take a day off of Milan and one off Rome, and visit Pompeii from Sorrento. Sorrento is nicer in May, IMHO, than Naples, where you don't really want to go anyway.

To answer your question, yes, you can "do" Pompeii as a daytrip from Rome. It'll be a long day but it's doable. Tuscanlifeedit suggested exactly what I was thinking. Take a day off Milan and one off Rome and stay in Sorrento or Positano.

I also think Ostia Antica is a better day trip from Rome than Pompeii. I would leave Pompeii for another trip when you can spend time also exploring the Amalfi Coast, Capri and, yes, Naples.

Regardless of the OA/Pompeii decision, I'd take a day from Milan and add it to Florence.

I will be taking a side trip to Orvieto. Sorry for the incorrect spelling. I think Pompeii should be left for another trip. Really would like to spend two days in Milan.
Are 6 days (with a one day side trip too long of a time to spend in Rome?

Hi Jo,

What draws you to Milan for 2 nights?

It would be a lot easier on you if you spent at least one night in Sorrento, Positano or Amalfi when you visit the AC.

You can either
A: Train to Salerno and take the ferry to Amalfi or Positano. Preferred
You can also get off at Amalfi and take the SITA bus to Positano.

B: Train to Naples, tram to the waterfront, hydrofoil to Sorrento. There is SITA bus and ferry service to the rest of the AC.

C: Train Rome to Naples, change to Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento.

Train schedules at www.trenitalia.com
For Ferry schedules Positano – Amalfi - Salerno (P.zza della Concordia):
See http://tinyurl.com/3cbhkb

Enjoy your visit.

Here's another suggestion: Instead of taking a day trip Orvieto, stop there on your way from Florence to Rome and spend the night. May is the perfect time of year to see the countryside of central Italy, and a night in Orvieto will give you a taste of that. Rome/Florence/Venice are great, but they're busy and fairly intense. In Orvieto you'd get to catch your breath.

We will be arriving in Milan from New Jersey USA. So, a large part of the first day will be jet lag and getting settled in. We need a day for The Last Supper, Duomo and Castle. Therefore, two nights are necessary. But I am considering starying overnight in Orvieto.


thank you

If all you want to see in Milan is the Last Supper, Duomo and the Castello, I think even one slow, jet-lagged day is enough. (This could be a half day on arrival and the morning of the following day.) What time is your arrival?

In a 14-day trip, I would not add another hotel in Orvieto. (I would have limited the hotels to 3 in 14 days, but that's me.) Orvieto would be #5.

<< Are 6 days (with a one day side trip too long of a time to spend in Rome? >>

6 years would not be too long in Rome! You will only have time to see some of the major sights in 6 days. The Vatican Museums and St Peters will take a day, Colosseum and Forum another day, some museums, churches, wandering around Trastevere for the other 3 days.

Rome will overwhelm you with the history, ancient buildings, opulent churches, narrow old streets, beautiful squares, stunning fountains, and outdoor cafes.

After reading these helpful suggestions we may not go to Milan. (Save for when we visit Tuscany)
We are thinking about renting a car in Rome and driving to Sorrento. We will stay at the Hilton in Sorrento and take day trips (by car) to Pompeii, Almalfi Coast etc. Do you think renting a car is a good idea? Please let me know.

Thank you,
Jo

Hi Jo,

>Do you think renting a car is a good idea? <

No. You can visit Pompei Scavi, Naples & the towns of the AC as easily by SITA bus as by car, at less cost and without the hassle of where to park, getting caught in traffic, etc.

If you are concerned about getting to Sorrento, I suggest a train to Naples and a private limo to take you to the Hilton.

You will be happy you choose Sorrento and the AC. May is a perfect time to go. I've been there several times, and Ira's advice for the AC is always spot on.

jojuice,

I would also encourage you to stop overnight in Orvieto. It's a small town and very easily accessible by train. It won't take you long to get into town and find your hotel.

Checking in/out of a hotel is not a big deal for everyone. I guess many people completely unpack when they check in, but I don't. I just take out what I'll use the days I'm there and let the clothes hang a bit. On a trip like yours, I wouldn't be bothered by one, 1 nt stay.

However, if you are including Sorrento, which I wouldn't, then skip Orvieto. I would save Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast for a whole trip of its own!

Buon viaggio!

Are you driving from Venice to Florence? If you skip Milan, and are driving from Venice stop in Verona, a wonderful city that was the setting of Romeo and Juliet. I would keep the car, you can drive to Pisa from Florence and also plan to see some other cities near by. Florence is very crowded you"ll be happy to get away for the day. Give yourself a day to drive to Orvieto, the country side is breathtaking. Stop at the hill towns you'llsee quite a few on the way. A worth while stop is Cortona.Rome is fun but packed with tourist. Pick a couple of must see sights, try booking any museum tickets that you can book on line. Drive to Sorrento and stop at Pompeii on the way. You can get to all the little towns by taking either a ferry or the bus.
Have a great vacation.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. We may save Orvieto for our Tuscany trip. We were thinking about taking the train from Rome to Sorrento instead of driving. Is that a good idea? If we are not doing any side trips from Rome what is a good number of days to stay? Right now we are thinking six. Are three days in Florence (with a side trip to Pisa) enough? Trying to see all the highlights without total exhaustion. We are 55+ and want to experience Italy and all it has to offer.
Thank you again,
Jo

It might be helpful for you to re-state your current thinking. It looks to me like you're now flying into Venice (3 days), Florence (3 days), Rome (6 days), Sorrento (2 days?). Hopefully, you will be flying out of Naples, and it sounds like you will get around entirely by public trans. Is this correct?

Three days in Venice
Three days in Florence
Six days in Rome
Four days in Sorrento
Spending our last night at a hotel near Rome airport and then next day flying to USA.
Total of 16 sightseeing days.

Thank you,
Jo

Sounds good to me. I'm glad you've added some time at Sorrento/AC.

You could spend your last night in Rome itself which would be a much nicer ending to your trip than staying at the airport. Your train from Naples will drop you in the city, and you can either train or hire a shuttle service to the airport the following morning even for a very early flight.