miranda_wanderlust

So I guess my main question is should I ditch the Amalfi Coast plans in August, and if so, what do I substitute it with? I have read several forums on this same subject and seem to be at a loss and only getting more overwhelmed. After studying abroad and falling in love with Italy almost 5 years ago, I finally am graduating from school and am able to bring my partner to Italy and enjoy the experience with him. I have been planning this trip for years and stupidly had no idea how crazy the Amalfi Coast would be in August. Here was my original plan:

Fly into Naples: August 11th

• (bus straight to Amalfi Coast)

Amalfi Coast: August 11th-14th

• Train to Rome from Naples on the 14th

Rome: August 14th-18th

• Drive north on the 18th-19th
• Maybe stay in Lucca or somewhere in Tuscany along the way

Cinque Terre: 20th-24th

• Drive to the Dolomites on the morning of 24th

Dolomites: 24th-29th

• Drive to Milan to fly out on the 29th

Is Amalfi Coast going to be unenjoyable during this time? Would it still be nice if I could find an airbnb or something to stay in where we could walk to the beach? If not, are there any recommendations for what to do instead of this (preferably including water, but not absolutely necessary)? So I guess my main question is should I ditch the Amalfi Coast plans, and if so, what do I substitute it with?

GREATLY appreciate all your help!

StCirq

Well, I live in Europe and am familiar with the August crush on the Med and don't ever want anything to do with it, but you can avoid it if you wish if you can spread your horizons beyond the total stereotype of the Amalfi Coast, where of course at that time of year you are going to find sky-high prices and shoulder-to-shoulder man-tan pay-through-the-nose-for-boullabaise tourist types of venues. But not sure what you are asking. Airbnb isn't going to solve your basic problem of going to a hugely tourist-overriden place at that time of year.

Go somewhlere without the high prices and the man-tan yacht types. Maybe the Adriatic (I am no expert), Languedoc-Roussillon on (Narbonne and Argèles-sur-Mer and Collioure) or the Atlantic (Bayonne, Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, St Sebastian, Biscarosse) - they'll all be crowded but none of the fuss and glitz of Amalfi.

bilboburgler

I don't holiday on the continent (as we call it) in AUgust anymore, but when we did we would just chose all the second class cities to visit, because I don't think Italy is all about dusty churches and heaving bodies on the beach, but about Italian restaurants, pedestrian walks, country and large squares.

So, I might well look at the area St C suggests in France but in Italy I'd look at places like the Po and the Veneto, but rather than go say to Venice, I'd go to Ferrara, Legnago, Este, Monselice, Chioggia with maybe just day trips into Padua, Bologna, Verona all of which can be done by train. I might book into an agriturismo.it with a pool if I didn't want big city life

This same approach can be done in other areas but the big draws of AC and CT just get too nasty

Sassafrass

Nothing to do with the crowds, but you are laying out your trip in a way that is deceptive in how much time you actually have. Never count a day in two places. Do not count travel days as if they are in a place if the day is mostly travel. Two nights in a place give one full day.

Augsut 11, arrive Naples, transfer to AC. That will be your day, no sightseeing.
August 12 & 13, Amalfi Coast, 3 nts. (2 full days)
August 14, transfer to Rome, will take several hours, evening in Rome
August 15, 16, 17, Rome, 4 nts. (3 full days)
August 18, rent car and drive to Tuscany, 1/2 day travel, (1/2 day in place?)
August 19, drive to CT, 1/2 day travel, (1/2 day CT)
August 20, 21, 22 & 23, CT. 5 nts. (4 + full days)
Etc., etc.

I have been to the AC in August, but it was a long time ago, so my advice about crowds is not up to date. It does seem to me that you should be able to get away from the centers of towns and find some quieter places, but I don't know that for sure. I do know that in August I would use ferries and trains to get around, not busses. If I were going to the AC at all, I would want enough time to see Pompeii. I would skip Capri unless staying overnight because crowds are huge in the day. I would not go to the center of Sorrento in the evening. Crowds are huge there at night.

I would probably go ahead and go because I love the AC, but I would pick a hotel with fabulous views and a pool and a room with a terrace or balcony and spend most of the time simply being there.

Four and 1/2 days seems a lot for the CT to me. You love hiking? In the heat of August? Or were you just going to hang out there?

You have no towns or villages except Rome and perhaps Lucca for a night. Is your interest only coastal and lake areas? No issue if it is. It just seems extremely tilted towards that, especially for your partner, who has not been to Italy before.

PalenQ

I'd sugget taking train from Rome to say Orvieto and picking up car - no hassling with driving out of Rome and its no-go zones for vehicles and traffic, etc. Plus you may want to stay in lovely Oriveto - a classic hill town built on a lava pile (neat underground tours) - and pick car up next day, saving day of car rental. That would be a regional train with a cirt-cheap flat fare -just buy at station day of travel.

Naples to Rome however book ASAP for nice dicsounts overn full fare but limited in number - www.seat61.com com has great advice on doing that; general info trains also BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

From Orvieto you could wind your way thru Tuscany to Lucca - if not into Orvieto you could take train to Chiusi too and pick car up there and head for nearby Montepulciano and on. Also regional trains.

ToujoursVoyager

If you have been thinking of the Amalfi Coast for years, then you should still go. You only have 2 full days there anyway. Get up early and enjoy the coast without the crowds (like 7 am). Rest in your hotel or airbnb in the late morning and afternoon by the pool and enjoy the magnificent views. Get out again in the evening. Also if you like hiking, find a hike off the beaten path.

xcountry

Personally I’d quit reading. It can be paralyzing. We’ve been there twice in August. It’s crowded. It’s fun. It’s beautiful. Enjoy.

annhig

Hi Miranda - are all your timings set in stone? Because it seems a lot way to go to the Amalfi just to leave it 3 days later, which as Sassafrass points out, gives you only 2 whole days. I would find somewhere less popular than Amalfi itself to stay, and stay for at least 5 nights, some or all of which I would "borrow' from the CT. Then if the Dolomites are your aim, I would forget about the CT, [horribly hot and crowded] possibly even Rome, and get the train from from Naples to Verona, spend a couple of days there, then pick up a car and drive to the Dolomites. Finish your trip with a few days by one of the lakes and then fly home from Milan.

miranda_wanderlust

Thank you everyone SO much for all of the tips! The days are certainly not set in stone and the plane tickets have not even been booked yet (I will be coming from elsewhere in Europe and Nick the U.S.). Thanks for the tip about laying the days out Sassafrass, that is helpful.

After a lot of thought (probably too much), I have decided to just ditch the Amalfi Coast altogether for this trip. I have already been there, and Nick is not a beach lover. He prefers hiking, biking, or just exploring little towns and new places.

Instead, I am thinking we will fly into Rome, and go from Rome to Le Marche. I've never been to that area of Italy, so it will be fun to do something new for me too. I am hoping for more relaxation in Le Marche after busy Rome. Afterwards, I really still want to go to Cinque Terre and then head to the Dolomites. We can extend the trip a few days if more time is needed. I am not sure what to expect for Le Marche or the Dolomites, as I've never been to either. We both love being outdoors and hiking, an do not mind the heat so long as we bring water with us!

ekscrunchy

Anything you've read about crowds on the "Amalfi Coast in August is likely to apply to the Cinque Terre, multiplied by at least two. I would give it a wide berth.

Given your time frame,, I would cut way back on the geographical area you plan to cover. You are spreading yourself way too thin and will end up rushing, not savoring.

Le Marche sounds like a good plan. Maybe look into less touristed areas of eastern Umbria as well, close to the border with Le Marche. If you like hiking, you might also look into the national parks in the region of Abruzzo, easy to reach from Rome. You might then continue to Le Marche and Dolomites.



I will take my first trip to Abruzzo and Le Marche in late May, so I am no expert, but from what I've been reading, these regions are paradise for walkers and hikers. Although they will also draw visitors, the crowds surely will not approach those of the popular coastal regions, of which AC and CT are the most famous internationally. My last visit to AC was in late September and crowd level was extremely high, beaches were crowded and some were a bit dirty, too. The high summer brings many fairs and festivals Abruzzo, when people with Italian roots return from abroad to visit relatives in the "homeland." Should be a lot of fun. According to my guidebook, "Abruzzo offers some of the most accessible, diverse, and visually stunning landscapes anywhere in Europe." I can
t say if this is true for any of us, but it adds another to the reasons for visiting.

StCirq

https://www.google.fr/search?source=....0.jBc2HhkNHK8

floridapugmom

I apologize if I hijack the original post but I was wondering how the crowds and temperature will be the first week of September? We arrive in Venice on September 5th, stay 3 nights, and then travel to Milan for the same amount of time. Trying to figure out how to dress and if we will be elbow to elbow with lots of other tourist. Thank you everyone for your input.

bilboburgler

September will generally be a lot better, Venice however will have the fat boats in the harbour so packed-ish. Most Italian workers will be back at the grindstone

Huggy

The Dolomites and Le Marche in September are fine. Was there as part of a 5 week drive last September. Ortisei tended to be a bit busy on the weekends but not overbearing. These are two wonderful areas of Italy.

The AC was just jammed with people and that was in later September. But that is just part of the draw to that part of Italy.

bvlenci

I live in Le Marche, and can verify that it is pleasant even in August. At higher elevations, it isn't even (usually) very hot. We have a summer home in the foothills of the Apennines, and we often need a wool blanket at night in August.

​​​​​There is lots of great hiking in Le Marche, but for someone who doesn't speak Italian, it may not be terribly easy to get trail information. You'll probably want to find a B&B or agriturismo that specialises in foreign tourism. I'm not the best person to help with that, but I'll try to help you with destinations and itineraries.

By the way, the Cinque Terre is much more crowded than the Amalfi Coast. It has more visitors in a much smaller area. I wouldn't go there in August. In fact, I doubt that I'll ever go back. You might consider some other coastal town in Liguria.
​​

bvlenci

Early September can still be quite hot in the hot parts of Italy.

PalenQ

We found Santa Margharita Ligure a nice seaside town that we easily hopped to 5 Terre for the day - walked the 7 miles between villages on lowest trails. SML is also a tourist scene but not nearly as overwhelmed as CT - and SML is also right next door to Uber famous and popular Portofino - ex-fishing village perhaps even more inundated than CT towns but in a nice natural setting - lovely walks in hills surrounding it.

Many here love Camogli too as a nearer base for CT towns.

mariannna

If possible I'd try to go there in September. It is calmer, the children are back in school but it is still warm and beautiful!

bvlenci

Palenq, you keep mentioning the lowest trails in the Cinque Terre, without adding that two (out of four) have been closed for seven years now. The other two are often closed as well, especially if there's been recent heavy rain. All four have been closed for several months.

Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre - Visita il Parco - Sentieri e outdoor

The lower trails begin with 592, and a red circle means "closed".

miranda_wanderlust

Thank you everyone for the great help! I am very excited to be visiting Italy and all of your insights helped a lot. I have decided to avoid the more touristy areas (with the exception of Rome). I had been to Abruzzo in the past and adored it, so thank you for reminding me of that option! Also, bvlenci, my partner and I both actually speak Italian (not very well, but enough to hold a conversation). Still, any recommendations you have for Le Marche would be greatly appreciated. We will be there for about 5 days.

Thanks again everyone! I am so much more excited and confident in my trip's plans now!