I have already got the airplane tickets so can't change now due to fees. I had thought about flying from Naples back home but the connections were not good.

Check Booking.com and cross reference with TripAdvisor. There are a lot of nice possibilities for your price range. We usually stay in apartments so I do not have any specific hotel advice. Do some research and others may have more specific advise once you have narrowed down your possibilities. We did a cooking class in Rome last year and it was fun although quite basic.

And ... there is luggage storage at Pompeii.

My daughter sometimes stays at the Boscola Exedra. It's very near Termini Station, and built over a small part of the ruins of the enormous ancient Diocletian bath complex. She says that if you ask the concierge, you'll be taken down to see some of the ruins. The bath complex (terme=baths in Italian) gave the name to Termini station. The name "exedra" is an ancient Greek name for a circular entry, and you'll see the front of the hotel and the Piazza della Repubblica in front of it follow the lines of the ancient exedra of the baths.

On the other side of the piazza, the beautiful basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e de Martiri, designed by Michelangelo, is in another part of the bath complex. There is a meridian line inside, which might interest your daughter. The days of the year are marked on the line at the exact spot where the light which enters through a small hole high on the wall will fall at noon. For centuries, the bells of the basilica were rung when the light crossed the meridian line, to mark the official noon hour, so that Romans could adjust their timepieces. Since sometime in the 19th century, noon is marked instead by a cannon fired from the Janiculum Hill.

The Exedra Hotel is in a busy part of town, but it's not Tourist Central, and it's very convenient for transportation.

You arrive in Rome, exhausted and jet-lagged, and leave for Sorrento on a Thursday morning. You have two full days in Rome, which isn't enough time for the things you want to see and do. I find that when traveling with children, it's best not to have many fixed appointments.

Why don't you sign your daughter up for some Italian cooking classes near home as a prelude to the trip? The half-day cooking classes for tourists in Rome don't give you enough time to learn anything about making pizza or pasta. And, really, you just don't have time for major sightseeing, shopping, and classes in two full days. On your first (half) day, you shouldn't have any plans carved in stone.

I agree with the advice to skip the Vatican Museums, and I agree that the Doria Pamphilj Gallery is a good substitute.

You have only 2 days to see Rome. Arrival day is not counted. Travel day to Sorrento doesn't count either (when Mrs. P and I did that travel day, we ended up having pizza for "lunch" at 3 pm in Sorrento.) You then have two days to see things near Sorrento, then a travel day to Rome, then a travel day home. I don't want to be a wet blanket, but you are giving yourself only half a vacation and half just coming and going. If you are efficient, you will do maybe four things in Rome and two days of interest near Sorrento, unless, of course, the weather is too windy or rainy for Capri, or too hot for Pompeii.

Also, you are assuming everything goes correctly. Our one day on Capri was restricted due to a strike, closing the Grotto and most of the destinations on Capri, as well as restricting the number of ferries. One day in Rome we were not able to gain entry to the Vatican due to overwhelming crowding. But we were flexible and had 12 days, not 7, for our trip.

For you, Rome is locked in. Consider using only Rome as your base and you could then do everything you want to see there. Consider either a long day trip paid tour to Pompeii or see the nearby ruins of Ostia Antica. Visit Tivoli to get out of town. Go to the Doria Pamphilj on a Saturday when there is a musical tour. See the Palazzo Massimo, where there are the insides of ancient rooms, not just the rock walls of the places the frescoes were removed from. Schedule a visit to the Borghese. Do a gelato crawl around Rome. And more. You will only lose the first and last day to travel, avoiding two lost days you have added by attempting Sorrento.

And, if you are wise, you will get a hotel in the center of the historic district. Luxury American style hotel and shuttles are for insulated tourists, and you could be much better than that. And you 11 year old could decide to be a traveller in her future.

Lots to think about. I think we're going to scratch the pizza class. There's something local in town called Sur La table which offers classes.

Honestly, the thought of landing in Rome and then taking the train all the way to Naples and then on from there exhausts me just thinking about it. I'm thinking maybe we should just stay in Rome the whole seven days. It's our first trip. Maybe we can go back again and focus on other parts of the country. That way I don't need to be changing hotels and wasting travel time. I did not even think about strikes or bad weather. I really just want to go to a very nice hotel and enjoy a city, relax, and not be rushed. Learn some history.

A good decision. Now, just find a nice hotel in historic Rome. There a several recommended on this site that will enhance your experience rather than provide logistical barriers every day. The center is best. And, since this is a first trip, ignore the recommendations for renting an apartment that will inevitably crop up here. A hotel has helpful staff, will clean up the bathroom every day and handle any other problem with the room itself should one arise. You want a degree of pampering, not responsibilities.

WoinParis, I'm not sure what you mean by the "Hadrian villa/therms" in Rome. Are you thinking of Hadrian's villa in Tivoli?

<<Honestly, the thought of landing in Rome and then taking the train all the way to Naples and then on from there exhausts me just thinking about it. I'm thinking maybe we should just stay in Rome the whole seven days.>>

now you're talking.

Good choice, AJPeabody!

I think it's a good idea to stay in Rome for this trip. There are lots of lesser-known sights and activities that will get you out of the crowds and let you enjoy the magic of Rome. I can suggest:

A visit to the Villa Farnesina in Trastevere. A beautiful villa, set in a lovely garden, with rooms frescoed by Raphael. Also, the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, mentioned

A walk on the Janiculum Hill, where there are great views over the city, and usually a cool breeze on a hot day.

The Leonardo Museum on Piazza del Popolo, which has full-size models of some of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions, many of which can be manipulated by the visitor.

The National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo, near Termini station. My granddaughter loves this museum, which has ancient statues, mosaics, frescoes (very rare), jewelry (my granddaughter's passion), household items, and even a mummy, of a young girl buried with her doll. She was the only one of her family (all in the same tomb) who was mummified; I wondered if she had died shortly after the family arrived from Egypt.

The Villa Borghese Park, where you can rent bicycles, golf carts, go-karts, and bicycle carriages. There's a little lake with boats, a zoo, and great views from the Pincian overlook (above Piazza del Popolo).

Ostia Antica is a must for visitors who have more than a few days. It's an entire ancient Roman city, even bigger than Pompeii. You can go to the upper floors of ancient buildings, stand at (or behind) the bar of an ancient Roman tavern, see an ancient Roman public toilet (with intact seats), sit in an ancient Roman theatre, and wander the ancient streets. You can read all about it, and download a decent guide to the site, at www.ostia-antica.org .

There are some very nice day trips you can make from Rome. One is to Tivoli, which I think maybe WoinParis was referring to above. Apart from Hadrian's (ancient Roman) Villa, you can also visit the Villa D'Este, a Renaissance villa with a fantastic water garden.

Orvieto, a charming Umbrian hill town, is an easy trip from Rome. A funicular railway takes you up to the town from the station. The Duomo of Orvieto is very beautiful, a rare example of Italian Gothic. There is a tour of the underground tunnels and grottoes that have been carved out over the centuries from the soft tufa rock. The Well of St, Patrick (Pozzo di San Patrizio) has a rather ornate double helix stairway to the bottom, so that mules going down to get water wouldn't be distracted by meeting their brother mules on the way up.

You can take a day trip to Pompeii or Herculaneum if Ostia Antica doesn't satisfy your appetite for ancient cities. The last time I was there,this past September, it was unpleasantly crowded. We often had to wait a long time just to walk down certain streets, especially the one leading to the brothel, which seems to be the highlight of the trip for most people. Y9u can take a tour from Rome, or go on your own by train, changing in Naples to the Circumvesuviana.

Florence is not too far away for a day trip. Assisi is another interesting day trip. Both can be reached by direct train.

There are several nice towns in the Castelli Romani area, reachable by train or bus.

Have a great trip!

<<Honestly, the thought of landing in Rome and then taking the train all the way to Naples and then on from there exhausts me just thinking about it. I'm thinking maybe we should just stay in Rome the whole seven days.>>

We are going for 8 nights about a week after you and we decided to stay in Rome the whole time. We were considering spending a couple of nights on the Amalfi Coast but it seemed to be a bit too much back and forth for the time we have. I've been doing a little research on day trips from Rome and posters in here have given me their recommendations. I think you can keep yourself very busy for 7 days just in Rome and surrounding area.

Thank you so much to everyone for all the detailed replies!!! It really helps a lot.

I am just thinking it would be a shame and big letdown if we get all the way to Sorrento and we can't do the Grotto or run into an issue.

I did not know all about Ostia Antic.

I had 6 nights in Rome. Don't even feel like I scratched the surface! I don't even think 7 would give you time for a day trip like Ostia Antica, but it's definitely on the list for next time!

If your guidebook(s) didn't cover Ostia Antica, then please consult or get some others! Having a GOOD guidebook can make an extraordinary difference to one's experience of a destination by providing all sorts of useful information in one place (including things you would never think to ask), offer money-saving tips, and cover options that might be exactly what YOU want even if they aren't among the things most people do or see.

For the train to and from Rome and Naples - www.trenitalia.com -book your own discounted tickets - family rates too I believe ASAP for the limited in number discounted ducats - you could also look into private car transfers to and from Rome.

Lots of good info on Italian trains - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Fodorite bvlenci who posts above is also a real Italian train expert - ask here if you have any problems but do book Rome to Naples Centrale early to get the greatly reduced rates.