June 25th - July 11th: Myself , husband and 10 year old daughter will fly into Naples and are awaited (hopefully) by a driver who will whisk us away to:

Onda Verde Hotel on the Amalfi Coast. First question. Any comments on the hotel? Second question - Should we see both Pompeii and Vesuvius or just see Pompeii and opt for a full day trip to Capri?

We are then off to Rome: We have booked three nights at the Hotel Santa Maria. Again, any comments on the Hotel? We are looking into Context Rome walking tours. Any suggestions with children in tow?

On to Florence. Have booked 2 nights with Tourist House Ghiberti. Should we do a walking tour? Should we get tickets in advance to see the infamous Statue of David?

Six day bike trip in Tuscany with Backroads!

Ending in Venice - We are thinking of stay at the San Clemente Palace. We fly out of Venice.

Any comment would be appreciated.

Will you take me with you? Sounds like a great trip.
How many days on the Amalfi Coast before Rome?

Thanks. We will be staying only two nights. That's why I'm wondering about spending a full day touring both Pompeii and Vesuvius. I can opt to do a half day tour of Pompeii on my way up to Rome. If I do that, I can do a full day tour of Capri. We also have left time to see the coast. It all sounds sooo nice. It's hard to decide.

I think you mean the statue of David is famous - not infamous - unless you're one of those who believes every human body should be covered with fig leaves. If the latter - you need to stay away from any beaches ineurope - and out of any museum in europe - and in the US for that matter.

The naked David doesn't phase me. I note you are from NY as am I, and we have the naked cowboy! I wonder if someone will sculpt him? Flash ahead to years later...wandering about the Met in NY and gazing upon him in all his marble glory!

I just noticed a little piece of your trip included a six-day bike trip in Tuscany. I hope your 10-year-old is in really good bike shape (not to mention her parents.) Depending on where you are riding, Tuscany (particularly in the north near Florence) can be very hilly. The roads are narrow and curvy. You'd better be ready for some exhilirating rides.

I am replying only b/c my boyfriend and I are thinking of staying at exact same hotels (santa maria and onda verde) - for our honeymoon - during same time period (July 3-17) So, unfortunately I have no advice for you but am eager to see who responds to your post Enjoy your trip!

loved every minute at the onda verde.

also - check out my web site description of our trip to amalfi...

http://www.travel.stv77.com/amalfi.html

Hi C,

The Onda Verde sits on the cliff at the Eastern end of Praiano.

Both the SITA and Orange buses stop at the hotel.

> We will be staying only two nights. ...I can opt to do a half day tour of Pompeii on my way up to Rome. If I do that, I can do a full day tour of Capri. We also have left time to see the coast.<

Better idea.

Cronen, Both Julia at Odyssey Tours and Daphne at Three Millenia Tours are great with kids and offer several different types of tours.

Cronen,

Thanks for posting your proposed intinerary. I am thinking of doing a similar trip in August. Although, I am thinking of taking a Backroads bike tour in France because I have never been to Europe before and thought I should try to see more than one culture while I was there.

Do you mind if I ask why you restricted your trip to Italy? Have you already been to Europe before and wanted to explore Italy more thoughly?

Thanks!

This does sound like a terrific trip. I don't know the hotels, but here are my comments on your other questions.

Amalfi Coast: If you have just two nights here, enjoy the coast...I would save Capri and Vesuvius for another time. However, Pompeii is probably something that your daughter will very much enjoy and is definitely worth going there.

Rome: We took a tour with Scala Reale which is now Context Rome. It was terrific. We had two differnt guides...they were not only extremely knowledgeable but they also had a great sense of humor. So your daughter should be nicely entertained...although that would, of course, depend on the guide and the tour itself.

Florence: Walking tours are wonderful...great way to introduce yourselves to a city. However, Florence is small and is very manageable on your own.

Yes, definitely get tickets now for David at the Accademia...and also for the Uffizi if you plan to go there. You will save valuable vacation time not waiting in line.

Venice: You didn't indicate how many days you will be there or if this is your first time there. The San Celemente Palace usually has great deals and is supposed to be a very nice hotel, but they are a boat ride away. When we were faced with the choice, we chose to stay in Venice proper. Venice is such a beautiful city that we spent as much time as we could wandering and sightseeing and getting lost...as everyone does...that we spent so little time in our hotel, as nice as it was. Looking back, our decision was correct.

You will have a great time.

Carol

My daughter and I stayed at the Onda Verde hotel in summer 2003. It is wonderful! Because it is a relatively small hotel, you are treated as family by the charming owner. The charm extends so that everyone who stays there feels they've lucked into paradise. The view from the rooms and from the dining terrace is beautiful. No swimming pool, so we went down to the small public beach- where there is some shallow water. It is on a hill, so watch your daughter! Praino is much quieter than Positano, and to my mind, much more charming. Similarly, the Onda Verde is small and charming.