lawyer630

Hello All!

As the topic title suggests, I will be travelling to Italy for over two weeks at the end of May, early June, for my first wedding anniversary and my best friend's wedding at Lake Como. I have no idea where to start and would like some guidance...I have never ever been disappointed by any of my fellow fodorites, so I decided to jump online and get a thread started!

My husband and I will be arriving in Milan on Thursday, May 30, and will be staying at Lake Como until Monday, June 3rd. We then will have 14 days/13 nights to travel around Italy before going back to NYC.

I have been to Italy numerous times and my husband has not been at all, and he is leaving the planning up to me. I was thinking from Lake Como, travel to Florence and stay for 4 nights, then go to Rome and stay for 3 nights and then travel to Capri for the rest of the vaca and take mini day tours to Sorrento, Positano, etc. A friend suggested we stay on the island of Capri and take mini excursions every day, but I am not sure I want to depend on having to take a boat each and every time my husband and I want to tour. I think it would make more sense to have a "base" somewhere along the Amalfi Coast and rent a car. We would have 7 days to spend in Capri. Is that too much time to spend? Also, my husband would love to go to Venice as well, but I am not sure if we should, or even can, do four cities in two weeks.

This being our first anniversary, we also want to relax, and not be exhausted froom sight seeing every day.

So, I know this post is very long, but any suggestions/help would be very appreciated!

Thanks in advance!!!!

annhig

Hi Lawyer,

congrats [in advance] on your first anniversary. 2-3 weeks in Italy is a nice anniversary present!

my first question is where are you flying out of? this affects the "shape" of your trip, unless you want to be rushing back there at the end of it. also, do you have no interest in Tuscany at all? Florence followed immediately by Rome might be quite a lot for your DH to take in, especially as he hasn't been to Italy before.

lawyer630

Hi annhig!

Thank you so much for your response! I am so overwhelmed with trying to plan an itinerary...

Well, as of right now, I don't have a definite flight plan, as I have been waiting to get a an itinerary in place. Like my first post states, I will be flying into Milan and spending my first four nights in Lake Como.

I absolutely love Florence. I was thinking of making it a base for 4-5 nights and taking day trips to San Gimignano, Siena, Pisa, Fiesole, etc. I was not a huge fan of Rome, but my DH loves history, so I want him to experience Rome. I also don't even know where to begin with deciding what to do with respect to the Amalfi Coast, but I know that we both want to travel there. He has also mentioned wanting to see Venice, so I was hoping we could sneak in a day or two there as well.

Hope this helps...

annhig

ok, i think that this is what I would do:

Day 1 - arrive milan. go to Lake como, stay 4 nights.

Day 5 - train to Florence [you don't want a car there] spend 5 nights.

Day 10 - train to Naples, get the circumnavigazione to Sorrento. stay 5 nights

Day 15 - train to Rome, stay 3 nights

Day 18 - train to venice - stay 2-3 nights

day 20/21 - go home.

oops - that's 3 weeks.

it's up to you what you cut out!

lawyer630

annhig-

Thank you! I really appreciate your suggestions! Did you plan the cities in any particular order? My DH and I would prefer to end our vacation at the Amalfi Coast...just because after almost 2 weeks of sight seeing, we were thinking that we could relax. While in Sorrento, do you suggest we rent a car? What about spending a night or two on the island of Capri?

kybourbon

I wouldn't back track to Venice. If you add Venice, add it after Como.

4 days Como
2-3 days Venice

kybourbon

Venice to Naples/coast 4-5 days (7 is a bit much)
End in Rome
Fly home from Rome

lawyer630

ky-

Thank you for your suggestions! Where would I be able to fit in Florence? I can't imagine going back to Italy and not going back to Florence...especially since my husband has never been...

Also, while at the AC, do you suggest we actually stay on Capri? Or just make a day trip out of it and stay in Sorrento? Thanks in advance!

mamcalice

If you have 2 weeks after Lake Como, you could visit Venice for 2 days, Florence for 3 days, Rome for 4 days and the AC for 4 or 5 days. You could fly home from Naples.

I wouldn't do Capri as a day trip. Perhaps you can stay in Sorrento for 3 days and Capri for 2. Capri is so beautiful in the morning and the evening but crowded and hectic at mid day when the cruise ships and day trippers arrive.

Trying to fit all of the above destinations into two weeks will make for a busy trip but you can do it, especially with a restful few days on the AC at the end of your trip.

kybourbon

Sorry. Didn't mean to leave out Florence. I would put it after Venice.

lawyer630

mamcalice-
Thank you for your help with the logistics...I want to fit in as many cities as I can without the trip being too overwhelming. Although I think it may be. Since I have been to all of the cities before, (except for the AC), I will just have to tailor it to what I know my husband will enjoy. I have never been to the AC before, so I have no idea what to expect. Should my DH and I rent a car for when we stay in Sorrento? Can you suggest a hotel? As for Capri, we are going to stay at the JK Palace.

kybourbon-
Thanks again! I kind of had a feeling you forgot to put in Florence...

annhig

sorry, lawyer, not to have come back to you but I've not been here on fodors for a week or so as I've been in Rome!

have you decided how long your trip is going to be yet? as you have now booked at least one hotel [on Capri] have you got your itinerary sorted? would you like to post what you've got so far?

lawyer630

annhig-

Thanks so much for your response! Unfortunately, my work has gotten the best of me for the last week or so, and just now I am able to sit and plan. I have a few days off so I can dedicate most of my free time to putting this trip together!

I am just concerned that we will not have time to see Venice, Florence, Rome, and the AC all in two weeks. HOw many days for each do you suggest?

Thanks again!

annhig

lawyer - you are going to struggle to get all of that into 2 weeks, and unless you can fly home from Naples, it's going to be hard to put the AC at the end.

Assuming that you are going to be flying home from Rome, the simplest route is this:

Venice - 3 nights

Florence - 3 nights

AC - 4 nights

Rome - 4 nights.

that's 14 nights in all and each time you move you'll lose at least 1/2 day, so your 3 nights in Florence for example are really only 2 1/2. of them all, I think that it would be florence that I would drop for this trip, then you could fly from Venice to Naples. the reason fro this is that Florence will most probably be there still when you return to Italy; the rate Venice is going, it may not be.

that could give you 4 nights in Venice, 6 on the AC and 4 in Rome.

lawyer630

Annhig-

Thank you so much for your help and I finally have found time out of my hectic lifestyle to sit and respond to you...

So, my DH and I have decided to do only Florence and Capri and the AC for this trip. Packing in Rome and/or Venice would be a bit too much.

So, we were thinking of doing Florence from June 3-7, then Capri from June 8-12, then the last 3 nights spend in Amalfi, Positano, or Ravello. Any suggestions out of those three towns to stay in? Is it too much time so spend at the AC now?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

annhig

lawyer - you are a woman after my own heart [hardly surprising as I'm a lawyer too!] I'm sure you'll be glad that you've slowed down.

IMO that's not too much time on the AC, but you will get many different views on the best place to stay when you get there - there are as many views as there are fodorites.

my fave is actually Sorrento, mainly but not entirely because you can get to so many places from it, including Capri, where I've never stayed, so i can't help you as to whether that's too long to stay there.

now you've more or less pinned down your itinerary, why not start another thread headed something like "where to stay on the amalfi coast?" and see what advice you get there.

Weadles

I think Positano is much more beautiful and romantic than Amalfi, and way nicer in every way than Sorrento. But in any of those locations, especially Capri and Positano, there will be summer crowds. Ravello is gorgeous, but too isolated for touring the coast. I would do a day trip there from Positano or Amalfi.

Capri is the shopping and beautiful people mecca of the Amalfi Coast. Think Hamptons with an Italian flair. If you like that kind of thing, go for it, but if not, you might consider cutting a day from your stay there and adding it Positano or Amalfi.

Lastly, how are you getting home? If you're leaving from Rome, you will have to train there from either Naples or Salerno, so that could determine where you will spend your last day or two.

sarge56

lawyer, I'm sorry you've given up on Venice. I just think that Venice is relaxing, beautiful and romantic and you could go from Como to Venice and spend two nights. Then train to Florence (2 hour ride).

I'm really not sure why you need so many day trips from Florence. This is where you are going to get tired out. And if you love Florence, there is plenty to do in Florence, w/o the day trips.

Also, it is going to be very crowded (it <i>is</i> summer) on the AC and Capri.

Just wish you'd rethink it a bit more. Your husband is not getting Venice or Rome?

I think you have plenty of time in two weeks to do 2 nights Venice, 3 nights Florence (with no day trips) and then on to the AC (Positano/) for 5 nights. Then head back to Rome (flying home from there) for 3-4 nights.

Best wishes on your marriage! Buon viaggio!

Weadles

In the summer months- high season for travel - you'll find much of Italy very crowded. We visited Venice one summer in mid-June, and were shuffling along St. Marco Square in a heavy crowd. Same was true in Venice and Rome. So if you're really needing to escape the crowds, either plan a different time of year for your visit, or seek out smaller lesser known towns/cities.

lawyer630

Thank you all for your responses...I am still trying to figure out how I can get alerts to my email account that there are new replies to my thread...is there even such a function?

annhig- I am leaning toward staying 3 or 4 nights on Capri and then three more in Positano, Sorrento or Amalfi. The hubby actually needs to really relax...he is a lawyer as well, but has a much more demanding job than I do...
That being said, have you ever stayed in Amalfi? I apologize in advance, as that I am not familiar at all with the AC...

Weadles- Thanks for the description of Capri! It really puts things in perspective, since I am actually from NY and def appreciate the analogy to the Hamptons. We are actually going to leave from Naples, so we thought staying somewhere on the coast is more convenient, rather than Capri, for the last few days. We just need to decide where on the AC...
I am thinking that we should rent a car while on the coast, but is one needed on the island of Capri?

sarge56- You planned a great intinerary for me and my DH! Thank you! I actually ran it by him but this will be the first vaca we have taken this year, so he is looking forward to relaxing. He is a history buff, so for him he will want to do an entire vaca just to Rome in the future. I agree, I do not need that many day trips from Florence, since there is so much to do whithin the city itself! We have definitely given up on Rome this time around, but Venice is still up in the air.

With that being said, so far I have the following itinerary:

Como: May 30-June 3
Florence: June 3-7 (4 nights)
Capri: June 7-11 (4 nights)
Amalfi/Sorrento/Positano: June 11-14 (3 nights)

We had a choice to leave the 14th from Naples or the 16th from Rome, since there are no flights out of Naples on the 14th. Since DH wants to save Rome for another time, we opted to leave on the 14th.

I am just wondering, is 4 nights each in Florence and Capri too much?

Any responses/input would help so much!!! Thanks in advance!