Would you mind sharing what made it so memorable? What did you see and do?

I'm sure part of it was that we had just arrived, you tend to be a little road-weary by the end, regardless of how much fun you're having!

The AC is a series of beautiful villages built into the cliffside. We had a driver who grew up there, knew exactly how much time we'd need in each village, & delivered us to his favorite spots for photos/lunch/views, & then returned us to Sorrento in time for dinner.
Would be impossible to get it all in a day if we rode the bus or traveled with a large group. Not cheap, but worth it!
Pompeii was so much different than the rest of our Italy trip, that it was good diversion from all the indoor museums.

If I was doing it over, we'd do Rome first (the trains to Sorrento right after flying overnight were too much for arrival day).
Plus, Rome is a BIG city. After 3 days of crowds/traffic/noise, we were ready for the slower pace of southern Italy.
We had an awesome hotel pool with a deck overlooking the Med. Sea & Vesuvius, which we all loved
Plus, the high speed train could get us from Naples to Florence in 3 hours without any changes, which would have simplified our travel days.

..

I think we’re going to keep it simple and just head to Venice to not add another stop.

Alandavid, not to hijack this thread, but your plan sounds so perfect to me, and your reasoning for doing Rome first actually makes sense. We have been to Italy several times, and hope to take our GD. Your itinerary sounds perfect for her, and easy to adapt for us. It sounds as if you really enjoyed a private driver. I do hate the roads on the AC (find taking a bus there scary) and love taking ferries, but they are not always convenient, so can you comment on the drive and the driver? Do you have the name of the driver? Also, our favorite hotels are better for adults, what is the hotel in Sorrento where you stayed? Thank you. Sass

A.C.S. Americo Car Service
Great driver who gave a running tour the entire day. Asked our preferences, then customized his route around them.

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/rro...MEA-HI-RROHIHI
My kids' favorite pool of all time. Great breakfast with a view.
Family rooms that held up to 6 (rare for a hotel in Italy)

Alandavid, OMG, I would never want to leave that pool. I might rather end a trip with that because it could seem all downhill after that. I did not even look at prices, probably way out of our budget, but I would be willing to sleep on a train station bench a couple of nights to balance things out. Could not have GD do that though, LOL. I will be brave and look later. Thank you so much for the information.

Nothing wrong with keeping it simple, especially for first time!

We usually try to do at least 3 nights in one location when possible, since changing .locations can burn up the better part of a <valuable> day!

Yeah, that's what we're thinking. And some down days will do us good so we can not worry about setting an alarm and just explore without an agenda.

I agree with the Capuchin crypt recommendation. It's a quick visit and your kids will never forget it (mine talked about it many times afterwards.)

I am a bit confused if Florence is still in the picture. If you can swing it, I would definitely recommend it over Milan. The Amalfi Coast is lovely, but I don't think you have the time to add it.

I, too, misunderstand your posting above and interpreted it the same way Travel_Nerd did. We do have different opinions but are trying to be helpful. I know this part of planning can be stressful but you have so many good choices, no matter what you decide, you will have a great trip. It is very likely your kids will catch the "travel bug" and have many future adventures inspired by you.

Milan is out.
Florence is still under consideration, just don’t know if it will be for a quick stop or an overnight to see more.
Amalfi Coast is out.

Now that you have limited yourself to a feasible itinerary, it is time to read the trip reports here so as to note sites that may be attractive to you and your family.

Sounds good!

How many days total are you planning to spend it Italy?
OK with flying into Rome & out of Venice?

Florence is also known for its excellent gelato. I think your kids would be very happy to do some "comparison shopping."

We're still torn on how many days in Rome, so I'll take some advice:

Here's our current plan:
Rome: Flying in to start trip and relaxing on Arrival day + 4 full days pf exploring
Venice: Train to Venice and possibly a stop in Florence to see The David (it's a compromise we had to make to make up for my son missing The Last Supper in Milan).
Option 1: Leave Rome in evening of last full day and take train to Florence and stay one night, exploring next day before continuing to Venice
Option 1: Stop in Florence en route to Venice to see The David and maybe a couple of other things (if train times and luggage storage cooperate)
Venice: 3 full days

On our To-Do List in Rome
- Eat gelato
- Highlights (Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, etc)
- Colosseum during day AND a nighttime tour
- eat gelato
- Food trip to Traversete
- eBike of the Appian Way and Aqueducts
- eat gelato

For ideas on Rome, including gelato, see my trip report, which is a few years old but they haven't moved the sites and they still make gelato.
The Peabody Papers: A Mostly True Tale of AJ and Mrs. P's Visit to Italy
I especially advise seeing the Borghese Gallery. Note that the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain are worth maybe 5 minutes each.

That's where I'm having trouble knowing if we need 3.5 or 4.5 exploring days.

I'll check out your report; thanks!

The Trevi Fountain: (The Spanish Steps was worse)


The closest we got to the Trevi Fountain.

Here's my on-the-fly game plan for Rome:
Day1: Guessing you arrive mid-morning. Reserve a car service to pick you up ( ie. RomeCabs.com) With 5 of you, it will be cost effective and it's fun to have someone waiting with your name on a sign. Will save you an hour over other transport options
They'll drop you off right at the door of your lodging. If you're doing 4+ nights & have a family of 5, a VRBO makes sense. Personally, I'd hunt around the Pantheon/Campo di Fiori area. Very central to what you'll be seeing. If you do hotel, get one that includes breakfast.
Drop your bags, go get pizza/gelato, come back to unpack/take a siesta. Walk to the Pantheon (only busy on weekends), then an early dinner at the first place that looks good.
Walk to the Trevi Fountain (prettiest at night) and get your 2nd gelato on the walk back to your apt/hotel. Turn in early.
Day2: Don't book an early activity, let everyone sleep/lounge around. Early risers can go for coffee/pastries to bring back. The farmer's market at Campo di Fiori is a good morning activity: lots of things to sample!
Maybe book the Underground Coliseum with Palatine Hill tour for the afternoon session? Take some water!
Make a reservation for a good pasta dinner.
Day 3: Book the first Vatican tour of the day (Pristine Sistine or the morning one that includes breakfast). Not on Sunday or Wednesday when St Peter's is closed though.
Tour will end in St Peter's. Consider doing the climb to the top of the dome before you leave. (there's a coffee/wine shop on the roof of St Peter's that you can stop at on the way down (very memorable & not well-known)
Castel St Angelo is nearby : just get an entrance, not a tour & explore on your own. Great views from the roof & lots of photo ops on the way there (especially the bridge)
Day 4: Appian Way ebike tour. Lots to pick from. The smaller the group the better. Some make a stop at the catacombs.
Dinner in Trastevere. Stroll the neighborhood before/after dinner. We loved our dinner at Roma Sparita (make your reservation a few weeks before you leave)
Day 5: Whatever you want!
Have a list of things to see & try to knock off a bunch of them:
Spanish Steps/window shop the fancy stores nearby/Borghese Gardens/Capuchin Crypt are are in the same area
Piazza Novona: touristy, but still fun
Last day: Arrange a car to take you to Termini for your train. Get the Trenitalia app & purchase your tickets a few days early for $$$ savings.

I vote for Option 1 - spending the night in Florence and shaving a little bit of time off from Rome. You would have a place to keep your luggage (most hotels will store it if you plan to stay past check-out time) and this will give you a chance to see David (advance reservation recommended) and anything else first thing in the morning before the lines get long. Visiting the Accademia doesn't take long if you're able to get in quickly. You would then be able to take a quick tour of a few other spots and get some gelato (!) before heading to Venice.