Itinerary Help Please!!! Rome and Sorrento
 

First, I would like to say thanks for all the great information everyone on this forum has already provided. I have been researching my upcoming Italy trip for several months and this forum has provided me great information. I leave for Rome next Thursday and would like some last minute advice on my itinerary. I am wondering if my itinerary is too aggressive, not aggressive enough, or if we are missing any major attractions. Thanks in advance!

A little background:

I will be in Italy for 16 days. The first part of the trip I will spend with my sister. Then, my husband will be flying over to join us for three days in Rome. My sister departs and my husband and I will be going south to Sorrento. All three of us are in our late 20’s, are very active, and love food. Dining choices in Rome will be guided by the Eat Rome app and the Rome Foodie app. Hotels are not flexible since we are staying for free on points. The Hilton Cavalieri offers a free shuttle into the center of Rome every hour (Barberini). While in Rome, we are trying to strike the right balance between heading back to the hotel before dinner and staying out all day and night (can be exhausting). We will not have a car and will rely on busses and water ferries for transportation. I am pretty comfortable with public transportation in foreign countries. Our time on the coast will hopefully be more laid back and relaxing than Rome. I have not “planned” much other than strolling, hiking, sunning, and eating. Any other suggestions are much appreciated!

5/9:
Depart Charlotte

5/10:
-Arrive in Rome around 9:30 AM
-Arrive at the Rome Cavalieri and use hotel spa to shower relax etc while waiting for room (I am diamond so we have free access to spa facilities)
-Have late lunch on hotel terrace
-Shuttle into city and take the New Free Rome Walking tour 5:30 (2 hour tour covering Spanish Steps, Immaculate and Prophets, 3 capital in a city, St. Andrew, angels of the crown, old time mall, prime minister house, Marcus Aurelius column, St. Ignatius Church, Pozzo’s Illusion, Pantheon, Raphael’s Tomb, Hadrian Temple, Trevi Fountain)
-Dinner (Will reserve ahead of time)

5/11 (Saturday):
-Capitoline Museum
-Lunch
-Domus Romane (1:30 tour booked)
-Trajan Columns and Market
-Return to hotel and enjoy spa
-Head back to city for late dinner

5/12 (Sunday):
-Mercato di Circo Massimo Market (recommended by Eat Rome) or Campo de' Fiori Market
-Mouth of Truth
-Knights of Malta Gate
- Basilica di San Clemente
-Explore Jewish Ghetto
-Return to hotel and enjoy spa
-Head back to city for late dinner

5/13 (Monday)
- Catacombs of Domitilla
-What else can we do on a Monday in Rome? I was thinking about taking the Pilgrims’ Rome Tour:
■ Church of San Giovanni in Laterano - Free 7-6:30
■ Church of Santa Maria Maggiore- Free 8:30-6:00
■ Church of Santa Prassede-7:00-12:00 and 4:00-6:30

5/14 (Tuesday):
-10:00 AM Scavi Tour (booked)
-St. Peter’s Basillica
-Explore area north of the Vatican for lunch and shopping
-Return to the hotel and enjoy spa
-Shuttle into the city for late dinner

5/15 (Wednesday):
-Day trip to Florence to visit a childhood friend. She is touring us so I have not researched Florence much

5/16 (Thursday):
-Baths of Diocletian
-Lunch
-Metro to Piazza del Popolo
-Walk through Borghese Gardens to get to Borghese Gallery
-3:00 Tour schedule for Borghese Gallery
-Return to hotel and relax freshen up
-Shuttle into the city for late dinner

5/17 (Friday- husband arrives):
-Relax in the morning at the hotel
-Meet husband near Termini for lunch
-Walk the city a little and shuttle back to hotel (he will only have a backpack)
-Relax, enjoy hotel, and allow husband to freshen up
-Head to St. Peters to climb the dome (again for husband’s sake)
- 7:00 Entrance tickets to Vatican Museum
-Dinner

5/18 (Saturday)
-Private tour of Coloseum, Forum, and Palentine Hill (don’t have a confirmed time yet so this will dictate our day)
-Stroll the area for a great place to sit and watch people

5/19 (Sunday)
-Pantheon
-Castle St. Angelo
-Ara Pacis

5/20 (Monday)
-Sister Departs
-Husband and I train from Rome to Pompeii (leave luggage at train station while we tour ruins)
-Train to Sorrento check-in to hotel
-Dinner in Sorrento at Re Foods

5/21 (Tuesday)
-Weather permitting Capri
-Villa Jovis
-Late Long Lunch at Gelsomina
-Return to Sorrento
-Dinner at ????

5/22 (Wednesday)
-Head to Positano and spend the day walking the town, sitting on the beach and eating (may take the boat there and the bus back)
-Dinner at Donna Rosa

5/23 (Thursday)
-Head to Ravello and spend the morning hiking and have lunch at Il Panini or Cumpa Cosima
-Bus to Amalfi???? What is there to do here exactly?

5/24 (Friday)
-Relax on a beach near Sorrento for the day
-Head to Positano for sunset at Champagne and Oyster Bar at La Sirenuse
-Dinner at Il Ritrovo or Le Terraze

5/25 (Saturday)
-Head back to Rome on early train
-Enjoy the day in Rome by strolling, having coffee and shopping (no real agenda)
-We are staying near Termini so this

5/26 (Sunday)
-Early train to the airport
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Sounds like a great itinerary. I would carefully check the Sorrento/Positano ferry schedule, as I am not sure they are running before June.

In Amalfi, there is the fantastic duomo, the papermaking museum, the wonderful Panza cafe. Where are you eating that night? Dinner in Amalfi and bus or taxi back to Sorrento?

Thanks ekc.

I will look into the ferry. Is there a specefic company or websit to find this information?

The duomo looks gorgous. My thought is that we will stay in Amalfi if the dining scene is good. Do you have a dinner recomendation? Nothing super fancy, but the food needs to be authentic and yummy. I am trying to stay around 50-60 Euro a person.

I doubt you will want to trek in and out from your hotel so much as it's not all that convenient to the city center.

I think a two hour tour on arrival day is a bit much. You will likely be lagging by 5:30 pm.

I think you are right about the hotel. We may just have to take what we need in the morning and plan for the entire day out in the city. On certain days, when we get a very early start, it may make sense to go back for a little break. I plan to get a bus map when we arrive and I am hoping we have a couple bus options that will drop us within 10 minutes of the hotel.

I want to do a tour our first day to get a feel for the city. But, we already decided we will have to wait and see how we feel. I tend to run pretty hard just so I can sleep like a rock the first night.

Are there any major sights we missed on the itinerary?

Either on the day you meet your husband or the day you visit Castel Sant'Angelo you could visit Trastevere. A quick walking tour would hit the 3 churches of interest: Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia and San Francesco a Ripa (Bernini's sculpture of Beata Ludovica).

Obviously you know your hotel is quite far from Rome. You should not only investigate when they have shuttles (and confirm each day, since in Italy schedules for things like this are movable) but also get info on taxi services you can use to get back and forth. (I assume you are using this hotel as a freebie - otherwise you wouldn't get me near it with a barge pole. IMHO with a large spread out city like Rome picking a hotel right in the historic center is my first requirement - so I can step out the door and start seeing things - not do a bunch of 30 minute trips per day.

Thanks milenaM. I researched this area early on and somehow forgot to include it!

Yes, nytraveler, we are staying free. Otherwise we would be somewhere more central.

Just a few comments:

Do you plan to use a guide at Pompeii? You can hire one in the ticket area.

Good idea to see sunset at La Sirenuse. Have a glass of Prosecco and a snack.

I recommend Cumpa Cosima in Ravello. It sometimes gets mixed reviews, but the prices are good and the owner is a real character.

I don't think you can use the hotel shuttle for late night dinners as the last shuttle is 8 pm which is early dinner in Italy. If taxis are available, you might consider using the FR3 train (Rome/Viterbo line) between Roma Balduina station (near Cavalieri) and Roma Trastevere station. These trains run frequently during the day. Travel time is 15 minutes and cost is 1€. If you wanted to go to St. Peter's, you would get off at stazione S Pietro (before you reach Trastevere). Last train back is at 11pm, but I would only do this if taxis are available at Balduina station. The Cavalieri is a 5 minute ride from there.

You can also go two stops from Balduina to Valle Aurelia and get on the metro to the Vatican Museums, Spanish Steps, etc.

If you will be using public transport so much, you might consider getting the Roma Pass (includes transport for 3 days) and rearranging you schedule to take advantage of it. The best use of the pass would be to group the Colosseum and Capitoline on the first two days of the pass for your free entrances.

You would need to make sure the pass covers that particular train line, but I believe it covers to the stops listed in red on the metro map. I know it covers all of the Rome/Lido, Rome/Giardinetti, but everything else should just be to the stop listed in red.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

Some suggestions re Amalfi: paper museum, walk to Valle delle Ferriere to Pontone; Amalfi Duomo.

Restaurants: L'Abside; Restaurante Il Mulino, a really nice family run Trattoria; or Da Maria: Andrea Pansa in the main piazza for pastries n coffee! Enjoy!!

I do so like your plan - a marvellous way of having multiple vacations in one... and the best solution I've seen to the Mars and Venus likes and dislikes!

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One or two things that jump out... on Sundays, the Campo de' Fiori market is rather different - less about food and more tourist tatt than on weekdays:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/fiori_11_11

If you did want to see it at its best, pick another day - maybe even that Monday, when this wonderful privately-owned palazzo is open:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...ome_Lazio.html

http://www.dopart.it/roma/en/

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Perhaps visit the Baths of Diocletian on the Friday, before meeting your husband at Termini... they're almost in sight of the station!

For other places you might like on the Thursday morning, try...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/places_rome

Or, as the basis for a whole day's explorations, how about...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/riding_tram_3

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This recent review is a great "all you need to know" for your hotel....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUse...ome_Lazio.html

... with the writer of another one having also posted this, if you don't want to schelp into Rome one evening...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUse...ome_Lazio.html

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A site we've found immensely useful for our own visits is this one...

http://www.unospitearoma.it/en.html

Have a look through their bilingual magazine for details of short-run exhibitions and events that won't be in your guidebook!

Peter


PS... I note you've not mentioned the RomaPass? By choice, or simply something of which you're not aware?

http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2

We've a similar scheme down here in Campania, perhaps offering slightly better value (also offering versions with 3 days use of public transport, but 50% off the 3rd and subsequent sites, rather than reductions) - details for the one you'd probably want if staying in Sorrento (bar the new €32 price!) on:

http://www.campaniartecard.it/itinerary.cfm?id=13