Jillyperk

We are a family of 4 planning a trip to Italy for June. We will start in Venice and end in Rome. Hoping to stay in Venice, Florence, Sorrento and Rome with day trips from each spot. We will be in Italy a total of 13 nights. Still booking apartments/hotels. Debating renting a car vs. train travel or both. Would love any input at this point!

adrienne

I would definitely take the train between cities. You'd have to find parking for the car and it would sit idle in cities while you are paying the rental fee. The train is more relaxing and lets the driver see the scenery.

You'll find enough to do in Venice, Florence, and Rome without adding day trips. 13 nights isn't a lot of time for exploring these cities. I think a good mix would be (assuming full days in each place):
venice - 2 to 3 days
florence - 3 days
rome - 5 days
sorrento - 2 to 3 days (including Pompeii and any other places you plan to explore)

Big_Red

Since you itinerary is centered around big cities, I would think that a rental car is a disadvantage.

Four stops in 13 days is pretty fast. Starting with Venice and ending with Rome is good plan. You might think about reducing this to a three stop trip.

Mimar

Sounds like you've probably already allocated days to your different stops. If not and if you're arriving after a long flight, add extra time to Venice to get over jet lag. Your kids will like Venice. Unless you're great fans of Renaissance art and architecture, maybe less time in Florence. There's so much to do around Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast: Pompeii and Herculaneum, Capri, the Amalfi Coast towns, Paestum, Mt. Vesuvius. Not to speak of Naples and the Archeological Museum with finds from Pompeii. I'd allow at least 4 nights there.

Definitely take the train. The places you're going are not car-friendly.

jetsetj

Taking the train will be a fun adventure for the kids.
Make sure no one brings more than they can carry themselves.

TravMimi

I agee with Mimar to add time in Sorrento. Lots of things there kids really enjoy. I would also plan a day trip from Florence to Pisa to climb the tower (get reservations ahead of time www.opapisa.it) This seems to always be one of the best memories kids have.

crickmd

I am planning almost the same trip in reverse. I will be traveling with a couple, a 10 year old boy and a grandmother. We fly into Rome and spend four nights, then to Sorrento for four nights. We have three unscheduled nights, then two nights in Venice at the end, then fly out from Venice. I am undecided about the open three days...either more nights in Sorrento, or train it to somewhere around Florence or Senena for a couple of days. I hate to pick up and move too much but I made everyone promise to carry only a small rolling bag each. Any suggestions from anyone for the open days? I think the 10 year old will have had enough of the sightseeing by then, so I don't know if he would appreciate Florence. (My wife and I have made several Italy trips and we don't need to see all the sights again).

PaulaRussell

The best and most memorable art for kids is the Palazzo Medici Riccardi Chapel. Beautiful frescoes of the Journey of the Magi, AND a state-of-the-art interactive point and view booth with info on the paintings. Truly not to be missed. Better for kids than the Uffizi.

Peter_S_Aus

Give yourself a little more time in Venice - it's the safest city in the world, and your children will be able to wander "at large". Click on my name, and you'd find a sort of treasure hunt I wrote for teenagers in Venice.

I endorse all the previous comments that advise taking the train.

Jillyperk

Thanks for the treasure hunt information. Any suggestions for our stay in Sorrento. Several people mentioned that there is so much to do. What are some favorites?

If we plan on using public transportation for the itinerary I mentioned, should I purchase passes or reserve seats ahead of time for any leg of the trip?

Peter_S_Aus

I can’t comment on passes (Eurail etc) because we didn’t use them. It’s worth buying train tickets the day before you travel, because sometimes the chosen train might be booked out – this happened to us in Rome, when the 10:45 train was sold out, and we had to hang around the station until the next train at 11:45.

Buying tickets is really easy – there are vending machines that take cash or credit cards, and they operate in English. We found them simple to use.

Buying in advance is possible from the Trenitalia web site – but a search on Fodors would bring up a few conversations expressing frustration with Trenitalia. However I think that tickets purchased on line may be cheaper. If you are doing a long haul trip - say Paris to Rome, then it would be worthwhile buying in advance, and I’m certain other Fodorites will give you good advice on this.

The trains in Italy run on time – to the minute. They are comfortable and fast, and seating is allocated. It can be tricky finding your seat – but you get used to it.

LoveItaly

Well with all due respect to Peter I disagree that the trains in Italy run on time - to the minute. Not in my experiences. If you are lucky they do.

But in any case Jilly with 13 nights (and congratulations giving the number of nights) not knowing where you are flying from but assuming the US although I have no idea if from the west coast, the east coast etc., I will assume that by the time your plane lands in Venice and you get to your hotel you will have a part of the day/evening left.
So night one: Arrival and part time of that time in Venice
Night two: All day and evening in Venice
Night three: All day and evening in Venice and by now over jet lag and feeling great!
Night four: You are now in Florence having trained from Venice to Florence (a three hour train trip) in the morning and arrived by noon. Check into your hotel or drop off luggage at the hotel if the room(s) are not ready, have lunch and enjoy Florence the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Night five: Enjoy Florence during that day
Night six: A day trip from Florence be it to Pisa and Lucca or instead to Siena
Night seven: Having traveled from Florence to Rome to Sorrento that day enjoy dinner in Sorrento
Night eight: Side trips be it to Pompeii or whereever on the A/C you want to visit.
Night nine: The same for this day
Night ten: Be in Rome having left Sorrento in the morning and train to Rome so you will have the late afternoon and evening to enjoy in Rome.
Night eleven: All day in Rome
Night twelve: All day in Rome
Night thirteen: All day in Rome
and the next morning will be checking out of your hotel after packing up and you are on your way to the airport to fly home.

Anyway, just my thought. If it is hot and humid, which right now it is, try to get the kids up early and out and about in the morning and take a break at your hotel in the afternoon and try to get everyone to take a rest(and try to get hotel rooms with a/c) and than after probably another shower go out again later, enjoy whereever you are, have a late leisurely dinner and perhaps more walking around whereever you are as the Italians tend to do in the warm weather. And have a wonderful and fun trip!

Peter_S_Aus

Love Italy commented: "Well with all due respect to Peter I disagree that the trains in Italy run on time - to the minute. Not in my experiences. If you are lucky they do."

Fair enough - I should have said they have an inclination to depart on time (weather, strikes, and the well documented Italian approach to Time permitting).

Cheers

Peter

LoveItaly

LOL Peter, a good and more accurate description. CinCin!

StCirq

LoveItaly's suggestions are spot-on. I couldn't offer anything better. Follow her advice.

Mimar

As for what exactly to do from Sorrento, I nominate Pompeii, the small towns along the Amalfi Coast, and Capri. And I'd give them most of a day each. The Circumvesuviana commuter train stops at Pompeii Scavi en route between Naples and Sorrento. So it's an easy trip from Sorrento. The hydrofoils for Capri leave from Sorrento's marina. You can visit the Amalfi coast by bus or boat from Sorrento. The public bus can get very crowded in the high season. Don't know if that's so true in June.

namaka

Hi Jillyperk, we are taking our DD (15) and DS (11) in June as well. Initially, we were going to do the traditional three- Venice, Florence and Rome, but after some research and postings, we've changed things up a bit. Here is what we are now going to do (if it helps you any):

Arrive Venice late June 8th
Venice 8th- 12th (4 nights)
12th- Train to Orvieto- stay overnight
13th- Train to Rome
Rome 13th-19th (6 nights)
19th- Train to Salerno; Ferry to Amalfi
Amalfi 19th- 23rd (4 nights)
23rd Ferry to Capri
Capri 23rd-25th (2 nights)
25th Ferry to Sorrento; Visit Pompeii (overnight in Sorrento)
26th Fly out of Naples

We are trying to mix the "big" sights with more outside things for the kids so they don't get too burned out. That was another reason we put Rome in the middle of it all and the most relaxing part at the end. Oh, and as you can see from above, we are planning to take trains/boats everywhere.

zeppole

I'm concerned about these suggestions for all these day trips in hot weather, most especially Pompeii. It's still May, and already Italy is getting very hot temps.


crickmd,

You don't say what time of year you are going, but with a school-aged child in the group, I am assuming it's summer too. That's a very hot time in Florence (Firenze) and Siena. So I recommend you stay by the beach. Take day trips by boats to the islands of Ischia and Procida. Also bear in mind that Venice has many, many bridges. The word "grandmother" covers quite an age range, but you will find that going up and down stairs (especially in train stations carrying rolling luggage) can make even strong adults weep in summer in Italy.

Peter,

Where do those trains run on time? They never run on time in Liguria.

Jillyperk

It will be summer. Any recommendations for hotels in Florence, Siena, or Sorrento?

Peter_S_Aus

Hi Zepp, We took a train from Venice to Rome in December. It departed on time, and arrived in Rome pretty much on time. Maybe we found the one train in all of Italy that was punctual.
In Australia, the trains run to a timetable that is somewhere between the glacial and the geological. They are truly abysmal, and make the Italian system sparkle by comparison.

Cheers