My wife and I are planning a 10 day trip to Italy in May. We would like to visit Rome, Vennice and Sorrento (Amalfi Coast). Logistically on the map this looks tough. Any suggestions on what order to visit the cities and how to travel? Is train the best way?

Cars are liabilities in Rome and Venice - few parking places and much of central Rome is off-limits to private vehicles and of course Venice has no cars at all.

and public transit is so good along the Amalfi - the frequent cliff-hugging buses and boats between key ports and of course Capri. No need for car in Sorrento at all.

Trains are the fastest way to go between cities.

You ideally would fly into Venice and work you way south and fly out of Rome - or vice versa - into Rome - go down to Sorrento via naples and then go to Venice via Florence.

There is even an overnight train i believe between naples and venice.

www.trenitalia.com for schedules, fares and, in theory, self booking.

Thanks for the advise. If we were arriving in Rome on May 16th and flying back home May 25th - how would you suggest we span out the days? I was thinking Rome: 3 nights, Sorrento: 2 nights, Venice 3nights and then since we have a stopover in Portugal maybe Portugal 2 nights.

What do you think? How should I lay it out? We can even skip Portugal. Thoughts?

Yes, skip Portugal - too much in such a short time.

From Rome, Sorrento is south before you go northward towards Venice. Can you enter Italy at Venice and leave from Naples (or vice versa)?
That would minimize the train travel times...

These things are all subjective of course - many here will tell you you need all those days in two of the three Italian venues. I am in the minority in saying three days is enough for Rome for example.

If i would add in time it would be a day more in the Amalfi Area as there is so much to see and do there: the bus ride along the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento to Amalfi and Ravello, a town just a few miles up on the cliff above Amalfi or to other Amalfi Coast towns - then Pompeii is a very short train ride from Sorrento and the Isle of Capri a short enough boat ride.

I may say 2 days would be better in Venice and 3 in Sorrento - and as Portugal is so remote from most of Europe take advantage of a few days in Lisbon area as well.

But you need to re-post this Q with a more descriptive name like
Advice on Organizing Our Italian Trip and then the Italian experts will more likely respond. Always put the place name in your title or many Italian experts may pass your thread by.

Ciao Ciao

Hi AZ,

You are flying in/out of Rome?

I suggest either going North or South, but not both. You will lose a day going Rome- North and a day going Rome- South.

For a 1st-time visitor, I suggest
Fly into Rome.
Immediately train to Florence - 3 nights.
Train to Venice - 3 nights.
Train to Rome - 3 nights.

If The Amalfi Coast is a must,
Fly into Rome - 2 nights
Train to Salerno, ferry to Amalfi or Positano - 4 nights
Ferry or bus to Salerno and train to Rome for 3 nights.

Enjoy your visit.