Planning a Honeymoon in Italy!
 

Hi there,

My fiancé and I are planning to head to Italy for our honeymoon this coming June. We're looking to spend about 18 days there, and we'd like to cover 3-4 main cities during our stay. We vacation very differently - I prefer to relax, drink and soak in the sun while he likes adventure & learning (i.e. tours and historical landmarks). That being said, we are both huge foodies - we love to eat! - and we really like immersing ourselves in culture...striking up conversations in local pubs, trying new things, learning the language and customs. So, our ideal vacation incorporates both of our vacation "styles", with an emphasis on what we both love.

We'll likely be flying into Venice and out 18-19 days later through Rome. With the little research we've done to date we think we'd like to hit Venice, Tuscany, Positano (or somewhere on the Amalfi coast for some beach time) and Rome. We're looking to stick to a $10K-$15K budget. (I'd love any feedback on our budget, since we have no idea if we've allocated enough or if we're underestimating costs.)

My biggest question is ... for a trip this long, and one that will likely be full of excursions, tours and tastings ... should we be using a travel agent? I've seen strong arguments for both sides, and while we'd obviously like to save the extra money that would go to a TA, there will be a lot of moving pieces to our itinerary. How feasible is it for us to do it ourselves?

Secondly, what are some little known gems in these areas that we should be sure to hit? Any favorite restaurants, little towns or festivals we should be aware of?

Thirdly, if we do decide to do this on our own, what's the best way for us get from place to place? Should we rent a car / hire a driver? Is there a nicer public transportation option?

And finally, one stop we know we'd like to hit is a small town called Raimondo, which is a part of Teramo, Abruzzo. Raimondo is my fiancé's last name, and so we'd really like to try and get here. Has anyone ever been? Can anyone share any insights into what we can expect there?

Thanks to you all!

CSR

For Castigllione Messer Raimondo, you may have a look at
http://www.italyheritage.com/regions...astiglione.htm
http://oldweb.enit.it/navgraficacomu...lang=UK&id=416
http://turismo.provincia.teramo.it/t...et_language=en

All the other places you mention are extremely popular with tourists from overseas and you can find tons of posts about them in this forum.
In only about 2 weeks, you will have no time for the visit of other places, so forget the "some little known gems in these areas" (there would be dozens of them, BTW.)

There are frequent trains and buses between all the places you mention, except Castiglione Messer Raimundo, which can be reached by bus from Teramo: http://www.arpaonline.it/arpaonline/...teramo2013.pdf

Amalfi coast is famous for landscape, climate, towns and hiking trails, but certainly not for beaches.

Thanks neckervd! These links are great. We'll actually be there for a little over 3 weeks, so I'm hoping that will give us a little more time for visiting those gems. Thanks again!

neckervd makes some good points about your time vs. "little known gems".

You can absolutely do this all on your own. The Fodorites here can offer better (and MUCH more extensive) info than any single travel agent.

I suggest a car (you can rent one at Piazzale Roma in Venice on your way out of Venice) for your time in Tuscany.

A rental car is not only infinitely more convenient for that area but the driving itself will be the nicest part of it.

Here's a sampling of places to pick from - http://www.discovertuscany.com/itineraries-in-tuscany/

Book any vineyard tours you are interested in in advance.

Then, turn in your car for the rest of the trip - you'll no longer need it.

Then, you can take a train from Florence all the way to Naples and continue by bus, train or boat to Positano or Amalfi. Once there, it is simple to visit other Amalfi Coast towns by bus or ferry (Capri is also an easy day trip via ferry).

After that, consider spending a night or two in the wonderful city of Naples before taking a train back toward Rome for the last part of your trip.

When I hear people say they're going to get some "beach time" in Italy, I always have the same response: You want the beach? Go to Bermuda or Hawaii. There's so much to see and do in Italy, and so many better ways to relax, that spending time on a mediocre beach seems like a waste. JMHO.

The Mediterranean offers the advantage to mix archeological sites, art galleries, museums, outstanding churches, castles, stunning landscapes and beaches.
And a Italian beach is not just a beach, you can learn there a lot about the Italian way of life .....

Like what?

I agree with bardo's post and would add that another alternative is to train to Salerno (instead of Naples) and then take the ferry to either Positano or Amalfi. Arrival via the water is a wonderful way to see the AC.

I prefer Positano as IMO it is the most picturesque of all the AC villages. There is also easy access via ferry to Capri and Amalfi/Ravello and via bus to the other villages.

I strongly disagree with the comments about the AC not being known for its beaches. True, if you are looking for expansive sand beaches you would find in the Caribean, which I do love. However, the AC has wonderful pebble beaches with amazing rock formations, wonderful sea, great sealife, hidden coves and caves, fantastic beach shacks with amazing food, interesting history, etc. This and more is why I return to Pos and rent an apartment for a week each year. When you get closer to your trip, I can give you more tips on beach life on the AC.

If I were to choose to get help planning a trip like this, I would go to an experienced travel planner who specializes in Italy. Travel agents generally do not have the depth of knowledge to give you the types of extras you are looking for.

On your budget: Does this include air?

Do you want private drivers, fine dining, luxury hotels, and expensive wines?

Or are you planning on a more budget friendly trip?

Midprice hotels at say around 200 euro a night for 20 nights puts you at 4000 euros for hotels. At today's exchange rate, that's about 5400 USD.

For our own September trip in Northern Italy, we spent between 135 to 175 euro per night for lodgings. These included a B&B and a rental apartment, as well as two hotels in less expensive destinations.

We had a car for 4 or 5 days/nights, and I believe it was around $400 complete.

Trains, boats and buses will be another few hundred at least for that period of time. I would count on at least $300.

Let's say $2400 for airfare. That's about 8500 USD before
admissions, eating, shopping, drinking...

Your 10K could handle it but your 15K is probably a better call for a more elaborate trip.

I forgot to add that if you have the time and inclination, planning this yourself with the help of Fodorites will be easy enough. People here travel to Italy a lot and know an awful lot.