My husband and I will be traveling to Italy during the second week of September with another couple. We have all decided to take our dream trips before we have kids. I have been designated the trip organizer and need help! For this trip, we hope to spend 8 days in Italy and would like to concentrate on the southern part. I know that the guys would like two days in Rome, but does anyone have any suggestions or threads to itineraries for the rest of the trip? I am not sure if we will take the train or rent a car. Also, we like to stay in pretty nice hotels and are in our early thirties. We'd like to see some amazing sights and don't need to go to places where we will be lazy and relaxing by pools - we can do that when we have kids!

For starters - - and this is based on real experience taking other never-been-there's to Rome... two days in Rome is a recipe for not liking rome. It's a very intense place, and I recommend no less than 4 days, 3 nights - - to get accustomed to the sights, the sounds, the people, the scooters, and actually enjoy the city.

Beyond that, presumably you want some time in the area(s) of Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. For a little variation from the beaten path, maybe the Aeolian Islands (never been there; hope I have the spelling right).

No doubt you will get many more answers - - and some will decry your decision to focus on the south, and forego Venice!

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi s4,

I decry your decision to focus on the south, and forego Venice!

For 8 days, I suggest fly into Naples, go to Sorrento for 4 days - visit Pompeii, Paestum, Positano and Ravello, train to Rome.

Fly home.

Have a nice visit.

(Myself, I would do 4 days in Venice and 4 days in Florence.)

i agree with rex, two days in Rome isn't worth it, especially if one day is your 'arrive from overseas' day.

I'd say, fly into Rome, spend 3 days.
Take train to Florence, spend 2 days, one can be into the Tuscan countryside if you like. Take train to Venice, spend the final 3 days. Fly home from Venice (i'm with ira on that one).

If you are firm about staying south, fly into Rome, stay 3 days. Take train or drive to Naples. Visit Pompeii. Spend 2-3 final days exploring Amalfi coast with car. Fly home from Naples.

Depending upon your desire to see or not to see museums, I think you can do fine with 2 days in Rome.

I planned a one-day (partial) Rome day for someone on a cruise who took a train to/from Rome and essentially saw Rome in a day. She did not take a tour in the city and will remember all of what she saw.

The historic part is pretty close together and can be walked at a casual pace without much difficulty.

I'd plan on Sorrento for 3-4 days with a day trip to Capri and either a boat ride or the famous bus to the Amalfi coats and up to Ravello.

The other couple and I have all already been to Venice and Florence. My husband has not, but we will probably go next year, just the two of us. None of us have been to southern Italy, hence this trip!

Very good advice about Rome. I LOVE Rome, but when I brought DH for the 1st time on our honeymoon he didn't even remotely like it until we had been there a good 48 hours. After our third day, he loved it.
Rome is very intense. I love the energy and vitality, but **most** people that I have ever heard say they hated Rome only stayed 1-2 days...

As you are planning a romantic Venice trip in the near future, perhaps you could stay 3-4 nights in Rome and the other 4-5 nights split between Sorrento (easy 30 min. train to Pompeii) and a town on the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Praiano, Ravello, Amalfi, etc...)

Hi, I agree with the other posters--you need to be in Rome for a few days to really get into the feel of the city. It is so nice to have time to relax into the pace of life there, I'd definitely say at least 3 days. I've been there twice, and enjoyed it much more the second time when I had time to wander and sit for a while with a cappucino, not having to worry about catching every sight.

good advice all round .Rome needs 3 to 4 days to fall in love and having enjoyed Rome on 4 occasions i can assure you that you will fall in love.Take your time and soak up the atmosphere you will be able to see it all and also take time to stop and smell the roses or cappucino.
sorrento /amalfi /pompeii/capri will keep you amused and supply you with some amazing sights to take home.enjoy.

Four nights in Rome and we fell in love...with Rome! The whole family agreed our time in Rome was just perfect...

don't forget when you fly to Europe from the USA (are you flying from the USA?) you lose a day because of jet-lag and also you are disoriented, not sure where the bus-stop is, not sure where the ATM machine is, etc. It takes about 24 hours to actually feel comfortable being in Rome, to feel like you're getting the hang of it. so then you need 3 more nights to really relax and just enjoy AMAZING ROME!

If your days in Rome are limited, then an organized tour lets you "check Off" an awful lot of the major sights in a half (or whole day). We dealt with Viator (they have a website) an it worked great.