Please help us plan our 2 week honeymoon to Italy!!
 

Hi everyone!

I am looking for help putting together the perfect 2 week honeymoon in Italy. We both have never been, but are looking more for relaxation. Yes we would like to see some sites, however we want to have the relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, eating, and enjoying our honeymoon time as well. We really would like to spend a lot of time in the Amalfi area...see Capri....and any other beautiful coast cities that would be recommended for a relaxing honeymoon.

4 or 5 star hotels, ideas, sightseeing, thoughts, opinions, help, etc would be GREATLY appreciated being this will be our first visit! Areas that we should see and not see??
Thanks so much!
~Jerseygrl~

Just to add to this.....the trip would end up being in the months of September or October...Thanks!

I would start by reading guide books such as Fodor's and the Green Guide, and then look for reviews of hotels recommended in these guides.

Thanks Michael!! I will look into those books.

The waters around the Portofino promotory are protected, and there are lots of places to go snorkeling and diving, either on your own or with local companies offering excursions to more remote coral coves. It's a pretty area, although not as high-end a Capri/Amalfi, with the exception of the town of Portofino.

You might want to do some research on Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Portofino.

Thanks zeppole! I will make sure to look into them!!

The only advise I can give you is not to stay in Capri for more than a day or two, any more than that would be a waste. You may also want to think about going to Lake Garda, it is fantastic up there. You could do both if you really wanted to.

Thanks Casper! I just checked it out and you are right...it looks gorgeous! Its getting harder and harder deciding where to go!!!

I realize you're very interested in beach time, but I would think Venice is one of the most romantic places on earth (besides Paris). Could you fit that in -- maybe for a couple/three days & fly out from there?

Hi Sap....I have been thinking about that actually....I think seeing Venice would be a great idea as well...Ive heard such amazing stories about it...

If you go to Venice, we enjoyed staying at the Locanda Orseolo...great location, great small hotel.

We went to Italy on our honeymoon in 2002

Our general itinerary
JFK - CDG - VCE
FCO - CDG - JFK

Venice - Hotel Danielli
Florence - Grand Hotel
Positano - Hotel Eden Roc / day trips to Pompeii and Capri
Rome - Del Senato ...

The above were all fabulous. We did a cultural / relaxing honeymoon. Venice was mostly romantic and unique, Florence was cultural, Positano was SOOOO relaxing. THe Eden Roc is a good value for the money. Le Sirenuse is a really nice, great hotel too, but I don't think the extra money is worth it.

Where else are you going?

Here are a few suggestions that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

Capri -- Hotel Quisisana
Sorrento -- Excelsior Vittoria
Ravello -- Villa Cimbrone
Florence -- Excelsior
Venice -- Luna Baglioni, Europa & Regina, Gritti Palace

redneck6497 - was your honeymoon for two weeks? if so, what was the allocation of your days?

my september 2010 itinerary is similar to yours only flipped around:

rome - 4 days, 4 nights
positano - 2.5 days, 3 nights
tuscan country side (not florence) - 3.5 days, 4 nights
venice - 3 days, 3 nights

is there anything you would have done differently?

In an odd domino fashion, citychic, your itinerary is quite similar to what I'm looking at for my trip to Italy. I hope you post about your experience when you get back after Sept. so I can cull from that. Are you doing a daytrip from the Tuscan countryside to Florence?

hi sap,

no we're saving florence for our next trip to italy. i think doing the big three would be too much city for me. i prefer the beach and countryside. :) i'm a little worried that i allocated too many days to rome and should take one day from it and add it to poistano/amalfi coast. i hope i don't feel like we had enough of rome after the 3rd day.

i will try to write a trip report when i come back!

Agree with other posters on Venice, other cities have canals to some extent, but none have anything on Venice, there's no place like it on Earth. Hope you don't skip it.