Hi. We are planning a trip to Pompeii in January. This will be my first trip to Europe, so I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice. The trip will be ten days (including travel days). While there, I want to visit the ruins in Pompeii and do the touristy stuff, but I would also like to visit another city or two. Other cities on my radar are Rome (would love to see the Vatican), Tuscany (wine tour), and Positano. So, I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do all of these cities within a 10-day trip?
2. If not, which cities in addition to Pompeii would you recommend?
3.What would be the best way to travel there from the US (Washington, DC) and best way to travel between cities?
4. We would also like to do some other activities like biking and hiking--what cities would be best for those?
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

and best way to travel between cities?>

Rome and Naples by train - www.trenitalia.com - book your own discounted tickets - www.seat61.com has great advice on doing this - other sites for general info on trains www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

I'd drop Tuscany and concentrate on Rome and Amalfi - in 10 days more than enough.

If arriving in Pompeii by car, you may be approached by "guides" in the parking lot for a personal tour. I can't say that they are all dishonest but we made the mistake of hiring one for an hour long tour for one of our visits there. At the end of the hour he demanded a fee much higher than the original price saying we misunderstood his English and threatening to call police if we did not pay. Having said that, the tour itself was pretty good and he knew his stuff, but not worth what he demanded and in the end, an unpleasant experience. BTW, his English was excellent.

January weather is going to be an issue for some of your plans.

Why does Italy allow such things at sites like Pompeii or those hokey gladiators outside the colosseum offering to pose for pictures then demanding money?

Only in Italy I hear of this stuff.

PQ has not seen the phony border guards at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin -- and sometimes in front of the Brandenburg Gate?

The weather in that part of Italy will be similar to D.C. and Western VA, likely cold and/or wet. I have seen snow on Vesuvius in late March, early April.

The Amalfi Coast, including Positano, is really more a beautiful Summer resort area, not best in January. Ferries are not running, etc. IMHO, the joy of the AC is sitting out, being on the water, walking on cliff side paths, etc. not much fun when you can't do those things.

Tuscany wine tour, maybe not the best then either.

Especially in winter, you might want to stay in either Naples or Sorrento for easy access to Pompeii. Take train to the excavation sites (Pompeii and Herculaneum) from Naples or Pompeii from Sorrento. I like Naples a lot, and it would be convenient rather than going on to the AC, but not sure how most first timers respond to it. That is why you could consider Sorrento, though it is on the Bay of Naples, not the AC.

From D.C., check ticket prices from different airports and look at BWI also. Usually best to fly into one city and home from another. However, RT Rome is fine if you are not going up to Venice. In that case, you would fly into Venice and home from Rome or Naples.
Once in Italy, trains are great, though you may use a bus sometimes.

Rome and cities are fine in January, lots to do and see.

Is ten days your entire trip time, including travel to and from Italy? If so, that is only 8 days on the ground, and travel between cities or areas will eat up an average of a half day each move, allowing for time from hotel to train station, train time and time from station to next hotel.