Hello everyone
Please have a look at my plan for Italy and would appreciate any feedback.
Please keep in mind following:

My husband and I are taking a 3 year old child.
We now have 28 days to spend in italy
Flying in and out of Rome.
We are from Australia and considering cost of travel anywhere we like to make the most of it. We will not have opportunity to travel again to Italy for a long time.

Rome: Arrive fri 19th May (4 nights)
Stay at hotel(took advice)close to
relatives and spend time with them.

Venice: Train to Venice 23May (tues)(5 nights)
Visit Murano, Burano
Visit campos,walk around
Take Vaporetto rides
Doges Palace tour (solo)

Tuscany: Sun 28th May. (7 nights)Pick up car at P.Roma
Drive to Pienza
Stay at Agriturismo
Visit Siena, San Gimignano,
surrounding area, picnics.

Orvieto: Sun 4th June. (2 nights)Drive to Orvieto.
visit Civita if want to.
Drop car at depot Mon 5th june.
Wander around Orvieto.

Rome: Tues 6th.Train to rome.(hotel)
overnight. drop excess baggage at
relative's house.

Sorrento: Wed 7th. Train or bus to Sorrento.
Stay in town of Sorrento at B&B.
(2 nights)
Visit Naples Arch. Museum
Take ferry to Positano and then
ride bus back to experience Amalfi
coast.

Capri: Fri 9th June: ferry to Capri
leave excess luggage with B&B.
(2 nights at hotel in Capri or B&B
in Anacapri.

Sorrento: Sun 11th June (2 nights) at same
B&B
Visit beach Atrani

Rome: Tues 13th June
Train or Bus back to Rome
(3 nights)
Visit Tivoli and/or Ostia Antica
Fly out Fri 16th to Canada

Possible changes could be:

Rome: 4 nights
Venice: 5 nights
Tuscany:12 nights at same agriturismo Pienza
San Gimignano: 1 night
Orvieto: 2 nights
Rome: 4 nights
(no amalfi coast)

or skip Venice and see amalfi

If staying 12-13 nights in Pienza,would it be better to stay somewhere closer to Siena or San Gamignano as well instead of all nights in Val d'orcia area.
If so, any accommodation suggestions closer to Siena to make it easier to visit.
Lucca sounds nice.

Or skip amalfi and stay in Venice last, avoiding driving from Venice to Pienza.

Please let me know if I have allowed enough time or am I just doing too much on 1st trip with 3 year old.

Hi Ginder,

I think your trip sounds very nice. Most of your stays are multiple nights which should work well for the tot.

However, I don't understand 2 nights Sorrento/2 nights Capri/2 nights Sorrento again. Why not either stay 4 days straight in Sorrento, then go to Capri? Or, 2 nights Sorrento, 2 nights Ravello, 2 nights Capri?

Also, the train from Orvieto to Rome is only an hour, why not just go on down to the Amalfi Coast?

I think your trip is long enough to include the Amalfi Coast. I also think after a week in Tuscany you will have enough countryside (as wonderful as it is).

You might want a day or so more in Rome, unless the "relatives obligation" would cramp your style.

Buon viaggio!

Hi Dayle, thanks for your comments. From other posts I have read things don't always run to plan, so I thought of overnighting in Rome only because of wanting to drop off any excess luggage at Uncle's house. He lives in Rome but, I am not sure how long it is going to take to get to his house, then back to train or bus down to Sorrento. It might be expecting a lot from little girl. Could it be done easily?
As for Sorrento, Capri, then Sorrento again. Not sure how long it will take to get off capri. Just thought we don't have to be in any hurry if staying overnight in Sorrento. Capri sounds really crowded, so wasn't sure if its an easy task to leave island and then train or bus back to Rome. As for Ravello, sounds beautiful, is it hilly? We would probably bring a stroller for little girl just in case.
I was thinking 4 nights Sorrento because of ease of transport, more options.
Do you think I am pushing it with my itinerary? Would it be better to remove Venice or Amalfi? I am finding it so hard to be practical.

Since you are driving from Venice to Tuscany, I would stop by Ravenna to see the mosaics, and perhaps overnight in Bologna to enjoy walking the arcaded steets in the evening.

Hi Michael, thanks for your suggestions. I might pass on Bologna (I just can't fit anymore in) but I will keep in mind Ravenna. Is it easy to exit off autostrada to get there? Is parking easy?

We drove from Venice to Florence and stopped in Bologna, as my husband was desperate to find the restaurant where he had eaten the most incredible lasagna of his life 22 years earlier. Frankly, we were sick and tired of hearing about that lasagna, so were happy to search for it as well and taste it. It was not that difficult navigating into Bologna (much more difficult into Florence and Rome), and we found easy parking near the train station.

oops, pressed post by accident.
About the lasagna, we sadly couldn't find "the place", but had lasagna somewhere else nearby. The kids and I thought it was delicious, but my husband, of course, said, "It's really good, but not as good as the lasagna I had 22 years ago." (A phrase we had heard a million times before at home and had become a family joke--"It's good, but not as good as the lasagna in Bologna.&quot

Hi again Ginder,

If you figure the train from Orvieto to Rome will take you 1 1/2 hours (including ticket & wait time), then change of trains to Naples about another 2 hours. Would this be too long of a day for your child?

How about you staying at the station with your girl and your husband taking the "extra luggage" to relatives house? Less hauling around. I would seriously suggest packing lighter!

Even better - hire a private driver to pick you up at Termini, drop off luggage at realtives', then take you directly to Sorrento? It should cost about 300E or less.

I traveled by train/Circumvesuviana/bus from Fiumicino to Praiano in Sept as a solo traveler, feeling that 300E was beyond my budget. In hindsight, considering how long, hot, and frustrating it was to get all the way to Praiano - it would have been well worth the 300E.

Hi Dina4 thanks for that I would love to go to Bologna, but, I want to see so much already!!We'll see how my husband handles the driving. I might want to just head to Pienza as quickly as possible.
Hi dayle, boy, you have good suggestions! My husband would freak out if he knew I would be willing to pay that much to hire a driver. And if I did that my Uncle in Rome would think I was crazy. But it sounds good. Are drivers usually booked way in advance? do you know of any drivers? Maybe we could book while we are in italy when we have already experienced the hassle.

Hi Dayle, just another question. I read your trip report where you visited Capri and you mentioned going to Ischia instead. Is June going to be very crowed on Capri. I am just tossing up whether to forget about it. The hotels seem extremely expensive. A Day trip seems like a waste of time for us, it would be better to stay overnight to do anything.

Parking (paid but not very expensive) was easy in Ravenna. I would cut one night off Venice and either go to Bologna or Urbino on the way to Tuscany.

As for driving times and roads, use mappy. If you speicify the fastest route, it will take you as far as possible on the Autostrada.

Hi ginder,

Yes, since you are going to bella Italia in peak season, everywhere will be crowded. Some places will seem more so than others. Capri will be one of the crowded ones. I stayed in Anacapri for a more afforable hotel and Anacapri was much less crowded, especially if you wander away from the main piazza and into the neighborhood.

Re the cost of a private driver. Do the math, 2 trains for 3 people, bus for 3 people, taxi to relatives to dump luggage, time waiting for trains and buses, effort to schlep kid equipment and luggage.....do everyone a big favor and get the driver.

Search here for private drivers or limos and transporation to the Amalfi Coast, there are many threads.

I haven't been to Ischia yet, but local people tell me it's much less touristed, although still a big resort area for Italians. Lots of spas.