I have just started to plan a trip to Italy. I would like to visit Rome, Tuscany region-possibly stay in that area, and then maybe visit Amalfi area. Any ideas on how to work this-do I start in Rome? Any suggestions are welcome-this is my first attempt to get started on an itinerary. Thank you. Rose

Could you be persuaded to a more northern seaside location? In Liguria? Traveling south to Amalfi and then back up again to Rome and/or Tuscany is time consuming. You haven't said how much time you have or how much of it you want to spend in Rome.

If Rome is most important to you, spend at least 5 days there. If Tuscany is, spend a week there with a car rental. It almost doesn't make sense to go to the Amalfi if you are going to spend less than 4 nights there, because the logistics of getting in and out of Amalfi eat up time.

If you would be happy with a visit to the Ligurian seaside, consider flying into Milan and out of Rome. (Milan, then train or car to Liguria, then car or train to Pisa, then car to Tuscany, car to Rome, drop off car, tour Rome, depart.)

You also don't say what time of year you are going. Between May-Sept., the coast of Italy is packed. Between Nov-mid-March, the weather can be lousy on the coast.

If you don't need the sea as part of this Italian journey, I would suggest sticking to Rome/Tuscany, dividing the time as suits your interests.

How long is your vacation?
Lisas

If you are set on experiencing all three of these areas, you may be better off with open-jaw tickets so that you can fly into Naples (to do Amalfi Coast), train to Rome, then train to a location to get a rental car for Tuscany. For the latter, you might even train to Orvieto (in Umbria), stay there a night so you can enjoy that beautiful city, then drive up to your locations in Tuscany.

Many on this board will advise you to limit yourself to two out of your three locations. It really depends on how much time you have available and what you like to do. But in any case, try to avoid back-tracking up and down the Italian peninsula.

KC

Hi Rose,

I did a similar trip in Sept, but it was my third trip to Italy.

I spent:
6 nights (Praiano, Capri, Naples)
5 nights Rome
8 nights (Montalcino, Gubbio, Spello)
1 night Rome

In and out of Rome.

Again, it will depend on how much time you have.

Thank you all-I have heeded your advice and think I will do Rome and Tuscany. Do I fly into Rome (am thinking 4 days there) and then take a train to Tuscany (5 days) not sure where to go in Tuscany but will rent a car there (any recommendations welcomed). Then do I take a train back to Rome to fly home? Does any of this make sense?! Thanks, Rose

It is quite easy to rent cars in Tuscany and quite sensible to take a train from Rome to Tuscany to skip the hassle of driving out of Rome.

Best way to go about figuring out which is the best Tuscan town for you to rent a car is to figure out where you would most like to go in Tuscany. Once you know where that is, you can decide whether you want to rent the car in Firenze or Siena or Pisa or Orvieto or ... there are other choices too I think.

RoseC,
Send me an e-mail and I will send you my suggested daytips in southern Tuscany. It mat help you decide where you want to be.

Tuscany and Umbria are grat. Below is my blog site with pics from our September trip. It could give you some ideas, too. Have fun.

http://travelswithmaitaitom.typepad.com/travels/

Well, actually, Tuscany and Umbria are "great"

For things to see and do the area between Florence and Siena in Tuscany - that's the Chianti hills - there's a good set of itineraries here: www.castelli-del-chianti.com