I am working on my itinerary for May 2010. My original plan is as follows:

Rome 3 nights (Tues-Thurs night)
Sorrento 4 nights (Fri-Mon night))
Tuscany 5 nights (Tues-Sun night)
Venice 2 nights (Mon-Tues night)

I am wanting to stay at an Agriturismo in Tuscany that requires a Sat-Sat booking, which of course throws my original plan off as my stay in Tuscany is Tues-Sun - crossing into a 2 week booking so I cannot stay at the Agriturismo of my choice unless I alter my itinerary. I am willing to book a Sat-Sat and only stay 5 nights.

With that said, my first choice Agriturismo requires Sat-Sat booking, but I have found a few others that will allow me to book the nights I require so I do have options.

So I am considering dropping 1 night from Sorrento then staying at the Agriturismo Mon-Fri, and adding an overnight in Florence Sat. I will probably be able to book a hotel in Florence on points.

My question is: Is 3 nights enough time to stay in Sorrento? Or should I find somehere else to stay in Tuscany and stick with my original plan.

Our plan for Sorrento is to either take the train or drive from Rome to Sorrento. Spend some time exploring Sorrento, spend a day in Capri, then spend some time visiting the villages on the Amalfi Coast including Ravello.

After that we are going to drive to Tuscany, spend time exploring there, then drive to Venice, drop the car off at the airport and spend our last 2 nights there.

Thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am just want to get this trip finalized and everything booked.

If you do not want to include Pompeii or Mt Veusius on this trip yes then 3 days would be fine for your plans

Not much to do in Sorrento, a pleasant watering hole, itself - so if wanting to see Pompeii maybe do that they day you arrive - short train ride from Sorrento.

ditto above - Amalfi coast one day, Capri one day, Sorrento is pleasant enough but not as interesting as its nearby sights.

I would add the time to Florence and Tuscany personally. Stay all 7 nights at your first choice Agriturismo and add another day or 2 to Rome. Make a day trip to Orvieto from Rome for a lovely change of pace.

My opinion(We were at the Amalfi Coast in september):
1)There is no train from Rome to Sorrento,take one train Rome-Napoli and another(Circumvesuviana), Napoli to Sorrento.
2)One day to Capri is good.
3)All the Amalfi Coast in one day? I think it is difficult and you will see the main attractions,but hardly enjoy the atmosphere.Travel time aprox:
Sorrento to Positano at least one hour.
Positano to Amalfi,at least one hour.
Amalfi to Ravello 30 min.
Add the time needed to wait for each bus and also the return trip and you will have one or two hours in each Positano,Amalfi and Ravello(you will lunch and buy some souvenirs also).
You will have a look at all the "costiera",and little more.

Yup one day for Amalfi is one day too short IMO but if you select either Amalfi or Positano then OK - i'd take Amalfi because from it Ravello is just a short bus ride up the cliff - or if into walking there is a sweet paved footpath that goes from Amalfi the town - and a lovely old town - gently sloping up to Ravello, known for its sterling views over the Amalfi Coast way down below.

As others have said, if you limit what you try to see and do along the Amalfi Coast, you could have an enjoyable time there - it is beautiful. And as others have said, staying in Amalfi might make the most sense if your highest priorities include Capri and Ravello. But have you considered deferring the Amalfi Coast for another trip? You are giving yourself so very, very little time in Rome and Venice!

Thanks everyone. Just to clarify my friend and I have both visited Rome a few times in the past so we are fine with only 3 days. We just want to visit some of our favorite highlights and 3 days are plenty.

My friend has not visited Amalfi, but I have, abeit from a cruise ship. I ended up doing the Amalfi Coast drive 2 x as the weather was too rough to take the ferry to Capri. We docked in Naples 1 night, then anchored off Amalfi the second night. I wanted her to experience the magnificence of the coastline.

We don't have to go to Capri, but I wanted her to see Sorrento Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. I felt that Sorrento would be a good home base. As for driving the coast, we were either going to visit the towns by ferry and take a cab back or try and arrange for a driver for the day. This does limit our time in each area, giving us a taste rather than full experience.

We have both spent time in Tuscany and Florence, this will be our first time based in the Chianti region where the Agriturismo is located and first time with an Agriturismo experience. We decided that Florence wasn't a priority and weren't planning on going there, until I decided to try to rework our itinerary, which gave us a flex night. We could try and add a night to Venice for that matter. This will be my first time to Venice.

Palenque: Thanks for informing me of the paved footpath from Amalfi to Ravello. I would imagine it would be a great workout!

I also think the advice to stay in Amalfi may make more sense after reviewing the comments. I'll be looking into that now.

It's funny i do not remember the footpath, which winds thru vineyards, orchards, fig trees, etc., not being that strenuous - goes up a river valley to start with some steps to go up to Ravello - one atop it did seem like it must have been a workout but i did not feel it going up. Lots of locals using the path to get to their garden plots, etc.

Palenque: I just remember the drive up to Ravello, so I thought the walk to be a real cardio workout! I sure like the idea of staying in Amalfi and walking to Ravello.

I fear the walk from Amalfi to Ravello would have done me in! I walked it the other way (Ravello to Amalfi), which also has the advantage of letting you face the sea more often than not.

I'm so excited after heeding the advise! I love the idea of walking to Ravello from Amalfi or both ways.

I think we'll shine on Capri and stick to the coastal villages. We will stay in the area for 3 nights. We were going to stay at a high end property in Sorrento (our splurge for the trip), but now I've been able to book Hotel Santa Caterina for a better price and receive the AMEX amenities on top of that! Thanks everyone!

Agree that Sorrento is a nice place to stay rather than a destination. But IMHO to be in the area and not see Pompeii is close to criminal, So - I would stay the 3 days there and cut somewhere else.

I dont care for Sorrento. I gave it 2 tries. 1999 and 2007.
Way too many vespas with no regard for anyone.
Positano is much nicer...

Unless you are going to Pompeii (which you don't seem to be), why don't you stay on the Amalfi Coast instead of Sorrento - you'll reduce your traveling, improve your views, and after two trips which included a night or two in Sorrento in the last three years, our firm opinion is that the Amalfi Coast side is far superior.
Yes a walk down from Ravello to Amalfi is fantastic - definitely do that.

Texastrips: After reading everyone's suggestion on this thread that is what I have decided. I have already booked a hotel in Amalfi. Looking forward to the walk too!

catsailor,

I completely agree with your decision to stay in Amalfi. Much better than Sorrento since you don't plan to see Pompeii (I also agree this is criminal). But, to each their own!

Since you have been to most of these areas before and are revisiting, I would highly recommend adding 1 or 2 days to Venice! 2 days is definitely not enough.

Buon viaggio!

Dayle: My friend doesn't want to spend that long in Venice, she believes we do not need longer than the 2 days we have planned. She has been there before. And I cannot convince her to stay longer.

So that leaves with with a full day and a 1/2. This should give me a taste of Venice, but I will have to go back with my husband to spend more time there.

The path from Ravello to Amalfi is all steps. All steps. Really. We walked down and that was hard enough, and we're both physically fit. It was spectacular. I would probably do it again. But not an easy stroll.

the path i took was not nearly all steps - not until the last part going up - i remember a paved path thru orchards and vineyards - but i guess it has to be steep given the elevation difference - perhaps i took a different path and yes there were lots of steps right at the end - if you stay in Amalfi then you have all day - i walked back down to the coast thru vineyards - terraced vineyards where the path zigzagged and thus was not all that steep but took longer - and yes those sweet views over the terraced vineyards plunging down to the sea - it were harvest time and workers were in the vineyards. One of my best travel memories. And going down a steep path IME can be as fatiguing as going up due to constant breaking required. Again i do not know if we are talking about the same path.