Southern Italy in 8 days...
 

HI Everyone! I need some suggestions. We have limited time available due to our tight schedule right before and after our trip. We were gong to try doing Italy and Greece but instead decided to simplify and just travel through Southern Italy. I have been to much of North and Central so Southern will be new. I decided we would fly into Rome, spend 2 days here, take a train to Pompeii for a day and from there I am clueless. I would like to see the Amalfi Coast/Positano, but I'm unsure if there are other more southern cities like Naples or even places on the North East we should hit instead. I would really appreciate some input on this! Thank you in advance!

Whittney

Why do you want to go to southern Italy? What are your interests? How do you want to spend your time? Will you be driving? What time of year is this trip? Have you read any guidebooks or researched southern Italy online?

Lots more to find out before you can decide on or get help on an itinerary.

How many nights do you have? See if flying out of Naples makes sense. If flying Rome/Rome, you can save a hotel change by heading south upon landing [Naples? Salerno?] and stay in Rome last.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Italy

In 8 days - I assume 7 nights - Rome, Naples and the AC is PLENTY to see. Just focus on that versus spending a ton of your limited time in travel.

agree with nytraveler that spending your time around Naples and the Amalfi Coast makes the best use of your time.

Pompeii is right outside Naples so I'd spend three nites in or somewhere near Naples--either Sorrento or Potzuoli, depending on your preference--and the rest somewhere on the Amalfi Coast. Whichever you do, I'd visit Pompeii (and maybe Herculaneum) from where you are staying in Naples

In Naples, visit the National Archaeological Museum for objects from Pompeii and Herculaneum. There is also great art museum--housed in a wonderful palace-- at Capodimonte.

Also, you can visit the remains of the ancient Greek city (Neapolis) underneath central Naples.

That plus your time on the AC will give you more than enough to do.

Caveat--this presumes you are not going in the summertime, as it would be very hot. If in the summer, go north

Do you mean you're considering northeast Italy as an alternative to the trip to southern Italy? Do you have an idea of where you'd like to go in northeastern Italy? Or would you instead please tell us what sorts of things you're looking for?

I'm not clear on where you think Naples is, but it's well north of Positano and the rest of the Amalfi Coast.

Bvlenci, my mistake...I meant South East Italy. Nytraveler, I like your suggestion! It sounds like i'm shooting from the hip because I am! We found a window of time a couple days ago and we are going in August...so I am rushing to plan an itinerary. Thank you for the suggestions so far!

Personally, I would be very unhappy visiting the Amalfi coast in August, mainly because to me the fun of southern Italy is its unique personality and culture -- very different from nothern Italy, and even Rome. But in peak tourist periods, the Amalfi coast is so overwhelmed with foreign tourists, you scarcely ever overhear anyone speaking Italian, and almost every form of transporation is all about being elbow to elbow cheek to cheek with foreigners.

If you would like to experience some fabulous scenery, fabulous scenery, fabulous sights and loads of Italian culture, food, beauty, move south of the Amalfi to points near Paestum, the Cilento or Maratea. It makes sense to spend a night in Pompei so you can get a VERY EARLY MORNING start to avoid the hammering heat of August on the rocky tree-less sight.

Many people who have been to Capri, the Amalfi, etc, have never seen how beautiful the coast is further south. The Amalfi is indeed beautiful, but it is not the only very beautiful place -- it's only the one the tourists know about.