Too much on itinerary?
 

Hi,
We have a trip coming up in the end of June and this is what I'm thinking;

June 18th - fly into Rome and train to Naples
June 19 - day trip to Pompei
June 20 - explore Naples and train back to Rome
June 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 - Rome
June 26 - leave Rome and drive to Cinque Terre, with stop at Pisa and winery
June 27 - Cinque Terre
June 28 - train to Venice
June 29 - Venice
June 30 - explore more of Venice and train to Florence
July 1 - Florence
July 2 - Train back to Rome
July 3 - flight home

I'm wondering if this is too much...our days in Rome and Cinque Terre are pretty much locked in because we are meeting family there and plan on traveling to Cinque Terre together.
Wondering if I should cut out a city. I'm thinking of cutting out Florence but it seems like Venice would be the practical choice because of the travel time.
HELP!!

Looks fine to me -I'd leave Florence in - I'd cut out CT for just a day but you seem obligated for that - book trains ASAP for discounted tickets: Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia and www.italotreno.it.en - two competing rail systems using same tracks and stations - www.seat61.com has loads of great advice on booking own train tickets - general train info also www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

You could group Cinque Terre, Florence and Pisa together and stay in one central place.

Naples and Pompei stay in one place if poss.

If only you could fly into Venice, and end up in Rome.

It seems that OP is staying in Naples and day tripping to Pompeii.

Hi scube,

I think from the way you've phrased your question that in your heart of hearts you already know the answer - Yes! For me, this is far too busy, and rather negates the point of all the effort you've taken to get to these places.

First of all, however, I like the fact that you've decided to use your first day to get to Naples. Great move. But then you're running away from it again. Also, i would put your time in Rome at the end so that you're not "wasting' a night as it were.

Finally, I would forget the CT. It's many years since I went but by all accounts in the summer it's a mad house of tourists and therefore to be avoided. This will free up some time to make the rest of the trip more enjoyable.

Using your very helpful template, I would do something like this:

June 18th - fly into Rome and train to Naples
June 19 - Naples
June 20 - day trip to Pompei
June 21 - Naples
June 22 - train to Florence [direct trains, no need to change in Rome]
June 23, Florence
June 24, Florence - day trip to Pisa/winery [Hills and Roads get very good marks here if you don't want to hire a car for a day]
June 25 - Train to Venice
June 26 - Venice
June 27 - Venice
June 28 - train to Rome
June 29 - Rome
June 30 - Rome
July 1 - Rome
July 2 - Rome
July 3 - flight home

This gives you 4 complete days in Rome, 3 in Naples and 2 in each of Florence and Venice. no CT, but by losing it you end up with a far more relaxed trip.

If this were my trip and with your family plans, I would skip Naples and instead head to Florence. After a few days there, you can head back to Rome and then continue your trip adding a bit more time to the CT and Venice.

The Florence and Venice pieces of your trip are the more time-crunched days. You would be less rushed if you cut out one of those two locations, but that in the end is a personal choice. Both are wonderful cities, for entirely different reasons, so I can't tell you which to drop.

Usually, you only ask this question if the answer is yes. And everything after Rome is a crush.

annhig has laid out a really good plan IMO. Don't break up your Rome stays (either all at the beginning or all at the end - in this case all at the end is best since you want to be there before your flight home)

He is meeting his family in the CT and Rome so those stay in itinerary.

Not meeting family in CT it seems but meeting family in Rome and travelling to CT together - maybe convince family that one day in an incredibly mobbed CT town might be better spent elsewhere?

Sounds like they got the days all planned out - visiting winery, etc means perhaps a car and that could be OK - just don't get romantic hopes up about CT in summer.