Babs14

We (two couples, no children) are traveling from a small village in Tuscany that's about 35 minutes outside of Florence to the Amalfi Coast (staying in the village of Furore). We have a free weekend and would like to break up the roughly six hour journey with a short stay in between. Suggestions? We've been to Rome and Napes and while we certainly wouldn't mind going again, it might be nice to visit somewhere we haven't been.
Thanks in advance.

Jean

I assume you're driving...

"35 minutes outside of Florence..." Which direction outside of Florence?

Have you been anywhere else between these points besides Rome and Naples? Have you visited the Val d'Orcia area of southern Tuscany, Orvieto or anywhere else in Umbria, Tivoli outside of Rome...?

What time of year?

Babs14

Hi Jean
Yes, we're driving. We'll be traveling first two weeks in May. We have not been to any of the places you've mentioned; in fact it's our first time in Tuscany.

Jean

It would still be helpful to know exactly where you're starting from... "35 minutes outside of Florence."

And it would be helpful to know what your plans are during the time you're staying near Florence... which towns you might be exploring/visiting in the immediate area, etc. For example, will you have spent time in Chianti towns or Siena?

Having a weekend for this stop, I guess that means you'll be leaving the Florence area on Friday or Saturday and need to be in Furore on Sunday or Monday... essentially, parts of two days driving and one full day when you don't have to drive at all unless you want to.

One decision your group should make: Do you want to drive as quickly as possible to a town, probably on the autostrada, settle in and explore the town immediately?... Or do you want to meander along scenic, slower roads and focus more on seeing the countryside than particular cities or towns? Maybe meander one day and go faster the other day? This will be a factor in determining a route/plan for the weekend, esp. how far you go the first day.

Does anyone in the group have a "I've always wanted to see" place?

If this is your first time driving in Italy, you need to understand the Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL, limited traffic zones) that are established in just about every Italian town, regardless of size. You need to know how to avoid driving into a ZTL and then getting a traffic citation in the mail after you get home.

https://www.italybeyondtheobvious.co...with-ztl-zones

The drivers in your group need to have International Driver's Permits.

annw

We're planning to go from Tuscany area to Ravello in October, going by train (taxi from Salerno to Ravello). We will break up our journey with a stop in Orvieto, which I've been to but my husband has not. It's a pleasant hill town with Etruscan roots and a remarkable Duomo and some nice restaurants and shops, and of course the views!

TDudette

Camogli...I don't know how far it would be for your drive but it was on my "to see" list and DH and I missed it.

Camogli - The Sea - Travel ideas

Please let everyone know where you end up and all about your trip.

HappyTrvlr

There are wonderful smaller towns to visit for a few days in Tuscany and Umbria.
Tuscany- Siena, Panzano, Radda, Castellina, Pienza.
Umbria- Spello, Montefalco, Bevagna,
We easily drove from Umbria to Naples on the Autostradas in much less than six hours. We turned in our car at the Naples airport which is on the north side above the city. Easy drop off. Stayed a few days then on to Capri by ferry and another ferry to Sorrento. Then to Amalfi Coast.
Or spend all of your extra days on Capri. HotelMinerva is a lovely boutique hotel there.

starrs

After a week's stay in a villa in Tuscany, we returned the rental car to the train station in Florence and took the train to Venice. I would love Venice for a weekend trip. Then we flew from Naples and took the ferry to Capri. We took the ferry from Capri to Sorrento and met our private driver for the Amalfi coast. If you want information about the driver, let me know. He was wonderful and was recommended years prior by the beloved LoveItaly.