hi, i;m in desparate help....i have planned a trip for my husban dand i to go to italy for 10 days/8 nites in july. we are flying into venice and out from rome. originally, i was planning to spend 2 nites in venice, then 3 nites in florence and then 3 nites in rome. now, i'm having second thoughts, thinking that since it's going to be so hot, that maybe we should try to go to the amalfi coast - positano? should we skip rome altogether and go from florence to positano? any suggestions? if so, how do you get from florence to positano, and then we would have to get to rome to fly home? also, any suggestions on hotels in positano?

If you skip a spot, make it Florence. It's a real hot spot in the summer. Because of its location, it is more humid than much of Tuscany and is subject to inversions (similar to Los Angeles). Also, it's the least interesting of the big 3 UNLESS you are really into Renaissance art and architecture.

Just a bit of info to perhaps help you make your decision. My husband and I spent 10 days between Florence and Venice last July, and did not find either city to be too terribly hot. I actually had to wear a sweater a couple of mornings in Florence.

We always found plenty of shade in either the piazzas or on different sides of the street, so that we didn't stay in the direct heat of the sun. Of course, where you are coming from and the typical weather you are used to could also make a difference. We lived in Texas previously and have now been in the tropics for years, so we are a bit more used to warm weather.

Hi Matlin,

The AC is rather beautiful in the Summer.

To get from Florence to Positano you take the train to Naples or Salerno.

See www.trenitalia.com/en for schedules and prices.

From Salerno you can take the ferry to Positano (A very pleasant trip) or the SITA bus to Amalfi, where you change buses for Positano.

From Naples you take the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento and the SITA bus to Positano. Many people prefer to hire a limo to take them to/from Naples.

You might want to look into flying into Venice and out of Naples.

We stayed at the Hotel Le Sirene in Praiano - 6 km East of Positano - and enjoyed it very much.

See www.lesirene.com

You might find my trip report helpful:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

Matlin,
I think the answer to your question lies in what kind of trip you want. Venice, Florence and Rome are all chock-full of wonderful sights to see. The Amalfi Coast would probably be more relaxing. I just did a 12 day trip with my 22 year old twins and we did cities - they loved it, but I was exhausted (I'm 50). You'll find everyone's opinions of each city are completely different. My daughter wants to move to Florence, and I didn't like it. My son and I both loved Rome. Traveling via train is very easy and affordable. Just be sure to get a reservation for the Eurostar and don't forget to stamp your ticket in the little yellow machine before you get on!

Matlin,
At this point, I'd say go where you will be able to get an hotel reservation. For July, it might be easier getting a room in Rome than Positano, because it's so late in the day.

Good luck!

Just a word of warning about the AC in summer--it's a mob scene. We were there in late July 5 years ago and the traffic was bumper to bumper taking the bus over an hour to get from Positano to Amalfi (it's usually about 25 mins.) Personally, I'd go to Rome.

We had the same dilemma 3 years ago and decided to go to the Amalfi Coast because we wanted to soak in the beauty of the sea and relax and just take it easy after going to Venice and Florence. We absolutely loved Positano. We ended up going to Rome the next year and also absolutely loved it. So, it depends on whether you want a city environment with non-stop activities such as visiting the Vatican, museums, etc. or just relaxing on your terrace or by the pool. You can't go wrong with either but at this late date you might have trouble getting a room in Positano. I suggest Villa Franca, Punta Regina, Poseidon or Miramare.

Statia--I'm glad you were lucky on your visit to Florence, but it usually gets very hot in July and August. Temps over 100 F are not uncommon.

You're probably right, Rufus. We were there just before the big heat wave last year, so that could have had something to do with it. It did get hot during the day, but there were plenty of ways to stay cool, IMO. And, my being used to the heat could have made an impact, as well.

Too bad I never really paid attention to what the actual temps were. I was having too wonderful of a time!

How do you book a train reservation for Italy?

For those of us who are very sensitive to the heat (to me, 85 F is brutal.), as you pointed out, Statia, there are ways to deal with it somewhat--though the only perfect way for me is to avoid it.

Some coping mechanisms:
1. Avoid being outside in the worst heat of the day. Do outside things in the morning and evening. Do indoor things in the afternoon--museums or a siesta in your A/C hotel room. You won't normally find the locals running about outside in the heat of the day; same should apply to us tourists.

2. Always wear a broad-brimmed hat and light clothing--though a good sunblock is essential with shorts, short-sleeve shirts, sandals, etc. Almost nothing worse than getting your feet sunburned.

3. Drink plenty of fluids.

4. Eat lightly.

5. Travel to Scotland and Norway in July and August.

Only mad dogs and Englishmen and tourists go out in the mid-day sun.

Hi kelly,

See Trenitalia Tickets Online
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34465647

Hi Matlin,

All of your choices are excellent. However, unless you're a real city junkie, I think mixing it up a bit with some R&R time is always a nice idea. I love Florence, but I'd opt for Venice and Rome and probably add in a beach or country break. Otherwise, you may need a vacation from your 10 day vacation.

As to the Amalfi, my wife and I did Posi last summer and enjoyed it, but it didn't really live up to our (perhaps unrealistic) expectations. (Although the seafood was phenomenal). We prefer some of the coastal towns in Liguria - Santa Margharita, Portofino, etc. - which are less out of the way than Amalfi. Hitting that area enroute from Venice to Rome would save you a fair bit of travel time. (The Amalfi is not terribly accessible, particularly with summer traffic on the coast road - although you can take a ferry from Naples).

Another option would be to spend a couple of days in Tuscany or Umbria, which would be a pretty easy jaunt from either Florence or Rome, and somewhat less mobbed than the coast in July. Find a nice hotel with a pool, drink some wine, eat some ribolitta and pasta funghi, and dig the hills.

All that being said, if you opt for Posi, we stayed at L'Ancora, which is right next to La Sirineuse but about 25% of the price. We had a room with a great terrace (and hot tub) overlooking the cliffs and the famous church, for a pretty reasonable price. Bella!

thanks for all of your suggestions and advice. after doing further research, i see that it's really a big trip from florence to positano. is there some place closer on the beach that we could go to? how is naples? sorrento? i only know of positano? do you think it is worth it to fly from florence to naples, to then take the ferry to positano? help!!!!! i'm running out of time!

Hi matlin,

Of course it's worth flying from Florence to Naples. Probably cheaper than a train.

From Naples airport you can take
the bus to Sorrento (See http://www.curreriviaggi.it/) and the SITA bus to Positano.

Going to Sorrento versus Positano is not saving you much travel time. If you don't want to spend an entire day traveling but want some time on the water, I would suggest the Ligurian coast as kebanks recommended. It's an easy trip from Florence (couple of hours). Hiking the Cinque Terre is a wonderful adventure and the food in that area is great (home of Pesto!). We've been twice and really enjoyed that area of Italy. It's where the Italian vacation. Ciao . . .

Hi Guys, Just wondering if any is aware of the best way to travel from Switzerland to italy as me and my husband are arguing (lol) about getting a euro pass from here or just getting our tickets there... If anyone has the answer please let me know ASAP as we leave on Wed... i know its crazy!! we are wanting to do 10 days around Italy and have family in Modena and Venice and salerno but not really sure how we should do this - thanks to u all!!

BTW here is from Australia and the only reason we are in Switzerland is for my husbands family and then we want to end up in Calabria so we can go to Sicily - sorry that is a lot of info so i dearly appreciate it!!

U2jill - I would post a new post with your request with a specific title that highlights what you are asking...the title of this post does not draw people that would be able to answer your question - plus its 6 years old!