Mom_n_girls

My two daughters and I are traveling to Italy at the end of April and will be there the first week in May. We arrive in Rome 4/29.

We are each to choose a destination. One daughter has chosen the Amalfi coast. The other is thinking about Vicenza.

I'd like to see Bari, Polignano di Mare or other towns on the Adriatic coast.

That literally puts us "all over the map."

What we all want to enjoy are little villages, warm, sunny weather, FOOD and wine.

Should we just focus on Amalfi? Tuscany would probably have been wonderful ten years ago, but I'm afraid it would be to touristy now.

Where should we go for sun and food the first week of May?

Thank you!
Barb

Mimar

You really are all over the map. Early May is not so touristy. And the Amalfi Coast is just as touristy as Tuscany but with less area. There is still open spaces in Tuscany.

Another thought is Umbria, more rural, less touristed with lots of cute little towns: Assisi, Spello, Todi, Bevagna, Gubbio, Orvieto, Spoleto, etc. But you'd need a car for this as well as the small towns of Tuscany.

Mom_n_girls

Whoops! I forgot to mention that we plan to travel by train and would prefer not to rent a car, though we would if it made sense.

Thank you!

Barb

ellenem

How many actual days are in your week?

Three destinations can be done, but will not be restful if spread to far "all over the map."

I would relocate hotels no more than once--that's two destinations, though you can choose carefully to be able to visit other places as day trips. Rome and Amalfi Coast sounds lovely. I assume you depart from Rome as well? I would arrive in Rome and head striaght to the AC, return to Rome for a few days before departing.

Food and wine are everywhere in Italy--not a problem.

Mom_n_girls

Thank you both for this information and recommendations!

Yes, we are also departing Rome. We'll be in Italy 6 full days, arriving Sunday 8:30 a.m. and departing the following Saturday about noon.

I haven't researched the Amalfi coast - would renting a car be recommended there, as well as Tuscany or Umbria?

suze

Well I would simply do Rome and Venice, myself. Reason being you are very short on time and it would be very easy to travel between these two cities by train. I'd split you week 3 days/3 days (but that's because I really love Venice).

Mom_n_girls

Thank you, Suze!

globalgourmand

Suze, how long is it (via train) between Venice and Rome?

If you had to choose just one or the other, which one would it be? (Venice or Rome?)

ellenem

The train between Rome and Venice is 4.5 hours.

franco

Excuse me, but with only six days, why would you want to visit anything but Rome? Six days for Rome is really nothing - that's a city where you can easily spend six months and discover new wonders every day, each one of these wonders much better and much more important than the total of all sights and monuments of approximately 120 countries on this planet summed up... And if you've never been to Rome before, six days are about what you'll need to get roughly orientated.
I'm saying that because you are arriving and departing in/from Rome, anyway. If you don't feel like spending your precious week in a bustling, chaotic, fascinating city though, but rather experience villages, all of your destinations are way too distant IMO (and only the Amalfi Coast has villages - Vicenza is the greatest sight by far, but not a village and way too distant, and Bari, sorry, is one of the very last places in Italy that I'd recommend). Even for the Amalfi coast, you'd lose one of your six days traveling hither and wither. Americans (if I'm not mistaken?) always tend to underweigh distances in Europe... Why not pick a villages-and-towns destination nearer to Rome? Such as Tuscania-Tarquinia-Viterbo-Sutri, the Etruscan heartland, e.g.? Great sights, almost no tourists... and should be doable without a car, which is not always easy in Italy! These destinations, however, should be linked by local trains or busses. If you are considering it, don't miss the "big three" mannerist villas: Bomarzo-Bagnaia-Caprarola!

nbujic

ditto

LoveItaly

Hello Mom_n_girls.

Actually you will not have six full days in Italy. You will have Sunday afternoon and evening (and of course you will no doubt be feeling the affects of some jet lag) and Monday through Friday as Saturday will consist of getting ready for the day, last minute packing, breakfast, and getting to the airport by the required checkin time.

I would strongly suggest you reserve a hotel in Rome for all six nights. You can do a side trip if you all get in the mood to. But if you try to stay in another hotel in another city/area you will lose precious vacation time due to checking out of the first hotel, getting to the train station, the train trip, getting to the second hotel and checking in etc. And you do want to be in Rome for Friday night so that you are at the Rome airport for the proper time to checkin so you do not lose your flight home.

You three could have a beautiful time in Rome..you will find you will hardly scratch the surface and yet you will see a lot and also have time to just soak in the atmosphere. Best wishes.