Hello,
We are landing at FCO on October 13 at about 13:30 and are leaving on October 28 about 22:30
We are renting a car for this trip. no jet leg as we are only one hour ahead of Italy but we might be tired after a sleepless night so I planed the first stop not far from FCO, at Casteli Romani.
Where is advised to stay there for the night?
Here is the itinerary I planed, I will appreciate your comments and advice.
As you can understand, we like to have car at hand. No need to say that in Naples the car will be resting.
We like museums, culture, food, sightseeing, historical places, shopping is not our cup of tea.
There are so many places we want to see but I am aware there is not enough time so we will have to come again.
Rome is not on list as we visited Rome on May 2015 after 10 days in Sicily and once more many years ago.

Itinerary

13.10 - FCO to Casteli Romani - 1 night
14.10 - explore the area (Castelgandolfo, Nemi, Frascati) 1 more night?
15.10 - Sermoneta on the way to Naples - night in Naples
16.10 - Naples - night in Naples
17.10 - Naples +Caserta - where to sleep? Naples or Amalfi coast?
18.10 - Pompei + Vesuvio - night on AC
19.10 - touring AC – Ravello, Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento - night on AC
20.10 - Capri -night on AC
21.10 - Vietry Sul Mare, Paestum, Agropoli?, Castelabate? Night ?
22.10 - Matera night in Matera
23.10 - Martina Franca and surroundings - night in Martina Franca
24.10 - Alberobelo, Locorotondo, Ostuni, Cisterino – night in MF
25.10 - Grotte Di Castellana >Polignani A Mare>Bari?>Trani
26.10 - Trani. worth to head to Pescara and from there to Ostia?
27.10 - Pescara? to Ostia
28.10 - Ostia >FCO> Home

thank you in advance

>>>15.10 - Sermoneta on the way to Naples - night in Naples
16.10 - Naples - night in Naples
17.10 - Naples +Caserta - where to sleep? Naples or Amalfi coast?<<<

This part doesn't make sense as you would reach Caserta before Naples. It would be backtracking.

I think you are moving around too much and spending more road time than sightseeing time.

Some observations:

- Your time in Naples is extremely limited. With the interests you list, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see you list a week there! But of course, it depends on what you want to see and do…

- Your days 19.10 and 21.10 and 24.10 sound extremely rushed to me. I won't say that these plans aren’t possible, but I don’t think you’ll have much time to actually see any of these places…. I could be wrong.

- One night in Matera is, IME, barely sufficient to give you time to see Matera. YMMV.

- In general, I agree with kybourbon – sounds like a LOT of time in transit for a disproportionately small amount of time to actually see the places you have targeted.

- My reaction to the realization that I can’t see everything I’d like to see on a particular trip is quite different than yours: Rather than trying to cram them all in, with little time to see/experience them, that realization makes me want to maximize the time I have to actually see and experience the places that I choose to see, while minimizing the time spent traveling between places (unless, of course, the point of the journey IS the time in transit). I’ve also realized that if I can return to a region, the LAST thing that I am likely to want to do is spend my time re-tracing all that extra travel time so that I can go back and finally see the things I skipped the first time. In fact, I might end up not returning specifically because it would mean wasting so much time going from place to place!

But of course, that’s just me. Your trip, your call, and vive la difference!

I'm not clear why you would resist putting Castelli Romani at the end of your trip and heading to Naples by train when you arrive. Are you carrying a lot of luggage? You won't pay anymore for the rental if youyy yyu rent it at Napoli airport and drop it off at Rome airport to fly home.

For what it's worth (to people who use the boards for resaerch, if not you), doing this would have a lot of advantages:

Fly to Rome, take train to Naples for 3 nights (Including visit to Pompei & Vesuvio)
Ferry to Capri from Naples, 1 night
Ferry to Amalfi coast -- or, if it's big thrill to drive the Amalfi coast, ferry to Sorrento and rent car
SIghtsee Amalfi coast
Pick up car in Salerno if you don't already have one and visit Paestum, Spend night in Castellabate.
Drive to Matera....

I have no opinion about what to see in Puglia, but I see no reason to go to Pescara. From the Bari/Trani area, drive to Caserta, then go on to Sermoneta & Castelli Romani. Suggest staying in the Castelli Romani for 2 nights and deciding whether you feel like going to Ostia Scavi. If it is poor weather you might prefer not. You can drive to Fiumicino from Castelli Romani.

Thank you all for taking your time and give your feedback.

kybourbon - I understand your remark about Caserta but there is no way we will have time to properly tour the palace and gardens on the way to Naples so I thought it will be beter to go there from Naples as it's not far from Naples.

kja - Regarding Naples - just yesterday aמ acquaintance told me they have been there for few hours and "it's not something" other friends didn't like Naples not worth to spend nights there and I thought I gave it enough time.
As the original plane for this trip was to see Naples and the AC I will see what to take off the list.

massimop - Taking a train is not an option for my husband.
Castelli Romani first is only for not driving long distance after the flight.
Your suggestion for a night in Castellabate sounds good to me.
We also have to see if Capri will be doable according to weather condition.
Pescara is only to break the driving. your suggestion for the way back from Trani makes sense and I will see how to refine my itinerary.

thank you all for your suggestions. It's not easy to make planes for a region I didn't know anything about and didn't even know what there is to see except Naples, Pompei, Vesuvio and AC.
I learned a lot from reading posts on this forum, before posting my itinerary.

In Puglia you will struggle to visit numerous towns in a single day due to them shutting down completely for several hours (12 - 4 in some cases). You will need an early start to see one town, then break for lunch and either go back and relax at your hotel or drive to the next town when it opens again around 4pm. You can visit these places during that break but barely anything is open and all the shutters etc are down.

Good advice above.

Naples, I find it very special, I don't always like it but some wonderful museums/castles/vistas etc. Going further south there is a wonderful section of Roman temples (better than on Sicily) in amongst the ACoast.

I'd reinforce the "pausa" issue in Puglia, you want to be up early and coming home late, eating supper in restaurants after 8pm is normal in high season and into the autumn. You'll also find that many people around you eat their main meal at midday so making best use of this quiet period, you may find it wise to try and do the same yourself. If not you will experience the "I'm in a beautiful marble square at 2pm and no one is about feeling" been there, bought the T shirt.

bilbo,

bear that in mind if you go to Le Marche. In particular you should not visit Ascoli Piceno in the middle of the day, but be there for the evening (and the area near there is probably the most promising for cycling in le Marche).

massi, thanks for that, for once I was not thinking of cycling, all my images of Le Marche are hilly, but I'll dig in during the winter and do some research. I quiet like the idea of driving/training/busing around and eating well with some hillside walking based in an agriturismo. My Italian is now up to the level where I no longer expect to get fish when I order peaches.

Ascoli Piceno, certainly has a nice marble square...

I had to go to Naples once in an armoured car (on business), so it has its rough side.

Can anyone compare Naples to Palermo as far as being of interest to tourist, and as far as the perceived "grittiness" of the places? Before our trip to Sicily I'd heard comments that Palermo was somewhat gritty and thus turned some people off, but we really enjoyed Palermo and would return for a visit. Now we are looking at a visit to Naples.

but you might want to include this, not far from Ascoli Piceno

https://www.feelsenigallia.it/en/hol...ggio-bici.html

http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/5553

Thanks Massi, I have a friend who lives in "Vasto" which can't be far to the north?

julies, I like Palermo as well despite some concerns and certainly some dodgy characters and a feeling of general disorganisation, which is roughly how I feel about Naples. Have a great time.

Including the above info about closing times in Puglia, be aware that your trip to Puglia is going to be very rushed, as it is a fair drive to Matera, then Martina Franca, and you have only 2 nights there and one ? in Trani, you are going to be spending a lot of time driving, and visiting towns while they are shut down.

The drive from Trani to Rome is not a difficult one. If you go through Pescara, that is an entirely different route, and will take longer.

I am wondering if your hesitance to take trains has anything to do with mobility issues: If so, be aware that Matera and all the towns you have named in Puglia except Trani, involve a lot of stairs and hills.

Since Pompeii is best visited from Naples or Sorrento, and you want to stay on the Amalfi coast, I would recommend seeing Pompeii from Naples.

With a car, it is easy to stay in Amalfi town, since there is a large public parking garage there just near the hotel Luna Convento. It costs about Euro 20 per day.

If at all possible to take trains, I would highly endorse Massimo's plan above. Driving in Naples is not for the faint of heart.
Hope this helps with your planning.

"Taking a train is not an option for my husband."
It might be after he drives in Naples. LOL.

jamikins - Thank you. We are on vacation so we will not rush early in the morning anywhere. I guess we will see what we can. The itinerary is a frame to the trip and we say "each plan is a basis for changes".
I hope October is off season and we will be able to book hotels on going.

bilbo - I also thought Naples is special and that's why I chose to visit the city although most ppl I know didn't like it but I heard same about Catania and Palermo and I liked both (and the rest of Sicily we have seen)
Main meal at midday is not a problem at all for us as that"s the way we are used to in our country and we have no problem to relax every now and then on a cup of coffee , jelato or cold drink.

>> Going further south there is a wonderful section of Roman temples (better than on Sicily) in amongst the ACoast>> - thanks I will check about that and I might change the planes.

sundriedtopepo - thanks. as I wrote above, I might change plans and ,any way, we will see what we can and we will skip what is not doable.
No mobility problems we just don't want to travel with luggage on public transportation it seems very uncomfortable for us (spoiled ), it's time consuming and it doesn't give flexibility.

thank you all again

Sassafrass - he drove all over Sicily and Andalucia. I admit that I wouldn't dare driving in some of this places but he prefer to drive rather than use public transportation.
In Naples itself we will use public transportation of course, as we usually do when we sre in cities.

We too are looking at a trip to this general area in October, so I have also been researching. We to often like to wing-it and have flexibility when taking trips rather than having everything set in stone ahead of time. If it helps you with knowing that not having everything reserved ahead of time can work out, we were fine two Octobers ago when we spent three weeks in Sicily without advance reservations other than for the first few and last few nights. I am assuming you (and we) could do the same here.

We too often rent cars because of the freedom they offer, but we have found that often a car works out better in combination with public transportation between locations. On our Sicily trip we took a flight to Catania and took a bus from there to Ortygia. We picked up a rental car towards the end of our stay in Ortygia and used it throughout Sicily until we were ready to visit Palermo. There we returned our rental car to the airport and took a bus into the city. To us, this was the best of both worlds. We didn't have to think at all about a car in the large cities, and we had one available when we wanted to drive between smaller towns and out in the countryside.

We too are typically "spoiled" about dragging luggage on and off public transportation but have also realized that driving in these large cities is extremely nerve-wracking and can be grounds for a divorce when the navigator is trying to help the driver. We have found this to be the case even with a GPS. Also, have you considered that your choice of lodging in Naples will also be different if you have to worry about having a car there--where to park, how to get in and out of the city etc.?

Looking at your itinerary it seems you could do a similar plan as to what we did in Sicily--a combo of both public transportation and having a car. As maassimop suggests, take a train from Rome to Naples, visit Naples, do day trips to Pompeii etc. from Naples, and when you are ready to leave Naples pick up your rental car.

At this point I have to tell you a story of years ago when we drove into Krakow with a rental car. We arrived after dark, it was raining, people wearing dark clothes were all over the streets, and street signs were small blue with white lettering and we couldn't read them until we were right on top of them (then we couldn't pronounce the words anyway). Our hotel was well-located within the old city so we could have a good location for walking to see the city. Krakow is a walled city with one way streets within the wall. It took us three times (and over an hour) circling trying to figure out how to make a turn into the walled area to reach out hotel. Many not so nice words were coming out of my husband's mouth by this point.

Finally, my husband who was driving said he'd figured it out and made a turn to get into the area where our hotel was located. Within minutes we were being followed by several police cars with their lights flashing. We didn't know it, but we were going the wrong way on a one way street around the main square. It all ended up being an okay experience and the police helped us to find our hotel, but at that point my husband announced that he was done, our daughter and I could continue the trip on our own, and he just wanted to go to the airport to fly home. He didn't of course and we finished our trip. But, the day we drove out of Krakow for an expedition to Auschwitz, we had the same experience (without the police escort) of not being able to find out way back to the hotel within the city walls on the proper city roads. This was despite the fact we'd been in the city for several days and had been walking all over. So, for us, no cars in big cities.

julies, Naples is (in my opinion) chaotic, busier and louder than Palermo. In fact, I'd say Palermo is downright relaxing compared to Naples. But there is a TON to do and see in Naples; it is a lively, interesting city. I love both places.

julies lol There are a lot of things I would rather do than be in a car with my DH driving, and being unable to find our hotel.

hkt Since you will be at FCO have you thought of taking a connector flight to Naples?