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Amalfi coast is a must and it is quite close to Rome. Take the train from Rome to Naples and hire a car driver to get you to Positano.
I would skip Milan unless you want to see lake Como.
Venice is another must see but very far from Rome. You will need to fly there.
I second this.
I was in Italy last May for 2 weeks and enjoyed the hell out of the Amalfi Coast...Went to Positano, Sorrento, Atrani, Ravello, and the Isle of Capri. . . .was spectacularly beautiful. . .
Also, spent 4 action-packed days in Rome, so it was nice to have the more relaxing aspect of my trip on the Amalfi coast and a lot of the site- seeing stuff in Rome. . . Did the train from Rome to Naples and it was super easy and convenient and they were very fast trains as well. I enjoyed seeing the Italian countryside flying by as I sipped on an Italian espresso.
Seems like enough time to comfortably cover Rome, Florence, and wine country. We did that a few years ago except for the Florence part. I've heard from others that 1-2 days is enough to see Florence.
We spent 4 nights in Rome, which was sufficient for us. Saw most of the big sites and a couple of smaller ones. We stayed just a couple minutes' walk from the Spanish Steps, which was a very convenient location. Everything is either a walk or a short taxi ride. Sometimes we would 'split the difference' by walking there and then taking taxi back.
We spent a week in the Umbria region, which is right next door to Tuscany. That has to be one of the most relaxing weeks I've ever had. No agenda. Just wake up each day, have coffee on the patio, take a drive to some nearby town, tour a winery, take a cooking class, etc. In the evening sit on the patio drinking wine and enjoying the view of Assisi all lit up in the distance.
Thank You for all the great feedback. I should have also mentioned we're looking at going in May (so we might beat the typical tourist season in the late summer - at least that's a thought).
I'm definitely thinking 5 days in Rome and 5 days in Florence and Tuscany. Amfali would be nice but I'm thinking that it would be a bit chilly when we go (in May). Venice seems like it would eat to much time off the trip - plus a lot of feedback is that it's really expensive. I've added a couple days to the trip for travel so we'd have a solid 5 days in Italy.
Regarding Florence and Tuscany, we really want to explore wine country - are there any recommended winerys, tours to take? Yes, I could google it, but it's a blur going through all the "once in a lifetime" ads lol.
If you are going to spend 5 days in Florence , you should have enough time for a day trip to Venice. Check out the train schedule, it's only a two hour ride to Venice so you should be able to see some of the main sites in a few hours. I would even knock a day off of Rome and add it to your time in the Florence area.
Thank You for all the great feedback. I should have also mentioned we're looking at going in May (so we might beat the typical tourist season in the late summer - at least that's a thought).
I'm definitely thinking 5 days in Rome and 5 days in Florence and Tuscany. Amfali would be nice but I'm thinking that it would be a bit chilly when we go (in May). Venice seems like it would eat to much time off the trip - plus a lot of feedback is that it's really expensive. I've added a couple days to the trip for travel so we'd have a solid 5 days in Italy.
Regarding Florence and Tuscany, we really want to explore wine country - are there any recommended winerys, tours to take? Yes, I could google it, but it's a blur going through all the "once in a lifetime" ads lol.
Amalfi is warmer than Florence. It is South of Rome and has very temperate climate due to the ocean.
Tuscany is OK but scenery-wise, nothing can touch the Amalfi coast.
I'm planning a trip to Italy for about 10 days (maybe 7 but leaning towards 10 full days). We're both from the US. One mistake that I've heard often is to avoid trying to see everything - the stress of not being able to relax and "soak in" where you're at, will ruin the trip. So I'd love to get ideas on how to spend a 10 day trip. The things we'd like to do are (please forgive me on any incorrect assumptions I've made):
-See major sites (particularly those in Rome) - Colosseum, Pantheon, Vatican, etc. Those are in Rome but not limited to just Rome.
-Experience wine country and great Italian food and the Italian dining experience. I'm thinking we can get this in Tuscany(?) Plus the landscape should be very beautiful.
-Experience the beach/coast? I've heard Amafli coast is amazing and many Italians vacation there. I know it's a considerable distance from Rome.
-Florence (as I heard it's a good place to spend time).
-Milian, maybe because I've heard it's basically like most cities and really is only vibrant during fashion week, not so much for a vacation or tourist destination.
I've never been to Italy and this would be our first time. I hope 10 days (could possibly stretch to 11-12 days) is enough to do 3 to 4 of the things I mentioned above. I am totally open to anything that I am not aware of. we definitely want to experience the major sites, the beautiful lansdscape, the food/wine, and maybe the beach/coastal area.
I think we should be able to do this on our own without a "group tour" (I don't think I want to be on someone elses schedule). Any thoughts and help on an itinerary would be greatly appreciated!
Thank You!
1. Fly into Rome. Spend 3 full days there.
2. Take the train to Florence and spend 2 full days there admiring the city where the Renaissance began.
3. Take the train to an area known as the Cinque Terre and spend two days there.
4. Take the train to Venice and spend 3 full days there. I would try to fly home from Venice.
I would avoid Milan. Not enough to see to add it to the itinerary. The Amalfi Coast may be too out of the way to see as well. It depends on if you want to sacrifice some other things I've listed here. I think ten days is near perfect for this sort of trip. Seven is a bit too short.
2. Take the train to Florence and spend 2 full days there admiring the city where the Renaissance began.
3. Take the train to an area known as the Cinque Terre and spend two days there.
4. Take the train to Venice and spend 3 full days there. I would try to fly home from Venice.
I would avoid Milan. Not enough to see to add it to the itinerary. The Amalfi Coast may be too out of the way to see as well. It depends on if you want to sacrifice some other things I've listed here. I think ten days is near perfect for this sort of trip. Seven is a bit too short.
OP has only 10 days, and you suggest spending 3 FULL day in Rome, 2 in Florence, 2 in Cinque Terre, 3 in Venice.
Wondering, does all the transportation, looking for/checking in new hotels not taking any hours? When you fly into Rome in the morning, more than half of day is over after you settle in the hotel.
10 days is ideally spent with only 2 bases with some day trips. There is enough to see between Rome and Florence and one doesn't need to go to Venice. One of course can see them all but usually end up rushing from one place to another every day. In one year, he hardly remembers anything.
Thank You for all the great feedback. I should have also mentioned we're looking at going in May (so we might beat the typical tourist season in the late summer - at least that's a thought).
I'm definitely thinking 5 days in Rome and 5 days in Florence and Tuscany. Amfali would be nice but I'm thinking that it would be a bit chilly when we go (in May). Venice seems like it would eat to much time off the trip - plus a lot of feedback is that it's really expensive. I've added a couple days to the trip for travel so we'd have a solid 5 days in Italy.
Regarding Florence and Tuscany, we really want to explore wine country - are there any recommended winerys, tours to take? Yes, I could google it, but it's a blur going through all the "once in a lifetime" ads lol.
Ten days plus gives you several options. If you fly into Rome, spend a couple days minimum there. Rome is walkable and the metro is easy to use. Get a hotel that will put you in easy distance from the major sites and get a map. Consider "Hop-on-hop-off" bus tour.
I have only been to the northern half of Italy. Italy has an extensive and reliable train network and you can go anywhere by train. Remember to validate your ticket before boarding the train. There are occasional train strikes that could cause delays but they usually last only a few hours.
Find a town on the rail network and stay there for 3-4 days and experience daily life and the rhythm of the place. Take day trips. We stayed in Perugia (in Umbria) in the historic walled center of town. Assisi was close by as was Lake Trasimeno. There are other places but Perugia is used to foreigners because of the universities there.
Wine is everywhere and you might be able to stay overnight at a winery/agriturismo B&B somewhere. I've heard mixed reviews and haven't tried it.
Two days in Florence and you will see it all but it is costly to spend a lot of time there. The hop-on-hop-off bus tour can get you to everything so get a 24-hour ticket.
It is an easy train ride from Florence to Venice but will generally take up most of a day. Once you are there stay at least one night close to the train station in Venice (dragging luggage anywhere makes you a target so ditch it at a hotel near the station). Two days will be all you need...Venice is unique but an expensive place. Pisa and the Tuscan coast would be an alternative to Venice. There might be a winery/inn there.
If you go back to Italy you need to see Venice and Milan. Milan is big and not too easy to get around in if you don't know where you are going...take a tour if you go. You need advance reservations to see "The Last Supper" mural. The Duomo and the castle are interesting.
The worst food I ever got in Italy was in Florence. The best food was in smaller towns or neighborhood places in Venice or Rome. The little town of Bra in the north is where the slow food movement began.
Venice is nice once you get away from the crowds. Here are some less crowded places: Zattere, Campo Santa Margherita,
Venice Jewish Ghetto, Burano Island.
I've been to Capri often. Most tourists just see the port (Marina Picolla) and Capri Town. The town is like a DC Metro Station at evening rush hour, with very high prices for everything. Walk away from the town towards Tiberio and beyond, take the loop back to the town. You'll see a lot. We usually spend 5 days there in AnaCapri, a less travelled and less expensive place in the western, higher part of the island. Our favorite day place is a small taverna and swimming place at the end of the trail that leads along the coast from the bus-stop at Grotta Azzura.
Bring some warmish clothes, if you go soon (early May); it's been colder than usual lately due to the southward movement of the jet stream. Even in Sicily, where we are soon headed, it's barely touching 70 deg F (~ 20 deg C) on the warmest days.
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