Need advice on a 16 days itinerary
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7
Need advice on a 16 days itinerary
Hey guys! I got referred to this forum and you guys have some great knowledge on Italy, this is exactly what I need!
I would like to spend 16 days in Italy this summer in July (I know, I know, but this is the only month I'm free) and I'm looking for advice on how many days to spend in each city/town. Here is what I got so far. I'll be flying out of Montreal, Canada.
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Cinque Terre
5: Cinque Terre
7: Back to Florence > Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Rome
11: Rome
12: Naples
13: Pompeii
14: Sorrento, Capri
15: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
So I feel like this is a ton of stuff, and 12-15 definitely looks too clumped up. On day 4, should I find a place to stay in La Spezia to make it easier to go to Cinque Terre? I've also heard good things about San Gimignano, Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto and I was wondering if I could maybe add one of them to this already busy schedule. Half a day trip kind of thing. So obviously this is still in the early stages, but I would appreciate any advice you guys can give me!
Thanks!
I would like to spend 16 days in Italy this summer in July (I know, I know, but this is the only month I'm free) and I'm looking for advice on how many days to spend in each city/town. Here is what I got so far. I'll be flying out of Montreal, Canada.
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Cinque Terre
5: Cinque Terre
7: Back to Florence > Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Rome
11: Rome
12: Naples
13: Pompeii
14: Sorrento, Capri
15: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
So I feel like this is a ton of stuff, and 12-15 definitely looks too clumped up. On day 4, should I find a place to stay in La Spezia to make it easier to go to Cinque Terre? I've also heard good things about San Gimignano, Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto and I was wondering if I could maybe add one of them to this already busy schedule. Half a day trip kind of thing. So obviously this is still in the early stages, but I would appreciate any advice you guys can give me!
Thanks!
#2
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,513
I suggest looking at this thread if considering Cinque Terre
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...rists-now.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...rists-now.html
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,254
Hey guys! I got referred to this forum and you guys have some great knowledge on Italy, this is exactly what I need!
I would like to spend 16 days in Italy this summer in July (I know, I know, but this is the only month I'm free) and I'm looking for advice on how many days to spend in each city/town. Here is what I got so far. I'll be flying out of Montreal, Canada.
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Cinque Terre
5: Cinque Terre
7: Back to Florence > Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Rome
11: Rome
12: Naples
13: Pompeii
14: Sorrento, Capri
15: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
So I feel like this is a ton of stuff, and 12-15 definitely looks too clumped up. On day 4, should I find a place to stay in La Spezia to make it easier to go to Cinque Terre? I've also heard good things about San Gimignano, Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto and I was wondering if I could maybe add one of them to this already busy schedule. Half a day trip kind of thing. So obviously this is still in the early stages, but I would appreciate any advice you guys can give me!
Thanks!
I would like to spend 16 days in Italy this summer in July (I know, I know, but this is the only month I'm free) and I'm looking for advice on how many days to spend in each city/town. Here is what I got so far. I'll be flying out of Montreal, Canada.
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Cinque Terre
5: Cinque Terre
7: Back to Florence > Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Rome
11: Rome
12: Naples
13: Pompeii
14: Sorrento, Capri
15: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
So I feel like this is a ton of stuff, and 12-15 definitely looks too clumped up. On day 4, should I find a place to stay in La Spezia to make it easier to go to Cinque Terre? I've also heard good things about San Gimignano, Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto and I was wondering if I could maybe add one of them to this already busy schedule. Half a day trip kind of thing. So obviously this is still in the early stages, but I would appreciate any advice you guys can give me!
Thanks!
What you basically have is 4 trips in 16 days.
3 nights in Florence - good
2 nights in CT - I'd stay 3, but 2 is fine. I'd also find (basic) accommodation in Vernazza (or you could try Monterosso if basic doesn't suit you) to get the full benefit of your visit. Don't stay in La Spezia. Here a tip. This website lists the cruise ship schedules for La Spezia. Try to pick a time for your trip when the smallest cruises are in Port, because all those people are going to CT. And it can get ridiculous if you're there on the wrong day. This is also a good reason to stay in CT. The cruisers all head back to their boats in the afternoon, so you'll have the evenings minus the mobs.
http://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/la...17-06#schedule
Its set to June, but find your own dates, then click on the ships in Port to see how many passengers they will be dropping on poor Cinque Terre that day.
5 nights in Rome - you can train from CT to Rome (cxn La Spezia) in about 4 hours. Consider the Pantheon the center of Rome and stay as close to it as you can. Some may say to stay a day or two less in Rome with more time elsewhere. And they may have a point. But I can't say that. I find Rome endlessly fascinating and could personally spend the entire 16 days there. To me, it's among the top three best cities on earth. You can easily do a day trip to Orvieto from Rome. You can buy train tickets the day you go. If you can manage it - makes for a long day - try to visit Civita di Bagnoreggio while you're there. Its a bus ride between the two towns.
4 nights in Campania - here I suggest using Sorrento as your base. Its touristic, but still charming. There are good accommodations of all types available. Most importantly, it's the easiest transit center for visiting Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and Naples. Transit options include boats to Capri, Positano, Amalfi, and Naples. Trains to Pompeii and Naples. Buses (a thrilling ride if you sit near the front on the right side) to the Amalfi Coast. From the center of Sorrento, the train/bus depot is 5 minutes walk. The port maybe a few minutes more if you use the Lift near the Hotel Tramontana. Each of your destinations in Campania is a day trip. So you could do them all, but maybe pick three and relax a little.
I may be counting you an extra day, depending on when you arrive and depart, but you can do this trip.
As a point of reference, I planned a 3 generation family trip (6 people) to Rome, Campania, the Lakes, and Venice over 21 days. None but I had been before. I would consider these kinds of trips an orientation to Italy.
Now that you've found this forum, I highly recommend you pore through the posts here. They are a wealth of information. And the experts here are awesome and beyond helpful. As I said, I've been to Italy a lot, but I'm checking this forum all the time and learning new things regularly. My experience pales compared to some here.
And as you build your itinerary, check back for specific tips and recommendations.
Have Fun.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7
Awsome stuff, thank you so much for the recommendations. I did lurk a little bit before posting here and indeed there is so much great information.
I saw that! So how does one get a pass? Can they be purchased online?
I suggest looking at this thread if considering Cinque Terre
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...rists-now.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...rists-now.html
#5
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
Hello Ricardz. Welcome to Flyer Talk and the Italy Forum!
I wouldn't be thinking about adding, I'd be thinking about what you could be crossing off your list. If you try to squeeze in all the places you hear good things about, you won't have time to see anything when you get to those places.
To start, you might want to cross off Cinque Terre, which is really, really packed in July. If the Ligurian Coast is on your bucket list, then you might alternatively cross off Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, capri and Ravello.
BTW, how can you see Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello in one day? Are you planning on just driving through these places, or actually trying to enjoy what they have to offer? The purpose of going to Positano in July is to lie on the beach, get hot, jump in the water then eat a gelato to cool off, and repeat. Then watch the sunset while having a glass of wine high up on the side of the hill, then eat seafood, and stroll in the warm summer breeze. If you try to see those 3 cities in one day, you will just be spending the whole day stuck in traffic trying to get from Positano to Ravello and back.
Naples really isn't a one-day city. It's the third largest city in Italy. It's also a lot different from Rome and Florence. It's not the version of Italy polished up for tourists; it is very, very real, and not touristy at all. Not everyone can deal with it, but it gives you a real deep sense of Italy. If you are into art, in some ways, in July you'd be better off there than in the Uffizi or Vatican Museums. Unless you cut some things out of this itinerary, you'll be in a city with some of the best food and pastry you could ever have in your life, and all you'll have time for is a stroll along the shore, a pizza and a sfogliatella, and to pack your bags for the next morning.
It's best not to plan by making a list of all of the best places, then trying to cram them all in. You're itinerary has you seeing Sorrento, pretty much the whole Amalfi Coast, and the Island of Capri in two days. On day 13, it's all Pompeii. Are you going to sleep there? Pompeii is a half-day trip from Naples. You can be back to Naples by late afternoon, do some more strolling and eating. The next day you can take the high speed ferry from Naples to Capri that gets you there in 50 minutes. In the afternoon you can take the high speed ferry to Positano that gets you there in 20 minutes. You'd at least have two days and a morning in Naples, and an evening and a full day in Positano.
This itinerary works much better if you decide which coast is more important to you, Liguria, or Amalfi. You can't do it all. If you do that, a half-day trip to San Gimignano from Florence, and half-day trip to Orvieto from Rome become feasible because you will have saved a few days. Cooling the jets so that on days 14 and 15, instead of trying to visit five places, you cut it to a half-day trip to Capri, and then spend the rest of the time in Positano, will make this feel more like a vacation than a train trip through Italy, where you will see a lot, but experience very little. If you try to do all this, by the time you get to Positano you're going to need a vacation to recover from your vacation.
You really should make some decisions soon on your itinerary because, you have no idea how quickly the preferable hotels sell out. Even now, the best places in Positano, Rome, and Florence are probably going fast, or gone.
I wouldn't be thinking about adding, I'd be thinking about what you could be crossing off your list. If you try to squeeze in all the places you hear good things about, you won't have time to see anything when you get to those places.
To start, you might want to cross off Cinque Terre, which is really, really packed in July. If the Ligurian Coast is on your bucket list, then you might alternatively cross off Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, capri and Ravello.
BTW, how can you see Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello in one day? Are you planning on just driving through these places, or actually trying to enjoy what they have to offer? The purpose of going to Positano in July is to lie on the beach, get hot, jump in the water then eat a gelato to cool off, and repeat. Then watch the sunset while having a glass of wine high up on the side of the hill, then eat seafood, and stroll in the warm summer breeze. If you try to see those 3 cities in one day, you will just be spending the whole day stuck in traffic trying to get from Positano to Ravello and back.
Naples really isn't a one-day city. It's the third largest city in Italy. It's also a lot different from Rome and Florence. It's not the version of Italy polished up for tourists; it is very, very real, and not touristy at all. Not everyone can deal with it, but it gives you a real deep sense of Italy. If you are into art, in some ways, in July you'd be better off there than in the Uffizi or Vatican Museums. Unless you cut some things out of this itinerary, you'll be in a city with some of the best food and pastry you could ever have in your life, and all you'll have time for is a stroll along the shore, a pizza and a sfogliatella, and to pack your bags for the next morning.
It's best not to plan by making a list of all of the best places, then trying to cram them all in. You're itinerary has you seeing Sorrento, pretty much the whole Amalfi Coast, and the Island of Capri in two days. On day 13, it's all Pompeii. Are you going to sleep there? Pompeii is a half-day trip from Naples. You can be back to Naples by late afternoon, do some more strolling and eating. The next day you can take the high speed ferry from Naples to Capri that gets you there in 50 minutes. In the afternoon you can take the high speed ferry to Positano that gets you there in 20 minutes. You'd at least have two days and a morning in Naples, and an evening and a full day in Positano.
This itinerary works much better if you decide which coast is more important to you, Liguria, or Amalfi. You can't do it all. If you do that, a half-day trip to San Gimignano from Florence, and half-day trip to Orvieto from Rome become feasible because you will have saved a few days. Cooling the jets so that on days 14 and 15, instead of trying to visit five places, you cut it to a half-day trip to Capri, and then spend the rest of the time in Positano, will make this feel more like a vacation than a train trip through Italy, where you will see a lot, but experience very little. If you try to do all this, by the time you get to Positano you're going to need a vacation to recover from your vacation.
You really should make some decisions soon on your itinerary because, you have no idea how quickly the preferable hotels sell out. Even now, the best places in Positano, Rome, and Florence are probably going fast, or gone.
Last edited by Perche; Feb 25, 2017 at 1:42 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7
You're right. I guess I thought I could cram everything in 2 weeks and see most of Italy. So let's check off Cinque Terre off the list. What would you think of this schedule?
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Florence
5: Orvieto, Rome
6: Rome
7: Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Naples
11: Naples
12: Pompeii
13: Sorrento, Capri
14: Positano
15: Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Florence
5: Orvieto, Rome
6: Rome
7: Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Naples
11: Naples
12: Pompeii
13: Sorrento, Capri
14: Positano
15: Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
You're right. I guess I thought I could cram everything in 2 weeks and see most of Italy. So let's check off Cinque Terre off the list. What would you think of this schedule?
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Florence
5: Orvieto, Rome
6: Rome
7: Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Naples
11: Naples
12: Pompeii
13: Sorrento, Capri
14: Positano
15: Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
0: Flying out
1: Florence
2: Florence
3: Florence
4: Pisa, Florence
5: Orvieto, Rome
6: Rome
7: Rome
8: Rome
9: Rome
10: Naples
11: Naples
12: Pompeii
13: Sorrento, Capri
14: Positano
15: Amalfi, Ravello
16: Back to Naples to fly out
Same principle in Rome. After 2 days, might be nice to get out of town, away from the crowds, into a smaller, quieter town, breaking up the stay. Don't go to Orvieto first. Do it on the 3rd day, if at all. Leave in the morning, back to Rome in the evening. You can decide when you get there.
You list Pompeii as day 12. You can't spend the whole day there, especially in July. It's too hot, too crowded, and you'll have had your fill after a few hours with a guide. This is a half day including travel time, then figure out where you are going to go to spend the night. I'd just go back to Naples.
It's just a short train ride back and forth, but in July, this is when I'd recommend a car service. I've hired a taxi to take me from Naples to Pompeii, wait for me for 3 hours, then take me back to Naples for 75 euros, but that was in the off-season. I've also taken the train from Naples to Pompeii, but in the summer that's a tough ride and I wouldn't. It's hot, packed, and not air-conditioned. Your itinerary should say Pompeii/something, because Pompeii in July cannot consume the whole day. You'll need a guide, and with back and forth, it's only half a day from the time you leave your hotel until the time you get back.
I really suggest you go back to Naples. You don't want to check out of your hotel and bring your luggage to Pompeii. I mean, you can leave it in the trunk of your driver, where the heat will probably reach 175F. Pompeii also has a place where they make you check in your stuff because your not allowed to bring stuff into the ruins, so what are you going to do with your stuff?
In this context, I wouldn't get separated from my stuff in Pompeii. It will be a much nicer experience if you just leave it all in your hotel, go downstairs, get into an air-conditioned car, avoid the crowds, have a guide explain things to you, then go back to the car and be back in Naples where your stuff is safe in your hotel room, then have a leisurely dinner to cap off a memorable day in Naples. It's not a whole day trip. Your driver won't wait all day. Half a day
Day 13 you have Sorrento/Capri. This suggests you are going to sleep in Capri that night? I wouldn't, but it depends on your budget. It is better at night, but wow, it's expensive.
If you're in Naples and you've already been to Pompeii and are then going to next stay in Positano, there's no reason to go to Sorrento. Sorrento is a place to bed down for day trips. It has little intrinsic value of its own. It's a cruise ship port, one of the most touristy in all of Italy. It's great if you want to use it as a base and day trip Naples, day trip Pompeii, day trip Positano, day trip Capri because its centrally located. But it isn't a place to visit.
From Naples you can get on the high speed boat to Capri in the morning, and to Positano that same afternoon. Now, you have the evening of the 13th in Positano, and the whole 14th and 15th in Positano to play around with.
I think that one problem is that you are mixing up "where to stay," with "itinerary." They are different. For example, to over-simplify, possible places to stay are; Florence 4 nights; Rome 6 nights; Naples 3 nights; Positano 3 nights. That's it. That's the first thing to decide, then secure your hotel rooms in those places. Then decide on your itinerary. You'll be really glad that you're not doing a bunch of packing and unpacking every other day.
Then, having secured the hotels, fill out the itinerary. e.g., Florence 1st day walk around, start dealing with jet lag, eat something light that PWMTrav recommends (Mercato Centrale) and get to bed. Day 2, Duomo, Ponte, Arno. Day 3 Siena/San Gimi/Pisa day trip. Day 4 Uffizi.
Don't forget that Florence is Florence for a reason. It would be a mistake to miss a sunset from Piazza Michelangelo for a day trip to San Gimi. Really, you only have four days in Florence. Do you really think it is so empty of things to do that you'll be bored and need to fill in the time with day trips?
I think you won't be, but I understand a half-day trip to see one other place like Siena. Just don't miss Florence because you're too busy planning day trips. You have no idea how many people who've said they've been to Rome, they were there for 2 days, but they never scratched the surface.
After Florence, just get to Rome. Again, hotel planning comes before itinerary planning. Once you have your hotel in Rome you can decide what you want to do there. Day trip to Civita di Bagnoreggio? No problem. You can look up the train schedule the day before. Orvieto instead? No problem. There are frequent trains. Go to Termini. Missed one? Catch the next one.
Then it seems that you want to visit Naples. That's another, "I'll miss this train and take the next." As long as you already have a place to stay. Once you have a place to stay, then you can figure out what you want to do, e.g., "Lets make reservations do a half-day trip to Pompeii!" Lets see the Veiled Christ. Let's go to the archeological museum where most of the artifacts from Pompeii are, before we go there! Let's get ferry tickets to stop at Capri on the way to Positano!"
Once you get to Positano, relax, and that's the end of it. Once you are there, you can decide, "Let's go to the beach!" Or, "Let's go to Ravello!" After all, if you want to go to Ravello from Positano, it's just a matter of walking to the bus stop. I think the fare is about 2 euro (I would visit Amalfi over Ravello). Or, you might just say, "We're tired. Let's just go down to the beach, and after sunset, we'll open up that bottle of wine."
I think you shouldn't worry so much about the itinerary, and figure out where you want to be, then get the hotels. Once ensconced in Florence you can decide, "Let's take a day trip to Pisa." Or not. It can be a spur of the moment thing. Just decide where you are staying.
(This was written on a dying cell phone with a broken screen from being dropped on the pavement last week in Venice, so not spell or error checked because some parts of the screen won't work.)
#10
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,513
"(This was written on a dying cell phone with a broken screen from being dropped on the pavement last week in Venice, so not spell or error checked because some parts of the screen won't work.)"
Perche , one would never know this was written on a dying cell phone. I think it is a brilliant summary and one with which I completely agree.
Perche , one would never know this was written on a dying cell phone. I think it is a brilliant summary and one with which I completely agree.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 7
10/10 Perche thanks for the response.
I do want to use Florence/Rome/Naples as base, and then I thought Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast but Positano would be a better choice? Let me try to clear out some things, I should've been more in depth to begin with.
Day 4: I was thinking day trip to Pisa and then back in the evening to Florence -- but then I'm thinking I don't really need a whole day in Pisa. So maybe 1-2 Florence, then on the 3rd day I can make a detour to Pisa when leaving Florence, then take the bus on my way down to Rome and stop at Orvieto/San Gimignano or whatever. Or maybe train from Florence to Rome is easier/faster/cheaper and I can make a day trip to somewhere north of Rome.
Good recommendation, I hadn't thought of that. So straight from Florence to Rome, then on the last day in Rome, I can make a day trip to Orvieto.
As for Naples and Pompeii, so then I could still spend the 2 days in Naples, but do half a day in Pompeii, go back to Naples and get ready for the last part of the trip.
About Capri, I've been told that 4 hours is enough, so my initial plan was staying at a hotel in Sorrento, taking the ferry to Capri in the morning, and be back in Sorrento by the evening to continue to the Amalfi Coast.
I do want to use Florence/Rome/Naples as base, and then I thought Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast but Positano would be a better choice? Let me try to clear out some things, I should've been more in depth to begin with.
Day 4: I was thinking day trip to Pisa and then back in the evening to Florence -- but then I'm thinking I don't really need a whole day in Pisa. So maybe 1-2 Florence, then on the 3rd day I can make a detour to Pisa when leaving Florence, then take the bus on my way down to Rome and stop at Orvieto/San Gimignano or whatever. Or maybe train from Florence to Rome is easier/faster/cheaper and I can make a day trip to somewhere north of Rome.
After 2 days, might be nice to get out of town, away from the crowds, into a smaller, quieter town, breaking up the stay.
As for Naples and Pompeii, so then I could still spend the 2 days in Naples, but do half a day in Pompeii, go back to Naples and get ready for the last part of the trip.
About Capri, I've been told that 4 hours is enough, so my initial plan was staying at a hotel in Sorrento, taking the ferry to Capri in the morning, and be back in Sorrento by the evening to continue to the Amalfi Coast.
#12
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,945
4 days in Florence will pass quickly, particularly since your arrival day is one of them. I personally don't think it's worth a detour to Pisa, and not worth day tripping from Florence at all if it's your first time there.
Look at it this way:
Day 1: Arrive, check in, use the afternoon to do a walking tour. Dinner. Bed.
Day 2: Visit Palazzo Pitti / Giardino Boboli in the morning. Lunch. Museum, relax. Dinner.
Day 3: Accademia (buy tickets in advance or book a tour to cut the line). Lunch at Mercato Centrale or nearby. Afternoon, shopping, Duomo/Campanile, maybe the Natural History museum up past the Accademia (its small). Dinner.
Day 4: Uffizi. Lunch. Uffizi again? (It's big) or Museo Galileo nearby. Shopping, walking. Dinner.
You could have another trip there with a completely different itinerary.
Then on to Rome, where 5 days will also go quickly. Same with Naples.
If you're a first timer, you're better off planning fewer primary destinations - maybe 3 cities over 2 weeks - and if you truly get bored in any of them, you can pick a day trip and go. It's better to do that than to plan to re-pack every 3 days on a 16 day trip. It seems like a long time, but each day you transition from one place to another, you're going to lose half a day.
Look at it this way:
Day 1: Arrive, check in, use the afternoon to do a walking tour. Dinner. Bed.
Day 2: Visit Palazzo Pitti / Giardino Boboli in the morning. Lunch. Museum, relax. Dinner.
Day 3: Accademia (buy tickets in advance or book a tour to cut the line). Lunch at Mercato Centrale or nearby. Afternoon, shopping, Duomo/Campanile, maybe the Natural History museum up past the Accademia (its small). Dinner.
Day 4: Uffizi. Lunch. Uffizi again? (It's big) or Museo Galileo nearby. Shopping, walking. Dinner.
You could have another trip there with a completely different itinerary.
Then on to Rome, where 5 days will also go quickly. Same with Naples.
If you're a first timer, you're better off planning fewer primary destinations - maybe 3 cities over 2 weeks - and if you truly get bored in any of them, you can pick a day trip and go. It's better to do that than to plan to re-pack every 3 days on a 16 day trip. It seems like a long time, but each day you transition from one place to another, you're going to lose half a day.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
Programs: AA EXP >4 MM, Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,881
4 days in Florence will pass quickly, particularly since your arrival day is one of them. I personally don't think it's worth a detour to Pisa, and not worth day tripping from Florence at all if it's your first time there.
Look at it this way:
Day 1: Arrive, check in, use the afternoon to do a walking tour. Dinner. Bed.
Day 2: Visit Palazzo Pitti / Giardino Boboli in the morning. Lunch. Museum, relax. Dinner.
Day 3: Accademia (buy tickets in advance or book a tour to cut the line). Lunch at Mercato Centrale or nearby. Afternoon, shopping, Duomo/Campanile, maybe the Natural History museum up past the Accademia (its small). Dinner.
Day 4: Uffizi. Lunch. Uffizi again? (It's big) or Museo Galileo nearby. Shopping, walking. Dinner.
You could have another trip there with a completely different itinerary.
Then on to Rome, where 5 days will also go quickly. Same with Naples.
If you're a first timer, you're better off planning fewer primary destinations - maybe 3 cities over 2 weeks - and if you truly get bored in any of them, you can pick a day trip and go. It's better to do that than to plan to re-pack every 3 days on a 16 day trip. It seems like a long time, but each day you transition from one place to another, you're going to lose half a day.
Look at it this way:
Day 1: Arrive, check in, use the afternoon to do a walking tour. Dinner. Bed.
Day 2: Visit Palazzo Pitti / Giardino Boboli in the morning. Lunch. Museum, relax. Dinner.
Day 3: Accademia (buy tickets in advance or book a tour to cut the line). Lunch at Mercato Centrale or nearby. Afternoon, shopping, Duomo/Campanile, maybe the Natural History museum up past the Accademia (its small). Dinner.
Day 4: Uffizi. Lunch. Uffizi again? (It's big) or Museo Galileo nearby. Shopping, walking. Dinner.
You could have another trip there with a completely different itinerary.
Then on to Rome, where 5 days will also go quickly. Same with Naples.
If you're a first timer, you're better off planning fewer primary destinations - maybe 3 cities over 2 weeks - and if you truly get bored in any of them, you can pick a day trip and go. It's better to do that than to plan to re-pack every 3 days on a 16 day trip. It seems like a long time, but each day you transition from one place to another, you're going to lose half a day.
The only things that really need to be planned are the Uffizi, Colosseum, and Vatican Museums because it's best to show up with a ticket to avoid the killer lines, and for the driver to Pompeii, but this can all be done much closer to the departure.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO, VCE
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10/10 Perche thanks for the response.
I do want to use Florence/Rome/Naples as base, and then I thought Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast but Positano would be a better choice? Let me try to clear out some things, I should've been more in depth to begin with.
Day 4: I was thinking day trip to Pisa and then back in the evening to Florence -- but then I'm thinking I don't really need a whole day in Pisa. So maybe 1-2 Florence, then on the 3rd day I can make a detour to Pisa when leaving Florence, then take the bus on my way down to Rome and stop at Orvieto/San Gimignano or whatever. Or maybe train from Florence to Rome is easier/faster/cheaper and I can make a day trip to somewhere north of Rome.
Good recommendation, I hadn't thought of that. So straight from Florence to Rome, then on the last day in Rome, I can make a day trip to Orvieto.
As for Naples and Pompeii, so then I could still spend the 2 days in Naples, but do half a day in Pompeii, go back to Naples and get ready for the last part of the trip.
About Capri, I've been told that 4 hours is enough, so my initial plan was staying at a hotel in Sorrento, taking the ferry to Capri in the morning, and be back in Sorrento by the evening to continue to the Amalfi Coast.
I do want to use Florence/Rome/Naples as base, and then I thought Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast but Positano would be a better choice? Let me try to clear out some things, I should've been more in depth to begin with.
Day 4: I was thinking day trip to Pisa and then back in the evening to Florence -- but then I'm thinking I don't really need a whole day in Pisa. So maybe 1-2 Florence, then on the 3rd day I can make a detour to Pisa when leaving Florence, then take the bus on my way down to Rome and stop at Orvieto/San Gimignano or whatever. Or maybe train from Florence to Rome is easier/faster/cheaper and I can make a day trip to somewhere north of Rome.
Good recommendation, I hadn't thought of that. So straight from Florence to Rome, then on the last day in Rome, I can make a day trip to Orvieto.
As for Naples and Pompeii, so then I could still spend the 2 days in Naples, but do half a day in Pompeii, go back to Naples and get ready for the last part of the trip.
About Capri, I've been told that 4 hours is enough, so my initial plan was staying at a hotel in Sorrento, taking the ferry to Capri in the morning, and be back in Sorrento by the evening to continue to the Amalfi Coast.
An even better option is to just go from Naples straight to Positano. Then, you'll have a couple of days in Positano to relax, and on one of those days you can do a half-day trip to Capri. This way, you won't be carrying your luggage around Capri, it will be in the hotel in Positano.