Italy Suggestions

5,058 Views | 36 Replies | Last: 6 mo ago by SW AG80
Wolfpac 08
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My wife and I are planning 10 days in Italy in June. Still working out the details of the trip, but as of right now a rough itinerary looks something like:

June 6: Arrive in Venice stay the night
June 7: Venice to Florence (Florence/Tuscany 6/7-6/10)
June 10: Florence to Sorrento (Sorrento/Amalfi Coast 6/10-6/14)
June 14: Sorrento to Rome
June 15: Departure from Rome

We're looking for suggestions on where to stay on the Amalfi Coast and what things we should do.

We want to avoid touristy things as much as possible. Where's the best food and wine? Best things to experience?

Our first time in Italy. We don't know what we don't know, so all suggestions are welcome.
TXTransplant
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If you want to stay in Sorrento - Grand Hotel La Favorita.

If you want to stay somewhere along the true Amalfi Coast, Monastero Santa Rosa is a luxury experience.

Italy in June will be touristy. The best thing you can do is book small or private guided tours/trips. Take Walks is one company we've used that is very good.

I'm sure you want to see Venice, but only staying one night there and going to Florence the next is a logistical headache. The train station and the airport are not on the islands where all of the famous sites are.

To get from the train station, you have to take a public ferry called a Vaporetto. Expect it to be extremely crowded, both with tourists and luggage, with multiple stops. Alternative is to take a private water taxi, if you are willing to shell out the $$$.

Then, going back, you will also have to take the boat to the train station, and then it is a 2-ish hour train to Florence. Not a terrible amount of time, but you have to factor in the transfer to the train station and what times the train departs. It's going to be a very rushed/hurried day. You will also be jet-lagged.

Personally I would either add an extra day to Venice or eliminate it entirely and start the trip in Rome or Florence.

To get to/from Sorrento, you should hire a private driver to take you to/from the Naples train station. This alone is about a 2-3 hour trip, depending on traffic, IIRC. You will also want a private driver to take you to the little towns along the Amalfi Coast.

Capri is worth a day trip from Sorrento (there is a ferry).

We also enjoyed our guided group tour of Pompeii (I would not visit without a guide - otherwise you're just looking at ruins with no context/history lesson).
DropDemNuggetz
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AG
We stayed at Buca Di Bacco in positano about 8 years ago and loved it.
Wahoo82
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You are basically doing what they often call the Holy Trinity of Venice, Florence then Rome. I am sure you will get lots of advice, but I would offer a suggestion to take a side diversion from Florence to PIsa via train and see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Spend the money and go to the top. It's kinda cool and as I told my kids, you never know if they ever shut it down in the future. Get your tickets to the Uffizi in advance. Pity Palace in Florence is pretty cool.

Also take a day in Rome to travel to Pompeii or Herculineum (sp). We took a whole day to travel to It was one of the best parts of our trip Left Rome for Naples then to Pompeii via train, spend the day and travel back to Rome late at night. Pompeii is truly amazing and not to be missed IMHO..

When we went I booked all our hotels within walking distance of the Train station. Bought my train tickets in advance for Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome. Get a Rome Pass for the train, subway and bus.

Hotel de la Ville in Florence was great.
ETXAg05
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I would recommend doing an extra day in Florence and take a day off of the Amalfi coast. There are a lot more things to see/do in Florence or with little day trips to other Tuscan towns (Siena, Volterra, San Gimigano, etc) .

I disagree about taking a day to visit Pisa. I've been twice and would easily give up both of those days for a day somewhere else. There's essentially the leaning tower and that's it. Once you've seen that you are done in Pisa. Not worth it unless it is unavoidable or too convenient to pass up.

Your time in aroma is short too. Any chance you could extend the trip another day or two and have more time in Rome?
VelvetHammer9498
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Buona sera. I don't know if there will be enough time but if you can, try to get tickets to the "Scavi " tour. This site has a lot of information about it.

https://thecatholictraveler.com/guides/rome/scavi-tour/tickets/

It is the excavation underneath Saint Peter's basilica that not many people know about. Pretty exclusive. You have to reserve tickets in advance, so, while touristy, not that touristy. Definitely one of the highlights when my wife and I visited Rome.

They only other thing I have to add is about choosing your gelato/gelatoterria. You don't have to order the Banana gelato but you always have to look at it. if it is yellow, they are using food coloring and artificial flavoring, don't get gelato there. If it is gray, they are using all natural ingredients, feel free to order anything they have there.

Buona serata!




TXTransplant
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ETXAg05 said:

I would recommend doing an extra day in Florence and take a day off of the Amalfi coast. There are a lot more things to see/do in Florence or with little day trips to other Tuscan towns (Siena, Volterra, San Gimigano, etc) .

I disagree about taking a day to visit Pisa. I've been twice and would easily give up both of those days for a day somewhere else. There's essentially the leaning tower and that's it. Once you've seen that you are done in Pisa. Not worth it unless it is unavoidable or too convenient to pass up.

Your time in aroma is short too. Any chance you could extend the trip another day or two and have more time in Rome?


This poster is correct…Pisa is not worth the trip. And if you want to avoid tourist traps, is probably the WORST tourist trap in Italy.
Wolfpac 08
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Great suggestions here! Thanks!

Looks like a few good suggestions for places to stay…what's a reasonable rate for hotel/accommodations? We don't want to skimp, but we also don't want to be those tourists who get trapped into overpaying. We were thinking $700/night being top of our budget, but is that too low considering the time of year we're going?

Love the tip for getting good gelato! When we travel, we're less interested in the sights, more interested in exploring, making frequent stops for food/wine and finding low-key spots to relax and experience the area we're in.

We're still playing with the itinerary, so I appreciate the suggestions on how we can better optimize the trip. There's so much to do, but our days are limited…
TXTransplant
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$700/night ought to get you very nice accommodations. You shouldn't have any trouble. I'm sure it doesn't go as far as it did a few years ago, but that's very generous.

Bigger problem might be getting reservations. Hotels may be booked up.

Be open to smaller "boutique" hotels and privately owned B and B type places. Booking.com is helpful there, as is just searching google maps in your preferred area.

Airbnb can also be a good option. I've stayed in several in Italy and never been disappointed. It's usually cheaper than a hotel too.

The gelato is amazing. But stay away from the stuff that is brightly colored (to look like whatever flavor it is). The best is the small-batch "artisanal" stuff - often times, it's not on "display" but kept in lidded tins. You will see some interesting/creative flavors. We would eat it every day and not repeat flavors.
aggiedata
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Here's my advice:

Cut off Venice and Rome. You aren't there long enough to make any impact. Don't waste your time traveling to and from busy cites you don't spend more than 24 hours in.

Don't try to do it all, it's impossible. Fly in and out of Florence. See the Tuscany hill top towns. Visit the Amalfi coast. There's so much to see there.


Or fly into Rome, take private tours of the must see sights, spend the time to get a feel of this city. then go to Florence, and visit the Tuscan towns. Rent a car and Florence and explore the countryside away from the crowds. It's beautiful and hidden treasures abound.
Windy City Ag
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Quote:

Cut off Venice and Rome. You aren't there long enough to make any impact. Don't waste your time traveling to and from busy cites you don't spend more than 24 hours in.
I think you can make a short hop to Venice. It is not that big of a town and you can hit the major highlights (St. Marks Basilica, Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, etc in a fairly short walk. Just avoid the glass blowing island of Murano. That is a tourist trap for sure.

The train ride from Venice to Florence is quick and easy as well.

Florence is one to really savor, and some of the lines are daunting. Definitely get your plans in place well in advance for the Accademia the Duomo. Those are not same day options.

We love Tuscan cuisine, and the restaurants did not disappoint.

We had a really excellent meal here.

http://www.ristoranteaccademia.it/en/

We spent three days in Florence and could have easily spent a week. The history, art, cuisine, and architecture are all some of the best in the world.

The Leather goods market by the Train station is a little crazy. You can run up a big tab shopping there if you are not careful.
MAROON
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we are headed to Italy the first week of July. Staying in San Gimignano in an AirBnB in the heart of the city. Plan is to take a day trip to Florence and also Sienna. Wanted to be able to walk to dinner every night and San G appears to have a lot of restaurant options. The other days will be touring wineries, and other hilltop towns in Tuscany or jut lounging on our back porch drinking wine
aggiedata
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https://maps.app.goo.gl/5UKpZGgFenKSSS5n8?g_st=ic


After the buses leave, the hilltop towns become so much more manageable.
Windy City Ag
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Another thing. Florence is known for its street food so get a Lampredetto while you are there. It is the Florence version of a Chicago Beef or Cheesesteak. It is made from Tripe which makes people pause but believe me it tastes really good if you eat it at one of the greasy spoon like options around town.

https://devourtours.com/blog/lampredotto-florence/?cnt=US

TXTransplant
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I highly recommend watching Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy before you go. Obviously, watch the episodes relevant to where you are traveling, but you'll probably be hooked and want to watch them all.

Also, given your budget check out Relaix and Chateau and Small Luxury Hotels for boutique/unique properties to stay.

https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/

https://slh.com/

Greener Acres
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TXTransplant said:

If you want to stay in Sorrento - Grand Hotel La Favorita.

If you want to stay somewhere along the true Amalfi Coast, Monastero Santa Rosa is a luxury experience.

Italy in June will be touristy. The best thing you can do is book small or private guided tours/trips. Take Walks is one company we've used that is very good.

I'm sure you want to see Venice, but only staying one night there and going to Florence the next is a logistical headache. The train station and the airport are not on the islands where all of the famous sites are.

To get from the train station, you have to take a public ferry called a Vaporetto. Expect it to be extremely crowded, both with tourists and luggage, with multiple stops. Alternative is to take a private water taxi, if you are willing to shell out the $$$.

Then, going back, you will also have to take the boat to the train station, and then it is a 2-ish hour train to Florence. Not a terrible amount of time, but you have to factor in the transfer to the train station and what times the train departs. It's going to be a very rushed/hurried day. You will also be jet-lagged.

Personally I would either add an extra day to Venice or eliminate it entirely and start the trip in Rome or Florence.

To get to/from Sorrento, you should hire a private driver to take you to/from the Naples train station. This alone is about a 2-3 hour trip, depending on traffic, IIRC. You will also want a private driver to take you to the little towns along the Amalfi Coast.

Capri is worth a day trip from Sorrento (there is a ferry).

We also enjoyed our guided group tour of Pompeii (I would not visit without a guide - otherwise you're just looking at ruins with no context/history lesson).
It's a lot to land internationally, explore one city then leave. But the train station is very convenient from Venice. It's just on the north side and the trip to Florence is quickly enough that you could stay a little late on that travel date to Florence.

We generally travel a little slower and try to spend several days in each city, but I actually thought Venice was worth a quick day trip. It's pretty unique and there's not a lot that compares to it. Plus it's small so you can see a lot. If staying overnight you also get the quieter view which wouldn't be bad.

Also, you're hitting up some of the most touristy of touristy spots in Europe in a busy month. Probably best to embrace it with that itinerary and just enjoy what you're seeing it'll be great.
TXTransplant
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Other than the jet lag issue, this is one of those things that can be made a lot easier with money and patience.

A private water taxi is by far the way to go here. Given the hotel budget, it's possible the concierge will arrange this for them. Otherwise, they can be pre-booked.

I would just avoid getting off a plane and having to drag your bags onto what is essentially (very crowded) public transportation during tourist high season. A private taxi will mean you won't have to rush as much to get to the train station to depart either.

With this said, since you only have a day, I would also recommend a private tour with a guide and a boat to hit all the highlights.

Venice is one of the most unique places in the world, and it is well worth seeing. My son got the shaft on our visits together, though, because I didn't want to deal with the hassle. I told him he could plan and finance that trip himself.

If this is your one and only trip to Italy, skipping it would definitely be a disappointment.
TXCityAggie
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I know many will disagree but I didn't love the Amalfi Coast as much as I loved the little towns in Tuscany. Don't get me wrong...the Amalfi Coast is beautiful...it just felt overcrowded and overpriced. I went once and haven't bothered to return on any subsequent trip to Italy. I much prefer renting a car and day tripping around Tuscany. I agree with the above poster about taking a day away from Amalfi and putting it towards Tuscany. Just my two cents.
WhoHe
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As others have alluded to … it appears you're only using Venice and Rome as arrival/departure points and not part of your trip. If that's the case, and you only have a week or so, fly in and out of Florence or Milan.

Cut Sorrento out, and replace it with a few days in the Cinque Terra instead - personally, I prefer staying in Vernazza or Corniglia. While in Tuscany, I wouldn't go further south than Sienna (which is a wonderful place to visit itself).

This would keep you more regionalized and thereby replace a lot of travel time with exploring time, and cut out two pain in the ass cities that you already aren't planning to spend any usable time in.
Bluecat_Aggie94
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I just read your post and replied, haven't read what evenyone said, but I can't imagine a 10 day trip to Italy and only one night in Rome.
Greener Acres
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Wolfpac 08 said:

My wife and I are planning 10 days in Italy in June. Still working out the details of the trip, but as of right now a rough itinerary looks something like:

June 6: Arrive in Venice stay the night
June 7: Venice to Florence (Florence/Tuscany 6/7-6/10)
June 10: Florence to Sorrento (Sorrento/Amalfi Coast 6/10-6/14)
June 14: Sorrento to Rome
June 15: Departure from Rome

We're looking for suggestions on where to stay on the Amalfi Coast and what things we should do.

We want to avoid touristy things as much as possible. Where's the best food and wine? Best things to experience?

Our first time in Italy. We don't know what we don't know, so all suggestions are welcome.
One other thought on this. I haven't been to the Amalfi coast, but we spent three days in the town of Sestri Levante in 2022. It is just west of the Cinque Terre. It felt like a little secret and we had so much fun. Maybe its under the radar or maybe we just caught it at the right time, but some friends followed suit the next summer (2023) and agreed. We would all go back in a heartbeat. You can get a train from Florence (you swap from the commuter to the high speed line in Pisa which is easy). Plus the town has a beautiful old castle that's been converted to a hotel up on a hill on a peninsula overlooking the two bays. You can easily visit the Cinque Terre towns and have beach time. And most of the tourists will be Italians.
Wolfpac 08
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Really appreciate everyone's input! My wife and I are going to sit down tonight and get everything sorted out…sounds like we have a lot to consider based on everything here.

I'm in Warsaw, Poland the week prior for work and my wife is meeting me in Italy, so jet lag will only be a real issue for her. (Which I guess means it will be an issue for me lol)
wangus12
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My wife and I are spending a week in Italy at the beginning of August. Half Cinque Terre and half Rome.
ETXAg05
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MAROON said:

we are headed to Italy the first week of July. Staying in San Gimignano in an AirBnB in the heart of the city. Plan is to take a day trip to Florence and also Sienna. Wanted to be able to walk to dinner every night and San G appears to have a lot of restaurant options. The other days will be touring wineries, and other hilltop towns in Tuscany or jut lounging on our back porch drinking wine


We stayed 5 nights in Volterra which is the hilltop town right next to San Gimignano back in 2016. That was our favorite stop of our 12 day trip. Sienna was our favorite day trip town. We grabbed a to go lunch from a grocery store in Sienna and then went and sat in the square eating and watching everyone else enjoying a beautiful day too. Like in most cities, there's a beautiful church in Sienna to tour.

Volterra would be worth an afternoon, maybe even dinner, trip. It's less touristy than San Gimignano but really near itself. The best meal of our entire trip came from San Gimignano. We found the restaurant by talking to a local in Volterra that assured us we wouldn't be disappointed in our trip to that restaurant and we weren't. Sadly, I don't think it is open any more. But, there will be tons of great options.

We're planning to go back in 2026 and will definitely be spending time in Tuscany again. We stayed at an agriturismo which is basically a Bed and Breakfast at a farm. Most farms there are vineyards so that was great too.
Playa00
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Wolfpac 08 said:

My wife and I are planning 10 days in Italy in June. Still working out the details of the trip, but as of right now a rough itinerary looks something like:

June 6: Arrive in Venice stay the night
June 7: Venice to Florence (Florence/Tuscany 6/7-6/10)
June 10: Florence to Sorrento (Sorrento/Amalfi Coast 6/10-6/14)
June 14: Sorrento to Rome
June 15: Departure from Rome

We're looking for suggestions on where to stay on the Amalfi Coast and what things we should do.

We want to avoid touristy things as much as possible. Where's the best food and wine? Best things to experience?

Our first time in Italy. We don't know what we don't know, so all suggestions are welcome.
I will preface that when we went and followed a lot of the same pattern as yours, a lot of the towns were absolutely filthy. Uber driver told us they had not recovered from everyone not wanting to work bc of post pandemic government assistance. No general clean up was getting done etc.

It was still amazing to see all of the history of Rome and Florence. The Tuscan valley is a must and if I had it to do all over again I would stay in an Air Bnb in the tuscan valley and stay out of town. The Tuscan Village was my favorite of the entire trip. Antinori Winery was awesome (super nice and very old history). Fattoria was also a beautiful visit. End with the oldest in Italy Ricasoli. that will be a long but fun day!

Even though Touristy, if it is in route, the tower of Piza was still worth seeing in person as a quick stop in. I agree with earlier posters that I wouldn't have gone out of my way for it but we had time and were driving close by. Don't get caught up in the tour hype though.

Amalfi was great and we stayed for 7 days. Maybe 3 too long. Private boat for the day hit the ports was the best use of our time there. the beaches are tough (mostly rock). We stayed in an AirBnb on the coast and the views are amazing every night. We googled restaurants and the food was ok for the most part. Nothing stood out for food but it was complimented nicely by the fireworks on the water that you should get to experience during the festival in June.

Venice was iconic and probably the best food on the trip. We watched the Aggie Baseball team get to the world series final while we were there so I'm sure the pizza tasted better there just because we were all on a high!

Enjoy!
TP Ag '87
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We're going next Saturday. 4 nights in Positano (Le Sirenuse), 4 nights in Florence (AirBnB), 3 nights in Rome (W Rome).

Sunset cruise, cooking class, hot air balloon, Chianti, Vatican, Colosseum...
Wolfpac 08
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Ok! Thanks for all the tips - the trip is starting to come together!

June 6-10: Florence. Staying at Hotel Calimala. Wine tour in Tuscany. Stopping in San Gimigano. Reservations at La Giostra for dinner. Any other suggestions to fill our time with shopping/wine/food is welcome.

June 10-14: Positano. Staying at an Airbnb. Day at Da Ferdinando beach club. Reservations at Ristorante Bruno for dinner one night. Saraceno D'oro for dinner another night. Full day private boat tour. Again, any Positano recs are appreciated.

We do have one night in Rome to end the trip…looking at Ristorante Roma Sparita for dinner.

Not that anyone cares…but we're excited so wanted to share.
chet98
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Skipping Venice with this itinerary? Was there last summer and Venice is amazing but your original plan of barely 24 hours there was too fast so IMO you're better to skip it. We spent 4 nights last summer and could have spent double that easily. Love that place but you have to slow down there. Don't blaze through the big touristy stuff then skip town. Settle in a bit so if you're skipping that's a good call.
jetch17
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Kill some time in San Gimignano trying the 'whose gelato is the best' since they all claim to be the best … this is also recommended in any town lol


IowaAg07
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I think this is a good itinerary to hit a couple spots really well rather than trying to pack everything in. You can do Venice and Rome more fully if you make it back to Italy and it will be a completely different experience from this one.
aggiedata
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Best in the World *2006-2009

Did not deter us one bit
MAROON
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I read that if you see a gelato shop with the product behind glass like that to pass it by. Only stop at a shop that has gelato in the metal containers
jetch17
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I promise you it's all fine
TP Ag '87
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Saw same. Also avoid all restaurants that have a picture of the menu or waiter at the front door. Makes sense.
amg405
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Of all the places that people request info on… Italy has to be the one that gets the most substantial responses and strong opinions, right?
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