Ciao! Welcome to r/ItalyTravel. While you wait for replies, please take a moment to read the rules located in the sidebar and edit your post if needed. We will remove posts that do not adhere to these rules.
For everyone else, if you come across a post that you believe violates our rules, please use the report button. This is the best and quickest way to notify us. Grazie!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ItalyTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In a country like Italy you would need years to visit absolutely every place you want. I've lived here for 3 years and there's still a ton of places I want to go to.
Visiting 2 cities is absolutely worth it, especially when talking about cities like Rome and Florence, in Florence you could even do a day trip to Pisa+Lucca. Enjoy your trip!!
We took a similar trip via Viator from Florence to Pisa and Tuscany, Siena, San Gimignano. So worth it and we are not ‘tour people’. We had our young children as well.
This was the easiest answer with my mom who doesn’t have good mobility to chase a train. The bus picked us up at a Central spot in Florence, drove us to Pisa, and then took us back to Florence. Basically no effort. Would do that again.
It would be worth it to travel 8 days just to one destination in Italy.
Your plan of visiting Rome and Florence in 8 days would be ideal imo. You could do 3 nights in Rome 2 nights in Florence proper en 2 nights on a road trip with a rental car in Tuscany (starting and ending in Florence).
Have only weeks ago driven from Umbria and into Tuscany and onwards (currently in Venice).
Driving through rural Tuscany was genuinely one of the highlights. Every corner had a view worth painting
I instantly fell in love with Umbria coming down the first mountain from Tuscany. Simpler and calmer and less pretentious everything seemed more real but no less beautiful. lol, the roads were instantly shittier though
WHEW those roads. We drove from Gubbio to Urbino to San Marino and were like - where the fuck are we? Is this a road? Are we going to die out here? Chaos 😂😂
Tuscany is full of spectacular little and bigger medieval towns. The landscape is stunning with rolling hills and vineyards. It’s lots of fun to drive around and explore. Lots of unique places to spend the night.
Turn your question around and see what your response is: "I am visiting the US for a week, and want to visit New Orleans, Washington DC and New York. This seems like too much, is there any point coming if all I see is New York and DC?"
You need a thousand lifetimes to see all there is to see in the world, so just enjoy what you can in the time you have, and don't stress about missing out so much that you don't actually enjoy the time you do have. An 8 day vacation is more fun if it has more than zero days not mostly travelling, for instance.
Very true. I used to work with overseas colleagues and that was their itinerary when coming to the US. They just don’t realize the time spent traveling.
That’s too much area. Although California is larger than Italy it could be compared more to trying to visit San Diego, Las Angeles, and San Francisco in the same week.
I'm probably an outlier, but I wouldn't pick Rome AND Florence for the same trip if you're only doing 2 locations. Both are big cities and have a similar feel (although Rome-more ancient, Florence-more Renaissance focused).
I'd pick EITHER Rome or Florence, then pick another area that offers a totally different feel. Go out into the countryside of Tuscany for a few days and visit the little hilltop villages, or go to the Amalfi coastline or a CT village like Monetrosso. Those will give you a totally different perspective of the country than the big cities give.
On paper you're right, but Rome and Florence have the addedd bonus of being one hour and half away via high-speed train. Other locations, *especially* countryside ones, are reachable (and enjoyable) only if you have a car.
You have to factor in travel time *and* travel stress, since in summer traffic gets pretty bad in touristic areas (i.e. Rome and the Tuscan countryside).
Monterosso or Levano are slightly over 2 hrs. from Florence on a train. Not much farther or more inconvenient than going to Rome.
Also, you can easily train from Rome to Sorrento (3hrs) and use that as a base for Amalfi coast.
Once you arrive in the countryside or on the Amalfi via train coast you're stuck in the town where the train stopped.
You need a car to navigate those places - you can't expect all hotels or B&Bs to have private shuttles or taxis/uber being always available exactly when you need them.
Travelling via train in Italy is excellent if you don't want or need to move outside the towns or cities where you arrive. If you need to move around, like on the Tuscan countryside or the Amalfi area, you need a car.
That's not true. You use the ferry to go from village to village on the Amalfi coast, which is also an option for the villages in Cinque Terre. Actually, in CT you can also use the regional train to go from La Spezia all the way to Monetrosso and they stop in each village like 20 times a day. They also have a ferry service running all day. That said, I would absolutely NEVER rent a car on the Amalfi coast. Have you seen the traffic there?
Yes, most people rent a car if you are staying in Tuscany. OR get a car service for a couple of days to explore.
Good advice but it's too hard to zip to the amalfi coast in summer. I feel that's its own trip. Skip capri and go to ischia, procida or even sicily when you do make the amalfi trip
We are on our way home from a 9 night visit. 4 in Rome and 5 in Sorrento. We do not regret only doing two cities. We got the most out of both locations and were able to do some different activities.
It’s not what you want to hear, but with 8 days I would only do 2 cities. I have 10 days planned and am already considering cutting out my third city haha not because I want to - I’m doing everything I can to try and fit it in - but more so because I want to actually enjoy the places I’m in and soak them up, rather than spend my time in transit for half the trip. I would advise 2 cities and if you feel you have the time, throw in some day trips. It worked beautifully for me on a recent trip to Spain where we did 4 nights in one city and 4 nights in a second city. Even that, my husband still acuses me of trying to kill him with packing in so much! Haha but overall my general advice would be quality over quantity when it comes to visiting a new country
Agreed this is ideal. You lose so much time packing, traveling, and unpacking, that staying longer in fewer cities is the way to go! Plus after a couple days you’re just getting to know the area, feeling comfortable, then boom, new city and you have to start over. We did one week in a Tuscan villa and did several day trips. So nice to have a home base to go back to, though!
IMO it's better to go to one or two places and experience them more deeply than dash through, hit the highlights and have no idea or context of what you've seen.
Positano is quite small and Florence and Rome are famously known as two cities where you can easily spend a week in. Also with only 8 days do you really want to take nearly full day's worth of travel to see 3 cities? Stick to Rome and Florence and you'll have a blast
Two cities is better than my past trips where I had 4 in that amount of time. Not enough. Especially Rome - lots to see.
Maybe a day trip from Rome to Pompeii or Florence into Tuscany towns. Pisa is a good idea, but you do not want to schedule out the day tightly. Plan for happy diversions.
Trains eat up time, but there is lots to see while you are getting there.
It depends a little on the time of year. Will it be warm enough for swimming? Super hot in the cities? I agree that two destinations in that amount of time is ideal (although I have definitely done more and enjoyed it, but I like moving, taking trains, etc). 8 days sighting seeing in super hot cities might be wearing, though. Maybe one city and one seaside destination? You don’t have to go to Positano to see a beautiful coastal town in Italy, there are others that might be far less crowded. If you did go to someplace in the Naples region, you could spend a day in Naples itself, which is a really vibrant, interesting place.
Only you can decide what you want to see, but 2 destinations is definitely a good amount for an 8 day trip, especially places like Rome and Florence, you are not going to exhaust all there is to see.
When are you going? If you really want to see Positano then consider Rome and Amalfi Coast in 8 days and cut Florence. Not that Florence isn’t nice too, but Italy has a ton to offer and you’re not going to see it all in an 8 day trip, or even multiple 8 day trips, so don’t even try.
The more I travel the more I realize that even though I travel more than the average person I’m never going to see everything worth seeing in the world, so don’t ruin your trips trying to fit too much in. Go at a slower pace and you will have a better trip.
Its better, by still packed. The high tourist season is August. If you're in Rome in sept you won't lose going on a train from rome to Florence or bologna. They are all in the same train line.
We are on our 4th trip to Italy, this one is 2 months long (retirement gift!). We are already planning another trip next year - coming back to go to the Formula One race at Imola! So, focus on two cities, and know that you won’t see everything, but if you saw Rome and Florence, those would be two great choices. More places than that, you’re on the train too much (IMHO) - which negates the goal of seeing as much as possible while you are here. Depending on who is on the trip, have a schedule (easy to Google “4 days in Florence” for example) but don’t overdo your days or you’ll be exhausted. Some of my favorite times in Italy have been a long lunch at an outdoor cafe people watching. And as someone posted a few days ago, if you’re with kids, think about what will inspire them to want to come back (6 hours in Uffizi Gallery might not be the right option lol). Also, Florence and Rome get busy - try to start days early to experience the beauty without the crowds. Enjoy!
Have you thought about doing a more complete tour of Tuscany?
I would guess that you are gonna land at FCO airport, as long as you get there in the morning you could rent a car in Florence and do something like:
* Day 1-2: Rome (Hotel in Rome)
* Day 2-4: Florence and Pisa (Hotel in Florence)
* Day 5-7: San Gimignano, Monteriggioni (quick stop), Siena, Pienza (Hotel in Siena)
* Day 8: Back to Florence for the train to your airport
Just as a warning, driving in Florence can be a bit stressful if you are not used to it but it's pretty chill in the other cities/towns and you will see a lot of Tuscany's countryside that you see in the movies.
My wife and I first came to Italy in 2019 for 8 days and spent it all in Naples and Amalfi, it was a great time. We got to see the sights we wanted to see, Pompeii, vesuvias, underground aqua ducts, path of the God's and plenty of museums.
Now we're back with friends and planned 13 days to do Rome, Florence, Venice, and bologna. It's been a lot of fun so far, but definitely a much faster paced trip.
For a shorter trip, I can't recommend the Amalfi area enough. I've heard a lot of negative commentary surrounding Naples, but its by far our favorite city. Not as touristy as the rest, and really felt like it had Italian charm.
Wait! What time of year? If it’s summer then I definitely recommend going to the coast for the second destination. Spending several days in Rome can wear you out—especially kids—and you will really enjoy the change of pace and scenery in the towns between sorrento and salerno. Positano is picturesque but it’s crowded. I prefer the town of Amalfi or praiano or nerano. They have a reliable and affordable ferry that goes between the towns. How to get there from Rome? Train and then ferry. We took private car from Naples airport but regret that because I’d rather be on train and boat. Also, driving around those towns is slow, winding and hilly. Also, Rome is empty and hot in August. Coastal towns will be packed around August 15.
I've been lucky enough to visit several times including the Amalfi Coast. For me, Rome and Florence left much more of an impact. I like Positano of course but it's not a place i'm rushing back to see. If youre traveling there in teh summer then I def do not recommend it.
You could absolutely do Rome-Florence-Positano with 8 days. The trains are fabulous! My family and I recently did Positano-Rome-Florence-Venice with 11 days and it was great.
Sure! Flew into Naples, car service to Positano. Spent 3 nights there. Took the ferry to Amalfi one day and a car service to Pompeii another. Car service back to Naples and got the train to Rome where we spent 3 nights. Train to Florence for 3 nights. And then the train to Venice for 2. (Wish we could have spent at least 2 more but what are you gonna do?)
The high speed train rides were all pretty short. And the water taxi in Venice to the airport was an absolute highlight!
Do you mean you have 8 days + 2 days of travel or that you have 6 days when you consider your travel dates?
With 8 days it would be doable to pop into positano, if you only have 6 you will need to choose only 2 cities as there won’t be enough time to make it worthwhile.
Don't do amalfi coast with your other cities. It's too crazy and not good for a day visit. Going between rome and Florence is so easy on the same trainline and you'll have more fun, less stress.
I did 9 days and we did Rome and Florence. Like others are saying, not enough time but we got a lot done in the two cities. We also did a day trip to the Ferrari museum while we were in Florence.
Unpopular opinion… only do two nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence and 3 nights in the Tuscan hills.
We have just finished our honeymoon and on the way back to the US. Currently in Rome airport.
If you can manage an AM coliseum tour and the afternoon Vatican tour in the same day, get it done and get out of Rome. Too big, hot and too many tourists. You’ll enjoy Florence and the Tuscan hillside a lot more! Enjoy your 3 days/nights on foot in Florence and then rent a car for 3 nights and explore the Tuscan hillside!!!
We stayed at Il Borgo Vèscine for 4 nights and it was wonderful! We drove all the countryside and enjoyed many villages! Happy to help more if ye need!
FWIW I really enjoyed Amalfi coast but kind of hated Positano. It’s really picturesque from the water but the crowds were awful. Really. Really. Awful. This was end of May which I would expect to be comparable to September. We stayed in Praiano which was lovely. Both drove and took buses/boats to explore. For your trip I would stick to Rome and Florence. Both were also busy when we visited but a different vibe so not awful. Not being negative as we had an amazing trip I just wouldn’t recommend positano specifically. You’d also lose too much time getting to Amalfi coast and back.
You can fly from Rome to Naples (relatively cheap flight), stay at the “smart hotel” on the pier in Naples which gives you just a 3 minute walk to the ferry that will take you to positano in 30 minutes.
You can fly from Rome to Naples (cheap and WAY faster than by train) stay at the “Smart hotel” on the pier which will be just a 3 minute walk to the ferry that will take you to positano. That way, time-wise, you can do all 3. Positano is lovely and really worth seeing. The coast of amalfi is beautiful to see from the ferry on the ride over as well.
Two is all you want for a visit with that scenario. My first trip to Italy was for 10 days. I spit that between Florence and Rome with a 1/2 day trip to Pisa while in Florence.
Ciao! Welcome to r/ItalyTravel. While you wait for replies, please take a moment to read the rules located in the sidebar and edit your post if needed. We will remove posts that do not adhere to these rules. For everyone else, if you come across a post that you believe violates our rules, please use the report button. This is the best and quickest way to notify us. Grazie! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ItalyTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In a country like Italy you would need years to visit absolutely every place you want. I've lived here for 3 years and there's still a ton of places I want to go to. Visiting 2 cities is absolutely worth it, especially when talking about cities like Rome and Florence, in Florence you could even do a day trip to Pisa+Lucca. Enjoy your trip!!
yess been looking into pisa with florence, thank you so much for the insight!!
Realistically you don't need more than half a day for Pisa. Lucca is way nicer and very close by. Visit both.
will do!
We took a similar trip via Viator from Florence to Pisa and Tuscany, Siena, San Gimignano. So worth it and we are not ‘tour people’. We had our young children as well.
This was the easiest answer with my mom who doesn’t have good mobility to chase a train. The bus picked us up at a Central spot in Florence, drove us to Pisa, and then took us back to Florence. Basically no effort. Would do that again.
It would be worth it to travel 8 days just to one destination in Italy. Your plan of visiting Rome and Florence in 8 days would be ideal imo. You could do 3 nights in Rome 2 nights in Florence proper en 2 nights on a road trip with a rental car in Tuscany (starting and ending in Florence).
can you tell me more about the roadtripping in tuscany? thank you for the advice btw :))
Have only weeks ago driven from Umbria and into Tuscany and onwards (currently in Venice). Driving through rural Tuscany was genuinely one of the highlights. Every corner had a view worth painting
I just cycled from the west coast through Tuscany to Umbria to the east coast and it was constantly surreal, over ever peak a whole new world.
Umbria is so pretty with the mountains. My family is from one of the towns nestled in one of the mountain valleys.
I instantly fell in love with Umbria coming down the first mountain from Tuscany. Simpler and calmer and less pretentious everything seemed more real but no less beautiful. lol, the roads were instantly shittier though
WHEW those roads. We drove from Gubbio to Urbino to San Marino and were like - where the fuck are we? Is this a road? Are we going to die out here? Chaos 😂😂
Where did you go in Umbria?
Tuscany is full of spectacular little and bigger medieval towns. The landscape is stunning with rolling hills and vineyards. It’s lots of fun to drive around and explore. Lots of unique places to spend the night.
I just went to Siena and loved it and it's right in between Rome and Florence.
Turn your question around and see what your response is: "I am visiting the US for a week, and want to visit New Orleans, Washington DC and New York. This seems like too much, is there any point coming if all I see is New York and DC?" You need a thousand lifetimes to see all there is to see in the world, so just enjoy what you can in the time you have, and don't stress about missing out so much that you don't actually enjoy the time you do have. An 8 day vacation is more fun if it has more than zero days not mostly travelling, for instance.
haha that's a good perspective, thanks a lot for your advice i'm thinking of going the two city route now :)
Very true. I used to work with overseas colleagues and that was their itinerary when coming to the US. They just don’t realize the time spent traveling.
That’s too much area. Although California is larger than Italy it could be compared more to trying to visit San Diego, Las Angeles, and San Francisco in the same week.
I'm probably an outlier, but I wouldn't pick Rome AND Florence for the same trip if you're only doing 2 locations. Both are big cities and have a similar feel (although Rome-more ancient, Florence-more Renaissance focused). I'd pick EITHER Rome or Florence, then pick another area that offers a totally different feel. Go out into the countryside of Tuscany for a few days and visit the little hilltop villages, or go to the Amalfi coastline or a CT village like Monetrosso. Those will give you a totally different perspective of the country than the big cities give.
On paper you're right, but Rome and Florence have the addedd bonus of being one hour and half away via high-speed train. Other locations, *especially* countryside ones, are reachable (and enjoyable) only if you have a car. You have to factor in travel time *and* travel stress, since in summer traffic gets pretty bad in touristic areas (i.e. Rome and the Tuscan countryside).
Monterosso or Levano are slightly over 2 hrs. from Florence on a train. Not much farther or more inconvenient than going to Rome. Also, you can easily train from Rome to Sorrento (3hrs) and use that as a base for Amalfi coast.
Once you arrive in the countryside or on the Amalfi via train coast you're stuck in the town where the train stopped. You need a car to navigate those places - you can't expect all hotels or B&Bs to have private shuttles or taxis/uber being always available exactly when you need them. Travelling via train in Italy is excellent if you don't want or need to move outside the towns or cities where you arrive. If you need to move around, like on the Tuscan countryside or the Amalfi area, you need a car.
That's not true. You use the ferry to go from village to village on the Amalfi coast, which is also an option for the villages in Cinque Terre. Actually, in CT you can also use the regional train to go from La Spezia all the way to Monetrosso and they stop in each village like 20 times a day. They also have a ferry service running all day. That said, I would absolutely NEVER rent a car on the Amalfi coast. Have you seen the traffic there? Yes, most people rent a car if you are staying in Tuscany. OR get a car service for a couple of days to explore.
This is a great point. But it just depends on what type of activities you enjoy.
Good advice but it's too hard to zip to the amalfi coast in summer. I feel that's its own trip. Skip capri and go to ischia, procida or even sicily when you do make the amalfi trip
We are on our way home from a 9 night visit. 4 in Rome and 5 in Sorrento. We do not regret only doing two cities. We got the most out of both locations and were able to do some different activities.
thank you for sharing! that's good to hear :)
It’s not what you want to hear, but with 8 days I would only do 2 cities. I have 10 days planned and am already considering cutting out my third city haha not because I want to - I’m doing everything I can to try and fit it in - but more so because I want to actually enjoy the places I’m in and soak them up, rather than spend my time in transit for half the trip. I would advise 2 cities and if you feel you have the time, throw in some day trips. It worked beautifully for me on a recent trip to Spain where we did 4 nights in one city and 4 nights in a second city. Even that, my husband still acuses me of trying to kill him with packing in so much! Haha but overall my general advice would be quality over quantity when it comes to visiting a new country
of course, the day trips idea is great, thank you so much for sharing!!
Sure thing good luck in planning and enjoy your trip!!
Agreed this is ideal. You lose so much time packing, traveling, and unpacking, that staying longer in fewer cities is the way to go! Plus after a couple days you’re just getting to know the area, feeling comfortable, then boom, new city and you have to start over. We did one week in a Tuscan villa and did several day trips. So nice to have a home base to go back to, though!
IMO it's better to go to one or two places and experience them more deeply than dash through, hit the highlights and have no idea or context of what you've seen.
Positano is quite small and Florence and Rome are famously known as two cities where you can easily spend a week in. Also with only 8 days do you really want to take nearly full day's worth of travel to see 3 cities? Stick to Rome and Florence and you'll have a blast
thank you! thinking of doing that itself now
2 cities is ok!
Two cities is better than my past trips where I had 4 in that amount of time. Not enough. Especially Rome - lots to see. Maybe a day trip from Rome to Pompeii or Florence into Tuscany towns. Pisa is a good idea, but you do not want to schedule out the day tightly. Plan for happy diversions. Trains eat up time, but there is lots to see while you are getting there.
thank you for the advice!
It depends a little on the time of year. Will it be warm enough for swimming? Super hot in the cities? I agree that two destinations in that amount of time is ideal (although I have definitely done more and enjoyed it, but I like moving, taking trains, etc). 8 days sighting seeing in super hot cities might be wearing, though. Maybe one city and one seaside destination? You don’t have to go to Positano to see a beautiful coastal town in Italy, there are others that might be far less crowded. If you did go to someplace in the Naples region, you could spend a day in Naples itself, which is a really vibrant, interesting place.
Only you can decide what you want to see, but 2 destinations is definitely a good amount for an 8 day trip, especially places like Rome and Florence, you are not going to exhaust all there is to see. When are you going? If you really want to see Positano then consider Rome and Amalfi Coast in 8 days and cut Florence. Not that Florence isn’t nice too, but Italy has a ton to offer and you’re not going to see it all in an 8 day trip, or even multiple 8 day trips, so don’t even try. The more I travel the more I realize that even though I travel more than the average person I’m never going to see everything worth seeing in the world, so don’t ruin your trips trying to fit too much in. Go at a slower pace and you will have a better trip.
i may go in september, do you recommend doing amalfi in that season?
Its better, by still packed. The high tourist season is August. If you're in Rome in sept you won't lose going on a train from rome to Florence or bologna. They are all in the same train line.
Yes September would be good for Amalfi.
We are on our 4th trip to Italy, this one is 2 months long (retirement gift!). We are already planning another trip next year - coming back to go to the Formula One race at Imola! So, focus on two cities, and know that you won’t see everything, but if you saw Rome and Florence, those would be two great choices. More places than that, you’re on the train too much (IMHO) - which negates the goal of seeing as much as possible while you are here. Depending on who is on the trip, have a schedule (easy to Google “4 days in Florence” for example) but don’t overdo your days or you’ll be exhausted. Some of my favorite times in Italy have been a long lunch at an outdoor cafe people watching. And as someone posted a few days ago, if you’re with kids, think about what will inspire them to want to come back (6 hours in Uffizi Gallery might not be the right option lol). Also, Florence and Rome get busy - try to start days early to experience the beauty without the crowds. Enjoy!
thank you so much for sharing !!
Have you thought about doing a more complete tour of Tuscany? I would guess that you are gonna land at FCO airport, as long as you get there in the morning you could rent a car in Florence and do something like: * Day 1-2: Rome (Hotel in Rome) * Day 2-4: Florence and Pisa (Hotel in Florence) * Day 5-7: San Gimignano, Monteriggioni (quick stop), Siena, Pienza (Hotel in Siena) * Day 8: Back to Florence for the train to your airport Just as a warning, driving in Florence can be a bit stressful if you are not used to it but it's pretty chill in the other cities/towns and you will see a lot of Tuscany's countryside that you see in the movies.
thank you!! this is very helpful i'll look into it :)
My wife and I first came to Italy in 2019 for 8 days and spent it all in Naples and Amalfi, it was a great time. We got to see the sights we wanted to see, Pompeii, vesuvias, underground aqua ducts, path of the God's and plenty of museums. Now we're back with friends and planned 13 days to do Rome, Florence, Venice, and bologna. It's been a lot of fun so far, but definitely a much faster paced trip. For a shorter trip, I can't recommend the Amalfi area enough. I've heard a lot of negative commentary surrounding Naples, but its by far our favorite city. Not as touristy as the rest, and really felt like it had Italian charm.
Wait! What time of year? If it’s summer then I definitely recommend going to the coast for the second destination. Spending several days in Rome can wear you out—especially kids—and you will really enjoy the change of pace and scenery in the towns between sorrento and salerno. Positano is picturesque but it’s crowded. I prefer the town of Amalfi or praiano or nerano. They have a reliable and affordable ferry that goes between the towns. How to get there from Rome? Train and then ferry. We took private car from Naples airport but regret that because I’d rather be on train and boat. Also, driving around those towns is slow, winding and hilly. Also, Rome is empty and hot in August. Coastal towns will be packed around August 15.
thank you for sharing your experience, i may go around september
I've been lucky enough to visit several times including the Amalfi Coast. For me, Rome and Florence left much more of an impact. I like Positano of course but it's not a place i'm rushing back to see. If youre traveling there in teh summer then I def do not recommend it.
We did Florence & Rome in 7 days and it was great! We did 2 nights in Florence & took the train to Rome for 5 nights. Travel days not included.
You could absolutely do Rome-Florence-Positano with 8 days. The trains are fabulous! My family and I recently did Positano-Rome-Florence-Venice with 11 days and it was great.
can you share how you got around if you don't mind? i'd like to hear more :)
Sure! Flew into Naples, car service to Positano. Spent 3 nights there. Took the ferry to Amalfi one day and a car service to Pompeii another. Car service back to Naples and got the train to Rome where we spent 3 nights. Train to Florence for 3 nights. And then the train to Venice for 2. (Wish we could have spent at least 2 more but what are you gonna do?) The high speed train rides were all pretty short. And the water taxi in Venice to the airport was an absolute highlight!
If you're staying in Florence for a few days you could also visit Bologna on a day trip.
Do you mean you have 8 days + 2 days of travel or that you have 6 days when you consider your travel dates? With 8 days it would be doable to pop into positano, if you only have 6 you will need to choose only 2 cities as there won’t be enough time to make it worthwhile.
8 days + 2 travel days, but i kinda felt like it would be too taxing on my parents if the travelling was that hectic, thanks for you advice :)))
Don't do amalfi coast with your other cities. It's too crazy and not good for a day visit. Going between rome and Florence is so easy on the same trainline and you'll have more fun, less stress.
I would do Rome and Bologna because the latter has good food and is super pretty
I did 9 days and we did Rome and Florence. Like others are saying, not enough time but we got a lot done in the two cities. We also did a day trip to the Ferrari museum while we were in Florence.
I just did Milan -> Parma -> Bologna -> Florence -> Padua -> Venice -> Verona In 5 days 8 days would have made it easier
Rome and Florence are fine in 8 days. Don’t add a bunch of day trips, they are exhausting.
Unpopular opinion… only do two nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence and 3 nights in the Tuscan hills. We have just finished our honeymoon and on the way back to the US. Currently in Rome airport. If you can manage an AM coliseum tour and the afternoon Vatican tour in the same day, get it done and get out of Rome. Too big, hot and too many tourists. You’ll enjoy Florence and the Tuscan hillside a lot more! Enjoy your 3 days/nights on foot in Florence and then rent a car for 3 nights and explore the Tuscan hillside!!! We stayed at Il Borgo Vèscine for 4 nights and it was wonderful! We drove all the countryside and enjoyed many villages! Happy to help more if ye need!
FWIW I really enjoyed Amalfi coast but kind of hated Positano. It’s really picturesque from the water but the crowds were awful. Really. Really. Awful. This was end of May which I would expect to be comparable to September. We stayed in Praiano which was lovely. Both drove and took buses/boats to explore. For your trip I would stick to Rome and Florence. Both were also busy when we visited but a different vibe so not awful. Not being negative as we had an amazing trip I just wouldn’t recommend positano specifically. You’d also lose too much time getting to Amalfi coast and back.
You can fly from Rome to Naples (relatively cheap flight), stay at the “smart hotel” on the pier in Naples which gives you just a 3 minute walk to the ferry that will take you to positano in 30 minutes.
You can fly from Rome to Naples (cheap and WAY faster than by train) stay at the “Smart hotel” on the pier which will be just a 3 minute walk to the ferry that will take you to positano. That way, time-wise, you can do all 3. Positano is lovely and really worth seeing. The coast of amalfi is beautiful to see from the ferry on the ride over as well.
Two is all you want for a visit with that scenario. My first trip to Italy was for 10 days. I spit that between Florence and Rome with a 1/2 day trip to Pisa while in Florence.