sonaligupta2108

Hi All,

We are family of 4 adults (age between 30-35years) and 2 kids (3 and 6years old) planning to visit Italy during first 2 weeks of June 2023. We are planning to stay in

1) Sorrento - 4 Nights

2) Rome - 3 Nights

3) La Spezia - 3 Nights

4) Venice - 3 Nights

Before we make any reservations, I wanted to get your feedback on my initial draft itinerary (I created this based on my research on Fodor and other travel forums). And, of course, many questions. So here is my initial itinerary

Day 1: Sorrento
We will be landing in Naples and then by train, we will reach our stay in Sorrento (or Positano). No activities planned for today. Just groceries fill up and roaming around.



Day 2 and 3: Sorrento

Visit Amalfi coast via SITA bus or City sightseeing bus. We would love to GAPE (literally gape) at the beautiful vista’s AC has to offer. Hence spending 2 days here (morning to evening) and exploring this place either by foot/ferries/bus.



Day 4: Sorrento

Explore Capri; Blue grotto boat tours and in the evening Sorrento town.



Day 5: Rome

While going back to Rome from Sorrento, stop at Naples for a 1-2 hr visit to Pompei. DH would love to see this site. We expect to reach Rome around 6ish only (we are pretty lazy people ). If time permits, would like to see Trevi fountain and Spanish steps.



Day 6: Rome

Visit Vatican city for the day.



Day 7: Rome

Morning Colosseum; evening Villa Borghese gardens or roman Forum and Pantheon.



Day 8: La Spezia

Take morning train to PISA and visit leaning tower of Pisa. And then evening train to La Spezia.



Day 9 and day 10: La Spezia

Explore CT. We will buy 2 days train pass with unlimited access to train.



Day 11: Venice

Take early morning Train to Venice. Mostly, we will reach by evening. Hence not planning much for this day. Evening strolls around Venice’s market hall/Plaza.



Day 12: Venice

Visit Burano and Murano towns.


Day 13: Explore Venice – Clock tower, Doge palace, St Mark’s basilica.

Day 14: Fly back.

Questions:

1) We will be traveling by trains for intercity travel. Should we take any train pass which is valid for any or all trains or bus? Or do we book one ride at a time? (did not understand the train passes; please guide)

2) Points/activities to not miss in Amalfi Coast which offers best views

3) Do we need to book bus from Sorrento to AC (I think it was SITA bus)? Or any other preferred mode?

4) Ferry ride in AC, Capri – blue grotto tour and Colosseum – we will book these tours as soon as we book our air tickets. What are the other attractions which we should book?

5) Which motor taxi to opt for to visit Burano and Murano towns from Venice.

6) Please suggest a way to cover all 5 towns of Cinque Terre with kids. We will have a stroller with us and hence not much hiking.

7) Do we need Lockers reservation required at PISA and Naples to store our luggage?

8) How/where to check for pizza making experience for my kids?

9) Please provide feedback on itinerary and things which can be included/excluded?

10) Any particular bus services to be preferred over trains for intercity travel to cut down changing trains between source and destination cities?

Thank you in advance for the feedback!!
Super Excited

KayF

It looks like you have one day less in each place than you think. Four nights gives you 3 days. Three nights gives you two days. So four nights in Sorrento gives you (days of the week are just an example) -
Monday arrival day
Tuesday Sorrento
Wednesday Sorrento
Thursday depart

You could try writing out a list, or use a spreadsheet, and write in where you will sleep each night. Then slot in where you will be that day.

Just to answer a couple of questions -

I don't think you can book SITA buses on the Amalfi Coast, they are public buses. Buy tickets and wait for the next bus.

Murano and Burano are islands. You can catch a vaporetto (public water bus) from Venice to the islands. If you buy a vaporetto pass when you arrive then you won't need to constantly line up to purchase tickets.

In the Cinque Terre, I'm not sure how safe the walks would be with small children. You can visit each of the villages by train. I suggest staying in one of the five villages instead of La Spezia.

Your trip seems very busy, bearing in mind the two young children. You'll all want/need some downtime. Maybe consider fewer stops with less moving about.

bilboburgler

La Spezzia, for the marble working nearby or CT visiting?

ANUJ

I presume you are flying open jaw i.e. into Naples and out of Venice, to avoid backtracking. I would also stay in one of the CT villages themselves (as opposed to La Spezia) - perhaps Monterosso - its relatively flat, has a beach, offers a wide range of accommodation and restaurants and importantly sits along the main rail line.

Responding to some of your questions serially:
1) Trains : You can simply buy point to point tickets, train passes are rarely worth it. Buy directly at the websites of Trenitalia (state owned railway) or Italo (private railway) - there's little to choose between them , I'd just pick whichever schedule/price is optimal for your route. For some of your long distance routes, you can snag cheap (non cancellable) advance tickets (bookings open ~ 4 months ahead), if you are willing to commit to a specific journey.
2) AC : Please do read up a guidebook. For me personally, I've enjoyed the big3 - Positano, Amalfi, Ravello - but also some of the less obvious ones like Atrani, Minori, Maiori. With kids, I doubt you will actually be able to do much walking/trekking, otherwise some of the hikes like the Path of the Gods or the Path of the Lemons or the Ravello to Minori stairway offer sensational views. Of course, you also enjoy views from the window of a bus.
3) Bus : It's Sitabus, you buy point to point tickets as you go. Please note the tickets are sold at tobacconists/news-stands/authorised shops, and not on board the buses themselves, so be careful to pre-purchase before you board.
4) Pre-booking : I wouldnt pre-book AC ferries or the Capri blue grotto, just turn up and go. Whilst in Rome, for the Colosseum (tickets include access to the Forum, Palatine Hill) and Vatican, absolutely do book in advance - buy directly from the official websites only (i.e. CoopCulture and Musei Vaticani respectively)
5) Murano / Burano : You can arrange this easily when you get to Venice - directly or your hotel can assist.
6) Cinque Terre : With kids, you will rely on the train (or ferries). The Cinque Terre pass (Cinque Terre Card | Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre) which includes trains (apart from access to the trails) avoids the need to buy point to point tickets / validating them at every stop, given the likely queues and tourist hordes in June.
7) Lockers and 8) Pizza class : Cant help there
9) Further ideas : Please absolutely invest in a guidebook or two - Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Fodors .. whatever works for you. Pre-trip research is critical, to identify what appeals to you personally.
10) IMO, the trains score over buses for intercity travel.

HeHateTweeter

I would suggest doing Cinque Terre when the kids are a little older. Your outline is terrific, but as the above poster states, you've got a lot of time committed to location changes. This adventure is filled with an exciting checklist, but is going to be a lot of work. Like a great meal, Italy is best enjoyed at a slower pace.

Jean

This sounds more like a trip for adults.

I also think you're trying to cover too much geography. Your 3 year old will dictate how fast you can move, how much you can see. (Will he/she require a daily nap or, at a minimum, some 'quiet' time every day?) The 6 year old is not going to have the energy (or, frankly, interest) for most things the adults will enjoy. (An entire day at the Vatican???) I would find some kid oriented things to do.

FWIW, an hour or two at Pompeii will barely get you much beyond the entry gates. It's not a small area; it's an entire excavated city and the interesting things are spread throughout. It can be beastly hot in summer, and there is little to no shade. It would be difficult to use a stroller in most of the excavation , if that's what you were thinking of for the 3 y.o.

FYI, some people have trouble with motion sickness on the Amalfi Coast bus and some can become uncomfortable on ferries. Be prepared to alter your plans if necessary.

After landing at Naples, I would take a taxi or hire a driver to deliver you to your hotel in Sorrento. Otherwise, you'd have to travel first from the airport to the Naples central train station and then board a commuter train to Sorrento. Coming off a flight (overnight?), this could be quite a challenge as you keep track of children and luggage from point to point. You need to be hyper-alert, as the commuter train can be very crowded which is always a situation popular with pickpockets. For the same reason, I'd take a taxi from Sorrento to Pompeii and then Pompeii to the Naples train station.

Personally, I'd skip the Cinque Terre on this trip. It's a long way from Rome and a long way from there to Venice. Lots of getting on and off trains (there aren't any no-change journeys on either route), all for just 2 days to explore the CT towns (with more time on trains!!).

With little kids, keep it simple.

sonaligupta2108

Hi bilboburgler,

We were planning to stay in La Spezia for visiting CT towns. But now, we will stay in Monterosso (As suggested by Anuj).

sonaligupta2108

Thanks Jean for the suggestions!

I will keep in mind about Motion sickness on AC roads, Pompei times (will check this in details before adding this in our list), hiring a taxi from Naples to our Sorrento's hotel/apartment.

sonaligupta2108

Thanks a lot Anuj for the suggestion to stay in CT town and answering most of my questions!!
I have been following Fodors guide/forum since long and hence cae up with this draft itinerary. Will research further using Rick Steves.

I would be very grateful if you can share links of any important things to know/do before/while in Italy. I read all on high levels!!

Thanks

sonaligupta2108

Hi KayF,

Thanks for the suggestions!

A little correction for Sorrento:
Monday arrival day
Tuesday AC + Sorrento
Wednesday AC + Positano
Thursday Capri + Sorrento
Friday Depart

Yes, will make Spreadsheet will all details like date - to do- hotel - train timing etc soon.

KayF

Yes, sorry about making 4 = 3! That will teach me to post when I'm very tired. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned already but this website has terrific info on trains - tickets, trains, how and when to book, etc etc.

https://www.seat61.com/

Enjoy your trip, it's such a beautiful part of the world.

sonaligupta2108

Thank you1 Will go through this website for train info.

sonaligupta2108

Hi All,

After reading all suggestions, we are thinking of below changes:

1) I will add a night in Sorrento to visit Pompei.
2) Staying in One of towns of CT instead of La Spezia.
3) May be another night in Rome too.
4) Traveling in month of May instead of JunePlease let me know If this seems impossible too !! Of course we will play it by the ear depending on kids and might cover less spots in a particular city.

laurie_ann

For getting from Naples airport to Sorrento we took the very easy bus. A large "coach" bus, not a "city" bus.

https://mamalovesitaly.com/naples-airport-to-sorrento/

https://www.curreriviaggi.it/en/naples-airport-shuttle

Enjoy the planning!

sonaligupta2108

Thank you for sharing the Naples- Sorrento transportation links. Appreciate the help.

Could you please suggest some same links for touring Amalfi Coast with families. We will do one day through ferries and another would like to do through buses or private car.

NE

On the Amalie Coast - don’t miss the view from Villa Cimbrone in Ravello . You can see for miles and the garden is beautiful .

basingstoke2

Others may not agree, but IMO seeing the AC by Sita bus is probably the worst way. First, you are going in high season which means the bus is likely to be crowded so even if you get a seat you are likely to have the kids in your laps. Then you can look through the likely dirty windows and hope you are on a side where you can see some scenery. Forget about photos. Better to use the ferry. Even better is to drive it yourself and best would be to hire a car and driver. You will find horror stories about driving the AC yourself but I have done it many times . Patience is the key. In the high season it will be crowded and you will go slowly, but so will the bus. The driving is not as bad as some folks make it out to be, and there ARE places where you can pull off and take a photo or three.

As far as Pompeii, in June it will be hot and it is not a friendly place for pushing a stroller. How about the other place destroyed by the volcano. That would be Herculaneum. It is smaller and more intact than Pompeii. It actually looks like a town with many fairly intact buildings and is more friendly to stroller pushing. It is an oft overlooked yet very interesting place that gives a better feel of what it was to live there than Pompeii.

Jean

IMO the problem with driving the AC road is not the actual driving... although I might call it 'creeping' or 'crawling' rather than driving. For me, there are bigger issues:

In high season, available parking can be difficult and time-consuming to find. Every stop requires a new search.

A traffic-reducing scheme instituted in summer 2022 could be extended or made permanent. The ability to drive the coastal road was/is determined by the car's license plate number. Even-numbered plates on even-numbered dates, odd on odd. I don't know how this rule applied/applies to taxis and hired drivers, so you'd have to investigate that.

sonaligupta2108

We are planning to explore AC and nearby towns using
1. First day - thru private driver. Please suggest me some private drivers/companies with whom you had great experience.
2. Second day - By ferry

Thank you.