I cave into the tipping thing in Belgium (France and the Netherlands too). No outside pressure at all, just who I have been my whole life. First thing I do after clearing customs is hit the ATM at the Airport near the train station. Only way to tip them is with cash as there isn't a tip line on anyone's bill.
Capuchin Crypt was cool. If i recall we did it after having lunch at the restaurant near the Coliseum. It was within walking distance.
At the coliseum - we did the basic tour - we had a guide that was horrendous. We spent 20 minutes outside with him with other guides passing us- finally get inside and going on 20 minutes of this guy talking about nails or something used that were stolen for years because of the price of iron- It was so bad that it got suffocating...there were about 40 people in this group- guy is talking and my wife raises her hand- he stops and asks her what her question was - And only as my wife would "Are we required to stay with you? I am bored as hell and don't care about stolen nails- I want to see where the tigers were. Can we just leave and walk around on our own?" Our group went silent- and his response was that we did not have to stay with him- immediately, us and about half the group left. I wish I had an iphone back in those days so I could have recorded it- We ended up having 3 couple invite us for drinks after that.
That is a *lot* to do over 8-10 days. I would delete Venice; I enjoyed my trip there very much, but it is far north of the rest of your preferred destinations; it is a 3.5 hour train ride from Venice to Rome, and everything else you want is at least an hour south of Rome by train. When you are in Rome, a visit to the Vatican (which is out of town --something I never knew before I went to Italy) is well worth while. The advice to have a guide there is very sound. No matter where you go, please be on your guard for pickpockets, etc. When we were to Naples, our tour guide wouldn't let us out of her sight, but perhaps she was being overvigilant. Enjoy!!
I would suggest that while Venice is nice you will be doing a lot of traveling g from Venice to Rome. You might consider Florence which has the Duomo, Bapistrt doors and both David’s. There are no cars allowed in town so you would have to walk. Rome is stunning and it is imperative for you to get reservations for the Vatican Musesm. Ra the Sistine Chapel. Go to the top of St. Peter’s the views are awesome.
We used the tour company that Mrs Screw recommended they were great an amazing experience
Thanks. Looking at April, so we'll hit Venice and we want to jump around and see a bunch, but not too much. Amalfi Coast in April is mid-60s so it'll be nice but not super warm like June and July, so that's why we aren't focusing all of our time there. Why do you recommend Sorrento over Positano?
Thinking hotels but open to anything really…only booked flights but nothing else yet. We are doing 8 days.
I understand how you feel. Did you see Florence? You might have the same view. Venice and Florence are truly outstanding for Renaissance art, but not everyone is into that.
IMHO, you made the right choice by staying solo in Florence rather than going to Pisa. I don't have to tell you how many wonderful places there are in Florence to view first-rate art and architecture. If I were to go back to Italy, Florence would be my first choice.
April should be a very nice time of year for your trip.
Sorrento is a good base for visiting the cities and towns down the Amalfi coast. Venice to sorrento is a pretty serious hike, so whatever means of transport you want to take, assume that will be a full travel day without much sightseeing or relaxing.
Stayed a few nights in Monterosso, in a hotel that was embedded in the cliffside. Drove in from La Spezia. Nice base to explore the other towns perched along the cliffs overlooking the sea. Train strike limited access to other towns. But hiked to Vernazza one day, had a great lunch, then took a boat back to Monterosso.
Cinque Terre hiking between villages is terrific. Those little monorail contraptions to harvest lemons growing on the cliffs are a marvel, as is the Limoncino/Limoncello. Seafood and pasta and vino meals were splendido.
I was there about 15 years ago, so things may have changed. There are parts of the trails that are gorgeous (the towns are all gorgeous), and pose no safety threat. But we also walked up mountainside stone steps with only a hand wire rope type thing in the mountain for safety. I bailed at that point. Maybe they've improved that.
You're right. I was on a group tour that did Venice, Florence and Rome in about ten days with a side trip to Pompeii. By the time I got used to one city, it was time to move to another. If I were to go again, I would spend much of my time in Florence and Tuscany with a few days in Venice. Like some other posters, I dislike having to pack repeatedly.
I flew into naples this summer then did sorrento, capri, positano and did pompeii for a day trip.
Public transit is fine. Take the BUS from naples air port to the train station. Then train to sorrento and make that your first stop. From there you can ferry to capri, positano, amalfi, etc
I also agree that public transport is fine. If focusing on amalfi coast, you can base out of sorrento use the ferry. More convenient and scenic. The bus can be annoying.
Milan is a business/industrial center and the transportation hub for Northern Italy. Easy day trips to Lake Como, Garda Lake, Verona and Venice, Turin and Genoa, and Parma.
