Italy Experts - Need your input please

[///M///]

My wife and I have always taken our vacations without having a formal plan about where we will be staying or what all we will be seeing. Was more fun that way as it gave us the freedom to travel the unbeaten path. We would always figure out our hotel at the end of the day using hotwire Kept it interesting and a lot of fun

But this time around we will have our 1 year old with us which changes the equation dramatically. We definitely need to have a planned vacation with confirmed stops and hotels reserved.

After reading the numerous horror stories about driving/parking, etc in Italy, we have decided to go a week early before the pickup date and enjoy Italy by Train, Plane and autmobiles (not the M). Here is the initial plan and wanted some feedback from you guys who have done this and if this is too much and we need to omit some of the places?

Day 1
Fly from Philly to Milan
Train to Cinque Terra
Spend night in Cinque Terra

Day 2
Explore Cinque Terra
Spend night in Cinque Terra

Day 3
Train to Milan
Flight to Rome
Arrive in Rome by early evening
Spend night in Rome

Day 4 and 5
Explore Rome
Spend 2 nights in Rome

Day 6
Rent a car and drive the Amalfi Coast
Spend the night at Amalfi

Day 7
Drop the car off at Naples and take a train or fly to Venice
Spend night in Venice

Day 8
Explore Venice
Spend night in Venice

ITALY TRIP ENDS
================================================== ======

Day 9
Train to Munich
Explore Munich
Spend night in Munich

Day 10 - 16
Pickup the car
Start a 6 day journey with the M in Austria, Switzerland and France.

================================================== ======

Some bullet points:
- I only need help planning Day 1 to 8 for Italy.
- Rome, Venice and Cinque Terre are mandatory stops
- I don't care about Milan but have to fly there because it is the preferred airport to get to Cinque Terre. It also helps that tickets are half the price of flying anywhere else from Philly.

Does this seem like a lot? Should I drop Amalfi from the plan and keep the rest?

Thanks.

[Loomis Simmons]

Don't bother going back to Milan to fly to Rome. Take the local train to La Spezia and fast train from there to Rome. Stops right in the center of the city. Faster, cheaper, and easier.

[Palomequet]

You can not miss Lucca, Positano and Amalfi.

[Bob Santorini]

Sounds like a good plan.
I've visited Cinque Terra (5 Villages) whilst spending a week in Rapallo. They are spread across that north west coast, we went by boat and ported in 3 of them during the day. All very unique and stunning places.
Regarding Amalfi Coast I would recommend you stay in Positano rather than Amalfi itself. Amalfi is a bit quiet and not much there to see, whilst Positano is very picturesque built into the side of the cliff with all it's narrow pathways leading down to the small beach. Plenty of small bootiques and restuarants and also stunning at night. Go there, you will not be disappointed. Google it and look at the images...
I've been twice and driven the Amalfi coast several times day and night. Amazing scenery.

Bob

[///M///]

All great input guys. Keep it coming

[48Laws]

Take train to Bologna and schedule a visit to Ducati factory/museum online. Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani are about 30 minutes from there in Modena I believe.

[skier]

Why not pickup up the car at the beginning of the trip? By the time you're exploring Italy, your car may very well be loaded on the ship.

[///M///]

Originally Posted by skier

Why not pickup up the car at the beginning of the trip? By the time you're exploring Italy, your car may very well be loaded on the ship.

Read post 1 again I want to enjoy my trip and not stress about the car driving in Italy

[skier]

Originally Posted by dsm918

Read post 1 again I want to enjoy my trip and not stress about the car driving in Italy

Don't drive in Italy if you don't want to; swap the order of your trip, and drop it off before heading for Italy. Your car will make it home sooner.

[///M///]

Originally Posted by skier

Don't drive in Italy if you don't want to; swap the order of your trip, and drop it off before heading for Italy. Your car will make it home sooner.

Sorry, read your post wrong earlier. I didn't even consider that because I know I'll get tempted to keep it another week

[OneRib]

I agree with skier, flip the trip. You drop the car off in Munich and then take the train into Italy. Then less wait time when you get back.

[IRNM4N]

Good plan on using transit as opposed to driving. I am in Como, IT now on our trip and the drive yesterday to Menaggio was insane. Heading to Bellagio in a few and am expecting the same.

[Bluex]

No experience with Italy during ED, but I love your itinerary! I'm envious!

[Bob Santorini]

If you do go to Ferrari, then visit the museum. Just outside is a place called Pitstop where you can drive a Ferrari or Lambo around Modena. Price starts at 100 euros. If the co driver is comfortable with you he'll let you drive real fast and explore the upper rev bands of the car. I had a great time in a 458 spider 2 yrs ago and it was well worth the money.
Pagani factory tour is good but make sure you book online first as its getting popular and numbers are restricted to around 10 people per tour. We got a glimpse or Mr Pagani himself too.
Oh I love Italy!

[Whttiger25]

Originally Posted by Bob Santorini

If you do go to Ferrari, then visit the museum. Just outside is a place called Pitstop where you can drive a Ferrari or Lambo around Modena. Price starts at 100 euros. If the co driver is comfortable with you he'll let you drive real fast and explore the upper rev bands of the car. I had a great time in a 458 spider 2 yrs ago and it was well worth the money.
Pagani factory tour is good but make sure you book online first as its getting popular and numbers are restricted to around 10 people per tour. We got a glimpse or Mr Pagani himself too.
Oh I love Italy!

Think it's call Push Start?

http://www.pushstart.it/en

[///M///]

Originally Posted by Palomequet

You can not miss Lucca, Positano and Amalfi.

What is good in Lucca?

[Bob Santorini]

Originally Posted by Whttiger25

Think it's call Push Start?

http://www.pushstart.it/en

Oops, yes that's the place.

[Palomequet]

Originally Posted by dsm918

What is good in Lucca?

Please check via michelin.com for all your questions in Europe, it's a must tool.

[///M///]

Originally Posted by Palomequet

Please check via michelin.com for all your questions in Europe, it's a must tool.

Sorry but what's a tire company got to do with this? Am lost

[///M///]

So i redid the route and after looking at the commute time between these places, looks like it will be impossible to do all of them in 8 days and especially with the added challenge of a 1 year old. I also want to enjoy the places and not keep running to get to the next one.

So that said, I have to make a choice between Cinque Terre/Lucca OR Postiano/Amalfi Coast. Anyone who has been to both these places, what would you pick? The latter makes more sense since it's close to Rome and I could just fly into Rome.

Thoughts?

[Bob Santorini]

Positano and Rome mate. Cinque Terre is more like a place to visit in a day. Positano you can chill for a few days and not get bored and it's also just a couple hrs or so from Rome.

[Palomequet]

Originally Posted by dsm918

Sorry but what's a tire company got to do with this? Am lost

Please check viamichelin.com you are going to be amazed traveling Europe without it