Italy! Where do I begin?

So, we are considering (well just thought) of Italy for our HM, we both have always wanted to go but didnt even research because we wrote it off as being too expensive.

Well, anyway, girls who have been to Italy...we dont want to do a tour...we will have a limited time (only 7 or 8 nights) (I know this is very very little for Europe but thats all we can do with work)...so many towns come to mind and I dont know where to start. Rome (of course), Venice, Florence, Capri, the Amalfi coast, etc....

So I am totally clueless about where to begin- I will begin to research but first hand knowledge would be great.

If I only wanted to stay in one or two towns while in Italy (since we are so limited with time), what would be the best place to stay to be able to see the most on day trips to other towns.

Also, hotels?

O God,,,I am lost, lol. Any advice would help! Thanks!!!

I will obviously work with a travel agent if we seriously consider Italy but I really like to have an idea of something before we speak to someone. It makes it easier for me to filter their ideas, know what they are talking about in the first place rather than listening to them and not having a clue

My favorite parts of Italy are Florence, Capri, and Pompei.

Florence is gorgeous with all of the old architecture, churches, etc.

Capri is south, down by Sicily. If you go, you MUST go to the Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra). It's unbelieveable!

Pompei is awesome because of the history behind it - Volcano eruption. It's all of the ruins that have been untouched since the volcano eruption and it's amazing.

FH and I went to Italy in 2007. It was the first trip there for both of us. We stayed in Rome, Venice and Florence -- taking the train between cities. I'm not sure how many miles it was from Rome to Venice, but it was a few hours on the train. The train ride was very pleasant, though. We got to see some beautiful scenery. We also took a day trip from Rome to Pompeii, which was a VERY long time in a crowded bus.

In Venice, we took water taxis to see the islands of Murano and Burano. Those were day trips.

The best food was in Florence, though. We ate at a restaurant called La Congrega twice. I'd go back just to eat there again. Florence also has a lot of cultural attractions -- we saw Michelangelo's David and took a walking tour of some of the attractions.

I'm glad we went to Rome to see the Coliseum, the Vatican, etc., but it wasn't what I expected. It definitely had the feel of any big city.

When we started planning, we picked up a couple of travel books that focused on the areas of the country we were interested in. Then we did some internet searches.

I would first decide if you want to sight see or relax...for instance, Rome is a bustling metro area - definitely a must see for me when I went because I'm Catholic and wanted to see the Vatican and also wanted to see the historic sites - but I wasn't on my honeymoon. It's not relaxing at all. Venice was lovely in my opinion. Just such a neat city and you could walk around and sit in cafes and enjoy yourself. Same with Florence. Lovely and more relaxing. What I did was I travelled by train to Venice (spent a couple of nights), then to Rome (couple of nites), Florence for a night and then did a few days in Cinque Terre (along the Ligurian Sea) - I used Rick Steve's guide which I highly recommend for places to stay at and eat/sites to see etc. for all budgets. Train makes it easy to get around. I've never been to Capri but here it is amazing. May be more relaxing than these cities...

A great idea is to go to a Barnes and Noble or other book store, sit in the travel book section and look at pics of the different places (without buying the book)-you can browse...take some notes of what looks up your alley.

FH and I went to Sicily for 7 days in October. We didnt have an idea of where we were going. But we got a good deal, so we booked it! I got the Frommer's book on Sicily to learn what was there. We rented a car with a GPS and off we went. It was such an amazing experience. We started on the North West side of the island and we saw about 75% of the island in the time we were there. We put 1100 miles on the car and saw sooo many things! Sicily is beautiful, food is amazing, and the western part is not as touristy either. We did a lot of the touristy stuff as well (went up to the top of Mt. Etna - highest volcano in Europe - and saw the sun set; saw ruins and old amphitheraters; climbed a castle (in flip flops!!!))

If you want more info, FM me. There were a few things we missed. And I think if we had another 4-5 days we could have seen everything!!! But it was great!

Good luck planning!!!

I have been to Italy 25 times in my life my entire family lives there(Sicily)I try to go twice a year.

I love love Rome (2-3 days)its a great city to start your trip in. Hotels I never stayed in one b.c I studied there and I have a friend who lets me stay at his place. Just dont stay in the area near stazione Termini. Stay in the area called Rione Monti, I suggest either staying at Bed Breakfast

I can def recommend food and shopping places for tourist things bc believe me prices are so different for the same things its unbelievable

Florence(Eurostar from Rome is 1 hour and 30min North of Rome) is a really nice city and it is so romantic. I stayed at unbelievable clean and nice hotel called hotel-nuovaitalia
I was in college and had no money and this hotel was in my Frommers guide to Italy.Perfect location. I would say if you are on a tight schedule Florence for 2 days with a day trip to Pisa(1 hour from Florence) is perfect
http://www.hotel-nuovaitalia.com/location.htm

Naples is an hour south via EuroStar from Rome. Its really nice but I feel that you would need a car or a tour to see the area, with the exception of the islands of Capri and Ischia.

Venice is about 3 hours(from Florence)and If i had to decide I would fly between Florence and Venice to save time and see Venice. I stayed in Mestre(its is on mainland). It was 15 min via a bus to Venice and I liked the fact that it wasnt in the center. Mestre is like a suburb of Venice so food etc was cheap.
link

Please FM anything you like. I love traveling around and I would suggest signing up for Kayak price checker, to see when they have the cheapest flights to Italy

MY FH goes every year.
He just said go to just Rome.

Thank you girls!! I have a lot to think about!

Anyone know anything about the Amalfi coast? Positano?

Because of limited time, you may want to consider a cruise. The best parts of Italy are Florence, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Venice, Rome.

Because we too wanted to see a lot of Europe, we are doing a 12 day cruise in Europe which has Italy as a main focus but also visiting Spain, France, Greece and Croatia. Let me know if you want any info on the cruise.