ITINERARIES

Listed first is the trip we took in 2000, and which we heartily recommend for distance traveled, time spent in Rome, miles covered without (much) stress, and least number of museums.  (If you are a serious museum and historic site buff -- or a first-time traveler -- you can still use this itinerary.  We substituted shops, malls, and discount outlets for sites.)

Below that is our 2002 itinerary:  Amalfi Coast, Capri, Venice, and Rome.  This was not a driving tour.  If you are planning your first trip to Italy and are on a budget, Itinerary 1 is clearly the choice; but if you are not on much of a budget and don't want to do any or much driving, Itinerary 2 is a good start.

Each of these trips was 14 days.

Our 2004 itinerary, 12 days, was identical with that of 2002, save that we did not go to Capri.

Our 2005 itinerary, 9 days (one week plus a weekend) was identical with that of 2002 and 2004; okay, we're going through an Amalfi Coast/Rome/Venice phase.  It's like when we asked someone in Positano, where do you go on vacation when you live in paradise?  Well, that's what those three cities have been for us; but we probably won't go back to Venice.   We promise to be more adventurous in 2008.  (By the way, the residents of "Posi" go to the Vietnamese Coast.)

TWO- WEEK ITINERARY #1
September 6 to September 19, 2000

Milan to Florence to Rome to Mediterranean Coast to Piemonte to the Alps to Lake Lugano to Milano.  It sounds like a lot, but it was pretty relaxed.

    Day 1:     Arrive at Malpensa (NW of Milan), drive 120 miles to Florence, stay at Pensione Bencista.
    Day 2:     Spend day in Florence, museums, food, shopping
    Day 3:     Decide hate Pensione Bencista.  Check out.  Drive to Vinci to see Leonardo museum and ceramic factory, then decide too late to see Siena on way to Gargonza.
    Day 4:     Drive 90 miles to Rome; see hilltowns along the way.  Stay at Aldrovandi Palace Hotel
    Day 5:     Tour guide in Rome (Anna Livia's info is in Places to See), all day.
    Day 6:     Shopping, tour of film lab outside Rome, lunch in Rome, afternoon at the Vatican.
    Day 7:     More shopping, late start for 80 miles up coast to Hotel Torre di Cala Piccola.  Leisurely lunch in Porto San Stefano, leisurely check-in, leisurely swimming, drinks, dinner at hotel.
    Day 8:     Leisurely up the coast to Hotel Cenobio dei Dogi in Camogli (near Portofino).  Lunch on surprisingly good stuff from an autostrada deli.  Dinner in hotel.
    Day 9:     Up the coast, in to Pisa, then back to the coast and around Genoa, stopping for lunch at La Braja, then on to Locanda del Sant'Uffizio in Cioccaro (Piemonte).
    Day 10:   Wander through Piemonte looking for discount mill outlet stores, find super mall instead to buy underwear, water, deodorant, ending in the Alps foothills at Hotel Eurossola (Domodossola).  Arrive for lunch (the advantage of not trying to drive too far) and very pleasant shopping and stroll through town, followed by above average dinner at hotel.
    Day 11:    Rainy, can't see the Alps on drive through extremely narrow and curving road which gives Kaye chest pains and leads to slowing of vehicle, arriving for lunch near our destination, Hotel Stella d'Italia in Mamete (Lugano).
    Day 12:    Hang.  Relax.  Enjoy hail storm.  Take pictures.  Take a walk up river.
    Day 13:    Shopping at the Fox Town mall.  Best adventure of the trip.  Relax outside (see pix).  Enjoy last day in Italy.  Watch Olympics live.
    Day 14:    Early departure to get to Malapensa Airport (45 miles) in the rain.  Arrive very early.  Buy wine.  Feel sorry for selves.  Fly home. 

TWO WEEK ITINERARY #2
May 22 - June 5, 2002

Rome (Fiumicino) to Positano to Capri to Venice to Rome.  One week car rental (check Car Rental for details and warnings), remainder by air, boat, and cab.

    Day 1:   Arrive Fiumicino airport (5:30 pm).  Get rental car, drive to Hotel Roma, Fiumicino.  Fantastic dinner at hotel's restaurant.
    Day 2:    Drive to Positano.  Raining.  Don gear and walk down into town for great shopping.  Supper at La Cambusa.  Take picture on Positano page from hotel window.
    Day 3:    Mixed clouds.  Fabulous lunch (uncrowded) at beautiful Le Sirenuse.  Hired driver  in evening to one of three three-star restaurants in Italy, Don Alfonso, in Sorrento.  Magnificent.
    Day 4:    Hired driver (see Lucio in Places to See - Amalfi) to Ravello, cloudy but mild.  Check out Villa Cimbroni.  Confirmation Sunday in the Church.  Unforgettable fish soup at Da Gemma in Amalfi.  Drink at San Pietro (the one with the famous benches on the cover of every book on Amalfi Coast) on cliff's edge on way back.  Dinner at Buca di Bacco on beach.
    Day 5:    Early morning drive to Sorrento.  Extreme luck in finding Marina for ferry to Capri.  Cross fingers leaving car at parking garage.  Arrive at Capri, cab to town square, walk immense distance dragging bags to hotel, Punta Tragara.  Most beautiful view of all trips.  Walk, see, shop.
    Day 6:    After fall down steps (Russ) walk 825 steps down to Da Luigi, too windy for boat to marina; walk 825 steps back up.  More swimming in heated saltwater pool.  Sunbathing on terrace.  Supper in lemon grove at Da Paolino.
    Day 7:    Only frantic day.  Hotel gets bags to marina.  Walk to town center, cab to marina.  Hotel has tickets and bags waiting.  Ferry to Sorrento.  Car is still there.  200+ miles to Fiumicino to have splendid airport (!) cafe lunch [2005 note - this wonderful restaurant, in the mazgazine/deli area, has since closed because a Burger King arrived (damn US corporate greed) but there is a decent restaurant at the far end of the airport (mezzanine]; plane to Venice, water taxi to Londra Palace hotel.  Magnificent room and view.  Supper at (overrated?) Da Fiore, select balcony table over canal,  henceforth to be referred to as Table on Sewer for Visiting Americans.
    Day 8:    Sightseeing, shopping.  Find famous bead shop, buy stuff.  Free launch to lunch at Hotel Cipriani, a must see (and must stay if we go back to Venice).  Cancel supper reservation, too tired.  Supper at local pizza place, which proves adage that most Venice restaurants for tourists are overpriced and crap.  Select your restaurants ahead of time.
    Day 9:    Sightseeing, shopping.  Re-find famous bead shop.  Buy stuff.  Walk to Rialto Bridge.  Gondola trip out since Gondoliers on strike.  Lunch at very nice Al Graspo de Ua.  Gondoliers flood the place, order very expensive wines.  Strike ends.  Get Gondola ride.  Supper at deservedly famous (and hard to get into) Al Covo (cash only back then - credit cars okay now).
    Day 10:  Water taxi to airport, fly to Fiuimicino.  Arranged car and driver a no show.  Cab to Rome, Hotel de Russie, incredible place.  Shop, walk, eat.
    Day 11:   Car, driver, guide to see more of Rome.  Lunch at Hotel Eden, said (inaccurately) to be best view of Rome.  Indifferent food at very high price.  Afternoon, buy linen.  Supper at Hotel de Russie at terrace restaurant.  Fabulous.
    Day 12:    Business day.  Business lunch at Hotel de Russie.  Incredible business supper at Mirabelle, terrace restaurant of Hotel Splendide.  Night view of Borghese Gardens and floodlit St. Peter's Square visual highlight of stay, view far better than Hotel Eden.
    Day 13:    Relaxed shopping, sightseeing, walking.  Last night supper at our favorite Roman restaurant, Camponeschi.  Sigh because trip is ending.
    Day 14:    Arranged car is on time at 5:30 am.  Civilized check in.  Fly to Heathrow.  Civilized wait for plane in Virgin Atlantic UpperClass Lounge - arranged by friend - then fly to Los Angeles.  

TWELVE DAY ITINERARY #3
June 11 to June 23, 2004

Rome (Fiumicino) to Positano to Venice to Rome.  One week car rental (check Car Rental for details and warnings), remainder by air and cab.  Identical in travel with Itinerary #2 except that Capri was eliminated.  Other variations:  Le Sirenuse (at last) in Positano, and Locando Novacento in Venice.

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