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I would say that to try to do justice to the 5 cities you mention in a fortnight would be too much for anyone let alone someone who is not in the first flush of youth and who has quite a long journey at either end of her stay. Perhaps you and your sister should bury the hatchet and ask your mother which places she would prefer to visit. She may pick different ones altogether! If this is her first visit to Italy I am sure she would love to see Rome and Florence but I suggest you plan the itinerary carefully. You want her to have wonderful memories of her holiday and not a blur of buildings and art treasures. Why anyone would want to go to Naples is a mystery to me, I've been there! If you think you have time to go that far south I would suggest Pompeii instead but it's all a matter of personal taste. She might prefer to see something of the wonderful countryside in Le Marche, but then i'm biased. San Leo in the Carpegna region is really worth the effort and there are any number of lovely medieval hill-top towns. Good luck!

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I used to work in Florence and lived in Tuscany for nearly four years. I shall never forget seeing the fleeting tourists (especially the Japanese - the see every major European city in two hours brigade) rushing around like mad trying to take it all in, and in the end really seeing and enjoying nothing at all.

Of course it very much depends on what you and your sister want to see and do. I would personally start in Naples and work my way up to Venice or vice versa. This way you could fit in Florence and Siena along the way. I would also plan to stay the same number of days in each place so that you can at least savour some of the treasures these cities have to offer without having to rush. Two weeks should just about work out but do keep an eye on the weather during October…if it is rainy, Venice can be a dull (and extremely wet) place to be in.

We had a really good holiday starting in Rome and then going on to Florence and Venice. We did the jorneys in between the cities by train - a great way to travel in Italy. We travelled 1st class which was the same price as standard class in the UK and it's a good idea to book seats depending on the time of year. A manageable holiday especially for someone's forst visit to Italy. That was our second trip - we're now looking forward to our ninth trip to Tuscany, Umbria, Lago di Garda and the Dolomites!!

How about just doing the "big 3" - Venice, Florence and Rome. All fabulous, all different. You and your sister would then have an excuse to visit your own preferences later - if excuse is needed! Whatever, enjoy....
J.

Thanks for the advice folks. I have asked my mother what she wants to see but at the moment she is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she will be in Italy later this year. I do think that Rome will take up the biggest part of our time, Naples the least - we are going there because contrary to popular belief it is actually a nice city (have been there twice and my sister lived there for a time). Also, if we are going to see Pompeii and Herculaneum it is essential (I think) to visit the Archeological Museum in Naples first.

Siena is probably the city that is going to drop off the list as I seem to be the only one that wants to go there. So if we end up with Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples it should remain very doable in two weeks. Things to do in Venice has already been mapped out, bearing in mind what the weather is likely to be, Rome I am leaving to my sister as she lived there and knows the place well, Naples/Pompeii/Herculaneum can be done as two day trips from Rome (good tour company that offers this) and that leaves Florence to sort out.

Florence Venice Naples Rome by train is an excellent itinerary esp. if done by train. You can take the overnight train from Venice to Naples which gets you there at a civilised 10 am. A good hotel with views to Vesuvias is Great Western Paradiso. Have a good trip.

[QUOTE=sdoj]Florence Venice Naples Rome by train is an excellent itinerary esp. if done by train. You can take the overnight train from Venice to Naples which gets you there at a civilised 10 am. A good hotel with views to Vesuvias is Great Western Paradiso. Have a good trip.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! Much appreciated.

Another time saving tip is to fly into one airport and leave from another - Florence is served from Pisa by Ryanair et al.

We had planned to fly into Venice and out of Rome - myself to and from Dublin and mom and sis to and from London. The trip has to start in Venice though - that bit is non-negotiable. The problem arises in that we want to do Naples before Rome but your suggestion of an overnight train solves that particular problem as well, though we will look at flights as well to save time.

The train saves you time! No chasing out-to and in-from airports. Departs around midnight arrives 10 am - 2nd class couchette sleeps 4 or 1st class cabin sleeps 2 it will always be cheaper than a hotel. You might be able to book online at trenitalia.com
If you are interested we know an Arthur Daley type local who will drive you to amalfi coast and back in a day with a fine seafood lunch overlooking the sea. Bit more expensive than a hire car but takes the stress out of negotiating Naples traffic yourself and he plays Neopolitan ballads on his car stereo. Probably you know, Pompei can be reached by suburban railway.

[QUOTE=sdoj]The train saves you time! No chasing out-to and in-from airports. Departs around midnight arrives 10 am - 2nd class couchette sleeps 4 or 1st class cabin sleeps 2 it will always be cheaper than a hotel. You might be able to book online at trenitalia.com
If you are interested we know an Arthur Daley type local who will drive you to amalfi coast and back in a day with a fine seafood lunch overlooking the sea. Bit more expensive than a hire car but takes the stress out of negotiating Naples traffic yourself and he plays Neopolitan ballads on his car stereo. Probably you know, Pompei can be reached by suburban railway.[/QUOTE]

An overnight on the train makes sense. I will see what I can do via Trenitalia. I would be very interested in your local contact for the trip down the Amalfi coast. I might have trouble selling the idea due to time constraints but if I can I will.

I am familiar with the trains around Naples and getting to and from Pompeii and Herculaneum (also, don't bother with the taxi drivers outside Herculaneum station offering to take you down to the ruins - they are a 10 minute walk away).

Thanks for the advice - this is very much appreciated.