Alternatives to Rome

[lisagro]

We are going on the Carnival Pride in October 2023 from Rome to Tampa. We plan to come to Europe at least a couple of days early to see the sites.We have already been to Rome and have seen the major attractions. I am looking for suggestions for other cities in Italy to fly into that have a lot to see and aren't an unreasonable distance from the port of Civitavecchia. If we did that , we would bypass Rome altogether. And ideas?

Edited October 31, 2022 by lisagro
misspelling

[vplsh]

We are having the same discussion. Looking forward to any suggestions others may have.

[Rysyonok]

I would recommend Florence (Firenze). In a way, time has stopped there in the 1500s. Cathedral (Duomo) is gorgeous - do climb to the top. Bridges over Arno are cities in themselves. And even if you aren't into art, strolling past Uffici gallery is majestic, if only to sit down by Michaelangelo's David for a breather.

 

And you can take a train to Civitavecchia that only takes a couple of hours.

[carlmm]

In the opposite direction, Naples is an option. 2:20 to Civitavechia.

[euro cruiser]

You're not going to see a whole lot in a couple of days, especially since you'll need to get there from the airport and get to Civitavecchia on departure day.  Therefore, I'd pick one place that interests you and that also doesn't require a lot of ground transportation time.

 

Florence is easy by train from either Milan or Rome, the two airports with direct flights from the States.  Pisa and Lucca are another option, I would stay in Lucca (charming walled town in Tuscany) and do a day trip to Pisa, if you haven't already been there.

 

Nearer to Rome Tivoli is a lovely place to stay for a night or two, also easily reached by train.

 

Orvieto comes to mind, again easy by train.

 

And Naples, always.  

[marazul]

The vast majority of international flights go to Rome, Milan or Venice.  To fly to other cities you would have to fly through those airports or another European hub, say Paris. 

Pick another city that is within a short train ride to Rome. And plan to have at least one full day there since you will have two travel days - the day you fly in and the day you go to the port.

I recommend Florence, especially if you were planning to go there from Livorno or La Spezia. That would give you a meaningful amount of time in Florence and would free you up for other excursions from the port, maybe Cinqueterre.

Edited October 31, 2022 by marazul

[euro cruiser]

This is a TA, with no stops in Italy other than embarkation.

[marazul]

21 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

This is a TA, with no stops in Italy other than embarkation.

Didn't realize that. I thought there would be more Italian ports.

I still vote for Florence prior to the cruise.

[dritan]

I'd go for the Bay of Naples area.  I've just experienced this.  FLew into Naples and transferred to a hotel in Sorrento for a few nights.  This was a great base for a day along the Amalfi Coast and a day to Capri.  We caught the train to Rome the day before ( the slightly more expensive Freccia trains cut the journey to 1 hour 20 mins) and then enjoyed Rome before catching a train to Civitaveechia the next morning.

 

In saying that, we are big users of public transport - I stored our luggage near Naples train station so we'd not have too much hassle travel to Sorrento and back. 

[Scottishclover]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:07 PM, euro cruiser said:

Pisa and Lucca are another option, I would stay in Lucca (charming walled town in Tuscany) and do a day trip to Pisa, if you haven't already been there.

Pleased to read this as we are staying  in Lucca for 4 nights before our cruise next year and then getting a train to the cruise port. There is just one change of trains in Pisa. I prefer smaller towns to big cities and it means we still have the option of going to Florence for the day on our own time rather than be restricted by the ship’s docking time at Livorno.

 

I also looked at staying on the island of Ischia near Naples ( we are going in July) but it was going to be a bit complicated with timings. I thought the Amalfi Coast/ Sorrento would be too busy in the summer but it would perhaps work for the OP who is travelling in October.

[challahmom]

Dritan,

Where did you stay in Sorrento?  I’m looking for family friendly hotels in that area, Amalfi coast or Naples?

 

[dritan]

Hi  We stayed at the Hotel Sorrento City which was super close to the train station and a 5-10 min walk to the harbour.  It was lovely and clean, the staff were lovely and there was a great little pastry shop next door that stayed open to 12 and a supermarket on the other side.  A busy street but good soundproof windows.

[challahmom]

Thank you!

[wisteria1019]

Following along…same question for our sailing next October. We’re looking for a slower pace prior to our port intensive cruise. Three nights sipping great wine, sampling wonderful food. 

[Hlitner]

Where to go in Italy?  Let me count the options which would generate dozens of possibilities.  The question about possible airports has been answered so we will not get into that issue.  We would agree, that for a relatively short stay, Florence is the best option for most folks.  It is a fantastic city, generally walkable (for those who are mobile), has excellent restaurants, world-class museums. terrific shopping, and architecture that still makes me smile.  There are also some nice daytrips out of Florence such as going to San Gimignano.  

 

As to the Amalfi Coast, I would be remiss if I did not say that DW and I do like Sorrento!  While it does have some charm, it is among my least favorite places in the region.  For a 2 or 3 day stay we have a few options depending on whether the OP would have a rental car.  With a car, we like to stay in Praiano (or nearby) since it is a small quiet town with easy access to Positano, Amalfi, or Ravello.  One can leave their car parked at their hotel and just take the regional Orange bus into Positano.  Without a car we would suggest staying in Positano although you will find that popular cliffside town somewhat pricey.   It is possible to get to Positano via ferry although one does need to do some homework and carefully check the schedules (there are not as many ferries as one would expect).

 

Another option, often ignored on these boards, is to spend a few nights on the island of Capri.  The logistics of doing so are a bit complicated (we can help) but staying on Capri is nicer than a rushed daytrip (which is how most of us see Capri).

 

I should add that if one has a rental car there are many more decent options.  For example, one could drive to Assissi, or perhaps go to Cortona ("Under the Tuscan Sun" fame).  DW and I actually like staying in the San Gimignano area which gives us easy access to the Chianti wine area and towns like Siena, Volterra, Colle val d'Elsa, etc.  But for a first (or even 2nd time) visitor to the region it is impossible to ignore the charms of Florence.  Over the years, more than one tourist expert has rated Florence among the top ten destination cities in the world.

 

Hank

[cluso]

We just stayed in Siena for 3 nights before our October 2022 TA cruise.  It was wonderful!  The Palazzo Ravizza was a great hotel.  Located inside the walled city, it has large rooms, with great views.  The garden area looks out over the Tuscon countryside and has plenty of tables to enjoy a laid-back day, sunset, and evening.  They have a full bar or bring your own.  Walkable to everything in town.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, cluso said:

We just stayed in Siena for 3 nights before our October 2022 TA cruise.  It was wonderful!  The Palazzo Ravizza was a great hotel.  Located inside the walled city, it has large rooms, with great views.  The garden area looks out over the Tuscon countryside and has plenty of tables to enjoy a laid-back day, sunset, and evening.  They have a full bar or bring your own.  Walkable to everything in town.

 

Thanks for that. Siena has become a favorite during a couple of daytrips and I wouldn't mind spending more time there in future.

[challahmom]

Thank you for all the helpful information!  We have a family wedding in Capri, Italy this summer, 2023.  We’re 10 adults and 8 grandchildren, 2 of whom are toddlers.  We’re looking for a nice, family friendly place to stay between Rome and Capri a couple of days before the wedding.  I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

 

 

[Hlitner]

20 hours ago, challahmom said:

Thank you for all the helpful information!  We have a family wedding in Capri, Italy this summer, 2023.  We’re 10 adults and 8 grandchildren, 2 of whom are toddlers.  We’re looking for a nice, family friendly place to stay between Rome and Capri a couple of days before the wedding.  I’d really appreciate any suggestions.

 

 

My first choice would be to stay on Capri :).  The other obvious choice would be in the Sorrento area (not our favorite place).  Consider that ferries to Capri do depart (on a regular schedule) from Naples and Sorrento.  There are also a few ferries that depart from Positano although this would not be my favorite place for a large family with toddlers.

 

Hank

[challahmom]

Hank,

 

Thank you for your suggestions.  We’re a nice sized, varied-age group of grandparents, children and grandchildren from 1-13 years old.  It would be fun to spend a few days somewhere between Rome and  Capri, since we’ll be in Capri for 5 nights for the family wedding.

 

Joanne

[Hlitner]

27 minutes ago, challahmom said:

Hank,

 

Thank you for your suggestions.  We’re a nice sized, varied-age group of grandparents, children and grandchildren from 1-13 years old.  It would be fun to spend a few days somewhere between Rome and  Capri, since we’ll be in Capri for 5 nights for the family wedding.

 

Joanne

A real challenge.  Since you are talking about the summer you also need to consider that it can be quite hot.  In your situation we would probably look for a decent hotel located on a beach but I noticed you are from FL so a beach may not be in the cards.  If you do want to consider a few days at a beach resort just keep in mind that you are competing with many Italians who head to the coast during the summer.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

You might consider renting a villa with a private pool, assuming you can find the right number and configuration of bedrooms for your family (having done this for my own family many times I know it can be challenging to meet everyone's needs).

 

If a villa doesn't suit, Sorrento might be a good choice for you.  There are a lot of hotels to choose from at various price points, lots of restaurants, and easy access via ferry to Capri.

 

This is my favorite supplier for villas in Campania:  Vacation rental in Italy - Villas and Apartments Amalfi Positano Sorrento Tuscany (summerinitaly.com)

Edited November 16, 2022 by euro cruiser

[challahmom]

Thank you for your suggestions!   We’ll look into them.  
 

We do have beautiful beaches here in St Pete Beach, FL on the Gulf of Mexico.  We would consider a beach, if we could find a decent property to accommodate our group of 10 adults, 5 grandchildren plus 3 in cribs. The key word being decent.

 

If we were to stay on Capri before the family wedding, where would you suggest we stay?

[euro cruiser]

Just for fun, take a look at these two villas in the Sorrento area:

 

Villa Glenna: Self catering villa in Sorrento, Italy (summerinitaly.com)

 

Villa Dulcibella: Self catering villa in Sorrento, Italy (summerinitaly.com)

[challahmom]

17 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

Just for fun, take a look at these two villas in the Sorrento area:

 

Villa Glenna: Self catering villa in Sorrento, Italy (summerinitaly.com)

 

Villa Dulcibella: Self catering villa in Sorrento, Italy (summerinitaly.com)

Thank you so much.  We’ll take a look.