First time traveling to Tuscany. Need help planning

[vlapinta]

Our cousin is getting married in Tuscany at Terri di Nano in Monticchiello, so we will be staying in that area for at least 5 days. The wedding is next September and we are traveling from New Jersey. I would love to see Rome, Florence, Venice and possibly Positano. I am thinking we will have 2 weeks. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to plan this trip. Where should I go first ect. What is the best way to get from one place to another? Any suggestions on places to stay would also be appreciated.
I am excited to plan my first trip to Italy, but also a little overwhelmed.

 

[beejaybee]

Transportation

You will not want nor need a car in Florence, Venice, Rome, but you might wish to rent one for Tuscany. You can do open-jaw airline routing, e.g. fly into Venice pre-wedding and out of Rome at the end of you trip. Milan is also an airport to consider. Trenitalia (train) can take you to the major cities. Figure at least 3 nights in Rome & Florence, perhaps 2 in Venice. We've not been to Positano, so I'm not sure how it relates to the main cities. You could consider Naples and the Amalfi coast after Rome.

Caution in driving into the towns of Tuscany!! The inner cities are zona prohibita for vehicles without the electronic permit given to residents only and you will be caught and heavily fined!

I suggest Rick Steves' travel guide to Italy to help you decide your itinerary.

 

[Pompey Family]

I agree with the advice about not driving in Rome (or any of the other cities you mention). It is absolute mayhem, quite possibly the worst driving anywhere I've experienced in Europe. It's nerve wracking enough being in a taxi let alone driving yourself.

As for Positano you may want to consider basing yourself in Sorrento and taking one of the many trips to Positano from there. There's far more accommodation options in Sorrento (which is a delight in itself) and you're more likely to secure a better deal there. You can also take a trip to Capri if that interests you (quite expensive though). We were in Sorrento last year and my parents took a minibus tour to Positano and the surrounding villages, I can't recall the price but it was quite reasonable (and they're quite tight!)

 

[vlapinta]

You will not want nor need a car in

Caution in driving into the towns of Tuscany!! The inner cities are zona prohibita for vehicles without the electronic permit given to residents only and you will be caught and heavily fined!

What does that mean? I was not planning on driving anywhere except possibly Tuscany. I heard it is a nightmare to drive in the cities

 

[LandLovers]

Wow! I've never heard of zone prohibit -we just got home last week from Italy and we will be going back next year and staying in Tuscany. We planned to rent a car.... Please more information regarding driving.
Last week we used Rome In Limo tour sharing company for Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast which included Sorrento & Positano-however, we were on a cruise and they picked us up from the ports. I spoke with Jany and next year I'm hoping they will pick us up at the train station in Rome for another tour, this time a food and wine tour. This company was Wonderful!! DH was Very apprehensive and later said the tours were the highlight of our vacation.

 

[isisdave]

They're called ZTL in Italy, and they're in every major city like Rome, Florence, etc. Only locals who live or work in the area are allowed in. There are cameras that photograph your license plate and send you the bill if you're in violation.

There ARE signs and often even traffic-light signals that show you when they're in operation (as for example they may not be in effect weekends, or nights like 1-pm to 5am). But when you're lost or confused or trying not to run over pedestrians, it's easy to miss stuff like this.

The rest of the problem is that there is close to NOWHERE to park in these places unless you want to pay €5 an hour.

Florence is small. Take the train and take a taxi to your hotel. You can walk anywhere in Florence south of the Arno in 20 minutes.

Rome is huge but has a great metro system. Read a tour guide and pick a hotel near the Termini station or maybe near Vatican depending on your interest.

I also recommend looking into VRBO or AirBNB.

 

[Glynda]

Rome in Limo

Wow! I've never heard of zone prohibit -we just got home last week from Italy and we will be going back next year and staying in Tuscany. We planned to rent a car.... Please more information regarding driving.
Last week we used Rome In Limo tour sharing company for Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast which included Sorrento & Positano-however, we were on a cruise and they picked us up from the ports. I spoke with Jany and next year I'm hoping they will pick us up at the train station in Rome for another tour, this time a food and wine tour. This company was Wonderful!! DH was Very apprehensive and later said the tours were the highlight of our vacation.

We used Rome in Limo some years ago when in Florence, Rome and Sicily. They were fantastic! Glad to know that they still are! Thanks!

 

[jehb2]

Google "ZTL signs Italy" and select "images". That was very helpful for me. When we saw that sign we just stopped and turned around.