Here We Come! | Italy | August 26, 2025 | Cruise and Land
Activities (🎟️Booked)
- Day 1- 08/26/26 Depart Newark for Naples, Italy
- Day 2- 08/27/25 Arrive Naples, Italy
- Day 2- Ferry from Naples to Amalfi or Private Transportation
- Day 2- 🏨Hotel La Bussola Amalfi 🎟️
- Day 3– Amalfi
- Day 4– 08/29/25 Amalfi
- 🎟️ Amalfi Lemon Experience Tour 🍋10 am
- Option: Paper Museum Tour
- 🎟️ Amalfi Lemon Experience Tour 🍋10 am
- Day 5– 08/30/25 Depart Amalfi for Rome
- 🎟️🚅Trenitalia – Booked through ItaliaRail🚅
- 🏨 Baglioni Regina Hotel 🎟️
- 🎟️ Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Tour
- Day 6- 08/31/25 Rome
- 🎟️ Rome: Pantheon Skip the Line Tickets with Audio Guide 09:30
- 🎟️ Rome: VIP Colosseum Underground Tour
- Option: Rome Foodie Activities
- 🌅 Rome Weather Forecast 🌇
- Day 7- 09/01/25 Train from Rome to Civitavecchia Cruise Port
- Days 7-17 Cruise through BJ Travel – Cruise Only Trip Insurance
- Day 15- 🎟️ Sorrento & Pompeii Skip the Line
- Day 17- Train from Civitavecchia to Florence
- Days 17 to 21- 🏨 Hotel Loggiato de Serviti Brunelleschi Suite 🎟️
- Day 20- 🎟️ Horseback Ride in S. Gimignano with Tuscan Lunch Chianti Tasting
- Day 21- Train from Florence to Venice
- Days 21 to 23- 🏨 Hotel Cavaletto e Doge Orseolo 🎟️
- 🌅 Venice Weather Forecast 🌇
- Day 23- United Airlines Venice to Newark
Other Information
- Transportation to Rome Hotels from Train Station
- Using the Rome Metro (subway) | Tap & Go Payments
- Wine Windows of Florence
- Claiming your VAT refund prior to departure
Day 1 | Tue 8/26/25
🚅 Depart Baltimore (BWI) on Amtrak 94 at 2:28 pm.
Arrive at Baltimore (BWI) at 4:57 pm.
Depart Newark (EWR) Airport | Tue 8/26/25
Depart at 8:45 pm
United 966 for Naples, Italy.
Day 2 | Arrive in Naples, Italy | Wed. 08/27/25
NAPLES AIRPORT
CAPODOCHINO, ITALY (NAP)
United Airlines Flight 966
Arrive 11:30 am
Private Driver
A private driver or taxi can be arranged for travel from NAP to your Amalfi Hotel for a cost of approx. €160. This is a good option as it is possible for ferries to be cancelled due to weather conditions.
It can take 1h to 1h 30m depending on traffic.
Taxi from Naples Airport
To the Ferry Port: €24+
To Amalfi Italy: €155+
+ Not included: tolls, minivan and baggage surcharge.
The taxi lane is located in front of the arrivals.
Flat rates are available for both urban and suburban routes (City Center, Molo Beverello, Mergellina, Pompei, Caserta etc.) They include extra charge: to/from airport, night ride, holiday, luggage and animals. Naple’s motorway toll and radio taxi call are not included.
Day 2-4 | Amalfi Coast | Wed. – Fri. 08/27 to 8/30/25
🏨Hotel La Bussola🎟️
Situated on Lungomare dei Cavalieri, 16 on the sea front. Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, the bus station and the port, from which you can take a boat or the hydrofoil, are walking distance from the hotel. (MAP)
Things to Do on the Amalfi Coast
| Salerno | Vietri Sul Mare (ceramics) |
| Amalfi | Click here for maps of my Things to Do |
| Amalfi | Paper Museum |
| Amalfi | Visting the Cathedral of St. Andrew the Apostle |
| Amalfi | Lunch at the Bar Gran Cafe |
| Amalfi | Dinner at Lo Smeraldino |
| Amalfi | Shop at VLDA Leather Shop (directions) |
| Amalfi | Shop at Il Ninfeo Ceramic Shop |
| Amalfi | Visit S. Croce Beach – free boat from Amalfi Pier |
| Minori | Visit Sal de Riso, Italy’s premier pastry shop for lunch or dinner. |
Wind: 6mph SE
Humidity: 76%
Pressure: 29.88"Hg
UV index: 2
73°F
73°F
75°F / 55°F
75°F / 57°F
Weather in December
December, the first month of the winter in Rome, is still a cold month, with an average temperature ranging between min 25.7°F and 36°F.
Precipitation
In December, the rain falls for 5.7 days. Throughout December, 0.75″ of precipitation is accumulated. Snow falls for 6.3 days, with typically accumulated 0.94″.
Day 3 | Amalfi
Day 4 | Amalfi
🎟️ Amalfi Lemon Experience Tour 🍋10 am
No advanced payment required. Please pay onsite after the tour (€110)
Who does Vince know who does tours of the lemon groves? Georgia does tours! Interested? Jane Pauley and the CBS Sunday Morning show have the story “Growing lemons on the Amalfi Coast” here.
- Walk among the lemon groves.
- Visit the farm and a enjoy a refreshing break with typical products such as lemonade and lemon pie.
- Visit the Museum of rural culture, arts and crafts.
- TripAdvisor Reviews
OPTION: Paper Museum Tour
The Paper Museum is on the road on your walk to the Lemon Experience (map)
Day 5 | Depart Amalfi Coast for Rome | Sat. 8/30/25
Train from Salerno to Rome
Depart 09:59 am – Arrive 11:25 am
You will be travelling in First class on 8418. As you booked through ItaliaRail, you need to call or email them for changes.
via phone (877) 375-7245 (US Only)
via phone +39 06 9763 2451 (Italy)
via email info@italiarail.com
Don’t forget to watch the Partenze board for your Binario (track number of your departing train).
The book window for Treinitalia generally opens 4-6 months the before travel date. Occassionally, some bookings open two months prior to travel.
Time to check for train tickets🚂
Day 5-7 | Rome | Sat. – Mon. 08/30 – 9/1/25
🏨Baglioni Regina Hotel 🎟️
Superior Room with Breakfast
Booked Special Sale $737
Direct Booking Currently $918
What’s nearby
- Spanish Steps – 10 min walk
- Piazza di Spagna – 10 min walk
- Trevi Fountain – 13 min walk
When you stay at Baglioni Hotel Regina – The Leading Hotels of the World, you’ll be in a great location, within just a 10-minute walk of Via Veneto and Spanish Steps. Guests can grab a bite to eat at the coffee shop/cafe and visit the spa to be pampered with deep-tissue massages, aromatherapy, or Ayurvedic treatments. This luxurious hotel also features a bar/lounge, a 24-hour fitness center, and a fitness center.
Public transportation is just a short walk: Barberini Station is 6 minutes and Repubblica – Opera House Station is 9 minutes.
🎟️ Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Tour (Viator)
View major works by Raphael, Michelangelo, and other masters, and marvel at the Sistine Chapel.
Skip the line: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peters Tour .
Meeting Point: Crown Tours
Via Mocenigo, 15 +393891747646
End Point: St. Peter’s Basilica
Tickets have a strict entrance time. It is mandatory to be there at least 30 minutes before activity time. Late arrivals cannot be guaranteed entrance as this could mean the group has already left. Under those circumstances as per standard policy no refund will be issued.
The office is located about 200 meters northwest from the entrance of the Vatican Museums, going down the steps, take first left onto Via Sebastiano Veniero, keep walking straight until the end of the street and then turn right, you will find yourself on Via Mocenigo. The office is located in front of the “Cucaracha” restaurant. The activity coordinators will be easy to spot wearing a purple shirt with the company logo.
Day 6 | Rome | Sun. 08/31
🎟️ Pantheon Skip-the-Line Tickets with Audio Guide
Meeting point: Arrive by 9:15 am
- Piazza della Minerva (map)
Read more about – Rome: Pantheon Skip The Line Tickets With Audio Guide
🎟️VIP Colosseum Underground Guided Tour
Meeting point: In front of the metro station Colosseo at the terrace. The host will be holding an ARENA TOURS SIGN. For any inquires call +39 3514211283
Join a small group of up to 6 participants and experience the Colosseum from a unique perspective. Skip the long queues and enjoy exclusive access directly to the Colosseum an area off-limits to regular ticket holders. With a licensed professional guide, journey back to the Roman Empire and uncover the arena’s history as the stage for gladiatorial battles, wild animal hunts, and grand spectacles.
Explore the Palatine Hill, where Rome’s legendary origins began with Romulus and Remus. Walk through the ruins of ancient temples and marvel at the engineering brilliance that built the Colosseum. Learn about the political and social motives behind its construction and the brutal games that entertained Roman citizens. Soak in breathtaking views over the Colosseum and Circus Maximus while immersing yourself in the grandeur of Rome’s imperial past. Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are self-guided.
Read more about – Rome: VIP Colosseum Underground Guided Tour
Transportation to Hotel
There is a taxi stand just outside the Roma Termini station. Make sure to go to the stand at the end of the station and enter the queue for an official taxi. Make sure that they use the meter and confirm before getting in that they will accept a credit card. If someone approaches you and asks if you need a taxi, it is likely a scam! Wait at the actual stands.
Taxi Stands in Rome
VIATOR ACTIVITIES FOR ROME
Leonardo Interactive Museum
Step inside the creative mind of Leonardo Da Vinci with skip-the-line entrance to the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum in Rome. Your admission ticket offers unlimited access, so you can spend as long you like exploring the exhibitions and admiring Leonardo’s Machines, created from the famous Da Vinci Codes. (Directions)
Rome Foodie Activities
Day 7 | Depart Rome for Port of Civitavecchia | Mon. 9/1/25
Train or bus. Part of Cruise Transfers?
The Port of Civitavecchia (video guide)
- There are several ways to travel from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Civitavecchia:
- Train: Take a train from Fiumicino Aeroporto to Civitavecchia via Roma Trastevere. The journey takes approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes. (Trenitalia video guide)
- Bus: Alternatively, you can take a bus or a combination of bus and train. The total travel time varies but is generally around 1 hour and 27 minutes.
- Taxi or Private Transfer: If you prefer a more direct option, consider taking a taxi or arranging a private transfer.
Cruise Days 7-17
Viator Worry Free Shore Excursions
Day 9 | Santorini (Thira), Greece | 9/3/25 View Excursions
Day 10 | Piraeus (Athens), Greece | 9/4/25 View Excursions
Day 11 | Mykonos, Greece | 9/5/25 View Excursions
Day 12 | Corfu (Kerkyra), Greece | 9/6/25 View Excursions
Day 13 | Valletta, Malta | 9/7/24 View Excursions
Day 14 | Messina, Sicily, Italy | 9/8/24 View Excursions
Day 15 | Naples (Pompeii), Italy | 9/9/25 View Excursions
🎟️ Sorrento & Pompeii with Skip the Line Tickets from Naples Port 8:15 am
Meeting Point: Via Cristoforo Colombo, 248, Napoli (map)
Your tour leader will be waiting for you at the port, outside the kiosk of Ontano Travel, he or she will be holding a sign that will say “Sorrento and Pompeii Shore Emotion tour”
Day 16 | Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy | 9/10/25 View Excursions
Day 17 | Disembark at Civitavecchia | 9/11/25 View Excursions
Day 17 | Train to Florence
Days 17-21 | Florence | Thur. – Mon. 9/11 to 9/15/25
🏨Loggiato dei Serviti 🎟️
This upscale hotel in a 16th-century structure facing a square is a 3-minute walk from the Accademia Gallery, a 7-minute walk from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
The elegant rooms offer period furniture, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and desks. They also come with minibars.
Breakfast is served in a casual dining room. Other amenities include a low-key bar, a TV room and a lobby lounge.
Wind: 6mph S
Humidity: 64%
Pressure: 29.8"Hg
UV index: 3
75°F
75°F
72°F / 50°F
73°F / 54°F
Days 20 | Florence | Sun. 9/14/25
Horseback Ride in S. Gimignano with Tuscan Lunch Chianti Tasting – Meeting Point 9 am
- Full-day Tuscan countryside tour with 1 hour of horseback riding, lunch, and wine tasting.
- Meet at 9 Am in via Curtatone 9, just outside Cafè Gamberini, about 5 min walk from the central train station in Florence (Map)
Explore the Tuscan countryside during a full-day tour from Florence. Your guide will provide a gentle horse and riding gear, then lead you through the vineyards, olive groves, and rolling hills of the Chianti region. Afterward, visit the medieval town of San Gimignano, and enjoy a typical Tuscan light lunch with a wine pairing. Small-group tour limited to eight people.
Read more about the tour.
Florence Activities
Wine Windows of Florence
Click here for information on the wine windows and a self-guided stroll to visit some.
Eataly Firenze
Eataly is a nice place to stop for lunch and to browse their market.
Via De Martelli 22 R (map).
It is on the same street, and close to the Uffizi Gallery.
Day 21 | Depart Florence🚅Venice | Mon. 9/15/25
Train TBD to Florence
Departing Santa Maria Novella train station to Venice Santa Lucia station. (map). Ask the hotel desk for arrangements to SMN by taxi.
Back to Table of Contents
Day 21-23 | Venice | Mon. 9/16 to 9/17/25
🏨Hotel Cavalletto e Doge Orseolo🎟️
Superior Double Room with breakfast.
The 4-star Hotel Cavalletto and Doge Orseolo of Venice overlooks the Orseolo Basin, one of the most famous and enchanting places of the old town center. The splendor of Saint Mark’s Square is just 50 meters away.
Piazza San Marco 1107 (Directions from Station)
