Now that I look back on this family adventure to Italy I am exhausted and exhilarated. Planning a trip for sixteen adults and two bambinos was a challenge. It truly was an adventure for our family to remember always. I wanted to share the experience that I had on my first trip to Italy. Just a little three day taste of each unique and beautiful area. I wanted four distinctly different places. Beginning with beautiful Rome, three days really only gives you a hint of what the area has to offer. From there we took the wonderful high speed trains to Maiori, on the Amalfi Coast.

ROME: “The Eternal City”. A place where the ancient and the modern co-exist. Sometimes on top of one another. Many buildings were built literally on top of ruins of other older buildings. One such place was Largo di Torre Argentina, also known as the Area Sacra. You can see the large sunken square containing the ruins of four temples and the Curia of Pompey. It was only rediscovered because in the 1920s workers were ordered by Fascist leader Benito Mussolini to tear down medieval houses. It is famous because it is where Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Of course, we had to do the tourist attractions in Rome. Because June is such a high tourist season it is vitally important to pre-book your tickets to everything. Never assume you can just walk in the same day. If you are lucky enough to get a ticket you will have stood in a very long line in the hot sun. I ordered tickets for our group for the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Priority Access Guide. Cost: approx. $70 with a guide, self-guided is cheaper. Hard to believe this immense structure dating back to 72 AD. , could hold 65,000 spectators in Roman days. Gladiators fought each other as well as wild animals.

A Trip to Rome must include A Sistine Chapel and Vatican Tour with St. Peter’s. Our cost was 66e each through Get Your Guide. Thousands of tourist and the heat made for a challenging experience. Guided tours can be wonderful but it really is the luck of the draw. You are herded into groups with a guide carrying a flag moving you along in a procession. Our guide forgot his flag, first warning? He did not forget his very long-winded sound of his own voice. Several in the group purposely left the tour and finished up on their own. Sometimes, I think it is better not to have a guide and move at your own pace. Do your own research. Knowing the history and information makes the tour much richer. Note: Leave the Vatican area and then catch your taxi back to the hotel. The taxi driver’s really take advantage of weary tourist and charge exorbitant amounts. Prices drop dramatically just a block away. When catching a taxi always go to a “taxi stand”. You can not really hail a taxi down. Also, look for the official taxis which are white, with a taxi roof sign and a taximeter visible at the front of the car. Taxis are required by law to have a POS machine for credit cards but often they will ask to pay in euros. We had some success calling a taxi using an app but during peak times, the office does not answer and it is much easier to simply walk to a taxi stand. At train stations the taxis move lines of people at an amazingly quick pace so do not worry if you see a long line at a taxi stand. In general, the drivers are polite and courteous, but will try to rip you off if you let them.

I prefer staying at smaller “boutique style” hotels. The Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon located at via Della Ciambella 19, in the heart of Rome was a perfect choice. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. Room size and pricing varied depending on number of beds. For three nights, my tiny double: 549.56e. Triple: 714e. The high ceilings made even a tiny room like mine feel spacious. I booked this hotel through Booking.com but it is a little cheaper booking directly through the hotel.

I loved this beautiful old hotel. The breakfast, which you pre-order the night before, includes complimentary room service was superb. I would always chose extra for a sandwich and piece of fruit for a lunch snack. My only complaint was the entry system which required using a cell phone. The fellow at the desk took pity on me and gave me a real key! We were only minutes from the ancient Pantheon, and there is no entrance fee, however, you must get up early to beat the crowds. The Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps easily accessed, albeit very crowded. Rome was so much fun, especially in the evening, when the temperatures cooled and the crowds lessened. There is a gorgeous Church around the corner which overwhelmed me in it’s beauty. It is called Santa Maria Sopra Minerva created by the Dominican monks in the 13th century. I was awe struck. We sampled different restaurants every night, but our favorite bistro was right outside the front door of the hotel. Be prepared for late night dinners beginning at 7:30pm. It is not customary to tip your waiter, but we usually did. Do not be surprised to get a “service charge” if you sit down in a cafe even for just a quick cappucchino and cornetti.

Traveling can be exhausting. The family, just off their flights, waiting to check into our hotel, all in my room. By morning, after a good night’s sleep, everyone felt better and enjoyed the delicious breakfast delivered to your room or out on the lovely terrace. I managed to eek out one small study on the terrace.

Ahhhhhh the food…………..

TRAIN TRAVEL: I can not say enough good about the remarkable fast speed trains in Italy. They are comfortable, efficient and make traveling so much easier than driving. I booked most of our tickets ahead of time. In this way, you insure getting seats for all of your group at the time you want. It is also cheaper to book ahead as prices will escalate. I used ItaliaRail.com There is also Omio and Trainline which gives many options.

We took an early morning train from the Roma termini Station to Salerno. The cost was 53e. From Salerno you have three options to reach our next destination on the Amalfi Coast. Some of the family took a ferry, others booked a taxi and there is also a bus. The Ferry was a great way to see the beautiful coastline. We used the ferry service TravelMar: Salerno Concordia to Maiori. Cost: 11e. From the train station it is a very short walk, about two blocks to the port of departure called Piazza della Concardia. The taxi for four people was a tad pricey at 110e.

MAIORI: I chose Maiori for several reasons. Firstly, it was much cheaper than some of the other areas on the coast like Positano and Amalfi. Secondly, it has the largest beach front and Thirdly, it was very beautiful and not so crowded with tourist.

The Amalfi Coast is breathtaking. The views look like picture postcards. We stayed at the Angelina Residence, via Santa Tecla 24 in Maiori. The rooms are very spacious and like little studio apartments with individual bath and a full kitchen. It was nice to be able to cook a few meals. But for breakfast nothing could beat the lavish breakfast buffet on the rooftop of the Panorama Hotel, which manages the Angelina Residence. Gorgeous views of the Mediterranean and a wide array of breakfast items. The cost: 11e. We had a pool and the option of the beautiful beach where you could rent an umbrella and a cozy beach chair. Some of the group chose to just lounge around and others did hiking on the “lemon trail”, which takes you over to the next little town of Minori. This lovely seaside town was not so jam packed with tourist. The central square has cute little shops and there is a nice grocery store nearby. The whole atmosphere is picturesque and restful.

The path of lemons is a scenic, historical walking trail that connects the town of Maiori and Minori, and it is a special place. I was a lounger, sorry I didn’t meet the hiking challenge. To begin you must climb 400 steps, then the path takes you through breathtaking views of lemon groves and terraces overlooking the blue Mediterranean.

What a delicious breakfast overlooking the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea.

Time to leave the beautiful Amalfi Coast. The next part of the trip was to get from Maiori to our farmhouse in Tuscany. We were all present at the dock to board the Ferry. Because of the confusion and denseness of the crowds, some of our family missed the ferry. I was not very happy with the disorganized boarding method of the TravelMar Ferry. It was not clear at all who was going where and without any warning the ferry closed the gate and half our family was left behind on the dock. Because we always give ourselves ample time to catch a train it was possible to take a bus/taxi to the Salerno Train Station but it was very stressful and did not need to be. A simple boarding sign or last call for the destination of the ferry would have helped immensely. My advice when boarding a Ferry is to get right up front and also be vocal. Just because you have a ticket doesn’t guarantee you get on the boat unless you pay close attention. More to come…………….