A group of ten of us are renting a villa just outside Pienza for a week in September (more on that at the bottom.) After the first week together we will disperse and head in different directions. My husband and I and another couple are heading for Positano for four or five nights and therein lies the question.

We have six days time before our friends' flight out of Naples and so we can either spend all five nights down in Positano or else we can take our time driving from Pienza down and overnight somewhere on the way. Any must-see stops on the way down or should we just head for our ultimate destination?

We will have spent a couple days in Florence nosing around waiting for the villa to become available and then we will have spent a week in the villa riding bikes, wine tasting, visiting the hill towns as we feel like it and generally just enjoying the view off our pool patio. We're more interested in the charm of a place than it having a museum or church, etc., although those are interesting as well.

Now a little note about our rental. We are renting through www.tuscanhouse.com (recommended here at SlowTrav) and we have a five-bedroom (all King beds) five private bath called Villa Toscana. The rate for our week was $6,400. We paid our 50% deposit and received a great package of maps, restaurant listings, etc., and didn't think much of it. About six weeks ago we get a note from Zak of Tuscan House stating that the owners had decided to lower the price in September and though we had already agreed to the higher price, Tuscan House only thought it fair to extend the offer to us as well! We now have the same beautiful home for $4,900. We can't recommend anything yet because we haven't been and done, but it is definitely starting out on a positive note.

Well, after a week of Tuscan relaxation (btw, Villa Toscana looks lovely - and this post renews my impression that Zak is one of the Good Guys!) I think I'd be ready for a bit of metropolitan action! Pienza - Naples is an easy day's drive: I'd stop off in Naples for a couple of nights (not quite sure what I'd do about the car: I've never yet driven in Naples and am in no hurry to...), eat lots of pizza, see the archaeological & capodimonte museums, plenty of baroque churches, and even (if I was feeling strong enough) the veiled christ. And after a couple of days of that, I'd be ready to relax again in Positano.

Jonathan

quote:

We have six days time before our friends' flight out of Naples and so we can either spend all five nights down in Positano or else we can take our time driving from Pienza down and overnight somewhere on the way. Any must-see stops on the way down or should we just head for our ultimate destination?

These are the "must sees" that come quickly to mind (no doubt there are more that others can think of):

Orvieto

quote:

We have six days time before our friends' flight out of Naples and so we can either spend all five nights down in Positano or else we can take our time driving from Pienza down and overnight somewhere on the way. Any must-see stops on the way down or should we just head for our ultimate destination?

These are the "must sees" enroute that come quickly to mind (no doubt there are more that others can think of):

Orvieto
Attigliano
Tivoli
Palestrina
Frascati (area of Castelli Romani)
Anagni
Fiuggi
Montecassino
Casserta
Naples
Pompei
Ercolano
Vico Equense
Sorrento

If it were me (and I wish it was), I'd drive down below Rome and stay one or two nights in Sperlonga, relaxing in a great moorish village overlooking the sea, with an actual sandy beach, beautiful (and one of the cleanest in Italy). The crowds will be gone, and you can still swim. If you go, try to stay in accomodations in the old town, preferably facing south.

Positano hasn't much of a beach, but it's beautiful in its own unique way, and the Amalfi coast drive is terrific.