The Perfect 10-Day Italy Itinerary to Rome, Positano & Capri

Italy Itinerary

Are you heading to Italy, or dreaming up your next vacation? The Busbee family jet set on another exciting adventure this month to…Italy! Erin and her family visited Rome, Positano, and Capri and she shared ALL of the details with us. She planned this trip as an early 50^th birthday celebration and it did not disappoint. The Busbees spent four days in Rome, four days in Positano, and two days in Capri. In this post, we’re sharing how they got there, what they did, and all of Erin’s favorite stops, eats, and activities. Let’s dive in…

For even more travel inspo, make sure you check out this page with Erin’s favorite destinations, packing tips, outfits, and more!

Day 1) Travel Day & Trevi Fountain

The Busbees left from Colorado on a Saturday and landed in Rome on Sunday. Most flights get you in early in the morning or around mid-day so when you get there, you’ll have time to start exploring the city immediately. After checking-in to their Airbnb, they wanted to keep it simple and not pack too much in after a long day of travel, so they went to see the Trevi Fountain since it was so close to where they were staying (more on that below). Everything you read about visiting the Trevi Fountain suggests you should get there super early (like 6am) to get a view without a ton of tourists. Based on Erin’s photos and videos, that was true. There were SO many people, it was hard to even walk around it…but they still got a great selfie! She also said that visiting some of the hot spots at night was best because it wasn’t as crowded.

After that, they went to grab a classic Italian aperitivo at La Terrezza at the Bulgari Hotel Roma. It’s a beautifully landscaped rooftop terrace where you can enjoy some light bites and drinks. It also has a wonderful view and was a great place to start their trip.

For dinner, they went to the birthplace of fettuccine alfredo, Alfredo alla Scrofa. And, yes, it was delicious! In Rome (and on the rest of the trip) they ate their weight in pasta and ordered ravioli, pizza, and gnocchi at pretty much every meal. Erin said she’s not sure she consumed a single vegetable!

Erin has been to Rome once before but it’s been almost 30 years! She was super excited to go back.

You can find everything Erin packed for Italy in this post. Plus, packing lists for a checked bag OR a suitcase in this post.

Where to Stay in Rome

There are SO many options when it comes to where to stay in Rome. Erin recommends looking at the sights you want to hit and then determining a central location. You can book a hotel, Airbnb, Vrbo…again, SO many options. The Busbees stayed in this gorgeous Airbnb (pictured above) that was AMAZING!! It lacked a view and outdoor space but made up for that with the luxe finishes throughout, charm, and a perfect location. It was featured in Architectural Digest, recently renovated, absolutely beautiful and the attention to detail was amazing. Plus, it was within walking distance to a lot of main attractions like the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps. Erin even had a short photoshoot in the house with a photographer. (But there are SO many other Airbnb and hotel options for less too.) Giuseppe was their host and Erin said he literally planned the vacation for her…he even recommended hotels in Capri and made calls on her behalf. He also scheduled private tours of the Colosseum and the Vatican for them.

Day 2) Bus Tour, Colosseum & Roman Forum

On their first full day in Rome, the Busbees spent the morning doing a Big Bus Tour to see all of the main sights. The Big Bus Tour is a hop-on/off bus that leaves about every 15 minutes and when you take the Red Route you get 8 stops at the top attractions like the Colosseum, Piazza Venezia, Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, and more. You get headphones to listen to commentary, so you know what you’re looking at and get a semi-guided tour, which was perfect for the family!

That afternoon, they went to see the Colosseum and Roman Forum. They did a short private guided tour so they could learn about all of the history and really take it all in.

That night, the Busbees had dinner, grabbed some gelato at Venchi, and walked up the Spanish Steps. They were beautiful at night and a great way to see the attraction while there weren’t as many tourists like there were during the day.

Day 3) Vatican City

The next morning, the Busbee’s headed to Vatican City for a short, private guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. They toured the grounds by car and entered St. Peter’s Basilica through the same back door as the pope! It was so beautiful and really breathtaking. If you’re planning to visit the Vatican, we highly recommend booking a tour or purchasing tickets to skip the line. Especially during the busy season (June-August), the lines can get crazy long – think 3-hour lines! The Busbees have a 2-hour max limit on all tours, especially when it involves a museum. Erin shared that they could have easily skipped the Vatican Museum and simply seen St. Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel and been perfectly happy.

That afternoon, Erin did a photo shoot with a professional photographer named, Federico. She shot in the apartment and on the streets of Rome, which was an interesting experience (she said she felt like a movie star), but the photos turned out SO great and we cannot wait to share those with you…stay tuned! 😉 Then, they headed to dinner and stopped by the Pantheon on the way back to their Airbnb.

Day 4) Getting to Positano

Next stop…Positano! Getting from Rome to Positano can be tricky and there are a couple of options including a ferry, bus, train, or taxi. The Busbee’s opted for a private car service to take them from Rome all the way to Positano, set up by Giuseppe. The drive to Positano was beautiful, but not something she wanted to navigate. Plus, with the kids and all of the luggage, it was easiest to drive. It’s pricey though so if you’re looking for an affordable option, consider the train and bus options. If you’re planning to travel in Europe, this site is very helpful for finding all of the possible routes you can take to get from point A to point B.

Where to Stay in Positano

The Busbee’s checked in to Villa Fiorentino for their stay in Positano. They have special villas that are ideal for families because they have multiple bedrooms and more space. Plus, the apartment had a big balcony and that quintessential Positano view, which was a must-have for Erin because she really wanted to take pictures with that view for here on the website and social media. Most of the accommodations in Positano are very expensive (more on this below) making it difficult for families who need multiple rooms. Erin says she loved Villa Fiorentino because of the views and outside space, but didn’t love the interior.

Like many hotels in Positano, breakfast is included, which is so nice! At their hotel, you chose anything/everything you wanted from a list every day for breakfast, and they delivered to your room and set it up on the balcony. She said it was so wonderful to sip your cappuccino overlooking the gorgeous cliffside town. Breakfast was actually one of her favorite parts of the visit!

Cost of Trip to Italy

It’s worth noting that Positano, and really any trip to the Amalfi Coast, is very expensive. Especially when you go during the busy tourist season of June-August. You can find affordable places to stay in larger cities like Rome, Florence, Naples, Milan, etc. and even other cities on the Amalfi Coast like Amalfi and Ravello, but the more popular towns like Positano and Capri are much more expensive. Erin admitted that there was a bit of sticker shock when they booked everything for this trip. While the flights were fairly reasonable, the accommodations really added up. She looked at one 5-star hotel in Positano that was $6,000 euros PER NIGHT (for a regular room – 2 people)…insane! Erin said she walked through that hotel just to see if it lived up to the hype, and it did not. In case you are wondering which hotel, it’s La Sirenuse.

Day 5) Positano

On the Busbee’s first day in Positano, they wanted to relax and take a day to recharge so they enjoyed some pool time. While there are quite a few beach clubs in Positano, they are PACKED so the Busbee’s opted to sit by the beautiful hotel pool enjoying the views and quiet. If you have a serene beach scene in mind, Positano is NOT the right place.

By the way, if you didn’t already know, Positano is extremely vertical…it’s literally a town built on a cliffside, so there are a ton of steep stairs! Don’t even think about wedges or heels. It’s flats or sneakers only.  If you want to take a taxi (which you can do pretty easily) it’s 30 euros no matter how short or long the drive. So, if you go to dinner and back, that’s already 60 euros, which is expensive. The Busbee’s walked everywhere after discovering the taxi prices.

Day 6) Amalfi Coast Boat Tour

The next day, they headed out on an all-day boat tour of the entire Amalfi Coast to see the different towns. They all love being on the water, so they enjoyed being able to get in and swim and snorkel. Gage LOVES to fish. He even swam to a beach one-handed (fishing rod in the other) to try and catch some fish. Unfortunately, even with Elizabeth working tirelessly as Gage’s “fish spotter,” he only caught one tiny fish. Erin shared that overall the excursion was absolutely wonderful.

Day 7) Positano

Their last day, they rented a boat (just the family) for a half day. Chris has a lot of boating experience, so it was simple for them to navigate. On their last night in Positano, they took it easy and enjoyed walking around, exploring the town.

Day 8) Capri

From Positano, the Busbee’s took the short ferry ride over to the island of Capri. It seemed simple enough, but they had to take their bags down 300 steps to the marina and on/off the ferry…and Erin did not pack light for this trip. They ended up hiring a porter company to help move their bags. Once they arrived, the hotel, Capri Tiberio Palace, had a porter service to take their bags and they hopped into a taxi to get to the hotel.  Their room was spacious, had incredible views, and a huge balcony. It’s worth noting that while this is a beautiful and quiet hotel…you can’t access it by car. They had to walk for about 10 minutes to get there after the taxi dropped them off.  That night, they had dinner at Restaurant Da Paolino, which is known for its incredible dining under beautiful lemon trees and its famous lemon dessert.

Erin loved Capri and thought it was SO beautiful. Right away she thought it looked a lot like Positano but walking around the town, it felt different. It has higher-end shopping and more pedestrian-only areas. There were also so many narrow passageways. You can walk to the marina, but it takes 30+ minutes, plus grappling with no shoulder on an already super narrow and twisty road… so they took a lot of cool open-air taxis. Thankfully the taxi prices in Capri were more reasonable (around 20 euro versus 30 in Positano). As in Positano, there were SO many tourists…something like 20k per day on a tiny island that is 4 square miles. At night, it was quieter and thousands of tourists cleared out. She says she is glad they stayed there to experience the island with and without the huge volume of people.

Day 9) Capri

On the Busbee’s final day in Capri, they had a reservation at the Da Luigi ai Faraglioni Beach Club. They were supposed to take a boat ride to the beach club by the Faraglioni rock formations, but the sea was WAY too rough so they stayed at their main location. Since the sea was so rough, no one was swimming. They just stayed long enough to have that European beach club experience and then went on another boat ride to tour the island. Erin says that beach club scene is SO different than our traditional U.S. beach experience.  Later, the Busbee’s ended up having their final Italian meal at a nearby casual Italian restaurant that the hotel recommended…and they played Mambo Italiano, which felt like the cherry on the sundae of a pretty amazing trip! After dinner, they walked around a bit exploring the town a little more before turning in to prepare for a long travel day back home.

Day 10) Travel Home

To travel home, the Busbee’s took a ferry to Naples (about an hour), then had a private car service take them to Rome so they could fly out of Rome. It’s typically cheaper and easier to fly out of Rome versus Naples. It was a long travel day but it was all worth it! And, a pretty awesome way to celebrate her 50th!

Erin’s Overall Thoughts on Italy…

Erin shared…

“I LOVE Italy!! The Italians are so friendly, and I could listen to the language all day. The beauty is what I am truly enamored with… it is one of the most naturally beautiful countries. They have the sea on both sides and mountains throughout the country – look at a topographical map, there are a LOT of mountains!!
Italy also has some of the most gorgeous architecture. Not to mention the style. Italians understand the value of looking chic and polished. I also love the weather… it’s warm but without the crazy humidity. It actually got really chilly at night in all three places. I brought a couple of blazers and a sweater that I rotated in the evenings. The food is also awesome.
Yes, Italy is crowded and expensive, but there are reasons why people keep coming…  it’s really special. Other places on my Italy wishlist: Puglia, Tuscany, Umbria, Dolomites, Lake Garda, and Cinque Terre. I would also like to go back to Verona and see the opera outdoors.”

Have you been to any of these destinations and have any travel tips you want to share? What places are on your Italy wishlist? Please share the knowledge in the comments below!

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