The Amalfi Coast is 50 kilometers (31 miles) of exquisite coastline that extends down the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula in Italy. On the coast itself, you will find long twisting roads upon magnificent cliffs that drop some 500 feet straight down to the sparkling sapphire waters of the Mediterranean. The region is home to picturesque (and expensive) towns such as Sorrento and Positano, as well as the famous island of Capri. If you stay in Sorrento, you can easily make day trips to historic sites such as Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and Paestum, as well as to the city of Naples.
If you yearn for classic Italian landscape--rolling green hills with red-tiled roofs, a line of Cypress trees leading to a solitary stone farmhouse--then Tuscany is the place to be. Tuscany is a triangular-shaped region in central Italy known for its impact on culture and the excellence of its wine and cuisine. The city of Florence is the capital of the region (and unofficial capital of the art world), and famous hillside towns include Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa, Montepulciano, and Cortona. Tuscany is also home to Chianti, the famous wine region. Should you choose to stay in the country or small town, be sure to rent a car so that you can make day trips to the neighboring towns. If you prefer to stay in Florence, visit the tourist office to sign up for bus tours of the countryside.
Cinque Terre is made of five coastal villages on the Italian Riviera in northern Italy. Each of these scenic villages is perched upon cliffs that offer stunning views of the Mediterranean. The villages are connected by an 11 km (7 mile) hiking trail, known as Sentiero Azzuro ("Blue Trail"). You should be in reasonably good condition to hike this trail, as the hills can become quite steep. If you don't want to hike, you can simply take a train from village to village (recommended for tourists with small children). Many people do not stay in Cinque Terre proper but in bigger nearby towns such as St. Margarita, and Portofino.
