Travel Review: Italy Family Vacation, Rome, Venice, Florence, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Vatican

The entire trip was memorable. Rome was one bucket list moment after another, from the Colosseum to the Vatican to the Sistine Chapel and all the beautiful piazzas. We toured Pompeii and then had a delicious lunch and wine tasting at a winery at the base of Mt. Vesuvius. We took a day trip to Capri with a private gozzo tour around the island. It was beautiful and we got to jump off the boat to swim in the sea at various points, stopping all around in the various grottos, truly an unforgettable experience. We toured the Amalfi Coast with a wonderful driver who expertly handled the treacherous winding roads and traffic to get us from Positano to Amalfi to Ravello. I don't think my husband or I would have enjoyed driving that ourselves, so it was perfect to be taken along by someone who knows the area. He even recommended a great scenic spot for lunch. Florence had fantastic food and shopping, as well as stunning art and we were so lucky to have an art historian as our guide. Venice was spectacular and it was so surreal to be traveling the canals in a gondola after having seen it so many times in movies, etc.  The water taxi to our hotel, as well as for our airport transfer were prearranged. We were even met by a guide at the train station upon our arrival to Venice, to help us navigate to our water taxi. A great idea, as we were stunned by this beautiful, one of a kind city. It's astounding to see it for the first time, it's so iconic. All of the hotels were exceptional and seemed to get better and better, ending with the converted palazzo that we stayed at in Venice, right on the grand canal and absolutely breathtaking inside and out. I am still dreaming about this trip, it was amazing!