Rome to Southern Italy: Amalfi & Puglia — Self-Launched

Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express train into Termini (£12, 32 mins) or the cheaper regional FL1 to Trastevere (£2.30). Check into a hostel near Termini or in Monti. Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided walk: Colosseum exterior, Forum viewpoint from Via dei Fori Imperiali, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona. Grab a gelato (avoid the tourist-strip stands, look for 'artigianale'), then dinner in Trastevere across the river. Book your Naples train tonight.

🚌Leonardo Express or FL1 regional train from Fiumicino

🛏Hostel dorm in Monti/Termini area (~£28)

• →Self-guided historic centre walk
• →Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps
• →Dinner in Trastevere

Take a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale (~1h10, £20-30 if booked ahead; regional Intercity is ~£15 but slower). Drop bags at a hostel near the station or in the Quartieri Spagnoli. Do your own version of Intrepid's Naples walk: wander the Spanish Quarter's grid of narrow lanes, the historic centre along Via dei Tribunali, and stop for a classic margherita at a proper pizzeria (L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele or Sorbillo, ~£7-9). Try a 'caffè sospeso' — the Neapolitan tradition of paying forward an espresso — at a bar in the centro storico.

🚌High-speed train Rome–Naples

🛏Hostel or budget B&B in Naples centro (~£30)

• →Self-guided Spanish Quarter walk
• →Naples historic centre
• →Pizza margherita tasting
• →Caffè sospeso experience

Take the Circumvesuviana commuter train from Napoli Garibaldi to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri (~35 mins, £3). Pre-book a 2-hour small-group guided entry via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£40-45 incl. skip-the-line entry) or just rent the official audio guide (£6) plus entry (£16). Give the site 4-5 hours — the Forum, the brothel, the Villa of the Mysteries and the amphitheatre. Optional afternoon add-on: Herculaneum on the same train line (£12 entry, far better preserved). Stay overnight in Pompeii or nearby to break the journey.

🚌Circumvesuviana train from Naples

🛏Guesthouse in Pompeii or Torre Annunziata (~£32)

• →Guided or audio-guided Pompeii tour
• →Optional Herculaneum visit

Take the EAV bus from Pompeii to the Vesuvius trailhead (Vesuvio Express from Ercolano is the easiest option, ~£20 return incl. park entry), then walk the 30-40 minute crater-rim trail with its own information boards — the paid volcanology guide is nice but not essential (~£10 extra). Head back down and take the Circumvesuviana from Pompeii to Sorrento (~30 mins, £2.50). Settle into a hostel or guesthouse above the old town. Evening: a limoncello tasting at a Sorrento limoneto or shop (~£10, many are free with a bottle purchase).

🚌Vesuvio Express bus + Circumvesuviana train

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sorrento (~£38)

• →Vesuvius crater rim walk
• →Sorrento limoncello tasting

A free day. Walk the Marina Grande and Marina Piccola, then take the fast hydrofoil from Sorrento to Capri (~25 mins, £20-23 each way, buy at the port or on the Caremar/NLG app). On Capri, do a self-guided walk from Marina Grande up to Capri town and Anacapri, and take a shared boat into the Blue Grotto if the sea is calm (~£15 on the rowboat). Optional: a gelato-making session back in Sorrento can be booked directly with local gelaterie (~£35) if you want the Intrepid experience — skip it if budget matters. Return to Sorrento for the evening.

🚌Hydrofoil Sorrento–Capri return

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sorrento (~£38)

• →Capri day trip
• →Blue Grotto boat
• →Marina Grande and Marina Piccola walks

Take the SITA Sud bus from Sorrento to Amalfi (~1h45, £2.80) — sit on the right for the view — or the seasonal ferry if running (~£18). Continue 5 minutes by local bus or 30-minute walk to Minori, the less-visited village that replaces Intrepid's hotel. Check into a guesthouse or B&B. Afternoon: walk the short flat Sentiero dei Limoni (Lemon Path) between Minori and Maiori, and explore Amalfi town — the Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea and Chiostro del Paradiso (£3). Don't try the Valley of the Mills late in the day; save it for Day 8.

🚌SITA Sud bus or coastal ferry

🛏Guesthouse in Minori (~£40)

• →Sentiero dei Limoni walk
• →Amalfi Cathedral and cloister

The trip's big hike. Take the SITA bus from Amalfi to Bomerano (~30 mins, £1.50), then walk the Sentiero degli Dei west to Nocelle and down the 1,700 stairs to Positano — 3.5-4 hours, mostly level contour walking with one short uphill section, no guide needed. Wear proper shoes and carry 2L of water. Reward yourself with a swim at Positano's Spiaggia Grande or Fornillo, then take the coastal ferry back to Minori (~£10) or the SITA bus if the ferry isn't running.

🚌SITA bus + coastal ferry

🛏Guesthouse in Minori (~£40)

• →Path of the Gods hike
• →Positano swim
• →Coastal ferry ride

Walk up from Minori through the Valle dei Mulini past the ruined watermills (1 hour to the reserve gate, free entry before 9am or a small nature-reserve fee thereafter). Continue into the Valle delle Ferriere for waterfall pools and dense fern forest — a genuinely cool, shaded 3-4 hour round trip and a great break from the coast's crowds. Afternoon: seasonal boat service between Amalfi, Positano and Capri if you want more sea time, or just an afternoon on Minori's beach and a cheap pizza slice.

🚌On foot from Minori

🛏Guesthouse in Minori (~£40)

• →Valle delle Ferriere hike
• →Valley of the Watermills ruins

Take the local bus from Minori to Amalfi and change to the Ravello bus (or walk the 1,200-step staircase up from Amalfi if you're feeling fit — 1 hour). Ravello sits 350m above the sea: visit Villa Rufolo (£8, Wagner's garden terrace) and Villa Cimbrone's Terrace of Infinity (£10). Wander the Duomo and have a slow lunch in the piazza. Bus back down in the late afternoon. Optional repeat of the Path of the Gods if you loved Day 7.

🚌Local SITA buses Minori–Amalfi–Ravello

🛏Guesthouse in Minori (~£40)

• →Villa Rufolo
• →Villa Cimbrone
• →Ravello old town

Long transport day. Take the SITA bus from Minori or Amalfi to Salerno (~1h15, £2.80), then a Trenitalia train Salerno–Bari Centrale (~3h, £20-30 via Frecciargento, or ~£15 regional with a change), then a regional train Bari–Trani (~40 mins, £3.50). Check into a B&B or hostel near the harbour. Evening: self-guided stroll around the crescent-shaped marina at golden hour, then a glass of Moscato di Trani at a marina bar.

🚌SITA bus + Trenitalia trains

🛏B&B in Trani old town (~£35)

• →Trani marina evening walk
• →Moscato di Trani wine tasting

Do a DIY walking loop of the old town: the Cattedrale di San Nicola Pellegrino on the water's edge (free), the Frederick II castle (£5), the medieval Jewish quarter with its Scola Nova and Scola Grande synagogues (guided visits around £6, or view from outside), and the fishing marina. Take a mid-morning cappuccino in Piazza Re Manfredi and watch the fishermen unload. A low-key day — a good chance to catch up on laundry and recharge before Puglia's busier towns.

🚌On foot

🛏B&B in Trani old town (~£35)

• →Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino
• →Frederick II Castle
• →Jewish quarter and synagogues

Regional train Trani to Bari (£3.50) then Bari to Lecce on the Frecciargento or Intercity (~1h45, £15-20). Lecce's station is a 10-minute walk from the historic centre. Instead of the group walk, join a pay-what-you-want or £15 GetYourGuide evening walking tour of the Baroque old town — or just pick up a free tourist map and do it yourself: Piazza Sant'Oronzo, the Roman amphitheatre, Basilica di Santa Croce and Piazza del Duomo.

🚌Regional + Intercity trains

🛏Hostel or B&B in Lecce centro (~£32)

• →Lecce Baroque walking tour or self-guided loop

Full day in Italy's Baroque capital. Climb the Colonna di Sant'Oronzo, peek inside Santa Croce with its absurd carved facade, and spend the afternoon in Piazza del Duomo. Do an aperitivo at a Salento wine bar with local specialities — a small glass of Primitivo or Negroamaro plus a plate of taralli, olives and friselle (~£10-12). Optional half-day bus to Otranto and its mosaic cathedral (£4 each way) if you want a seaside break.

🚌On foot / optional FSE bus to Otranto

🛏Hostel or B&B in Lecce centro (~£32)

• →Basilica di Santa Croce
• →Roman amphitheatre
• →Puglian aperitivo

Regional train Lecce to Ostuni (~50 mins, £6). Ostuni's whitewashed 'città bianca' is a 15-minute bus or taxi from the station — spend 2-3 hours in its narrow lanes. Then take the regional train Ostuni to Monopoli and change to the FSE Sud-Est line to Alberobello (~2h total, £7). Check into a trullo guesthouse (surprisingly affordable, ~£40). Evening: walk Rione Monti and Rione Aia Piccola as the day-trippers leave and the lighting comes up.

🚌Regional train + FSE Sud-Est line

🛏Trullo guesthouse in Alberobello (~£40)

• →Ostuni white town
• →Rione Monti and Rione Aia Piccola at golden hour

Morning visit to an olive oil mill just outside town — several accept drop-in tastings for £10-15 with a bottle to take away, and you can ask your guesthouse to arrange it directly. Then take the FSE train Alberobello–Bari (~1h20, £5) and a bus or train Bari–Matera (~1h15, £5-8; Flixbus/Itabus are cheapest). Arrive in Matera and take a self-guided wander through the Sassi, then join a local 2-hour cave-town guided walk (£20-25, GetYourGuide or bookable via your guesthouse) and see the Ipogeo cistern beneath the main square (£6).

🚌FSE train + Bari–Matera bus

🛏Cave guesthouse or hostel in Sassi/centre (~£42)

• →Olive oil mill visit and tasting
• →Matera Sassi guided walk
• →Ipogeo underground cistern

Morning free to explore Matera's alleyways and cave churches without the crowds, then take the bus or train to Bari (~1h15, £6). Check into a hostel or B&B near Bari Vecchia. Afternoon: wander the old town's lanes past the Basilica di San Nicola, the Swabian Castle exterior (£5 to enter) and the centuries-old tradition of women making orecchiette in their doorways on Via Arco Basso. Final dinner by the harbour — grilled seafood and a glass of local Primitivo, or cheap and excellent focaccia barese for under £3.

🚌Bus or train Matera–Bari

🛏Hostel or B&B near Bari Vecchia (~£30)

• →Bari Vecchia old town
• →Basilica di San Nicola
• →Orecchiette street walk

Breakfast at a pasticceria, then the 30-minute Ferrotramviaria train to Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (£1.50) or onward trains up the Adriatic coast if you're continuing to Bologna/Venice. Trip ends.

🚌Airport train from Bari Centrale

• →Last pasticciotto in Bari