What a wonderful gift from your family! Rome is a great place to start and easy to get trains to other major cities in Italy. If you are an adventurer, use Trip Advisor or Viator to schedule tours that interest you. We used 'See Amalfi Coast' when in Naples (one place I would definitely hire someone for touring) so we could visit the coastline from land. Bruno was our awesome guide, but it looks like he is no longer with them. You can book the tours you want and have a more personalized experience. Also, it's easy to find accommodation kiosks at train stations to book a hotel for a few days. They are typically more "local" types of accommodations so you get less of the "American" experience and a more European one, which we prefer. The biggest recommendation I have is to travel light. Italy is wonderful and romantic...don't rush through!
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