Hi all,
We are planning to spend 5 days in the Amalfi Coast in late June.

Currently thinking of splitting our time 2 nights in Sorrento, 3 nights in positano.

we figure we can do day trips from positano to pompeii and capri.

there are other towns such as Amalfi and Ravello; are we better off in one of those versus staying in Sorrento for 2 nights?

Is everything close enough to where one could go see the other towns?

Any views/opinions regarding the Amalfi coast and specific towns would be appreciated. thanks.

I´d go to both Capri and Pompeii from Sorrento. Sorento is the only bigger town in the area. From there you can take the train to Pompeii and a hydrofoil-ferry to Capri. Both journeys take about 30 minutes and trains are frequent and continue to Naples (1 hour from Sorrento).

Positano is a minuscule village, with very little to see in itself. Looking at a map doesn´t give you a relistic image of distances in the area as the area is rocky and roads are far from straight lines. I´d spend three days in Sorrento and two in either Positano or Amalfi. A bus from Sorrento to Amalfi through Postano takes about 2 hours. That´s only to give you an idea. Views along the northern coastline (Sorrento) and the Amalfi coast (south) are both great.

Sorrento is a much better base for excursions to Pompeii, Capri and also to other places such as Naples to visit the Archaeological Museum or Torre Annunziata to visit the so-called Villa di Poppea at Oplonti or to go to Ercolaneum.
Also Sorrento offers much more in terms of things to do in a easy way because most of the public transportation starts/ends there, there are more restaurants and shops plus two very good museums the Museo Correale and Musea della Tarsia which displays a private collection of inlaid wood made in the area.
Positano is a very beautiful location but if you want to move a lot for excursions is not the best and might cost you more. To go to Pompeii from Positano is a long journey of up to 2 hrs while from Sorrento the train only takes 30 minutes!
I agree with the suggestion of spending two nights in Positano and three in Sorrento.
For info on the area this website is quite interesting http://sorrentoamalficoast.ning.com/

M

I’m a native from the area but live in NY now and return every year. Firstly June will be HOT and BUSY so ask yourself if you want to see a lot or relax. If you want to see a lot then Sorrento is a good hub for the reasons stated above. If you like a little adventure then Naples can also be a good hub – it reminds me more of London and New York and if you stay in the historical part is safe and a real eye opening experience to how the Italians live, you can get to Capri and Sorrento by boat from there which might be more pleasant than driving to sorrento. If you want to relax stay in (expensive) Positano. You can take a small fishing boat out for a day (you can rent them on the beach) and stop off at secluded beaches on the way to Amalfi, and Ravello which is a relaxing day trip is accessible from there also. Capri is great but will also be very busy during the day, be warned its very steep and there’s a lot of walking so try to get there early to avoid the midday sun. The real charm of the place comes In the evening when the tourists return to Sorrento, so you may want to consider staying night there. You’ll have a wonderful time wherever you go think what you want ot go for. Personally if I arrive in the afternoon I check into a hotel in Naples, get some shopping and food there and walk around to soak up the atmosphere and then get a bout the next morning to Positano (bypassing Sorrento completely) and relax there and decide where to go what to do based on the weather and how im feeling. Be very specific when booking trains or boats, there are many options and schedules change all the time, so make sure you know when the first and last boats are so you can get back.

A

Just want to add that the bus ride along the Amalfi Coast (i.e. between Sorrento and Positano, Ravello and Amalfi) can be a problem for anyone who gets motion sickness easily. The roads are winding but the views along the coast are spectacular. The roads are also perched high up on the side of the cliffs and are 1 lane in each direction.

Our bus driver who had one hand on the gearstick while trying to send a text on his mobile with that same hand and the other hand on the steering wheel while having a conversation with an old man in the first row wasn't particularly confidence inspiring either. :D

If you decide to stay in Sorrento and wish the names of two or three local hotels (quality not guaranteed), PM me. We're just back from Czech Republic and Italy, stayed one night in Sorrento. I wrote down the names of two "time-honored" hotels directly on the cliff plus another "time-honored" possibility, the last four stars, about a half block away. Our own hotel was rather far away from the water, a fact which somewhat marred our enjoyment.

The advice about motion sickness is good, if you are at all likely to get it. (We didn't take an Amalfi bus tour. I am speaking of the trip from Naples to Sorrento.) As you probably already know, if you are going the train route, you take the main train station in Rome to Naples, and from there switch to the Circumvesuviana. In our case, however, traveling on Easter day, we found that the Circumvesuviana, a private line, was closed that Easter Sunday. We were then approached by a private van driver who said he would take us to Sorrento for euro 30 each (60 euros) and that he had several other passengers going as well. That worked out very well for us, because a taxi would have cost probably twice as much (120 euros). (I say this just in case anyone reading this ended up deciding or having to get a taxi from Sorrento on a main religious holiday when the CV happened to be closed and were approached by this same "man with a van."--but what are the odds?) Anyhow, if not traveling by train to Sorrento, you will need the Dramamine if you've ever been prone to motion sickness.

Just a general comment--I hope it's not OT: You've probably read the comments about Naples, that you either will love it or hate Naples. I thought it and specifically the people there were glorious! The only expression that fits: Naples blew me away! On the minus side, crossing the street, even in a designated walkway, at the train terminal, the Napoli Centrale/Piazza Garibaldi area, is hazardous. Even though I was in a walkway, a police car tried to run me down--or so it seemed. But the people! Asking for directions, they practically announce, "New friend!" (Not all, of course, but some. As in any large city, most people are somewhat reserved, and there is a language barrier.) And at the pizza place we tried the next day, Monday, as we were returning from Sorrento to Rome, and stopped in Naples for pizza (a left luggage is in the train station so that you don't have to carry your bags around) Trianon was worth the effort it took to find it. (We ended up "tipping" a young person who helped walk us to it--smile. We liked the entrepreneurial spirit of our young, self-appointed guide.) Nearby Da Michele (sp?) would have been another pizza choice, except that we found that it was closed for the religious holiday on the Monday following Easter. No problem. At Trianon, the people at our long table laughed, they joked, were gloriously open and friendly in spite of the language barrier. And the pizza was memorable and glorious.

Addendum: The Circumvesuviana was open the Monday following Easter. I surmise it is closed very seldom, maybe Easter and Christmas? Shouldn't affect your plans, but for anyone else reading this who might wish to be aware of the possibility?

I would stay in Sorrento a couple of days, especially if you want to go to Pompeii (it is an hour ride on the Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompeii). You can take the hydrofoil to Capri from Sorrento or Positano. I'd do it from Sorrento. I would definitely spend the rest of the time in Positano. While there may not be a lot to do there, it is a very quaint, relaxing place. Plus, you can easily take a hydrofoil from Positano to Amalfi and then catch the bus (read: rollercoaster) to Ravello. If you stay in Positano, I recommend the Eden Roc Suites. Although it is higher up in the village, it has a wonderful pool on the top floor of the hotel overlooking the sea. We spent a whole day out there just laying out in the sun, swimming in the pool and reading magazine. It was soo relaxing.

4 nights at the Hilton Sorrento Palace and one night at Villa Eva on Capri. We will use the Palace as our base and make days trips as follows:

One day to Pompeii ruins and on the way back, stop in Naples to see Museum where they sent all of the artifacts collected in Pompeii.

One day coastal bus ride down to Amalfi, ferry to Positano, ferry back to Sorrento

One day, via car rental, to drive down to Paestum where you can see three of the best preserved Greek Temples outside of Greece!

One day for sightseeing in Sorrento.

Just ideas you may want to consider...

4 nights at the Hilton Sorrento Palace and one night at Villa Eva on Capri. We will use the Palace as our base and make days trips as follows:

One day to Pompeii ruins and on the way back, stop in Naples to see Museum where they sent all of the artifacts collected in Pompeii.

One day coastal bus ride down to Amalfi, ferry to Positano, ferry back to Sorrento

One day, via car rental, to drive down to Paestum where you can see three of the best preserved Greek Temples outside of Greece!

One day for sightseeing in Sorrento.

Just ideas you may want to consider...


I had a great experience at the Hilton Sorrento Palace. I loved the look of the hotel and the functionality of the rooms. However, it is quite a hike from the hotel down to the town (especially if going all the way down to the shore to catch a ferry). That being said, if you don't mind walking, it is a very nice place to stay.

What is the recommended way to travel from Naples central train station to Capri? Should I hail a taxi to the Beverello Port? If so, how much should I expect this to cost with 2 luggages?

What is the recommended way to travel from Naples central train station to Capri? Should I hail a taxi to the Beverello Port? If so, how much should I expect this to cost with 2 luggages?