If you’ve been to the Amalfi Coast

[cuadrado]

We are trying to plan a trip to Italy this summer for 10ish days. We will be flying in and out of Rome. We are hoping to stay in Rome for a few days on the front or back end and then spend the rest of the time in the Amalfi Coast. My work schedule is slowest in June and July so we are hoping to go sometime then, but technically our schedules are flexible. We also want to avoid crowds.

Our plan was to stay in Positano for the Amalfi Coast portion of the trip and then take a day trip or two to some other place - possibly Amalfi, Capri, and/or Pompeii? I think it would be much less stressful to stay in 1 place as a home base vs. packing up and moving hotels multiple times. I’m reading a few conflicting things on Trip Advisor about doing this because of how bad the traffic can be. Does anyone have any thoughts on this, or does it just depend on the specific time you go?

If anyone has any other thoughts about the best way to see different parts of the Amalfi Coast then I would appreciate it!

[gummy]

Staying in Positano makes for easy day trips to Capri & Amalfi. Traffic can be terrible especially in peak months such as June, July & August. However, you can take the ferry or book a private boat. We did a tour to Capri on a private boat that took us all around the island, to the blue grotto and eventually dropped us off for several hours on the island. The public ferry also runs there and can be easily booked with the ferry company on the beach in Positano. Amalfi is even closer and quicker by ferry as well, also booked down on the beach in Positano.

Pompeii is farther and I haven't been. I think however it could make for a really long day by car even without traffic but especially with. If you're set on it, I might hit it on your way in or out of Positano.

[imojoebunny]

I love Positano and Pompeii, we went on to Pompeii on the way, and it was well worth it. Nothing else like it in the world. We took a day cruise to some other places from Positano. It was awesome. It has been many years, and it still sticks in my memory as one of the best weeks of my life and the neatest place I have travelled to. I still remember diving off the boat, into the sea, and being amazed that I could float without swimming because the salt content is so much higher than the Atlantic.

[aprilsails]

The water ferries between towns and cities work great and are pretty reliable. We flew into Naples and then took the ferry to Amalfi and used that as a home base for a week on our honeymoon (Positano is a better choice though). We did day trips to Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Pompeii/Vesuvius bus tour, and had a great time.

[dirtyred]

I took public transportation when I stayed on the Amalfi coast--bus, train, ferry.  It was easy.

[pumpkin]

I think staying in Positano is a great idea. I really enjoyed Pompeii and as someone else said I'd do that on the way to the coast.

I loved Sorrento! So I would recommend spending some time there. It was one of my favorite places. And the limoncello inside the lemon grove in Sorrento might be some of the best I've had.

[moonriver]

We flew into Naples and stayed there for two nights. We took the train to Rome (from Naples) for a (very full and long) day. We could have easily spent 2-3 days in Rome, but we honestly saw a LOT for being there one day only. We did skip the Vatican. Then we went to Positano. We took a train and stopped at Pompeii on the way. They have a place you can store your luggage for a small fee. We spent several hours exploring Pompeii (and did the guided tour), and got back on the train which took us to Sorrento I believe. We then got the bus to Positano. It was a long and curvy drive, but it was breathtaking. We stayed in Positano for 4-5 nights I think. We stayed at Holiday House Gilda. We had a two bedroom apartment with huge balconies right off the cliffs. It was amazing and only ~150 a night, if that. It was a short walk down into Positano where the shops, restaurants, and beaches are, though it also had a closer beach access option as well. We hired a boat to take us to Capri for a day, and then one day we hiked the Path of the Gods which was beautiful as well.

ETA- we went at the end of May. Not too busy yet, and the temps were perfect (I hate super hot weather). It was warm enough that we swam a few times, though I’d say it was more favorable for just laying out than actually getting in the water.

[cuadrado]

Jan 12, 2020 16:21:57 GMT -5 moonriver said:

We flew into Naples and stayed there for two nights. We took the train to Rome (from Naples) for a (very full and long) day. We could have easily spent 2-3 days in Rome, but we honestly saw a LOT for being there one day only. We did skip the Vatican. Then we went to Positano. We took a train and stopped at Pompeii on the way. They have a place you can store your luggage for a small fee. We spent several hours exploring Pompeii (and did the guided tour), and got back on the train which took us to Sorrento I believe. We then got the bus to Positano. It was a long and curvy drive, but it was breathtaking. We stayed in Positano for 4-5 nights I think. We stayed at Holiday House Gilda. We had a two bedroom apartment with huge balconies right off the cliffs. It was amazing and only ~150 a night, if that. It was a short walk down into Positano where the shops, restaurants, and beaches are, though it also had a closer beach access option as well. We hired a boat to take us to Capri for a day, and then one day we hiked the Path of the Gods which was beautiful as well.

Thank you so much for sharing the details of your trip! I want to see Pompeii. We’re flying into Rome and I think we will probably go straight to Positano from there. I’m wondering after an overnight flight if we would be too exhausted to stop in Pompeii. Maybe we could do it on the way out instead. I’ll look into it more. Thanks!

[moonriver]

Jan 12, 2020 16:26:12 GMT -5 cuadrado said:

Jan 12, 2020 16:21:57 GMT -5 moonriver said:

We flew into Naples and stayed there for two nights. We took the train to Rome (from Naples) for a (very full and long) day. We could have easily spent 2-3 days in Rome, but we honestly saw a LOT for being there one day only. We did skip the Vatican. Then we went to Positano. We took a train and stopped at Pompeii on the way. They have a place you can store your luggage for a small fee. We spent several hours exploring Pompeii (and did the guided tour), and got back on the train which took us to Sorrento I believe. We then got the bus to Positano. It was a long and curvy drive, but it was breathtaking. We stayed in Positano for 4-5 nights I think. We stayed at Holiday House Gilda. We had a two bedroom apartment with huge balconies right off the cliffs. It was amazing and only ~150 a night, if that. It was a short walk down into Positano where the shops, restaurants, and beaches are, though it also had a closer beach access option as well. We hired a boat to take us to Capri for a day, and then one day we hiked the Path of the Gods which was beautiful as well.

Thank you so much for sharing the details of your trip! I want to see Pompeii. We’re flying into Rome and I think we will probably go straight to Positano from there. I’m wondering after an overnight flight if we would be too exhausted to stop in Pompeii. Maybe we could do it on the way out instead. I’ll look into it more. Thanks!

We flew into Amsterdam and had a 10 hour layover I think. We planned it this way because I wanted to explore Amsterdam. I did not sleep much on the plane to AMS. I will say that while I was totally fine all day in Amsterdam, once it was time to get back on the plane and fly into Naples I was feeling really sick. I think just from not getting any sleep and pushing it. I slept on the flight to Naples and while it was only 1-2hrs, I immediately felt back to normal.

Do you plan to spend any nights in Rome? I recommend doing the touristy stuff in Rome and THEN relaxing in Positano. So if you’re planning to stay in Rome at all, id do that on the front end of your trip so you can do all the busy stuff first and then truly relax the rest of your trip.

[basilosaurus]

We stayed in a very small town called ravello my first trip. So you can imagine my surprise when only a year or 2 later, the place where we ate 3 times because it was so amazing was mentioned by rosie on conan's show(yeah this was a few, um, maybe 20 years ago). Rosie was not a fan, had a whole spiel about it. Sure, nonna tells you what you want to eat, but you listen because she really does know best.

It was a gorgeous town and we could day trip from there. I have been back to the area maybe 7 years ago? Positano was nice but felt a bit too tourist but it at least is on the water if that matters to you. I never made it to capri. Pompeii is of course special, but don't forget about herculaneum. Many sites I saw on my first Pompeii trip are now entirely closed but herculaneum sees fewer people so felt a bit more free.

You really can't make a wrong decision in a place with beautiful weather and scenery and delicious food So look at costs, drive times (it's not for the faint of heart), and which parts matter most to you.

[spindle92]

Jan 12, 2020 20:02:53 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

We stayed in a very small town called ravello my first trip. So you can imagine my surprise when only a year or 2 later, the place where we ate 3 times because it was so amazing was mentioned by rosie on conan's show(yeah this was a few, um, maybe 20 years ago). Rosie was not a fan, had a whole spiel about it. Sure, nonna tells you what you want to eat, but you listen because she really does know best.

It was a gorgeous town and we could day trip from there. I have been back to the area maybe 7 years ago? Positano was nice but felt a bit too tourist but it at least is on the water if that matters to you. I never made it to capri. Pompeii is of course special, but don't forget about herculaneum. Many sites I saw on my first Pompeii trip are now entirely closed but herculaneum sees fewer people so felt a bit more free.

You really can't make a wrong decision in a place with beautiful weather and scenery and delicious food So look at costs, drive times (it's not for the faint of heart), and which parts matter most to you.

I was just in Ravello in September and while I was only there for the day, I totally fell in love.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

[bunnies]

Also recommend Ravello, and the Villa Cimbrone - walk through the gardens! A charming place to stay is the Villa Scarpariello, on the Ravello coast.

[ellipses84]

I’ve spent a lot of time in Rome, and did a day trip to Pompeii which also included a stop in Herculaneum. A friend was an archeologist in Pompeii and it was cool to get a private tour from him, and see a larger town, but afterwards I felt Herculaneum was even more amazing. I tend to like places that are less touristy and off the beaten path though.

My Amalfi Coast experience include Sardinia and that was a major trek with an overnight ferry and several hour bus ride. So beautiful but when I go back, I’d probably stick to a more accessible beach town.

[lightbulbsun]

I stayed in Sorrento and took day trips to Amalfi, Capri, and Pompeii. I loved Pompeii and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is in that area. I didn't like Capri, it was super touristy, and the beach smelled like gasoline from all the boats. It's ok when you go up to higher ground, I guess, but overall I didn't think it was worth it. Amalfi was beautiful, and there's a ferry from Sorrento which made it easy to access for a day trip.

[mrsd2006]

We are going in May, we fly from ATL to Rome, then on to Naples. We are booked for a few days in Sorrento and a few days in Ravello. I'm trying to decide now if we want to switch from Sorrento to Positano instead, and if we want to stop at Pompeii and Herculaneam on the way (I know we'll be tired so that's got me thinking we'll come back to it as a day trip). Then we fly back from Naples, connecting in Paris to Atlanta.

ETA: we've been to Rome before. I do want to go back there again, but it won't be this trip. 

[sent]

We went 7 years ago. Flew to Naples, spent 2 or 3 nights, then I think we flew to Sorrento? Or maybe train? My memory is fuzzy on that one. We did base ourselves out of Sorrento. Took the ferry to Capri and Ischia and the buses to Positano/Amalfi/Ravello etc. Covered a lot by foot. It was amazing, one of the coolest trips I took to Europe. We felt like we got an overview of everything and if we ever go back, we’d stay in Positano. We did not go to the beach if that was your plan but we did do a thermal bath in Ischia.

We went in July and I don’t remember traffic being an issue but this was pre-Instagram.

[gardengal]

Jan 13, 2020 3:02:54 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

I’ve spent a lot of time in Rome, and did a day trip to Pompeii which also included a stop in Herculaneum. A friend was an archeologist in Pompeii and it was cool to get a private tour from him, and see a larger town, but afterwards I felt Herculaneum was even more amazing. I tend to like places that are less touristy and off the beaten path though.

My Amalfi Coast experience include Sardinia and that was a major trek with an overnight ferry and several hour bus ride. So beautiful but when I go back, I’d probably stick to a more accessible beach town.

I have no insight on the Amalfi Coast, but I toured Herculaneum (with private guide from viatour) & then saw Pompeii in the same day. I agree that Herculaneum is more “must see”. It was kind of flash-burned from the eruption so buildings still have shutters, second floors, etc. it’s also shadier & less busy. It’s a great place to really understand the eruption & daily life better & then just marvel at the scale in Pompeii where there’s like no shade & it’s brutally hot & so many people.

Pompeii was a bucket list place for me but I enjoyed H more (partially bc of tour but also bc I actually Could picture things more?). We really only did H bc I read it was better for kids (more manageable, shade) & I’m SO GLAD we did.

In short, if you’re really into that time period & the eruption, do a tour at Herculaneum & just stroll around Pompeii until you can’t take it anymore!

FWIW, we stayed in Pozzouli which is like an inner burb of Naples. If you’re driving, it’s a nice stopping place bc ferries to islands & they have ruins as well including the 3rd largest Flavian amphitheater in Italy & you can go into the arena & basement. It was like 3E pp & deserted. Again, glad I saw Colosseum but this smaller, less popular attraction made more of an impression