barbmhuber

We are going the last week in September to the Almafi Coast, and I was hoping I could get some advice!

We where thinking of flying into Naples, and going to Sorrento for 2 nights, Positano for 2 nights, Almafi or Ravello for 2, and then Capri for 3.

My question is...does it make sense to change hotels, or do you suggest staying only at one? The towns look very close, but is trasportation to and from difficult?

We are open to any advice and suggestions....thank you so much!

nessundorma

If you are planning to visit Pompei, keep your Sorrento reservations. Otherwise, I would stay in the same town on the coast. Ravello is the most difficult to get in and out of, and it has no beach access, but it also the most elegant of the three towns.

Positano is usually favored over Amalfi because it has the higher elevation, and therefore the prettier views. Amalfi fans point out that Amalfi retains a more authentic Italian culture, with working Italians still living there -- whereas Positano is purely a resort catering to tourists.

In the last week of September, you are not likely to have a lot of traffic jams on the Amalfi, but you might encounter some. At that time of year, you also have to be prepared for ferry cancellations to and from Capri, so keep an eye on the weather if you need to be back on the mainland to catch a flight.

steviegene

I wouldnt move around so much. You can easily take day trips to the other towns from one base. I would stay in either Positano or Amalfi. I thought they were both nicer and more romantic than Sorrento.

We made a day trip to Pompeii from Positano, and it wasnt bad at all. Also we made day trips to Amalfi, Atrani, Ravello. The Sita bus is very easy to use and runs frequently.

I would recommend staying 6 nights in Positano, with day trips to other areas and 3 nights on Capri.

ira

Hi B,

The AC is too small to keep changing hotels.

I suggest that you stay in one place on the AC (we very much liked the Hotel Le Sirene in Praiano www.lesirene.com) and then 3 nights on Capri before heading home - or VV.

madameX

Like the others, I'd focus on two places to stay.

While Amalfi and Positano are more romantic, we stayed in Sorrento and Capri in late June, and day-tripped to the other places. We actually liked using the ferries that go between the different towns, but the bus is okay, too.

An unexpected fun thing was that we were in Sorrento during various World Cup games, and the whole town was in good-natured party mood. Positano seemed to cool for such things. While there are plenty of tourists here, it seems a little less dominated by tourism than Positano. We also wanted an easier trip to Pompeii, which is an easy train ride (remember: you want to get off at Pompeii Scavi, not Pompeii itself.) The views from many places in Positano and Amalfi (and Ravello, etc.) are stunning, but we also liked the view from our hotel of Vesuvius across the bay.

I'd stay on Capri a few days because even in tourist season, Capri has a different feel when the swarms of day-trippers go back to the mainland.

As noted before: watch weather conditions. The sea was pretty calm when we were there, but I have lived by the ocean a lot, and know how weather can screw up ferries.

CheBird

We stayed in Sorrento last October for 4 nights and drove to the other nearby towns for day-trips. I see no need to switch hotels just to see other towns. We also took the ferry from Sorrento's port to Capri for a day. We hit Pompeii on the car ride back to Rome on the last day.

By the way, we stayed at the Antiche Mura in Sorrento which was a fantastic hotel.

madameX

I should also mention that this year, we did not have a lot to time to plan our stay in Italy (business commitments changed; it's a long story.) Since we knew it would be very warm in June in these parts, but we wanted to visit anyway, a key consideration was to find a hotel with a pool or a town with relatively easy swimming possible (we don't mind the for-pay swimming piers, either,) and AC. Since we know that the coast can get quite crowded with traffic, we also wanted to just rely on public transit rather than having a car.* The point: part of our choice of location was driven by which hotel had decent rooms, with a pool, at reasonable prices considering the time of year, and was near to good connections for public transit.

*Note: judging by our bus trips, the road along the coast in late June was relatively good for traffic -- much less than expected. From friends who visit later in the summer, I know it can be a mess, and they opt for ferries and trains. I assume late Sept. will be closer to our experience -- traffic not that bad if you have a car. Perhaps others can advise.

madameX

Chebird --

I've heard very good things about the Antiche Mura. As comparison about seasonality, it was full when we tried to book.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel de la Ville in Sorrento, which was fine enough, but I might look at another hotel if I stayed in Sorrento again, just to see other options. This hotel belongs to a group of 4 hotels run by the same family, and the others seemed to have more scenic pools etc. Something we liked about this place, but may not be everyone's thing, is that a combo plays in the garden courtyard at least 3 nights a week. they played mostly rumbas, oldies, and fox trots, but it's nice to have drinks and dance in the evening.

We stayed at the Hotel Luna in Capri. It's an easy walk to Capri town, but a little out of the center, i.e. very quiet unless some guests get frisky on the outdoor terraces. We enjoyed it very much, but the AC tends to be underpowered.

I leave my hotel reviews on www.tripadvisor.com. compared to fodors.com, it seems easier for people to find reviews of a wider array of specific hotels, as well as others' opinions, and there is more writing space.

barbmhuber

Thank you so much for all of your help!
If we where to have dinner in another town, do the buses run until 11 or so?

Steve_James

Barbm - No. Buses stop quite early on the Amalfi Coast - usually about 8 or 9 p.m.

Steve

crumpet

we just did a similar trip from 7/6 to 7/19. we did 2 nights in rome and then drove to positano - 3 nights there at covo dei saraceni...then jet boat to capri for 4 nights at caesar augustus and then hydrafoil to sorrento for 3 nights - stayed at the excelsior vittoria. then back to nyc after sorrento.
i thought we might be moving around too much but i'm glad we did it this way!!!
you really get the flavor of each place by staying there and it's not so hard to get from place to place so we didn't feel like we were losing a day during the transfers...we were by the pool at the new hotel by 1 pm every time! sorrento has a totally different vibe from positano and capri is totally unique.
also, it's good to have the most nights in capri...and a must to stay there at night..it's so crowded during the day with day trippers so when you stay at night you can go into town for late shopping and dinner...it's so fabulous.

i would maybe skip staying in ravello - it's super quiet - we just went there for dinner - we still had our rental car and we drove there from positano and had dinner at palazzo sasso. so it's totally do-able to get to ravello for a few hours from positano. there's probably a bus or you can hire a car and driver.
if you skip ravello i would add a night in positano and sorrento.
i would totally skip amalfi - we stopped there on our way to ravello...it seemed like a seedy positano. not as charming.
anyhow, if i was redoing my trip i'd do it exactly the same way.

good luck and enjoy!! it's really the trip of a lifetime!!!!

crumpet

note to madame x:
we were in positano the night of the world cup win and the people there were totally into it!! it was joy and madness and mayhem in the streets! so positano wasn't too 'cool' to celebrate in a big way!

dorkforcemom

barbmhuber - we, too, are going to the Amalfi Coast along about the last week of September. I'll be following your plans to gain some insight. We're staying at the Antiche Mura as our budget is more limited on this trip - 200 euros per night. Usually, we move around to various locations but thought this time we'd park in one place for a change of pace to try to create a more relaxing time. I'm hoping transportation from town to town is fairly simple, as well. Keep us informed - I'll learn from your plans.

bill_boy

Our earlier trips in Sorrento resulted in staying at inland hotels, near Pizza Tasso. It wasn't bad. However, the last couple of times, we spent a few Euros more and stayed in a hotel by the cliff with breathtaking view of the Bay of Naples. The hotel was Ambiasciatorri.

We don't find ourselves in the Amalfi Coast as often as we'd like to. But when we go again, we're not going to waste our precious travel time and not take advantage of sleeping with a view of, waking up to, and having breakfast by the Bay of Naples. The hotel's private beach was also a fun and relaxing way to unwind, before or after a tiring day.

madameX

Dear Crumpt --

Thanks for the correction about Positano. I guess that since Sorrento is a much larger town, with lots of cafes and restaurants cheek-by-jowl, it seemed like more was happening. I stand corrected.

madameX

First: my apologies that my notes are vague by this part of our trip. We had already been in Europe for 3+ weeks, partly for professional reasons, and sometimes the daily notes were forgotten. I'm still sorting the piles of restaurant cards that we've picked up.

Re: hotels. Bill_Boy's Hotel Abbiascatorri is one of the four in the group of hotels run by a local family that I'd check next time. As he mentioned, we really loved the view of the Bay and a view of Vesuvius, and if your budget can handle it, a hotel with such rooms. The GRand Hotel de la Ville (where we stayed) was quite nice for the room-with-a-view, but next time we'd try one of their other hotels to get closer to the water, and with terraces overlooking the Bay. Still, sometimes our budget only allows for lesser rooms, so whatever works for you. The webite for any of these hotels can connect you to the others, I believe.

(While we MUST have a quiet, clean, comfortable, safe room, we are also big on a good location. There are enough choices in Sorrento that you should be able to get all of these, espcially if you can plan ahead.)

Our preference for hotels can also be VERY dependent on season or if we have to book last-minute (e.g. when only expensive suites are left. We are not very tightly bound by a budget, but there are limits to what we want to spend.) Some friends stayed at the GRand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria earlier in the season, but we stayed in high season and didn't want to pay those rates. However, I'd seriously consider this place if the rates are agreeable. But check a good tour guide for any of them right o nthe coast (e.g. the Johanna Park is much less expensive, but has the view, a pool, concierge servcies, and of course was booked when we tried.)

For restaurants, we went to Caruso twice. It's more high-end, and we were recommended there by friends. The food is very good, but you don;t have to spend at this level to enjoy good food in Sorrento. It's down a small road off the Piazza Tasso, the main square. Another place we liked is La Favorita O'Parrucchiana, which is right on the main street, Corso Italia. This is a huge place, with a lovely garden setting where most meals are served in nice weather (covered from the sun.) I'm sure is a favorite of tour groups, but couples feel very comfortable and well treated (Service was very good, but especially, the major domo does a fabulous job of flattering women or all ages.)

There were too many other good spots down the small and pedestrian-only streets to remember right now, and the cards are somewhere. I'll have to dig up a pizza place that also great very good pasta, at reasonable prices, and was a hub of air-conditioned activity during the World Cup.

'Should also mention that we had lunch at the Hotel San Pietro in Positano. this place is very expensive, whether dining or staying, but was an experience. The Hotel is on its own peninsula just outside of town. Since we had no car, we took a water taxi from Positano harbor, landed at the hotel's private dock, and went up to the dining terrace with the stunning view. Partly we came here because we have had good luck at Relais & Chateaux properties for "the experience" lunch (and occasionally to stay as guests,) and read good things about it. It didn't disappoint. The hotel also gave us the hotel's courtesy driver to get us back to town. It may not be a priority for everyone in terms of how to spend money, but we like to work in something like this from time to time.

'Must admit that while I claim that I would not like to be on the Amalfi Coast in August, if all I was going to do was to enjoy the amenities of the San Pietro (read: not have to deal with the traffic to other places,) I'd do it if I thought I could afford it (NOT goona happen anytime soon.)