2idocs

Based in Sorrento & wondering for a day trip to the Amalfi Coast it would be reasonable to take an early bus to Positano/Amalfi and then return by boat?

Figure it will give us 2 different perspectives and be an adventure for the kids.
Stop at Amalfi or Positano first? Can a boat to Sorrento be caught from either?

wanttogo

When is your trip? The boats only go in tourist season.
I know that we could not take one in October a few years ago-
we missed the final trip by a few days but, alas, I don't
remember the week that we were in Sorrento. We were able to take a boat to Capri, though. The bus is not bad. We only went to Positano-don't miss it.

Pat

2idocs

Going in early July.
More wondering about increasing our experience by seeing 2 different views of the coast.

Had someone suggest getting off in Positano and ferry back from there instead of going on to Amalfi. Would we miss much by doing this?

We'd like to do a short hike, but not hours

kybourbon

The boats don't run late and services weren't as often this past summer. Usually summer schedules aren't out until spring. You might be better off taking the boat trip in the morning and busing back since the buses run quite late.

2idocs

Do the err tickets need to be bought in advance? or could we just wait & see if we're done for the day before deciding to return to Sorreto by boat or bus?

2idocs

Do the ferry tickets need to be bought in advance? or could we just wait & see if we're done for the day before deciding to return to Sorreto by boat or bus?

uncjat

Your plan is totally reasonable. You don't have to buy tickets in advance. We were in Sorrento this past September and took the bus, once, to Positano, and the ferry back. The bus is much cheaper, but a real hassle and, to us, not much fun. There is a bus from Sorrento about every 20-30 minutes, and you have to wait in line. Unless you get there really early count on waiting through at least one bus pick up, since they only take about 50 people at a time. The busses are just packed with people standing in the aisle. Unless your sitting on the right side of the bus (going to Positano), you don't see much. However, the views are spectacular. For the ferries they just keep putting people on; in September we never didn't get on a ferry because it was too crowded (the last boat of the day from Positano or Capri were really packed). You buy ferry tickets at the dock and it is easy. You need a schedule for the ferries to plan your activities. The last boats to Sorrento leave about 5 or 6, I think. We rode the ferries exclusively and several times after our one bus experience.

ItalianGrizzlet

Positano is a much better place to see than Amalfi but you can ferry to both in a day and back to Sorrento.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Whilst most people find Positano the prettier of the two, historic Amalfi offers much much more to see and do.

This useful 'Travel Directory' to the various towns and villages along the Sorrento Peninsula and Amalfi Coast may give you some ideas - although it's well overdue for an update, so do cross-check any times, prices etc - and perhaps ignore their references to the old versions of the 'Metro del Mare'!

http://www.costiera.it/images/pdf/Tr...rectory_En.pdf

............................

With no guarantees that things will be quite the same in 2012, this year there were services from and back to Sorrento as follows:

- Alicost (from April 16th, but I'm not immediately sure when they finished in autumn), two per day, tickets about €13 or €14...

Out from Sorrento, to Positano and then Amalfi, at 10:30 and 15:30.

Back from Amalfi at 12:10 and 16:30, Positano at 12:30 and 17:00 - reaching Sorrento at 13:05 and 17:30.

Very much nearer the time, check here: http://www.alicost.it/content/?id=6

- Two runs by the Metro del Mare hydrofoils (from 1st July until September 15th):

(1) From Sorrento at 09:20 - to Positano, Amalfi and then Salerno (arrived 10:50)
Back from Salerno at 11:30 (from Amalfi at 12:00, Positano at 12:30), arrive Sorrento at 13:15.

(2) From Sorrento at 13:35 - to Positano and then Amalfi (arrived 14:25)
Back from Amalfi at 17:00, Positano at 17:30), arrive Sorrento at 18:10.

Again, next summer look for updated details, here.... http://www.metrodelmare.net/

But don't overlook the many other interesting places along the Coast, such as Vietri sul Mare...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/vietri

... nor Salerno - the provincial capital - with its lovely historic centre:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/salerno33

Rather a lot for just one day!

Peter

Texastrips

Perfectly doable and much preferable to riding all on the buses!
Short but lovely walk is also very possible.

You don't say how old your kids are (we first went when ours were 7 and 11 and have been twice since then so this time they were 11 and 15).

I think a great although longish day is to bus from Sorrento to Positano. Get off at the first stop in Positano. Walk down the little one way road and take in some of the staircase pedestrian paths too. Take the ferry from Poistano beach to Amalfi. Explore Amalfi a bit (limited interest for kids I would say). Bus from Amalfi up to Ravello. Explore Ravello a bit eg maybe the Villa Cimbrone. Hike down from Ravello to Amalfi - no distance at all but extraordinary amazing views and very exciting for the kids to go on the old pathways and staircases. Ravello tourist office gives out free hiking maps. We like the walk from Ravello that leaves from a staircase just by the Cimbrone and goes via Atrani because it's not on the road at all and it's just gorgeous. Then you can walk back from Atrani to Amafi via the pedestrian back street rather than the main coast road - our kids love that final part too. Then ferry back from Amalfi to Sorrento. That would be just a dream day for our family (if we stayed in Sorrento which we never would again as having stayed there twice and on the AC coast twice, we much prefer the AC side but everyone's different).

isabel

We did exactly that and it worked great. One day we took the bus to Positano, spent a couple hours, then took the bus to Amalfi. We like Amalfi better but would never suggest not stopping in Positano. They are small, you can certainly see them both in one day. That day we took the bus back. Another day we went to Amalfi and on to Ravello (and walked down from there). Took the boat back to Sorrento. The bus has slightly better scenery but the boat is wonderful. We were glad we went both ways.

Here's my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm