Esther

I have read some conflicting information on the availability of public buses (SITA?) for transportation on the Amalfi Coast. We will be staying in Ravello for 3 nights in late October and do not plan to rent a car. Will we be able to get from Naples to Ravello (and back) using public transportation? <BR> <BR>Thank you.

Topper

to the top for Esther........

Katherine

My understanding is you can take SITA to Amalfi but need to take a cab up the hill to Ravello. Catch SITA at the Sorrento train station. You can take the Circumvesuvius from Naples to Sorrento.

Dean Gold

We visited Ravello and there is a bus from Amalfi up up and up the hill to Ravello. As to bussing to Sorrento, this is over an hour and maybe 1.5 hours from Amalfi, then the 1 hour of the train to Naples. I would not reccomend Ravello as a base to visit Naples or Pompei/Herculano etc. Sorrento is closer and much more convienient but noisy as Ravello is not. But Ravello is so far!

SteveJames

Hello Esther, <BR> <BR>There's no direct bus service between Naples and Ravello. <BR> <BR>Your best and quickest route is via SALERNO, not Sorrento. Naples-Salerno by train takes about 45 minutes. <BR>- From Salerno there's a high-speed ferry to Amalfi which takes 35 minutes. The ferry leaves from PIAZZA CONCORDIA jetty, 2 minutes from Salerno station. Ferry timetables are on:- <BR>www.alilaurogruson.it/orari.htm (Monocarena Veloce) <BR>- From Amalfi there's a bus up to Ravello approximately hourly. Bus timetables are on:- <BR>www.costadiamalfi.it/orari.htm <BR> <BR>There is a direct bus service between Naples and Amalfi, but this takes 2 hours and is an infrequent service. <BR> <BR>Let me know if I can be of more help ... <BR> <BR>Steve <BR>

Sherry

Esther. Would you mind telling me where you are staying in Ravello? Also, why you picked that particular hotel. I am visiting the area and Ravello is one of the towns I have been told is wonderful. <BR>Steve. If coming from Rome , is it o.k. that I planned to go directly to Salerno by train on my way to Ravello? I looked up the train schedules and this seemed practical on paper. Is Ravello not a good place to stay to visit this area as Dean said, in your opinion? <BR>You both can e-mail me directly unless it is inconvenient for you to do so.

Steve James

Hello Sherry, <BR> <BR>Yes, - catching a through train (Inter-city or Eurostar) direct to Salerno is your best choice; no need to change in Naples. <BR> <BR>The boat from Salerno is convenient and fast (35 mins.). (The alternative by bus takes 75 mins.) <BR> <BR>Ravello as a base for touring this area? Well, - if you're dependent on public transport it has one drawback: to get ANYWHERE you first have to go back down to Amalfi. This is a 30-minute journey each way, and so effectively adds 60 minutes travelling time each day, wherever you go. Personally I prefer Ravello as a day-trip rather than as a base for that reason. <BR> <BR>In compensation it's a very scenic ride (- aren't they all in this area?), and - in a breathtakingly beautiful area - the views from Ravello surpass them all! <BR> <BR>Ravello also boasts a music festival in June/July with concerts in the gardens of Villa Rufolo overlooking the entire Gulf of Salerno from 1000 ft. An unbelievable setting. <BR> <BR>Let me know if I can be of more help ... <BR> <BR>Steve

Sherry

Thanks Steve. I have a little dilemma. I really haven't decided if we will rent a car or not. So maybe I better re-think Ravello. It is too early to check the car prices for April. What would be your second choice of a place to stay if we do not get a car? From all that I have read, I wanted a place a little quieter than Amalfi. I still have a place in mind in Ravello, but I will pick another place and if the car prices are not outrageous, I can revert to my first choice.

Esther

Steve, <BR> <BR>Thank you very much for the info. Especially great to know we can get from Rome to Salerno directly by train. Perhaps we'll consider staying in Amalfi instead. We wanted something a little quieter than Positano and have heard so much about the beauty of Ravello. <BR> <BR>Sherry, <BR> <BR>Our first choice in Ravello was the Hotel Marmorata, but it was already booked. We're now considering the Villa Maria or the Hotel Graal. I've been using this site, Frommers and Karen Brown for hotel research. If anyone has opinions on these 2 hotels, please share. <BR> <BR>Esther

Capo

Hi Sherry. I agree with Steve in that staying in Ravello would have one drawback, that to get anywhere you first have to go back down to Amalfi. But, aside from that drawback, I'd bet staying in Ravello would be wonderful. (We wanted to go up to Ravello <I>so bad</I> on the day we took the bus from Sorrento to Amalfi, but just ran out of time since we had to be back in Rome that same evening.) <BR> <BR>Steve, you said <I>if you're dependent on public transportation</I>. If one has a car, then one does <I>not</I> have to travel via Amalfi? Could one drive from, for example, Ravello to Positano, without having to go via Amalfi? Thanks. <BR> <BR>

Sherry

Esther. I have only read all kinds of good things about those two hotels, especially about the restaurant at Villa Maria. But of course have no practical experience. <BR>Capo. Someone else from the Forum said to stay in Ravello or Praiano. It just so happens that I have found a couple of options for reasonable housing in both. I know from the Forum that you had stayed in Sorrento, but I was wanting to stay on the other side. I liked the idea of Ravello because it is small and you can walk everywhere with very little effort. I wondered about a bus schedule that was posted on one of the millions of websights I have been looking at did not give any direct service from Salerno to Ravello.

Santa Chiara

Capo, you still have to travel through the town of Amalfi to get to Positano. Having said that, there is a back road, but I am not familiar with it, and I don't know if it goes from Ravello to Positano. <BR> <BR>Sherry, from Salerno, you take a bus to Amalfi or some other little crossroads directly on the coast, and then you transfer at that point to a bus that takes you to Ravello. I have even walked to Amalfi from Ravello and back. <BR> <BR>And finally, I recommend the Hotel Ruffulo. Fantastic views, not that expensive and not very well known. I paid about $100 a night for a single in August.

Sherry

Santa Chiara. Where is the Rufullo exactly and how do I get any information about it?

Santa Chiara

Sorry, I misspelled the name in my earlier message. Here's a web site. It's also in Fodor's Rants and Raves section under hotels on the Amalfi Coast. <BR> <BR>http://www.charminghotels.it/charm/h.../b_ravello.htm

carol

Hi Esther, <BR> <BR>Ravello is, at most, a 20-30 minute bus ride up the hill from Amalfi, and is so much more beautiful and serene than Amalfi that I have no hesitation in insisting that you stay in Ravello. You will love it, but Naples-Ravello/ Amalfi/Positano is a long trip no matter which way you slice it.

Sherry

TTT for Steve hoping he would answer my question for his choice as a base for exploring this area. Thanks.

Steve James

Sherry - From what you've said above I think Ravello is probably the right choice for you - as it is for many people. If you want tranquility plus views to die for, have no hesitation in booking the place you've found. If it's your first choice anyway, go for it! <BR> <BR>You mentioned your dilemma re. car or no car. Although others will disagree, I would actually advise against having a car in this area. Why? Well, - my first visit to the Amalfi Coast was by car; on my second visit I used the buses - and realised just how much I'd MISSED first time! Being that much higher up allows you views you miss completely in a car. <BR> <BR>On all my subsequent visits I've used the ferries, hydrofoils and buses. Car IMO is 'the weakest link'. Traffic can also be snail's pace in high season throughout that area, - the quickest way along the coast is by sea. <BR>E.g. Amalfi-Positano takes 10-20 mins. by hydrofoil/boat, 45 mins.+ by road. <BR> <BR>Let me know if I can be of more help ... <BR> <BR>Steve <BR> <BR>

Sherry

Thanks Steve. I am so glad you gave me an idea for travel other than a car. I only have one more question...well for now. This is going to be my first time in the area. You didn't get that familiar with the transportation selections in just one visit, I realize. But what do you think would be the best way for me to learn a little more so that I am more prepared when I get there? I would like to make the best use of what the area has to offer. <BR> <BR>Esther. If you feel like it, would you e-mail some of your impressions on Ravello when you return. I would love to hear about your trip.

carol

Sherry and Steve-- <BR> <BR>I may be mistaken, but I think most of the boats/hydrofoils only run frequently along the coast from June-September.

Steve James

Carol - I think you're quite right. In fact my next question for Sherry was: <BR> <BR>Sherry - when are you planning to visit? <BR>