experiences in Paris and Amalfi Coast

Old Jul 29th, 2015, 08:08 PM
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experiences in Paris and Amalfi Coast

Hi All, we just booked our honeymoon for 5 nights in Paris and 5 in Amalfi Coast and are looking for some fun ideas for excursions that aren't your typical tour or museum walk. If anyone knows of small cooking classes, boat tours, etc I would love to know about them. We are there September 14th-25th, first leg in Paris. Thank you travel gurus!
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Old Jul 29th, 2015, 09:29 PM
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Hi LindsayB,

I lived in Paris as a student (in a galaxy far away . . .) and visit often. And one of my two favorite things to do there now is to take a Paris By Mouth food tour. I've taken the cheese tour and I plan to take it again this November.

http://parisbymouth.com/paris-food-wine-tours/

My other favorite thing to do is a bike trip with French Mystique Tours -- but I don't think you'll be in town long enough to enjoy that, as it takes up an entire day.

Have fun as you plan!

s
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 08:38 AM
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Where are you staying on the Amalfi Coast?

If you are traveling from Paris and have 5 night on the AC, that really means you have 4 days. So you don't want to plan too many day trips while you are there. The AC is all about relaxing and enjoying the amazing scenery, so don't pack your schedule too full. Plus, you will be ready for a break after Paris (which I also love).
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 01:06 PM
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I replied on your other thread but I'll past it here since this looks to be the relevant one now. I'll add that I agree with ekc's remarks on relaxing and enjoying the scenery. If I only did one "excursion" or dedicated activity in my 4 days it would be a visit to Ravello.

Just a note - some may try to talk you out of Praiano in favor of Positano. I like them both but for my honeymoon I wanted the quieter of the two which is Praiano. So here are my notes if you stick with it.

In Praiano:

Che Bonta has very good food, San Gennaro has good pizza.

Bar Le Fioriere is very nice for sunset cocktails.

You can arrange a boat tour to Capri & the Grottos at Sibilla Cafe near the bus stop. http://www.lasibilla.org/Capri%20Tour%20-%20engl..html

La Praia beach is not great for sunning, it's cozy and has some good casual restaurants but One Fire is superior for sun and overall atmosphere in my opinion. There is a shuttle boat that goes between the two so you can start at one and end at the other. Towards Positano I like Arienzo beach a lot, you would get there by bus then boat shuttle from the main beach in Positano.

Outside of Praiano:

Buca di Bacco in Positano has a fun cooking class http://www.bucadibacco.it/cooking_school_en.html

Ravello is a do not miss for me personally. Go for the morning or afternoon and visit the gardens at Villa Cimbrone and/or Villa Rufolo. One of the most enjoyable days on my last visit to Praiano (which happened to be my honeymoon) was spent going to Ravello, having lunch at Villa Fraulo, visiting Villa Cimbrone followed by cocktails on the terrace at Villa Maria.

You will be there at a beautiful time of year. Have fun!
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 04:39 PM
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I can second Paris by Mouth--we took their best of St Germain tour in December and it was top notch. O Chateau for wine tasting is a fav for many but we have not made it there yet.

We will be on the AC soon and are considering Le Vigne Raito for a tasting and lunch.
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 04:59 PM
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Praiano is land locked i.e. no ferries or water transport is available. I would never choose this as a destination - as nice as it is - as you are at the mercy of the buses or worse - expensive taxis.
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 06:41 PM
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Some water transport is available. Just not as much as in Positano or Amalfi.

Not everyone chooses a town as a base to visit several other places from. Some people choose a town to just enjoy for itself.

OP just to clarify, Praiano is not landlocked in terms of having no coast, it is indeed right on the sea. It is not as well connected by ferry as some of the other villages. This also makes it less crowded & less touristy, which may or may not appeal to you. I think a lot of locals working in Positano live in Praiano.
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Old Jul 30th, 2015, 09:16 PM
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If you read my reply, limmy, I did define land locked. You saying 'it is not as well connected by ferry' is misleading. It is not connected at all as there are no ferry stops there. Plese let me know where water transport is available in Praiano as I have clearly missed that one.

People who work in Positano live in Praiano means ...what exactly? They also live in Sorrento, Nocelle and Montepertuso.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 06:20 AM
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Yes I saw that you defined your use of land locked. I simply added further clarification.

There are many small boats for hire (with a skipper) to take you anywhere you want to go at La Praia beach. There is a daily boat to Capri. Praiano is not on the ferry schedule.

Some people who work in Positano live in Praiano means just what it says. I'm not sure how better to define it for you?

The OP asked for restaurant suggestions & things to do. So the purpose of hoping on just to say that you would never stay where she is staying is entirely lost on me.

This is her honeymoon, perhaps she doesn't plan on running around every day seeing every single "sight" in a 100 mile radius. Perhaps she intends to relax and do one or two fun little things while she's there. She's there for 4 or 5 days, Praiano can absolutely meet the needs of a 4 day stay.

I don't know. I feel like to come on and say oh I would never stay there without much explanation and suggesting where you would stay instead does not seem helpful to me.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 08:59 AM
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I don't understand your criticism -- that poster very clearly stated their reasons for saying that (lack of transportation). You may not agree or like that reason, but it was given.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 09:52 AM
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No criticism in my first reply, I only added there there is some water transport, not none. And explained that this can be a non issue if the OP doesn't have a touring agenda. The criticism, if any, came from another poster in response to that.

I'll add that in re-reading my post, I agree that this: "it is not as well connected by ferry as some of the other villages" was not worded correctly and could be misleading. It is not on the ferry schedule at all. But there are ways of water transport.

I still think that chiming in only to say that you yourself would never stay where the OP is staying when that is not at all what the OP asked is not helpful. If the OP had said we want to go to xyz, is Praiano a good base for us? Then such a reply would make sense, but even then it wouldn't be as helpful as adding where you would stay instead and why.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 12:52 PM
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Now that the horse is beat to death, can we get back to the OP? I have lots of suggestions but need to know where they are staying on the AC to give them appropriate suggestions.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 01:23 PM
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Great idea ekc! OP is staying in Praiano, hence my original reply with restaurant/beach/day trip info relative to Praiano. I think some more suggestions for the OP (and others) would be great

(She said they're staying in Praiano in another thread)
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 03:02 PM
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Hi all, thank you for the great recommendations so far, this is exactly what I am looking for. As for where we are staying, in AC we are staying at the Casa Angelina in Praiano. The hotel actually offers complimentary transportation to Positano, so we are fine on that front. We definitely want to do a boat excusion over to Capri one day and based on my research and the matched comments above it sounds like Ravello would be a good day trip to explore. I do agree as well that R&R is a top priority to enjoy the coast. We do have 5 full days, not 4.

Love the Paris food/wine tour recommendation, that smaller more personal vibe is definitly what we are going for.

Thanks all keep them coming
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 03:03 PM
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Nowhere on this thread does it state that the OP is definitely staying in Praiano so I mentioned the lack of water transport. Hiring a boat is expensive and clearly not for everyone. A service to Capri is not the Amalfi Coast run that you can take from Amalfi or Positano which is why they're more convenient.
Anyway you've cleared up that they are staying there so good luck to them.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 03:39 PM
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Oh blueyed, you are right...I had forgotten at the time that it was her other post that indicated she was booked in Praiano and that it was not clearly stated here. I misunderstood where you were coming from because of that. Now I see. I apologize for my mistake.
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Old Jul 31st, 2015, 05:51 PM
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If you happen to stay in positano, I highly recommend an evening dining at la tagliata. The restaurant is a 20 minute bus ride up the mountain and they provide complimentary pick up. The menu is a set price of $35 euro per person and is all inclusive. It is an incredible experience in a gorgeous location. Mamma cooks whatever she decides for the day and you get an incredible amount of delicious food along with wine and after dinner drinks. Along with the great food, the drive up the mountain and the views make it an experience you will not forget.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2015, 12:02 PM
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Dgunbug, thanks for the tip. I had a friend mention this place as well. Do we need to make reservations?
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Old Aug 4th, 2015, 09:43 AM
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Yes, you will need to make reservations for La Tagliata, as it is located high in the mountain and they have to send a shuttle to pick you up. So be sure you will be OK with a van-ride down a long windy road in the dark after your big meal. Personally, my stomach couldn't handle it so I have never eaten there. Plus I am more about fresh seafood when I am in Positano than I am lots of grilled meat - but that is a personal preference.

We really enjoyed the cooking class at Buca di Bacco we took last year. It ended with a great feast of everything we cooked in class, plus wine.

A new bar opened next to Le Sireneuse named Franco's that looks lovely for aperitivo. I haven't been yet but will try when when we are back in September.

You can also take a 2-hour guided tour of Positano, where you learn the history of the town and the area, taste local products and get the lay of the land. Zia Lucy leads it - http://en.zialucy.com/walking-tour-positano/

If you are counting the day you are flying from Paris to Naples (assuming you are doing so) in your 5 days, you really only have 4.5 days (it will likely be past lunch-time by the time you get to Praiano), so plan your day trips accordingly.
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