Suonds like a great trip!

Check out www.summerinitaly.com for great apartments in that area. It might be nice to have the extra space and THE VIEW! That was our favourite part of staying in Positano - the terrace where we sat and drank wine and admired the lovely views.

They were very easy to work with as well.

Thanks for the quick response-would you suggest one town over another?

Sounds like a fun trip. We did something similar two years ago. If you can possibly work it into your itinerary, spend 2 or 3 nights on Capri. It is an entirely different place if you are there before and after the mid-day cruise ships and day-trippers. We enjoyed both Capri town and Anacapri and liked Capri even better than the AC.

We wanted to stay on the Amalfi Coast and really fell in love with Positano. Alot of others stay in Sorrento, but we just werent intersted in staying there. I think there is an argument for either, its down to personal preference!

Coincidentally, we did a similar trip a few years ago, when our daughter graduated from college. (She's about to graduate from grad school this year, and we're doing a trip to France)

Anyway, we stayed a week in Rome (Trastevere) in apartment. We used SleepinItaly.com, but there are many apartment rental agencies. I prefer an apartment, you get more of a local feel.
Your choice of places to visit sounds great...I agree that Positano is lovely, and I'd add Hercolano to your visit and a hike up Vesuvius, time permitting.

Would you suggest in lieu if spending a full week in Sorrento that we cut that short and spend 2 nights on Capri? Also is Sorrento the best place to stay or is there another town possibly Ravello that might be better?

I am one of the Sorrento lovers. For one thing, it's a nice little town. It's much bigger than Ravello, or Positano or Capri town - but it's still a small place. But you have more options for dining, exploring, etc. But probably it's main selling point is ease of getting to all the other places. You can take a boat or a bus (or combinations) to Amalfi, Positano and Ravello. You can easily get boats to Capri. You can train or boat to Naples. And Pompeii is an easy half hour train ride so if you are going there you can get there as it opens without getting up at the crack of dawn. I am normally not a fan of large chain hotels but if you can stay in the Hilton, with two rooms, for free in Sorrento I don't know why you would consider anything else. Save your money for other stuff.

Here's my trip report from our 8 day stay in Sorrento - http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/amalfi-coast-rome-and-croatia-images-of-three-hot-but-wonderful-weeks.cfm

I like Positano more than Sorrento, but you'll be fine with either as a base. I think Ravello might be better to visit than as a base.

BTW, re cooking class: The last time I was in Positano, walking down one of the streets to the beach, I noticed a spot where cooking classes were being held -- the kitchen was on a corner, with a large plate glass window so that passers-by could watch. It looked like fun.

Sorry, I can't remember much else about it, but maybe if you Google "cooking classes Positano," you might come up with something.

L'Altra Costiera http://www.altracostiera.com/ is a rental agency based in Amalfi and owned by a native of Amalfi, Rosella Mottola, a lovely, very competent business woman who knows all the properties her company lists. We rented an apartment from her in Ravello with a balcony and stunning views of Minori and the coast.

In addition to rentals, her company also offers many tours and activities, including cooking classes (see lower righthand section of home page).

Best wishes with your plans! I love your Christmas gift to your children!

We found Sorrento a fine base. As stated, it's a transportation node for the whole coast. Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, etc are all an hour or so away, there are plenty of restaurants, shops, and so on. Click my name to find my (very wordy) trip report, that includes our time in Sorrento.