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My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy this August. We are planning on leaving Boston on Aug 20th and land in Rome for 5 days. We then want to travel down to the Amalfi Coast and want to explore it a bit.
We are wondering what is the best way to get around (Rental Car or Train) and where to go first. We are interested in going to Positano, Sorrento and Capri until the 5th of August. We would be flying back to Boston from Naples.
Also, any hotel recommendations and absolute things to see would be appreciated!!!
Italy--How to get around?
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Your dates are odd--perhaps you mistyped. Are you leaving in July and returning in August OR leaving in August and returning in September?
Wow---August on that coast is hot and wall to wall.
I would reverse the order.
Fly into naples and use local transport to your choice of locations--it is already late for bookings. You can ferry to Capri from Naples if you choose.
Train from naples to Rome and fly home from there.
Or reverse !
You're not going to "get around" much on the coast in that time frame. The last two weeks in August are the traditional Italian "two-weeks-off" holiday, on top of the thousands of cruise shippers and independent foreign tourists who have gotten the impression that the Amalfi coast is a great place is to book a hotel and then day trip from a "base" -- jamming the buses and ferries.
You can avoid one half of the problem by staying in accommodations in the vicinity of Salerno and using Salerno ferries to day trip to Capri and Positano. You will still be competing with holidaying Italians for space.
You can take a train from Rome to Salerno. Some towns to consider are Cetera, Vietri and Minori, and Salerno itself.
See Sorrento, if you must, on your way out.
But you would be much wiser to simply find ONE gorgeous spot in the region -- on the island of Capri, or in Positano -- and STAY PUT. Book a place with a quiet terrace and access to a beach or a pool. Buy wine and mozzerella to stock the room. Bring a book or two. Potter around your little town. Ask your landlady or concierge to make ferry resevation to Capri -- maybe. Find your favorite easy going restaurant and eat there every night, finishing off with a limoncello.
Somehow Americans have gotten the misimpression that the Amalfi Coast is a place to sightsee and Venice is a place to wander aimlessly and eat gelato.
In reality, that's exactly backwards.
Hi BP,
You might find the AC part of my trip report useful.
www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34451044
Enjoy your visit.
I am partial to renting a car and driving. Have driven the Amalfi Coast several times. If the driver is a nervous or cautous driver you do not want to drive the Amalfi Coast. But if you like to drive and enjoy a bit of a challenge I recommend driving. You can drive up to Ravello, down to Amalfi, etc.. We like to drive walk a bit and then sit and have an expresso (I am partial to desserts - great bakery on your walk down from the road to the beach in Positano)
oinchats,
Have you ever driven on the Amalfi coast in August?
oinchats, we're driving to or hotel in Positano (and do have free parking there) and not afraid of the drive but I was told if I drove to Amalfi & Ravello that I'd have a hard time finding a parking spot? We do have a passenger with a disability card, would this make it easier?
Thanks,
Som
Hi; Flying into Rome and out of Naples works, at least it did for us. [Boston/Rome and Naples/Boston] Trains work for this vacation. After Rome, we stopped in Naples www.costantinopoli104.com , then on to Sorrento. In Sorrento, we stayed at www.hotelantichemura.com/ Very easy to reach from the train station, walking. Then went to Ana Capri. From there, we took the ferry along the coast and ended up in Ravello, by taxi. Great view of the coast from the ferry. Left for home from Naples using taxi service www.ravellotaxi.com/ Richard
Hi All,
Thank you all for yor advice & thoughts about what we should do. We are planning on going Aug 20 and returning Sept 5th for the 1st person that commented. Next, my husband and I are both Greek and have spent every single summer growing up there in sweltering heat that reached 45 C!! We are accustomed to heat and siteseeing in it so that doesnt bother us much. I have read online that many things are open suringAugust considering many of the locals go on vacation. I would hoe so--its still a busy time for their tourism and would think they'd stay open for business!!!
I think that doing the Amalfi 1st & then Rome wouldnt be so bad as bobthenavigato suggested. That we will take into consideration.
Asof right now of itinerary is Rome for 5 days, then down to the coast to go to Sorrento for 2 days, then Capri for 2 days and finishing up in Positano for 5 days then up to Naples to fly home.
Hopefully this itinerary will work otherwise when we ever go back, we will know what works and what doesnt!