GingerSF

I’m traveling to Italy in early August for two weeks. I’ll be with a friend for the first 4 days, then my husband for the rest of the trip. Our trip must include 3 days on the Amalfi coast and sailing (somewhere in Italy) on a boat that my husband can skipper.

LOGISTICS
I leave the U.S. on August 1 and arrive in Rome on the morning of August 2. I will depart from Rome back to California on August 15. I’ll meet my friend in Rome, and we will visit the Amalfi coast. My friend leaves Italy (departing from Naples) on Saturday, August 6. My husband arrives in Rome on Friday, August 5 and may meet me in Amalfi, but we’re flexible. He departs Rome on August 15 (with me).

WHAT WE LIKE
With my friend, we would like to linger, walk, eat, swim, languish, and drink wine on the beautiful stretch of Amalfi with warm and vivacious people. With my husband, we want to explore the outdoors on foot, relax, eat great food in a non-pretentious setting, and stay at 4 and 5 star properties. We would consider renting an apartment in Amalfi or another location. (And we don’t like shopping.)

OUR MUST-HAVES
Amalfi coast with my friend for at least 3 nights. We will either spend the first night in Rome (preferred) or head down to Amalfi right away. After flying 15 hours, does it make sense to stay overnight in Rome, or go directly to Naples?
Sailing trip for two or three days (one to two nights) anywhere in Italy where my husband can co-skipper. We want to hire a skipper who speaks Italian and knows the waters. The city where we rent the boat does not matter. We are thinking about sailing near the Amalfi coast or near Sicily. What are good locations anywhere in Italy to rent a boat with a skipper for 2-3 days? Any recommendations for where to rent the sailboat?

(MANY) QUESTIONS
I don’t want to spend all day on a sailboat, but rather would like to use the boat for transportation (and so my husband can get his sailing fix in). If we rent a sailboat for a week (instead of two days) and want to visit towns, what towns are within an hour (or two) sail from each other (on the Amalfi coast)?
The region of Sicily is high on my list for the food, the laid-back lifestyle, and the history, but I’m open to other suggestions, especially if Sicily will be too hot in the summer. Where (if anywhere) in Sicily would be good to visit in early August? Would sailing in Sicily be a good option instead of sailing in Amalfi?
If we went to Sicily is it better to go by train and stop half way in between to stay overnight, or take a plane from Naples? If we stopped halfway between the two cities, where are good cities/towns to stay?
Does it make sense to rent an apartment in Amalfi, and if so, which town makes the best home base for a week?
Thanks in advance for reading and for any advice you have about my trip!

kja

"arrive in Rome... I will depart from Rome...."

Have you already booked your flights? If not, explore your options for open-jaw flights (that is, into one city and out of another). Once you count the cost of returning to your point of origin, it is often less expensive and certainly more efficient to fly into and out of different cities.

"We will either spend the first night in Rome (preferred) or head down to Amalfi right away. After flying 15 hours, does it make sense to stay overnight in Rome, or go directly to Naples?"

For a recent discussion of that issue, see
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-salerno.cfm

"if Sicily will be too hot in the summer."

I wouldn't want to be there then! YMMV. Here's a good source for climate info:
http://www.wunderground.com/us/la/sicily-island

"Does it make sense to rent an apartment in Amalfi, and if so, which town makes the best home base for a week?"

There are LOTS of threads on this board that address this question, and there is a relevant discussion in just about every guidebook to the area. I think you will find that Fodorites will be very generous with their knowledge if you consult those sources and come back with better informed questions.

Good luck!

Blueeyedcod

I think the major thing you need to consider right now is August is the peak of high season on the Amalfi Coast. Your requirements may be restricted by availability. Leaving it this late to book something for August may mean you have to compromise.

Hiring a boat for sailing with skipper will be well over 700 euro for a couple of days and that is a conservative estimate. Try these links for more information. I included the link for Capri as many of the charter boats for the Amalfi Coast also operate from there.

http://www.positano.com/

http://www.capri.net/

sandralist

You might want to consider Sardegna for your sailing adventure rather than Sicily. I think the opportunities for private sailboat/skipper hire are more plentiful.

Not many people here take the kind of sailing trip you are describing, so it will probably take a lot of googling or contacts with yachting clubs, etc, to figure out that portion of your itinerary. But if you go looking in Sardegna, you might start out by looking either around Olbia or Arbatax. You might be able to arrange something through a hotel. Consider asking your questions on the TripAdvisor forum for Sicily.

The social culture of Sardegna is wonderful, and the food is wonderful too. Generally, it is not quite as hot as Sicily in peak summer, although wherever you go in southern Italy, you can get a true heat wave at that time of year.

sandralist

http://www.petag.it/?page_id=302&lang=en

sandralist

or this

http://www.theglobesailor.com/rent-b...ia,d557-1.html

GingerSF

Thanks so much for the responses and advice on using the forum.
Yes, we do have our flights already (this was done in January so I could use miles to upgrade on the long haul flights to and from Rome).
I've talked with a handful of travel agents, and most want to steer me away from Sicily in August (and no one has mentioned Sardinia, but I appreciate the tip from @sandralist). Perhaps a sailboat rental in Sicily makes sense, if we can find one.