Our Amalfi Coast Adventure—Orlando to Dublin to Naples to Praiano
Jun 21st, 2016, 12:05 PM
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Our Amalfi Coast Adventure—Orlando to Dublin to Naples to Praiano
This is the trip report for the Amalfi Coast portion of our 16 day trip May/June 2016. The second part of the trip was eight days in Paris. I will write a separate trip report for the Paris portion.
We were six women traveling to the Amalfi Coast for a week. I had been by myself in 2013 (see my Trip Report at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...alfi-coast.cfm) and wanted to return to this slice of paradise with friends. The destination was not the touristy Positano or the better known Amalfi. Instead, we were to stay in the quaint and quiet village of Praiano.
Five of us left Orlando on Aer Lingus non-stop to Dublin. The best connection we could get was an overnight layover in Dublin with a very early flight to Naples the next day. That was fine with us, adding another country to the trip added to the adventure.
We were all new to Aer Lingus and very pleasantly surprised. Our tickets were much cheaper than the other airlines, so we thought our flight would be substandard. On the contrary, Aer Lingus was very professional and comfortable. There was a good entertainment selection, decent food, and personable flight attendants. The airplane was very clean.
In Dublin we stayed at a B&B very close to the airport, outside of Dublin. Actually, it was closer to the seaside village of Malahide. The B&B, ironically called the San Juan Guesthouse, is owned by a lady named Cathy McConnell. She is a fun, friendly Irish woman who fit in with our group very well! She greeted us with coffee and a snack even though we arrived after breakfast. The rooms were cheery with very comfortable twin beds as requested, three in one room, two in the other. Each room had a tea kettle and a variety of teas.
Cathy gave us directions to Malahide and we hopped the bus to explore. Malahide is a quaint seaside town with a very interesting castle. We walked around, tried the local favorite, bangers and mash, and toured the castle. Exhaustion from the overseas flight set in and some of us went back to the San Juan Guesthouse for naps, while the more energetic took the bus into Dublin. Dublin, in contrast to Malahide, was lively and crowded with partiers, comparable to New Orleans.
Cathy ordered a taxi to pick us up at 4:30am, too early to enjoy the Irish breakfast included with our rooms. Boarding the plane from Dublin to Naples, we were ready for the next part of our trip to the Amalfi Coast.
The sixth woman on our trip was meeting us in Naples. She was flying Air France from Cincinnati to Paris to Naples with only an hour layover in CDG! We never expected her to make it and were thrilled when she arrived at the Naples airport.
As a side note, we were able to communicate with each other using wifi. The European airports all have free wifi, making it easy to text or call using FaceTime on our iPhones. There was no need to pay extra for an international cell plan. Everywhere we went, wifi was readily available. I called a friend who didn't have an iPhone using Skype with a wifi connection.
We were six women traveling to the Amalfi Coast for a week. I had been by myself in 2013 (see my Trip Report at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...alfi-coast.cfm) and wanted to return to this slice of paradise with friends. The destination was not the touristy Positano or the better known Amalfi. Instead, we were to stay in the quaint and quiet village of Praiano.
Five of us left Orlando on Aer Lingus non-stop to Dublin. The best connection we could get was an overnight layover in Dublin with a very early flight to Naples the next day. That was fine with us, adding another country to the trip added to the adventure.
We were all new to Aer Lingus and very pleasantly surprised. Our tickets were much cheaper than the other airlines, so we thought our flight would be substandard. On the contrary, Aer Lingus was very professional and comfortable. There was a good entertainment selection, decent food, and personable flight attendants. The airplane was very clean.
In Dublin we stayed at a B&B very close to the airport, outside of Dublin. Actually, it was closer to the seaside village of Malahide. The B&B, ironically called the San Juan Guesthouse, is owned by a lady named Cathy McConnell. She is a fun, friendly Irish woman who fit in with our group very well! She greeted us with coffee and a snack even though we arrived after breakfast. The rooms were cheery with very comfortable twin beds as requested, three in one room, two in the other. Each room had a tea kettle and a variety of teas.
Cathy gave us directions to Malahide and we hopped the bus to explore. Malahide is a quaint seaside town with a very interesting castle. We walked around, tried the local favorite, bangers and mash, and toured the castle. Exhaustion from the overseas flight set in and some of us went back to the San Juan Guesthouse for naps, while the more energetic took the bus into Dublin. Dublin, in contrast to Malahide, was lively and crowded with partiers, comparable to New Orleans.
Cathy ordered a taxi to pick us up at 4:30am, too early to enjoy the Irish breakfast included with our rooms. Boarding the plane from Dublin to Naples, we were ready for the next part of our trip to the Amalfi Coast.
The sixth woman on our trip was meeting us in Naples. She was flying Air France from Cincinnati to Paris to Naples with only an hour layover in CDG! We never expected her to make it and were thrilled when she arrived at the Naples airport.
As a side note, we were able to communicate with each other using wifi. The European airports all have free wifi, making it easy to text or call using FaceTime on our iPhones. There was no need to pay extra for an international cell plan. Everywhere we went, wifi was readily available. I called a friend who didn't have an iPhone using Skype with a wifi connection.
Jun 21st, 2016, 11:53 PM
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Naples to the Amalfi Coast
Our driver, Giusseppe, from Transferelax, was waiting for us when we departed from passport control. We were starving, so he took us to a wonderful family owned restaurant outside of Sorrento. On the way to Praiano, those who had not been to the Amalfi coast sat on the right side of the car to experience the amazing view of the coast.
The view as we approached Positano was no less than breathtaking. The pink and white buildings stacked up the mountain overlooking the sea was exactly what you see in the travel books. Just past Positano, another smaller town could be seen around the bend, our home for the next six days, Praiano.
Our driver, Giusseppe, from Transferelax, was waiting for us when we departed from passport control. We were starving, so he took us to a wonderful family owned restaurant outside of Sorrento. On the way to Praiano, those who had not been to the Amalfi coast sat on the right side of the car to experience the amazing view of the coast.
The view as we approached Positano was no less than breathtaking. The pink and white buildings stacked up the mountain overlooking the sea was exactly what you see in the travel books. Just past Positano, another smaller town could be seen around the bend, our home for the next six days, Praiano.
Jun 22nd, 2016, 06:11 AM
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I was terribly excited when the car pulled up to the Hotel Pellegrino. My solo trip to Hotel Pellegrino in 2013 was one of my best travel memories. The pungent smell of jasmine greeted us, as well as the proprietor, Luigi.
I had requested the “family room” and the double next door for the six of us. The family room consisted of a large beautiful double bedroom with bath and a large balcony overlooking the sea. A separate section of the family room has an alcove with two twin beds and a half bath. I chose the family room so that all of us would have a central location to gather. At first we thought that the women who occupied the alcove area were slighted, but it proved to be the ideal sleeping area—dark and cool.
I had requested the “family room” and the double next door for the six of us. The family room consisted of a large beautiful double bedroom with bath and a large balcony overlooking the sea. A separate section of the family room has an alcove with two twin beds and a half bath. I chose the family room so that all of us would have a central location to gather. At first we thought that the women who occupied the alcove area were slighted, but it proved to be the ideal sleeping area—dark and cool.
Jun 26th, 2016, 01:27 PM
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One of the best aspects of Hotel Pellegrino, besides Luigi’s hospitality, is the food. A large breakfast was included in the rate. Unlike most B&B’s, the breakfast was served at the table instead of buffet style. Our table in the dining room was on a huge terrace covered in jasmine, Bougainvillea, and roses, with an amazing view of the sea and overlooking Praiano.
Dinner is also offered at Hotel Pellegrino, for an additional price. It was wonderful not to have to decide every night where we were going to eat. The food was as good as any five star restaurant, and the view from the terrace at night, priceless. Luigi waited on us as if we were private guests in his home.
During the day we explored the Amalfi Coast. One day we took the bus into Positano. The ladies enjoyed the shopping, the beach, the people watching. We were happy to return to our quiet town after a day in busy Positano.
We also took the bus the other direction and explored Amalfi. Amalfi is very different than Positano in that it is flatter and less crowded. The duomo is beautiful and the shops are not as “fancy” as in Positano.
Although everyone loved Amalfi, some of us were “over” the crowded, wobbly bus and took a taxi back to Praiano. Others continued to explore by taking a taxi up to Ravello.
Dinner is also offered at Hotel Pellegrino, for an additional price. It was wonderful not to have to decide every night where we were going to eat. The food was as good as any five star restaurant, and the view from the terrace at night, priceless. Luigi waited on us as if we were private guests in his home.
During the day we explored the Amalfi Coast. One day we took the bus into Positano. The ladies enjoyed the shopping, the beach, the people watching. We were happy to return to our quiet town after a day in busy Positano.
We also took the bus the other direction and explored Amalfi. Amalfi is very different than Positano in that it is flatter and less crowded. The duomo is beautiful and the shops are not as “fancy” as in Positano.
Although everyone loved Amalfi, some of us were “over” the crowded, wobbly bus and took a taxi back to Praiano. Others continued to explore by taking a taxi up to Ravello.
Jul 8th, 2016, 02:48 PM
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Ravello is definitely on my bucket list as a future place to stay. High in the mountains above Amalfi lies this beautiful town full of culture and interesting places to explore. We went to Villa Cimbrone, a fascinating park-like setting with stunning gardens and incredible vistas. We had coffee on the town square and wished we had time to return for one of the open air concerts or music festivals. I have heard that the 5 star hotels are spectacular, but I'll have to see them during a future visit. So much to see and do and so little time!
The highlight of our trip was a charter boat ride along the coast to Capri. The company we used, La Boa, picked us up at Hotel Pellegrino and took us to the dock just past Praiano called Marina di Praia. The tours take up to 12 people so we shared with other passengers. The cost was 65 euros per person.
How do I describe boating along the Amalfi Coast on a gorgeous sunny day with great friends? The coast is even more beautiful from the water. Some of us climbed on to the front of the boat, sunbathing and hanging on to the rails as the boat went bobbing through the water.
After a few attempts to see the grottos around Capri (the water was too high) we arrived on the island. We had 3 hours to explore. We walked for what seemed like miles up to the main area of town. Then we took a taxi to Anacapri and took the chair lift to the top of Monte Solaro.
What an incredible view! We could see Mt Vesuvius and the islands of Ischia and Procida in the distance, and all of Capri down below.
Some brave souls had hiked up the mountain, but the chair lift was perfect for us. I thought I'd be nervous taking it because it goes straight up the mountain, but it was only about 12 feet from the ground and was quite relaxing.
We met our boat at the designated time and headed back to Praiano. We stopped for a short break to let people swim, but the water was too cold for us (the Germans dove right in!). When we arrived at the marina, the folks from La Boa delivered us back to Hotel Pellegrino.
The highlight of our trip was a charter boat ride along the coast to Capri. The company we used, La Boa, picked us up at Hotel Pellegrino and took us to the dock just past Praiano called Marina di Praia. The tours take up to 12 people so we shared with other passengers. The cost was 65 euros per person.
How do I describe boating along the Amalfi Coast on a gorgeous sunny day with great friends? The coast is even more beautiful from the water. Some of us climbed on to the front of the boat, sunbathing and hanging on to the rails as the boat went bobbing through the water.
After a few attempts to see the grottos around Capri (the water was too high) we arrived on the island. We had 3 hours to explore. We walked for what seemed like miles up to the main area of town. Then we took a taxi to Anacapri and took the chair lift to the top of Monte Solaro.
What an incredible view! We could see Mt Vesuvius and the islands of Ischia and Procida in the distance, and all of Capri down below.
Some brave souls had hiked up the mountain, but the chair lift was perfect for us. I thought I'd be nervous taking it because it goes straight up the mountain, but it was only about 12 feet from the ground and was quite relaxing.
We met our boat at the designated time and headed back to Praiano. We stopped for a short break to let people swim, but the water was too cold for us (the Germans dove right in!). When we arrived at the marina, the folks from La Boa delivered us back to Hotel Pellegrino.
Jul 8th, 2016, 03:03 PM
#11
Hi anneeby, thanks for reporting back. I too was recently on the Amalfi Coast, my first time since a flash visit when I was very young. Unlike you and your friends, my friends and I only spent a few days there. Could have used more--would have loved to get out on a boat to Capri as you all did.
FWIW, we stayed in Ravello at a relatively inexpensive place, which I can recommend if one doesn't mind a few little quirks. It was actually nicer than I had thought it might be.
http://www.hotelparsifal.com/
FWIW, we stayed in Ravello at a relatively inexpensive place, which I can recommend if one doesn't mind a few little quirks. It was actually nicer than I had thought it might be.
http://www.hotelparsifal.com/
Jul 8th, 2016, 04:07 PM
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Thanks for the tip, Leely!
Praiano has a beautiful church in the center of town, a small grocery, several wonderful restaurants, gorgeous views, an ATM, bus stop, and One Fire Beach. It does not offer ferry service like Positano and Amalfi. Some people prefer the busyness and activity of the more touristy towns, but we all enjoyed the quiet beauty of Praiano.
After six nights in Praiano and Hotel Pellegrino, we were sad to say goodbye to Luigi and our beautiful little piece of heaven. But Paris was waiting for us! Stay tuned for my next trip report about the second part of our trip!
Praiano has a beautiful church in the center of town, a small grocery, several wonderful restaurants, gorgeous views, an ATM, bus stop, and One Fire Beach. It does not offer ferry service like Positano and Amalfi. Some people prefer the busyness and activity of the more touristy towns, but we all enjoyed the quiet beauty of Praiano.
After six nights in Praiano and Hotel Pellegrino, we were sad to say goodbye to Luigi and our beautiful little piece of heaven. But Paris was waiting for us! Stay tuned for my next trip report about the second part of our trip!
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