jrchapma

Hello all! Trying to quickly put together a trip to Amalfi Coast in mid-June. Things are selling out fast, so I feel pressured to make some decisions as soon as possible. I know I need to do more research, but don't feel like I have time to do so now - I need to book hotels!

We are two couples traveling from the US, flying into/out of Rome (Naples return trip flight would be a nightmare, so this is the best airport). We’d arrive around 10:30 AM.

One big reason for coming to this area is for my friend to visit the town of her ancestors – Vietri Sul Mare. She doesn’t know any family there – just wants to see it. Other than that, some easy hikes, see the sights, relax in cafes, eat good food and enjoy the wine, etc.

I’m open to suggestions, but here's the itinerary I’ve pulled together:

Stay in Amalfi for 5 nights - visit Positano, Ravello, perhaps hire a driver for a day to visit Vietri Sul Mare and other towns or a winery?

Then go to Capri for 2 nights

Take a morning ferry to Naples from Capri in the morning and take the train to Rome. Spend the afternoon wandering an interesting neighborhood, and have a great dinner.

Leave for home the next day (12:30 PM)

Again, I’m open to suggestions as to how to make this a better itinerary.

Thanks all!

kja

Consider adding a night (or two) to Naples: Your plan gives you just enough for its magnificent archeological museum. If you plan to visit Pompeii and/or Herculaneum from Naples, then you REALLY need an extra night there. (But maybe you plan to visit Pompeii and/or Herculaneum from Amalfi? Do-able, but not as convenient....) (BTW, I'm assuming that you plan to skip Naples' many other treasures on this trip -- otherwise, you would be giving it 5 or more nights. ;-) )

You might shift a night from Capri to Naples -- one night is, IME, enough for the highlights of Capri and the chance to see it a bit after day trippers leave. OR if you choose to do your hiking on Capri, you might cut a night from Amalfi. Just options to consider!

I believe that you can take a bus from Amalfi to Vietri sul Mare -- use rome2rio.com to identify your options and then a bit of googling to find schedules, etc.

Ravello is magnificent -- I'm glad to see that you are planning to include it.

Salerno is, IMO, seriously underrated and is easily reached from Amalfi. And from Salerno, you can visit the extraordinary Greek temples of Paestum, along with is small and very worthy museum.

Use booking.com to book some lodging ASAP, paying attention to cancellation policies (which can be as little as 24 hours in advance).

No bad choices here -- just lots of difficult ones!

Good luck!

Blueeyedcod

You could actually stay in Vietri sul Mare - it has a nice beach and good transport links using both road and ferry.

It's not as charming as Positano or Amalfi but your accommodation options will probably be more variable and cheaper.

jrchapma

Thank you both for your input! Don't I wish that I could add days to this trip and spend time in all the locations mentioned. But this is just a quick trip for my friend's birthday, and we are strictly focusing it on the Amalfi Coast with a visit to Capri.

No visit planned to Pompeii unless we stop for a few hours on our way from Naples to Amalfi. (I found a private transfer that will stop there if we like.)

I did look at staying in Vietri Sul Mare, but it's just too small a town. And I like that we can hop on the ferry in Amalifi without having to first catch a bus or other transportation to get to the dock.

I did book rooms already in Amalfi and Capri, just in case this itinerary got approval here. (Both can be cancelled.) I found a wonderful small hotel in Amalfi - Villa Lara Hotel - with a beautiful view, great reviews and location, and under 200E a night.

So it sounds like this itinerary doable?

mama_mia

If you are looking for some nice hikes out of Amalfi, there is a path called Valle dei Mulini, which takes you past some ruins of old paper mills. If you continue on the path to Pontone and then Atrani or Ravello, you will gain elevation and pass through lemon groves and, at the right time of year, wisteria. We walked one day to Atrani and another up to Ravello. The first part of the hike gives you nice cover from the heat; later you get spectacular views back down towards Amalfi. Worth it to get away from the craziness of Amalfi.

jrchapma

Thanks mama mia! I'm adding your suggestion to my travel notes. This sounds perfect! About how long would it take to walk to Ravello? Is the climb in elevation significant? Gradual? Maybe we can walk there and bus back, or vice versa.

mama_mia

It has been a few years, so I don't remember specifics, but I know we did not leave Atrani (town next to Amalfi) particularly early, and we got to Ravello in time for afternoon sightseeing and lunch. So maybe a few hours, with a number of stops for photos (e.g., a goatherd with his charges). There is elevation gain, but for the most part, it is gradual.

You could take a bus up to Ravello and then walk down (or vice versa). There is one way that goes through Atrani that involves a lot of steps and would be hard on the knees. Another way would be through Pontone and Valle dei Mulini.

If you stop at a tourist office in Amalfi or Ravello, you can pick up maps to get you on the right trails. We had a book called "Walking on the Amalfi Coast."

jrchapma

Thanks for the additional information, mama mia! I've heard of the book you mentioned.

kja

I'm much better at walking DOWN than UP mountains -- and my experience of walking from Ravello TO Amalfi was that I was glad I was not going up!!! And not just because of the elevation (which seemed fairly steep to me in parts) -- by walking down, I was facing the coast most of the way. IIRC, I took about 2 hours for that walk, but that time included LOTS of stops to take pictures and a couple of detours. I think one could probably do it in much closer to an hour, but I can't say for sure.

And yes, jrchapma, IMO your itinerary is definitely do-able. Enjoy!

jrchapma

Good point, kja. We live in a town that is very, very flat. While I enjoy hiking and some hills, I was definitely seriously considering the Ravello to Amalfi route The couple traveling with us is sometimes not as active, so it might be good to travel to Ravello with them, explore, have lunch, and then they can bus back to relax and we can hike. Sounds like a good day!

And thank you for saying that the itinerary sounds good. The feedback from you all gives me much more confidence.

kja

Sounds like a plan!

Except (oh dear, dare I write on?) that there is SO much to see in Ravello! Two magnificent gardens, an unusual cathedral, some charming public squares and side streets.... You might even have to go there TWICE!

Enjoy!

sundriedtopepo

Can't go wrong with this itinerary.

buzzcolin

We travelled in October last year to the Amalfi Coast and spent 4 days in a small town called Maiori. Great hiking in the area with a lovely walk from Maiori to Minori with superb views over the sea and mountains. We found Amalfi full of tourists from the cruise ships whereas Maiori has a great waterfront and a very long beach and is much quieter. The restaurants are also great. We stayed in the Panarama hotel which was amazing but there are also lots of self catering options. The buses run up and down the coast from Salerno (past Vietri sul Mare)to Amalfi and you can do a days boat trip directly from Maiori to Capri.

As someone else said Salerno does not get credit as a good destination but I just loved its narrow old town streets and the Castle and its views is also great. We caught the bus to Salerno from Maiori, stayed 2 nights and then caught the train to Rome. Easy Peasy.

Check out a website on hiking or walking on the Amalfi coast. There are long and short hikes from most of the towns and villages. Hope you have a good time.

yorkshire

For your Vietri day, if no other boat trips are planned, you could take the ferry to Salerno, explore there if you wish, then take the bus to Vietri (it's the first town, so if the bus is crowded, it won't be for long), then explore Vietri and take the bus back to Amalfi.
I like walking up better than down any day (easier on my knees, even if I am sweating!). There are two book on hiking in the Amalfi Coast. We walked from Maiori/Minori to Ravello then down to Atrani--wonderful.

Sassafrass

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