your trip looks great.. just allow plenty of down time for the kids, incl time for them in the hotel alone while you are visiting a museum or shopping..

rhkkmk-Thanks for the great suggestion--that's what they love to do at home, and this hotel sounds like a fantastic place for them to wind down.

What a great trip! You will not be able to fit Ravello into your day in Pompeii, as it is the opposite direction. We took the ferry and combined Amalfi and Ravallo into the same day trip (having lunch in Ravello at Cumpa Cosima).

Another one of our favorite days in Positano was when we took the De Adolpho boat (with the red fish on the mast) to Laurito, where we spent most of the day laying in the sun, jumping off the rocks and having lunch at Da Adolpho.

Also loved our tour of Positano with Christine of www.discoverpositano.com Great to hear the history of the town and sample some great local products!

I would humbly suggest squeezing in two nights in Naples (a true gem of a city), even though that means only five nights in Positano. You could even do a day trip to Pompeii from there (very simply).

To do a 31 day trip to Italy and then skip Naples altogether is truly shocking to me.

I stayed at the Marincanto last year and loved it! Be sure at have a drink at the Le Sirenuse which is just down the road towards town.

Am also a big fan of the Albergo del Senato. Perfect location and don't miss the rooftop bar.

Our favourite restaurant in Positano was La Tagliata in a town above Positano http://www.latagliata.com/. They came and picked us up and drove us home free of charge. Highlight of our trip...thy had no menu, the plates of appies, pasta and grilled meats flowed with wine and it came to the ridiculous price of about €30-35 per person!

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all of your great ideas!

ekc: I thought it was not a good idea to try to fit Ravello in with Pompeii. I love the suggestion to take the ferry and combine Amalfi and Ravello-much better! I'll look into Laurito and the tour you mentioned.

bardo1: Where would you stay in Naples? I have only driven through the town on a bus trip to Capri, and read about the town. I was a little concerned about the crime and congestion, so we just picked Positano. We still have time to make changes, though.

Weekender-glad to hear we have similar tastes in hotels. I'll be sure to check out that rooftop bar!

jamikins-La Tagliata sounds great. We'll be bringing two hungry teenage boys, so that will be a great bargain for us!

Getting excited--we leave in 6 days!

We were really disappointed in Il RITROVO. It was our second trip there ( first trip ten years ago was one of the best meals of our entire lives!). The food was nothing special, the service was rushed, the view was partially negated by weird plastic screens flapping into the restaurant.

We also dined at Mediterraneo, which was OK, very lively and fun, but again the food was nothing out of the ordinary.

There is a restaurant at a small hotel about two blocks up from Mediterraneo which is much better, really great food. It has no view,( faces a wall and is on the street) and I am blanking on the name. I will recheck my files.

Our favorite restaurant from our trip to Positano in June was hands down LO GUARRACINO, which is located on the right of the seaside path that leads to FORNILLO BEACH. The path starts at COVO DEI SARCINI hotel and winds around. THe water views from the restaurant terrace are spectacular (!!) and the food was out of this world. Really heaven!

Cyber - Fornillo beach is another great alternative to the main beach. Just follow the path described above. Christine also talks about it on her tour. Her tour is also listed an a Positano "attraction" on tripadvisor.

We had a great dinner of pizza and pasta at Tre Sorelle, which is right on the beach. Great location for people watching and really good pizza and pasta.

Re: Bus to Sorrento, then train to Pompeii
This is pretty straightforward. Find the bus station in Positano and buy round trip tickets ("ritorno") to Sorrento. They will let you off in the bus / train station, where you go into the train station and buy round trip tickets to Pompeii. Get on the Circumvesuviano train and in about 20 minutes you will be there. A short walk to the entrance of the scavi (ruins) - just follow the crowds! My advice is to get there as early as you can. The crowds build up in the ticket line, and the heat is also intense. Have your boys look for the Pompeii wild dogs - they live there. Bring bottles of water and a hat.
On the ride back, you get off at Sorrento train station and get back on a bus to Positano. These buses can get crowded, so just plan for it, or find out what the bus schedules are and take it after dinner in Sorrento.
OHHH and the ferry rides -- do not miss taking a ferry ride. If you visit Amalfi, you can go all the way up to Sorrento on the ferry, or from Positano to Sorrento. The longer the trip, the better. I got on the top deck and the starboard (right) side to get the best view of the coastline which is absolutely stunning. Think of Ulysses being lured by the music of the Sirens. This is that place!
It's also a great way to cool down after the heat (bring a wrap or jacket) You can buy tickets for the ferry in advance at the harbors, and then go down about 20 minutes before it leaves to get in line.

The restaurant whose name I had forgotten is: RISTORANTE SARCENO D'ORO. It is streetside, just a few blocks up from MEDITERRANEO. Way better food, very affordable, friendly service. In fact, we liked it so much that although it has no view and some tables are directly on the street, we dined there twice.

Oh, and yes, for a light lunch, definitely check out PUPETTO CAFE down at FORNILLO BEACH. The food is beach fare but they also serve beer and wine. It's a great place to spend a few hours away from the crowds in Positano, yet only about a 15 minute walk from the Positano dock.

Definitely take the seaside path that starts at COVO DEI SARCENI to get there. We made the mistake one day of taking the steps from the top of town . It took forever and was very smelly in spots

Lastly- I see that you're staying at ALBERGO DEL SENATO. We absolutely loved our stay there, which was our third visit to the hotel. The roofside bar has stunning views and the bartender is hilarious and makes the best Bellinis I've ever tasted!

cyber - I would definitely stay in the old historic center (sometimes called the Spaccanapoli) in Naples (NOT the waterfront area!).

If you want a specific hotel rec, look at http://www.decumani.com/en/ - a charming converted 17th century palazzo smack in the middle of the old center. Huge rooms, inexpensive, highly rated on TA too.

Wow! So much helpful information—thank you!

Weadles—thanks for the restaurant suggestions, and I’m going to switch around our reservations. It drives me crazy to waste a night on a mediocre or worse expensive dinner. I kind of thought the Mediterraneo would be just OK but that it might have been fun for the kids with the music.

The tip on Fornillo Beach and the best way to get there is invaluable.

ekc- thanks for the info on Tre Sorelle; I had looked at that restaurant, and wondered what it was like. I’m going to look into that tour with Christine. Rick Steves also mentioned her in his book.

I’m feeling very encouraged about the hotel choices we’ve made, when so many others have stayed there and loved them—can’t wait to sip a Bernini on that rooftop bar!

NoCaliGal-thanks for the specifics on how to do the bus/train to Pompeii. I’ve printed it out and I’ll bring it with us. If the day works out for a ferry ride back from Sorrento, we’ll probably do that and just buy a one-way ticket on the bus. In any case, it’s going to be much less than the private driver.

Bardo-I’m going to check out that hotel and the possibility of staying in Naples. Thanks for the info.

Thanks again for all of the help!

If it's possible, take a boat roundtrip to Sorrento. It's so much less nauseating and crowded than the bus. Have a great time. I am seriously obsessed with the area. I'm sure you will be, too, after your visit!

cyber, I know you have no love of cliffs. But your teenagers (and even you!) might enjoy walking part of the Sentieri degli Dei ("Walk of the Gods" in English). It was one of the best moments of my trip in 2010! We took the local bus in Positano all the way up to the hamlet of Nocelle above the town. The views from up there, with Positano and the sea spread out below, were absolutely incredible. The Walk of the Gods starts through the "streets" of Nocelle with its tiny stepped gardens, then opens out onto the hills. There are even picnic tables scattered about periodically along the path.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on it in English, but if you google "walk of the gods" or "path of the gods" you'll find some maps and directional details...

And whatever else, please go to Naples for at least one day! The archeological museum is really, really worth it. And you can't be in the area and not taste Naples' most famous export: the pizza!

NoCaliGal has explained the bus/train very well. It's very straightforward! And since Sorrento is the end of one of the train lines, you can always get settled on a train long before it pulls out of the station... You can reach both Pompeii-Scavi and Naples from that line.

Weadles-thanks for the suggestions on the boats. I'm sure that would be a more pleasant way to go. So many people have told me that this is their favorite spot in Italy--I can't wait to see it!

ggreen-I will look into that Walk of the Gods. I can screw up my courage for something that fantastic. I've got one of my sons researching that right now. And I am busily looking into Naples. It does seem that we should at least visit. Thanks for the suggestions!

That sounds very encouraging, cybertraveler! There are some terrific trip reports about Naples on here. Here are two I recommend for great reading! (The latter link goes right to the part about Naples.)
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/eight-days-exploring-and-eating-in-naples-paestum-and-rome.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/bruce-and-marija-go-to-naples-alba-neive-turin-florence-and-paris.cfm#comment-6749994


And at the risk of stirring up your vertigo, here's a photo on Flickr from the Walk of the Gods:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjamv/5514808784/

ggreen-what a photo! I clicked and watched a video from that link. The walk looks wonderful...for DH and sons! I'll go along for a little while at least, but I'm more into boutique strolling on vacation!

Still researching Naples--4 days to go, so not sure I can pull it together in time. If we don't get there this time, it will be a good excuse to return!

cyber, I'm glad you enjoyed the video - from the comfort of your seat on terra firma.

The good thing about living here in the digital age is that you don't have to decide now what/if to do Naples. It will be well along in your trip, and who knows what other joys you'll find in the interim! But if and when the time comes, those two trip reports - and more questions to us here in cyberspace as necessary - will put you in good stead.

You and your family must be SO EXCITED (and maybe a little crazed?) with so little time before this fabulous vacation! Buon viaggio!!

Agree with Weadles about Il Ritrovo.

PLEASE do not use TripAdvisor as a definitive guide to restaurants in that area!
You are much better off reading Chowhound, or reading the reviews on this site.

I had a lovely dinner at Taverna del Leone, just east of Positano, last fall. Much better than the dinner I had at Il Ritrovo, which struck me as a real tourist place run with an almost assembly line precision. Apart from a quite poor piece of fish, the food was not bad, especially if you like "balsamic" vinegar drizzled with a heavy hand, but I would not return.



http://www.latavernadelleone.com/eng/

Hello again,

ggreen-Thanks for the tip to contact my Fodors friends even while we're there if I need help. And yes, we are entering the slightly dazed and crazed stage--busily checking off lists, eating up all the food in the house, etc! It's always this way for us; however, since I'm somewhat compulsively organized we're just about ready to go!

ek-Taverna del Leone looks lovely, and thanks for the plug for Chowhounds over TA. I'm going to check out some more restaurants on chowhounds for other recommendations. Il Ritrovo is now "out"!

I don't know if you saw this on another one of my posts, but a great new planning tool I found was Google Maps. You can enter any address on the planet and get walking directions! You can save them, print them, and Tripit even links to the maps for you-- LOVE it!

Cyber, here is a great blog post on a recent trip to Laurito beach.
http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com

ekc-what a great blog post! I'm definitely going to that beach--reworking the itinerary right now! Thanks for sharing.

I noticed that in another post, she also recommended Bar Bruno for dinner. It looks nice; are you familiar with it? If so, would you suggest Bar Bruno or Next2; from the website, Next2 looks much more "formal" and perhaps Bar Bruno would be more of an authentic experience.

Can't wait to try all those lemon desserts!

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Next2. I wouldn't say it was particularly formal...more California casual with lots of white.

Thanks Weekender-it's nice to hear from someone who's been there. We really don't want formal on vacation!

cyber, I didn't eat at either Next2 or Bruno but walked by both and have read several reviews and would pick Bruno simply for the setting and experience. But nothing will beat your lunch at Laurito!

Bruno is very close to the Marincanto whereas Next2 is on the opposite side of town.

Thanks for the info on the restaurants. Da Bruno sounds like the better alternative for us this trip. There is never enough time to do all I'd like on a trip, no matter how long it is!