armando0176

Hello Fellow Fodors! My wife and I are booking a trip to Paris and Italy for September and we're battling with one of our destinations to stay at. Originally, we had thought about staying in Positano/Amalfi for 3 nights, but a friend of mine just came back from Italy and recommended Sorrento, because it is a good central point to get to Positano/Amalfi, Capri, Pompeii, etc... So, the question is, do we stay in Sorrento or Positano/Amalfi?

armando0176

I should add that this destination will be the 4th stop of 5, with Paris, Venice and Florence being the first 3 and Rome being the 5th, so this stop we plan on resting some, but also depends if visiting Capri and Pompeii are worth losing some rest over, which is where Sorrento would come in to play. Is everything to see in Positano/Amalfi pretty close in proximity with very little transportation if any?

isabel

Depends on what you plan to do with your time there. I have always stayed in Sorrento. It is more central, as your friends said, so if you plan to go to Pompeii or Naples, or Capri, etc. it's much more convenient. I like the fact that you can get there on the train and not have the expense of having to get a driver - or to have to lug your luggage on both the train and the bus. I think taking the bus or the ferry from Sorrento to Positano/Amalfi is part of the experience (as long as you are doing it as a day trip and not lugging your bags) so I love doing day trips in the region. I usually take the bus one way and the boat the other. I think the town of Sorrento itself is lovely, and has more options for eating, shopping, and just exploring than either Amalfi or Positano. However, that said, those two towns are really the highlights of a trip to that region and if you can afford the expense of a driver to get you there, and don't plan to include Pompeii, etc. then basing in Amalfi would be great. I keep saying the next time I go to the area I'm going to stay in Amalfi but end up opting for Sorrento again.

Here's my photos of the region - might help you decide - http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/ital...aples__pompeii

isabel

Re times between places - from Naples to Sorrento is about an hour on the train, from Sorrento to Positano on the bus is about 45 minutes (they run many times a day, but less than hourly) and then another 30 minutes or so from Positano to Amalfi. The boat takes about the same time but only runs a couple times a day in each direction. So a day trip for many people would be - take the ferry from Sorrento to Amalfi at 9 am (about) - arrive late morning (it will stop at Positano but don't get off). Spend a few hours, then take the bus back to Positano, spend some time there and then take a bus (or the boat) back to Sorrento in the late afternoon. More choice of times with the bus than the boat.

Boats from Sorrento to Capri take less than an hour. Train from Sorrento to Pompeii is about 45 minutes.

Jean

Sorrento is a transportation hub and is much closer to Capri, Pompeii, Naples, etc. Three nights is only 2 full days to see what you've mentioned, so you'll have to eliminate some or certainly prioritize your sightseeing. Capri is pretty much an all-day excursion, and we spent most of an entire day at Pompeii on our first visit and still didn't see everything. (Almost all of the artifacts found at Pompeii are in the archeology museum in Naples, so depending on your interest, you might want to go there as well.) Seeing Amalfi, Ravello and Positano would probably take one long day depending on how quickly you could get from place to place. It will be crowded everywhere.

We've stayed in Sorrento, Amalfi and on Capri and enjoyed each for different reasons. Only you can decide if access to sights not on the AC (Sorrento) is more important than actually staying on the AC (Positano/Amalfi).

Blueeyedcod

Sorrento is the most touristy town in Italy, so if you want to spend your time in the company of half of Britain (who love the place) then stay there but be aware that your Italian experience will not be very authentic.

I take issue with staying there simply for its convenience to other places. Naples is equally convenient to Capri, Pompeii and has better connections to the Amalfi Coast via train to Salerno and then ferry - the most spectacular way to see the coast.

Jean

I didn't think Naples was on the lodging list, but I agree that it's convenient to other points in the area.

Sorrento may be the "most touristy," but the coastal towns and Capri are certainly packed with tourists (including Italian tourists) in high season. This area is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Italy. IMO, someone seeking primarily a less touristy experience should probably go elsewhere.

armando0176

Thank you all. We're going in mid-September, so not sure how touristy it will be. I would assume fairly touristy. For those of you who stayed in Amalfi/Positano area, is 3 nights (2 full days) too much? Is there enough to do there? How's the food? Again, this will somewhat be a resting hub and I would think from there we can take a day trip to Capri or Pompeii or Sorrento. Out of the those 3, which is more worth visiting if staying in Amalfi/Positano? Wow, thanks for the pics Isabel.

armando0176

Also, I must mention, that we would prefer staying where we would get spectacular night views during dinner and just enjoying the view from our hotel or walking around.

Blueeyedcod

Mid September is still very much high season. Two days is not enough actually - you get there, relax and then have to leave. Advising you of what there is to do is pointless as you haven't mentioned your interests. There is amazing hiking but if you don't like to hike then...? You can do cooking classes but if that doesn't interest you then..? You don't have enough time to sightsee. Just stay put and enjoy the views.
Positano is not touristy - a small portion of it down by Piazza Mulini definitely can be congested but the Fornillo side is full of locals going about their daily lives.
If you haven't booked then finding something with spectacular night views may be a challenge at this late stage.
The food is superb - places like La Tagliata are IMHO unmissable.

Stellarossa

Ignore the bores and their laws.

Base should be Sorrento. Amalfi/Positano/Ravello/whatnot on a day trip. Sure, Hanky Bickers might disagree but it's YOUR vacay.

YMMV.

Huitres

I recommend making Sorrento your base. It is very conveniently located off the Circumvesuviana train stop and you can easily take ferries to Amalfi and Positano as day trips. I think you are fine in mid-September, the crowds are certainly far less than they are in the summer. There is more to do in Amalfi so I'd plan for a full day there to make the most of your time. In Amalfi, you can walk 10 mins south to the adjoining town of Atrani to see the bell tower views overlooking the ocean. Also, I recommend taking a bus up from Amalfi to Ravello and seeing Villa Rufulo and Villa Cimbrone (the gardens). You can buy your bus tickets at the ticket office near the ferry port but you need them before getting on the bus. Buon viaggio!

Blueeyedcod

Stellarossa and Huitres - you clearly have no idea.

You CANNOT 'easily' take a ferry from Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast. There is one service per day. How is that 'easy' - do tell.

NB - what the heck is 'hanky bickers' - please leave your colloquial expressions off an international forum.

Huitres

I have stayed in Sorrento every year for many years and have family there. Yes, I do take ferries from the marina to nearby Amalfi and Positano. It has never been difficult, even with a small child. There is also the SITA bus option that leaves from the Circumvesuviana train station if a boat is not to one's liking. My point is that Sorrento makes a great base from which to explore the area towns, with accessibility to a variety of travel options.

southernista

I researched the exact same thing last year when I visited Italy. Ultimately I chose Amalfi (the convento) and we visited Positano, Capri & Ravello too. I found that while many people suggested Sorrento, it seemed mostly based on the ease of getting to somewhere else. I heard 'if you stay in Positano, be sure to visit Amalfi...if you stay in Amalfi, visit Positano'. But nobody ever said go visit Sorrento. The views from our hotel in Amalfi were unbelievable. The ferry dock was right down the steps from our hotel, making trips to Positano and Capri super easy. Ravello is also right up the road from Amalfi. Having said that, I personally loved Positano so much I wished we could've stayed overnight there also.

Blueeyedcod

I reiterate - there is ONE service per day. That makes it difficult. The service leaves at around 10.00 and there is ONE service back to Sorrento at around 3.00.

The SITA bus is always full - unless you leave on the first run in the morning. The bus can be so full that it leaves passengers behind in Sorrento and they have to stand there and wait for the next service.

Sorrento is crowded, expensive and touristy. Glad you like it but others need to make an informed decision about whether it suits their needs.

Note - mid September is very much high season still.

southernista

Oh! Capri is definitely worth visiting and you don't have to lose any sleep. Do the Monte Solaro Chairlift if you go! Truly a memorable experience, the views are insane. It's not something we would've found on our own, so ask around once you're in the town of Capri. We skipped the blue grotto and I don't regret that decision at all.

Jean

Ferry service Sorrento-Amalfi is sparse, but two ferries a day is more than one. The bigger problem is that the times aren't very helpful for all-day sightseeing.

http://www.alicost.it/?page_id=202&lang=en

But there's always the Sita bus and taxis.

http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archi...mavera_2.pdf/0

Fra_Diavolo

Capri and Pompeii are certainly top tier sites (though Capri is better if you can spend the night, after the crowds are gone). I agree with Blue-eyed whatever that Sorrento should be avoided. I still remember a cut-out Bobbie directing tourists to a nearby trattoria featuring traditional fish & chips.

But if you want to relax, skip all the sites. Check into Le Sirenuse in Positano and spend the day drinking champagne by the pool. Alternately, do the same at the Quisisana in Capri.

southernista

I think 3 nights is good. We only stayed 2 (and still fit in Amalfi, Positano, Capri and Ravello). If we'd had 3, we likely would've gone to Pompeii too. We spent 1/2 day in Positano, 3/4 day in Capri, 1/4 day in Ravello, 1/2 day in Amalfi Town...in that order (see my above posts, we were based in Amalfi) . Of course I would've loved more time in all places but we weren't rushed by any means. If you want a livelier feel, with town lights at night and gorgeous views - I'd go with Positano. Where we stayed in Amalfi, it was much quieter.

Ask your hotel about a private car transfer from the Naples train station. Our hotel set ours up and it made the trip much quicker than riding the SITA bus. It's a beautiful journey and he even stopped along the way so we could take pics.