Pentrack

Hello

Planning for May 2009. I am interested in any opinions/experiences which would help with a decision on whether to spend a week in Provence or the Amalfi Coast area of Italy. We have been to the north of Italy and north of France only. We enjoy walking in smaller towns, dining, wine and markets. Will have a car. Thanks for any information/opinions.

TuckH

One needs more than a week to do justice to the Provence region.

One week would be fine for the Amalfi Coast. Be sure to spend an overnight on the Isle of Capri. (Park the car at the port in Sorrento.)

StuDudley

I might get a little bored with a full week on the Amalfi coast - especially if the weather is not good or I didn't want to sunbathe.

A week in Provence is more time than many people spend there. You'll want to return. There are dozens of markets in Provence. I didn't see any on the Amalfi coast.

Stu Dudley

zeppole

Does one really need more than a week in Provence? Just curious. I think the Amalfi needs more than a week to "do it justice," too, if you realize that Pompeii, Capri, Ischia, Ravello, the coast towns and Sorrento are all part of the mix -- plus Napoli!

I have heard that the lavender is spectacular in Provence around that time, so if you have that interest, it might tip the scales.

Since you will have a car, you might find it a total waste in the Amalfi -- in fact, a nuisance. You say you like "walking," but most of the Amalfi coast involves stair climbing. As for markets, you have to dig to get past the tourist markets (as you probably will in Provence as well).

Is there some reason you are only interested in these two places in May? There are beautiful spots all over Italy in May with smaller towns, dining, great wine, and markets that can be a lot of fun if you have a car, and still give you a real sense of discovery. Not touristy.

Pentrack

Thanks for the replies. I settled on these areas because we have never been to either and they seem like good May destinations- warm but hopefully without the crowds of July/August. We are also interested in doing something different, on this trip, than the larger cities, museums, shopping, ect. Zeppole, if there are other areas of Italy I should consider I would certainly appreciate your suggestions. Is all of the Amalfi Coast jammed with tour buses and crowds in May?

StuDudley

The lavender in Provence blooms in late June & July - not May.

I don't know where you are planning to stay on the Amalfi coast, but there are no buses in "downtown" Positano because there are no roads - just footpaths. We've visited Positano 3 times in the first week of Sept, & it never felt crowded in. It was crowded, however, in Amalfi - too crowded to really enjoy, IMO. Capri was crowded too, except in the early morning & evening. Don't know about May.

We've spent 16 weeks in Provence - and about 1 1/2 on the Amalfi coast. We'll return for 2 more weeks in Provence in '10, but have no plans to return to the Amalfi Coast - so I guess that indicates which area we think deserves the most amount of time. Note that the beautiful beach in Positano is flat rocks - not sand.

Stu Dudley

nametaken

Provence is lovely in May. The poppies and other flowers are in bloom. The village markets are the best in Europe(my opinion). Small towns are in abundance and wine is king. Roses, red and white wines are all delicious and inexpensive. You will definitely need a car. I have not been to the Amalfi Coast. It is on my to do list. Renting a gite or aparatment works very well in Provence.

zeppole

Stu,

Pentrack was asking about tour buses and didn't mention Positano -- and there are plenty of tour buses jammed in Amalfi, and rumbling through Positano. There are indeed car roads there.

Pentrack,

I think you'll be somewhat caught in a war between the Provence fans and Amalfi fans here, but I think that your fundamental thinking is right: May is a terrific time to visit either of these places, for less than blistering weather and for relative lack of crowds.

The Amalfi gets a lot of cruise ships and tour buses at almost all times nowadays -- although the financial blow up may change a bit of that. Please remember that the Amalfi coast was developed to be a luxurious t layabout -- going back quite a few centuries -- and it still retains that air. It can be charming that way, but it can also be a turn off. I think the best visits to the Amalfi are had by people who do the research to find a somewhat-private beauty spot, in Ravello or Anacapri or on Ischia, and just revel os the otherworldly relaxation of it all and the magically lit nights. I think you can do that in May quite nicely, although no guarantees on swimming.

As for other parts of Italy, the country is just jammed with fabulous, untouristed valleys and small towns -- also jammed with gorgeous, affecting architecture and important history, not to mention great food, wine and markets. With a car, you can go to amazing places in the Maremma, or Umbria or Le Marche and be treated very well by lovely Englisgh-speaking hosts in b*bs and restaurants, and almost never see other foreign tourists.

Where have you been in Northern Italy? Did you like it?

StuDudley

Note that I wrote "downtown" Positano, which I meant to describe the large section that is "pedestrian only" & fronting the main beach. Many of the streets are actually stairs or streets 4 feet wide. That's where we spent almost 100% of our time while staying in Positano. There are no buses or normal cars in this section.

I also mentioned that Amalfi was very crowded - including buses, because there is a nice place to park the buses on the Positano side of Amalfi. Sorrento is loaded with buses.

Both the Amalfi Coast & Provence are A+ places to visit in Europe.

Stu Dudley

zeppole

I actually think one of the more interesting places to spend one's time in Positano is way up at the top, away from the sea, where the road jacknifes around. Few tourists climb up there. There are actually stores -- like, vegetable stores, italian dry goods -- no fashion shops. But that's my preference for getting away from the crowds of tourists. Still, Positano is so tiny it's hard to think of it as having a downtown.

Can't address Provence, but I rate Amalfi far less highly as a European travel destination, unless you can get away from the hordes of foreign tourists and the feeling that everything is staged for tourists (Italian and foreign alike). I'd sooner go to less fashionable beauty spots in Campania to relax and eat southern Italian food, or spend my time in places in Italy where it's easier visit great historical and artistic treasures. But before I made a special effort to visit the Amalfi, I'd visit great destinations in Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, etc.

Pentrack

Zeppole, we have visited all of the Italian Lakes and the Dolomites in Northern Italy, and enjoyed everything about the area. We have never been south of Rome, and it seems the Amalfi coast is considered a "must see" area. You've addressed some of the concerns we have about the Amalfi area. Our last trip was Rome, during June, and while it was great, there were hordes of tourists and we are looking for something different this time. I hoped this board would have people who have been both places, and I appreciate the prompt responses. They are extremely helpful. I know there will be other tourists at almost every destination, but the descriptions of Provence sound exactly like what we are looking for.

zeppole

Pentrack,

If you were adventurous enough to find your way around the Dolomiti, you might consider tweaking a trip to the Amalfi to avoid the worst of the tourist crush. Instead of staying in one of the most touristed towns, stay just below Amalfi, a little bit down the coast or as far down as heading into the Cilento Park. From there you can use a car to go to Ravello, or bus or ferry to visit the more intensely touristed destinations, like Positano.

Likewise, finding a quiet nook on the back side of Capri, or making sure you spend a few days on Ischia or Procida, could cast a spell. Most people day trip to islands, but you could do the opposite: Day trip off them to visit the land-sites, and enjoy the magic of the islands at night.

Still, the Amalfi is really all about spending enough time there doing nothing to understand why for such a long time it was beloved of dictators and artists in need of rest! If for your upcoming trip, you would more enjoy a combo of small-town discovery, lunches, pretty drives, nice dinners, rural quiet, then perhaps that is Provence in May or perhaps another corner of Italy in May:

The Maremma
The hills of Montefeltro at the intersection of Toscana, Le Marche and Umbria
Much of Umbria
Some of Lazio
Selected parts of Piemonte
The great food towns of Emilia-Romagna
Friuli


And that's just for openers!

By the way, I like Spain if you ever get around to it. And Belgium.

StuDudley

I think I mentioned that we've been to both places - several times.

Like I indicated, "downtown" (best word I could think of to describe the pedestrian section) Positano never seemed crowded to me because cars can't drive through there, parking adjacent to this area is difficult & costly, and the day-trippers on buses & in cars from Sorrento & elsewhere can get to the village of Amalfi & park there much easier than they can in Positano. If you walk through the pedestrian section to the beach in Positano, and then walk to the right on some large rocks & past a restaurant, there is a lovely & remote bay-side trail that you can follow for quite a ways. We really enjoy this walk in the evening. Some of the best people watching is from the boardwalk & restaurants (we like Chez Black) along the beach.

We stayed 2 nights in Capri and stayed away from the crowded main square between about 11 & 5 - instead taking walks to Villa Jovis, Belvedere Tragare, and elsewhere during that time. If you have traveled in Europe before, you should know how to avoid the day trippers.

Do you have my 27 page itinerary for Provence? If not, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the e-mail reply. No cost.

Provence or Amalfi???

Toss-up of you have not visited either.

I would be a little worried if the weather is bad in May on the Amalfi coast. If you don't have a car & even if you do, escaping to Pasteum, Naples, Pompii, or elsewhere is a little time consuming. In Provence, you could visit one of the many cities & museums if it's rainy.


Stu Dudley

TuckH

As Stu has said above about Provence, "You'll want to return".

This is the basis of my claim that "One needs more than a week to do justice to the Provence region".

Provence is quite large and there are so many delights! With only a week, pace yourselves and don't attempt to see everything this time. Relax and "enjoy walking in smaller towns, dining, wine and markets".

zeppole

I think Pentrack has already decided on Provence.

Nothing is more subjective than traveling. I've little desire to pay a return visit to Positano and have lost my desire to go to Provence, such as it was. But I could certainly spend several weeks in Campania, on its islands, or in its hills, or down the coast away from Amalfi and Positano, or visiting its many deeply historic towns. I take Stu's point that an experienced traveler knows how to avoid day trippers, but nothing about Positano seems to me to be worth the effort, when if you simply book yourself in any number of other drop dead gorgeous seaside locations near there, you won't have that problem at all.

I know people who've been to Provence and never wanted to go back. I don't think you can predict that for another person.

But just in general, I think just about any place you can name on the planet -- and certainly in Italy is as worthy of more than a week. And if you're afraid to go to the Amalfi in May, then just don't bother ever going. I wouldn't recommend a destination because it has museums for rainy day attractions when going to museums is not one of the things listed as enjoyable.

You guys just like Provence!

Jean

It's like the tug of war between Florence fans and Venice fans. I don't think you can know which city you'll like more until you've been to both.

zeppole

Yes, but at least those arguments (I hope) end up recognizing that both places can hold long-term fascination or satisfactions for others of different sensibility, and nobody presumes they know in advance how another traveler will react. I sort of bristle when people post (and they do all the time, so I don't mean to single out stu and tuck)" "You'll want to go back" or "you'll love this place." I've been told that about Brugge, I've been told that about Barcelona, I've been told that about San Francisco. I have no urge to see any of those places again

Stu likes lengthy and repeat visits to Provence. Tuck wants to go back. Let's hope Pentrack enjoys Provence, but travel without risk is travel I avoid.

nametaken

Go to Provence;you will love it. It is the only area in Europe that I have gone to twice. Research carefully what you wish to see, so that you can maximize you Provence experience. Don't forget that Roman ruins are there for the viewing. I want to go back at every opportunity. Stu is right.

nametaken

Tuck is too. Both are really informed about Provence.

zeppole

Nothing like taking a predictable trip!