viewgirl

I am in beginning stages of planning a trip to Italy sept. 2015. (i know it's late). I want to fly into Rome, spend a few days in Sorrento or Positano---then to Amalfi Coast, with a visit to Pompeii----then train to Florence/Tuscany for 4 days---then end up in Rome for 3-4 days. I've heard that it is difficult to get to the Amalfi Coast. A friend recently went there and had a nightmarish drive through hair pin turn mountains to get to Ravello. Part of me just wants to do a tour---but then again I've never done that and can't find any tours doing what I want to do anyway. I've planned every trip through suggestions from you and will probably do the same with this one. I'm thinking of cutting out the Amalfi part of the trip if the transportation is going to be too difficult. Any advice appreciated.

denisea

I had a similar questions a few months ago...

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...xperiences.cfm

good luck

nytraveler

You seem confused. Positano IS one of the towns on the Amalfi coast.

And yes, the coast road is cut into the side of a cliff, is very narrow and is composed almost completely of hairpin turns and blind driveways - except in the center of each town. If this is a problem do NOT go to the Amalfi coast - or travel only by ferry (don't run that often).

There is a broader highway as far as Sorrento (on the bay of Naples) but once you turn the corner onto the Amalfi road - bus and cab are only transit - you get the cliff road.

nytraveler

Sorry - you can get from Rome to Sorrento by train (express then local) or a bus. Past Sorrento just bus or taxi (big $) on cost road.

DebitNM

I do not know what he charges for transfers, but we did a day tour with him and he was excellent! I HiGHLY recommend Francesco.

http://www.francescomarrapese.com/transfers.htm

isabel

It's relatively easy to get to Sorrento from Rome. You take a train to Naples and change to the local commuter train (circumvesuviana) to Sorrento. Trains from Rome to Naples are fast and frequent (www.trenitalia.com/). Search for trains from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale. The fastest ones are only about an hour long journey and they run several per hour. Once in Naples you just go downstairs in the train station to the Circumvesuviana station. These local trains are not as comfortable (no AC for example) but the trip is only about an hour, and these also run frequently.

It's more difficult to get to Amalfi or Positano on the Amalfi coast since the train line ends in Sorrento so from there you have to take the bus or a ferry. If money is no object you can hire a driver in Naples to drive you to these towns but it's much more expensive.

But the bus ride, while somewhat motion sickness inducing, is gorgeous. The views are incredible. And the ferry is also a wonderful way to get around - but the boats are not that frequent so you have to work to schedule things.

For this reason I'd suggest staying in Sorrento. Once you get to Sorrento and get settled then taking day trips to Amalfi, Positano, Ravello, Capri is a pleasure rather than a difficulty. It's the trying to get there all in one shot from Rome that makes it drudgery versus a great sightseeing experience. It's also much easier to get to Pompei from Sorrento than from Amalfi or Positano.

I actually really like Sorrento itself - I've stayed there twice and am going back for a third trip in a few months. But if you really want to stay in Amalfi or Positano it is certainly doable.

viewgirl

Thank you so much for your responses. I didn't realize a bus runs down the amalfi coast---ALL of your suggestions and info have been very helpful. I read your whole thread, denisea and what I'm sure of is that we won't be driving ourselves! I really like the idea of hiring a driver from Rome. Everyone has said it was pricey to do this. How pricey? We will be traveling with another couple----and I may consider the idea of only going as far as Sorrento and doing day trips---but I wonder if it even compares to AC. Any hotel suggestions there, My cousin spent a whole week in Ravello and says it was her all time favorite place. DebitNM--what cities would Francesco tour? I've heard that is the way to go--

DebitNM

He took us from Sorrento [we took the train from Naples] and we went all the way down to Ravello; stopping along the way. He drove us back to Sorrento at the end of the day. He also arranged for a private guide the next day to meet us at Pompeii. He will do what ever you want as far as time and stops. I'll see if I can find exactly what we did.

kybourbon

>>>I really like the idea of hiring a driver from Rome. Everyone has said it was pricey to do this. How pricey?<<<

About 400€.

>>>My cousin spent a whole week in Ravello and says it was her all time favorite place.<<<

Ravello isn't easy transportation wise as a base.

greg

Whether Ravello is the relevant base or not depends on what you plan to do. If you just stay there the whole time, Ravello is a good place. People who just stayed there would rave about staying in Ravello. However, if you want to move around, it is time consuming to get into and out. For these people, Ravello is an inconvenient out of way place.

Bus runs along the Amalfi Coast, but not necessarily often and does not necessarily have space for you. See the schedule. Notice VERY CAREFULLY the letters at the top of each run: which runs on weekday, holidays, school days, etc. http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archi...939_5070.pdf/0

Getting from Rome to Sorrento can be done predictably using high speed train to Napoli Centrale then Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento. http://www.eavsrl.it/web/. It is how to go beyond Sorrento towards Amalfi that you get into issues. The SITA bus is cheap but not necessarily often and places like Ravello is very difficult to reach as a day trip if you want to stop by Positano and Amalfi only the way. I hired a taxi right in Sorrento for an entire day. I have seen some outrageous figures on internet targeted to cruise passengers for over €500. Our hotel proposed the same trip for €300. An ordinary taxi based in Sorrento agreed to do a full day trip for €200. He took us from the Sorrento station to our hotel in Sorrento and he looked ok, so I asked him for a full day price. He took us to Positiano and dropped us as far he could. Then about 10 min before I wanted to leave, I telephone him and the car magically appeared. He then took us to Amalfi where we spent some time. He then took us to Ravello where we ate lunch and spent some time walking around the gardens and the view before heading back to Sorrento. The whole loop took about 7 hours.

tom_mn

The traditional path to Amalfi coast is via Sorrento, but the fastest and most straightforward way is train direct to Solerno from Rome, then either bus or ferry from there to Amalfi or Positano.

Sassafrass

If you do not already have tickets, can you do multi-city, into Naples and out of Florence or Pisa, or into Naples and out of Rome? Would save a little time.

If not, it is not difficult at all to take trains to Sorrento.
Sorrento gets short shrift sometimes because it is touristy, but it is set on cliffs above the beautiful Bay of Naples with gorgeous views from several of the hotels. As a matter of fact, in the evening all the sails on boats in the bay and glittering lights from around the bay, with Vesuvius as a back drop is like a painting. I have stayed there several times and would do so again because it is perfect for catching the train to Pompeii or the ferry to Capri and the ferry down the AC. I don't know the ferry schedule for September. Check that and you can plan for the AC easily. Views from the water are stunning. You can also use the bus.

If you have time for two stays, do 3/4 nights in Sorrento and a couple of nights someplace else.

ekc

Although Sorrento is near, it is not on the Amalfi Coast and if your main goal is to see the sights and towns on the Amalfi Coast, then you would be better served by staying in a town actually on the Amalfi Coast.

I spend a week in Positano each June, so I might be biased but I feel it is the most picturesque of the villages on the Amalfi Coast. It has very good transportation options to get to Capri, Amalfi/Ravello and Salerno. I have trouble with motion sickness, so I never take the bus. I either travel by ferry (my favorite) or via taxi.

I have taken a driver from Rome to Positano, and I would suggest you save your money and take the train from Rome to Salerno, then the ferry from Salerno to Amalfi (35 minutes) or Positano (70 minutes). It is a gorgeous way to see the AC and a very memorable arrival!

bvlenci

You might want to consider taking the train to Salerno rather than to Naples. From Salerno, you can take a bus or boat to other Amalfi Coast towns. It saves you taking the sometimes overcrowded Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento.

nytraveler

If you want to see Pompeii, Capri and the small towns on the Amalfi coast Sorrento is the best solution since it has access to train, bus and ferry/hydrofoil - and more frequently than the bus or ferry down the coast. Sorrento also has a flat center and many more hotels and restaurants than do the smaller towns down the coast.

However, if you want primarily to stay in one place and relax then staying in the town down the coast is a good idea. Just be sure that you have checked out the steps (they are cut in the side of the cliff and are vertical - sometimes hundreds of steps to the top).

As for hotel recos, what is your nightly budget in eruos and are you alone or traveling with others?

viewgirl

We're traveling with another couple--want to keep it somewhat under $300 usd--i don't know the euro exchange rate right now but will check that out, too. I do like the idea of staying in Sorrento--as long as I can find an affordable hotel room with a water view. Thanks fo the tip about all of the steps, as my husband has had knee issues---hundreds of steps each time we left the hotel would not be good.

nytraveler

$300 US - or about 230 euros per night for a room for 4 adults (most rooms for 4 are family rooms and may have twin beds for kids) with a central location and a sea view may not be easy. I can't comment since we stay at the Vittorio Gran Excelsior in Sorrento - fits you need but not your budget. In searching you need to determine the exact location of the hotel - some are in the hills above the city and that would make sense only if they have a shuttle to the town center,

okminty

I have driven the Amalfi coast road and I didn't find it that bad. This was 15 years ago, but I thought it was nice. It's not like you can go very fast on it and there are mirrors everywhere to show you what is coming. If it is close, people back up and let the traffic pass. Since we stayed in Positano for a week, it made it so much easier to get to Pompeii and the other towns when we wanted to. Then again I am not afraid to drive in New York or Atlanta either. And that traffic goes way faster.

Check this site out. http://www.dangerousroads.org/europe...oad-italy.html

I really don't think there are that many accidents since it is slow traffic. And since you are going in September the traffic will be less. I say go for it.

jelopez33

Viewgirl:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...1-to-oct-3.cfm

This is the report of our first visit to the A.C.
Many data and tips are still valid.
In 2014 we made our second visit to the A.C. This time with friends, and used Positano as a base instead of Amalfi.
We were perfectly happy at Hotel Savoia, near the best stop of the SITA bus, not very high on town, not on the beach but perfectly doable for us, starting at 55 y.o. Up to 75.
When in Positano, waterside, Chez Black is a very good option for dinning.
Transport is easy ia ferries or SITA buses, and we choose not to drive because of difficult parking.
Train for Rome to Napoles is easy and cheap, and a private tansfer from Napoli to Positano can cost you around 100 to 120 €,for two, and will cost less on a per person basis if you are four.

Enjoy your planning and stay, and please, let me know if I can be of any help.

viewgirl

You have all been so very helpful. I have a much better idea of what we will have to plan now. As for accomodations, we will not all be in the same room so we will get 2 hotel rooms, and will probably have to go up to 300euros. Thank you jelopez33 and okminty for the links.