Donna82

Hi guys after lots of mind changing and decision making we have decided on staying near Sorrento as a base for seeing Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. We have 5 nights in the area and I really want to see Amalfi & Ravello and possibly Positano and Pranino
Would you suggest trying to see a few places in one day or split it into two days?
One day for Positano/Pranino?
One for Amalfi/Ravello?
I think I might be happy enough to see Positano from the water, it sounds very overpriced to use beach and very busy?
Which town has the best access to a beach/ sea? We will have a 13 yr old with us so a few hours at a beach would be good
Grateful for any thoughts on this?
Thanks

yorkshire

You should consider/include how you plan to get around. I am assuming bus (plus train for Pompeii).
Count on one full day for Pompeii, and you can easily fit in visits to all of the other small towns in your remaining three full days. Whether you use bus and try some of the hikes between towns will determine how you group them. You could even see them all in one day, it just depends how much you want to see and do.
I found this extremely useful, though I did not end up spending any time on the beach: http://www.spiaggecostieraamalfitana...getratto3.html
Fairly easy to figure out because they are arranged according to location, and you can use google translate for the rest.

aliced

One day for Pompeii, one for Capri, one for Positano (have lunch on the beach at Chez Black), one for Amalfi/Ravello. We loved Positano and thought the sandals and eyelet blouses were well priced and made great souvenirs. Have a drink at La Sirenuse, their bar is a beautiful antique. Wait patiently and impatiently for the Seta blue bus to pick you up, its schedule is its own and it will arrive when it feels like it. But we couldnt have waited in a more beautiful place. We stayed 5 nts in Sorrento as well and it was an ideal town from which to explore the coast.

tuscanlifeedit

I tend to doubt that a 13 year old boy would enjoy time having a very expensive drink at Le Sirenuse.

Capri is a good day trip, and a recent thread had information about a beach club visit.

Make sure there is transportation from where you are staying "near Sorrento." What are your options?

The bus service can suck. I think boats are a much better choice.

Praiano hasn't many attractions for a day trip, but it might be very nice for your beach time before or after Positano:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g...Vacations.html

Does your boy relish looking at shops and climbing up and down steep streets? Positano is a fabulous vacation spot but I'm not sure it's great for a family daytrip. Maybe other can chime in on that.

Pompeii and Capri would be high on my list when traveling with a young teen.

Donna82

We are staying in Sant'Angnello with shuttle buses, public buses and train station near by so I know it will be handy to get to Pompeii from here.
I was thinking bus to Positano ( if we go there) then boat to Amalfi and bus up to Ravello. But as its going to be mid August I imagine the buses will be very busy so boat might be a better option each way?


I'm not sold on Positano and think the walking in Ravello might be enough for the Teen!

Would Capri be too crowded in August?
I'm also keen to go to Naples to see the Pompeii museum is it feasible o do this the same day as Pompeii? the teen is also keen to go to the place where pizza was created

We head to Rome after Sorrentto so I suppose I trying o balance the history/ art /walking with some fun things too

kja

> I'm also keen to go to Naples to see the Pompeii museum is it feasible o do this the same day as Pompeii?

I suppose that would be feasible, but I'm not sure it would be advisable - it would either mean a very, very long day or a day in which you rush through 2 different sites that may be best seen without watching the clock. But maybe others see it differently?

Don't forget sunscreen, hats, and LOTS of water for your day at Pompeii!

nytraveler

Agree on Pompeii. There is practically no shade - and you should get there when it opens to avoid the worst of the heat, And carry your own water everywhere on the whole trip to stay hydrated.

tuscanlifeedit

I agree that it might be a horribly long and hot day. I would think that Pompeii and the Archeological Museum in Naples might each be a good half day trip, with the rest of the day at your hotel pool.

Capri will be no more crowded than anywhere else. Capri Town will be jammed, but why even go there when there is so much of the beautiful island to see? Your son might really enjoy the lift at Anacapri.

http://www.capri.net/en/s/mount-solaro-cetrella

WWK

I don't know if it's still offered, but several years ago there was a night tour of Pompeii. The guided tour portion was about an hour or so followed by a multi-media production set up on the lawn that explained the history of Pompeii. It was a great way to avoid touring Pompeii in the brutal heat of the summer months. You might check with the Sorrento tourist office and see if this is still available.

Now about Positano.... The town beach is pricey and not worth it, if you ask me. But you could walk to Fornillo beach, which is about a half mile or so from the town dock. This beach is usually less crowded and dramatically prettier than the one in town.

There are snack bars on the beach, or you could follow the path along the water back toward town and eat at LO GUARACINO, which has wonderful pizzas, homemade pastas, and straight on water views.

Definitely avoid the SITA bus by taking boats between towns whenever possible.

And while others will say it's not worth it, try to get in a trip to Capri and the famous Blue Grotto.Just leave first thing in the AM to try to avoid the throngs of day trippers that descend on the island a bit later in the morning! My kids swam inside the grotto, and still talk about it years later! There are several small boat companies you can hire at Marina Grande in Capri when you arrive for a tour of the island, or you can book ahead with one of the more popular companies, like WHALES DI WENDY.

WWK

Just wanted to add that beaches in the area are generally not that great. Many people swim off the sides of a boat or go to coves along the coast for a quick swim. In Sorrento, you'll find people sunning and swimming off a stone pier.

Donna82

Thanks guys this is all very informative! Think it will be Capri or Positano so! decisions decisions!
Pompeii and Amalfi/Ravello are definite for me....the view forms Ravello look amazing.

Night tour of Pompeii sounds great, will definitely look into that ! Other option is to do it on the way to Rome I suppose, though it might eat into our Rome time that way and leave us tired arriving....

WWK

Looks like the night tours are still running. Check out: Le Lune di Pompeii website for more info. You may need to arrange a private transfer back and forth. We're using GUEMARTRAVEL this time, but have also used TOUROFITALY in the past. Both companies are based in Sorrento.

Finally, yes, views from Ravello are very nice, but Positano is the reigning queen of views on the Amalfi Coast!

blakejared

Sorrento is a good base, and it was nice walking around in the evening after a day of sightseeing.

I agree that Pompeii and Archeological Museum together in one day would be too much. My teenage cousin was actually kind of bored at that museum, actually. While it is hot, exploring Pompeii does take a chunk of the day due to walking from site to site.

When I went, I saw Positano, Amalfi and Salerno all in one day hopping on and off the bus. It was crowded and a bit annoying to wait for the buses, but it was do-able and a decent budget option.

Capri took a separate day especially if you're seeing the Blue Grotto.

AJPeabody

If you finish at Pompeii a bit early, consider taking the train a few stops to Herculaneum. It's smaller and much better preserved. There is a combo admission ticket for the two sites if you plan ahead.

Donna82

Le Lune di Pompeii - is there an English version seems the sites only in Italian?

sdtravels

Following along.

i_am_kane

WWK, it's so nice of you to mention Guemar Travel in Sorrento! They (the family) are friends of ours and they do an outstanding job. I second the motion!

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Le Lune di Pompeii....

From all I've seen recently, in our local press here and elsewhere, the scheme's not running - presumably due to the various restoration works that are under way?

A real shame, but the same happened last year!

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Campania.html

Peter

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Here's something you might all be able to enjoy - a day's "Minicruise" by sea from Sorrento, with the option of getting off at either Positano or Amalfi?

Start from...

http://minicrociere.net/crociera_azzurra.html

.. and, once on that page, click on the Union Jack symbol for an English description - which, as far as I can tell, is showing this year's details!

This is the very jolly ship they use, the "Marine Club" - on one of its occasional visits to our island...

http://www.pbase.com/image/116325502

Peter
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde

Donna82

Peter - Great pity about the night time Pompeii tours, that would have been an excellent way to free up a day and see it in comfort! I like the look of that mini cruise as it includes some swimming time for the teen but probably not enough time for getting to Ravello... maybe Ravello will be a different day, hard to fit it all in and still leave time to relax!