daniella82

Hi all! I'm going to Italy with a couple of friends in July, and we are going to the Amalfi coast for 3 days of the trip (also doing venice and rome). We plan to use Positano as our base and explore from there. A few questions:
1. What's the best way to get from Naples to Positano
2. Is Positano an OK base to explore ( I can still change that)
3.. Do we need a car
4.. What are the must see towns/sights to see (I def want to visit positano, and ravello)

I appreciate any help, thanks!

ekc

If you are arriving into Naples by train, you change trains and train to Sorrento, then you can either take the SITA bus to Positano or hire a private driver.

You can also look into arriving via train into Salerno and then taking the ferry from Salerno to Positano.

IMO Positano is a good base, because there is plenty to do in Positano itself and it has good ferry connections to other towns.

You do not need, nor want a car, especially in July. Lots of threads on here about horrific traffic, expensive and non-existent parking, etc. Stick to ferries and buses and you will be fine.

A good day trip that I am planning on doing later this month is ferry to Amalfi, bus up to Ravello, explore Ravello and have lunch, then bus back down to Amalfi, explore Amalfi and Atrani and then ferry back to Positano.

I posted a question about beach chair rental, and someone suggested taking a small boat from the harbor in Pos to the Gavitella beach, where you can hang on the beach, have lunch and climb the stairs and explore Praiano.

sundriedpachino

If you want to go to Capri or Pompeii then the connections are not so good from Positano, better from Sorrento. The ferry leaves from Sorrento for Capri, and the train leaves from Sorrento, back towards Naples, for Pompei.
But you might not have enough time for that, anyway, and it depends what your priorities are.

lmont

We were just there for 4 days. Took train from Rome to Naples. Circumvensia to Sorrento. Since our hotel room wasn't going to be available until later in the afternoon, we stopped at Pompeii on the way ( used their free luggage storage). Sorrento area was a good base - ferry to Capri and bus to Positano, Almafi and Ravello. SITA bus ride was VERY unpleasant. Jam packed - as in, we were standing in the stairwell like sardines. That may have been because it was a 10am bus and the earlier ones may be less crowded. This was in May. We stayed at Hotel Nido which had great views, a shuttle in to town and bus stop in front of hotel. Only complaint were the too thin mattresses.

nytraveler

IMHO the two major sights in the area - Pompeii and Capri - are reached muchmore esily from Sorrento than from Positano. You can easily take a ferry from Sorrento down the cost and see Positano and other towns in one day - but unless you want to spend you days there - trekking back and forth the mobbed coast road in a bus that is often SRO is a major PIA.

bobthenavigator

My favorite sights on the AC are Positano and Ravello.
Sorrento is convenient but the above destinations are spectacular. Maybe it is my camera talking.

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4481

fb

I am in Positano now and loving it. I am glad that we chose Positano over Sorrento, but then again we are staying for a week and not doing as much sightseeing. We hired a driver from Naples for 100 euros - since you will have three people to split the cost, it will not be much more than the crowded non- air conditioned Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento and the packed bus frm Sorrento. There are several ferries as well as organized excursions to Capri from Positano. However, there is no easy way to go to Pompeii without going back to Sorrento. We went to Pompeii while staying in Naples. We did do a day trip to Amalfi and Ravello using the bus one way and the ferry to return and it was easy. I am sure you will love it here whatever you decide.

daniella82

Thank you all so much for your advice, it was really helpful! We had some hotel issues, and it seems like we may end up staying in amalfi-thoughts? also, FB, I hope you're enjoying your trip! How did you arrange the driver? Thanks