Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report 5 weeks in Italy, continued…Orvieto, Naples, Amalfi Coast, and back to Rome

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And, after years of hearing about Pompeii, and having it on the "bucket list" for decades, we are finally off to see the site! An absolutely glorious day weatherwise, and an easy ride on the Circumvesuviana to the Pompeii Scavi and a short walk to the entrance. We did not hire a guide, but used our Rick Steves guidebook and hoped that tourist information would provide the same informative guidebook that we had in Herculaneum. It did not and while the RS book was descriptive, it certainly doesn't go into depth. This is fine for us but for those who want a deeper understanding of what they are seeing, you might want to hire a guide.

I won't go into any real description over the site as there is much written about the site; I was fascinated, though, by the differences in their preservation. Herculaneum was covered by the ash 12 hours later than Pompeii but the ash hardened and protected the city in a way that Pompeii was not.

I had been concerned I'd need to prebook our entry, but it was not a problem as the entry lines went quickly. This is a much, much larger site than Herculaneum, and, to no one's surprise, it's also very, very popular. Lots of groups, crowds of people, and in contrast to Herculaneum, not nearly as intact. As M was still recovering from his flu, and I was still hobbling from my sprained ankle, we took it relatively easy, though we did manage to cover most of the main buildings within the site. There are several newer buildings that have been opened, which sounded interesting, but we didn't have the energy for extensive exploring. Then again, to see it all requires a lot more time than just a few hours, and it does get hot as the day wears on!

Oh, yes, and the brothel! It was hard to miss the brothel, as the line was long and the tiny house was crowded!

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X-rated!

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Not so comfy room
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The ampitheater

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A few more thoughts before moving on...

I'm glad we saw Pompeii, but we LOVED Herculaneum. Pompeii is a large site, very busy with tourists, and certainly an important place - yet Herculaneum is intimate and we felt the presence of the ancients in a way that it's not so easy to do at Pompeii. If it's at all possible, I'd recommend seeing both. I certainly wouldn't suggest missing Pompeii, as it's part of what we've heard about for years....but Herculaneum really is special. Try to see it, too.

Thanks for coming back to your TR, Progol - I was missing your lovely photos. Luckily that the second time I went to Pompeii I went with a group that had a guide which made it come alive much more than on my first visit 30 years earlier. My only gripe was that it took us so long to get round [we started at the amphitheatre] that by the time we got to the Forum area it was closing and we didn't get to see the House of the Faun. But we did see a lot in the MANN in Naples, which was terrific.

annhig,
It’s all because of you that I’m getting back to this! I promise to TRY to finish this up soon! At least before I go on our next trip!
Paule

We enjoyed Sorrento a lot, despite the tourist crowds (and there were a few!). It's a beautifully-sited town, with enough to see and do within the city, as well as a very convenient location for touring Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. For us, it was a few days where we were able to get some necessary rest. We enjoyed our stay at the lovely guesthouse, Accademia 39, and highly recommend it as a very moderately-priced accommodation in an expensive area:
ACCADEMIA 39 | OFFICIAL WEBSITE | SORRENTO LUXURY GUEST HOUSE | SORRENTO LUXURY B&B
Vittoria, the manager, is a gem - very warm and helpful, and many of the baked goods served are thanks to her!

From Sorrento, we're off to Atrani, one of my favorite stops of the trip. The location is absolutely superb and our guesthouse, La Scogliera, is not only the most charming place we stayed in, but run by Pino and Pina, the most wonderful hosts. Truly warm and welcoming. I can't say enough. To be honest, this is one of those places that you want to keep secret because they're so good and it's such a great place, that you want to make sure they're available when you go again! Can you tell we loved this place? And the owners?
https://www.lascoglierarooms.it

It's a 3-room guesthouse, and La Ronnie (The Blue Room) is the prize, with its terraces on 2 sides. Pino serves our breakfast on our terrace, and as it's so bright and sunny in the morning, he puts the umbrella up so we can sit here and have the delicious baked goods that Pina made. And we can't eat everything that they serve us! It's heaven on earth, and I could've stayed there easily and not traveled far. Just an fyi - there are lots of stairs! The rooms are up a long staircase from the street, and there is a long set of stairs from the street level to the town and beach level. So your legs will get a healthy workout! But worth every step!

Travel from Sorrento to Atrani was surprisingly easy. We took the Red tour bus to Amalfi which had availability; the lines for the regular SITA bus were too long and the tour bus was inexpensive enough that it didn't bother us. Even that bus was busy - I was able to get a seat, but not a window on the right side (which follows the water for most of the trip). Even at a slight remove, the trip was still beautiful.

Once we arrived in Amalfi, it was a very quick ride to Atrani. Really, a 10-minute walk, but not knowing the place, and dragging our luggage, we got a small cart to drive us the short distance. When he pulled up 2 minutes later, I was sure he was wrong, but there was Pino coming downstairs to help us up with our luggage.

And once inside, it was a big WOW.

Progol, I have been following and waiting on your report on Atrani. We stayed at La Scogliera a few years ago and loved it and Atrani so much we planned to stay again this fall. (Unfortunately, will have to put it off until next year due to family medical situation.)

Atrani suited us perfectly because it quieted down in the evening after dinner, there were some very nice restaurants in town, and it was convenient to both Amalfi and Ravello (we walked up and back down). We had the Blue Room, too. Heaven.

I love your photos of Pompeii! Did you visit Herculaneum on a different trip? I appreciate the tip about visiting both Pompeii and Herculaneum. We hope to visit southern Italy in a few years, and I will definitely put Herculaneum on my sightseeing list.

I appreciate that you are continuing with your trip report. I know you must be very, very busy because you are in the midst of planning your upcoming trip to northern Spain and Portugal.

Our first view of Atrani from our terrace...it just got better and better!

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Eventually, we headed down to the beach and town for a light lunch and to explore. The town center consists of one small plaza with several restaurants and shops and a lovely church. The buildings are built up the hill but under the overhanging cliff. The beachfront is divided into sections with beach chairs that you can pay for and a section that is free. It's a pebbly beach but it's used and has a wonderful vibe.

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Toward the beach
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Further down the waterfront, past the beach, there are lots of rocks where many of the locals go swimming.
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But a lazy afternoon isn't bad, either....

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It was obvious at the time that you loved Atrani, Progol and that comes over very well here too. And as always your photos are great.

So glad I prompted you to restart your TR!

Thanks for continuing.

It’s time we visited Southern Italy!

Loving your photos and reading about your experiences.

Oops, auto-incorrect strikes!
<<It's a 3-room guesthouse, and La Ronnie (The Blue Room) is the prize, with its terraces on 2 sides.>>

It’s La Rondine, not La Ronnie at La Scogliera!

Thank you, annhig and Aidelaidean! I’m glad you’re enjoying the continued words and pix!

Aidelaidean, I’m sure you will love Southern Italy!

Thank you for restarting your TR, Progol. Re. your stay in Atrani: how did you decide on it rather than Amalfi or Positano?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trophywife007 (Post 17065431)

Thank you for restarting your TR, Progol. Re. your stay in Atrani: how did you decide on it rather than Amalfi or Positano?

Friends had stayed at La Scogliera and highly recommended it. And I wanted to be in a smaller town rather than one of the larger popular towns that are filled with tourists. This fit the bill perfectly.

I am enjoying your trip report and your gorgeous photos! We hope to visit southern Italy in a few years. We've only been to Rome and one day in Florence many, many years ago. I appreciate your tip about visiting both Pompeii and Herculaneum. In fact, I've never heard of Herculaneum until you mentioned it. Did you visit Paestum?