In mid September we have a 5 night trip planned for the Amalfi coast. We have two different day trips sheduled to Capri and Pompeii out of Sorrento, then 3 open days before taking a train from Naples to Florence.
Would you continue using Sorrento as a base or stay in Positano for a few nights?
I didn't know if we would get tired of using the buses after exploring other towns in the area,
Your help is appreciated!

If you are staying 5 nights, you have 4 full days.
Capri takes one day and Pompeii plus Herculaneum would take another day. That leaves 2 open days instead of 3? That leaves one day to do the Amalfi coast and another day to do Napoli.

Positano is good for staying in Amalfi Coast but not a good base to visit places outside the Amalfi Coast.

My first trip to Italy (one month), I spent 5 nights in Sorrento. I loved loved loved it!

These are extremely subjective calls. A lot of people don't much care for Sorrento and would much rather be right on the Amalfi coast. Others find it -- as you fear -- tedious or even nauseating to be using the buses or ferries to go back and forth sightseeing along the Amalfi, but just sitting in Positano isn't enough to do for them.

You can take the ferry from Positano to Capri, so maybe the thing to is to base in Positano for 3 nights and 2 nights in Naples, so you can visit Pompei and Naples, which is a lot more interesting than Sorrento.

Just to give you an indication how different people are, I would go to Capri for two nights, take the ferry to Positano, immediately take the bus along the drive back to Sorrento and hop the commuter train to Naples and spend the rest of my time there, seeing Pompei and spending the rest of my time exploring Naples.

But if you have your heart set on spending time in Positano or Ravello, you should spend nights there.

Oh -- I forgot to add that some people hate Naples or are afraid to go there. So there is no objective advice about this.

Well IMO you can't beat Sorrento for convenience for a visit to the Amalfi coast area - we stayed there for 5 nights on our first visit when we wanted to see all the major sites of the area. Some people hate?? it - that seems a bit strong - it is really a pretty pleasant destination with great views, nice restaurants and again, convenient to get around. One day for Capri, one for Pompeii, one day to tour the coast either by SITA bus or better yet, splurge and get a driver then another for Naples or down time. We stayed in a hotel with a pool and enjoyed one day relaxing. True on our next visit we stayed on Capri but it is much more difficult to tour the area from there or Positano. Lovely as Positano is, I would never stay there - way too many steps for me!

Yep, plenty of people find Sorrento way too touristy and a real disappointment, and they either regret having stayed there or wouldn't have ever done it in the first place having researched it. I think of it as Interlaken by the Sea -- just a transportation and hotel hub for tourists. Interlaken isn't bad looking either, just not interesting itself and all the real beauty spots requiring a commute to see.

So you would never stay in Positano. Sounds like you hate climbing steps!

Like I said, these things are subjective. People have strong feelings about the trips they take and plan for themselves. I simply would never stay in Sorrento.

But we're not taking this trip. Somebody else is. They deserve to know that there isn't an objective basis for choosing Sorrento over Positano.

I would do your trip in reverse since you have to leave from Naples. Spend three days in Positano unless you hate stairs! It's much more charming and spectacular than Sorrento. Then either Sorrento or Naples for the last two days, both of which offer easy access to Capri and Pompeii.

You can travel between the Amalfi Coast towns by boat, so no need or the nausea-inducing buses.

As for which town, I don't think it matters THAT much. Remember: You'll be in Italy. You'll have a fantastic time, and eat some of the best food you've ever had in your entire life!

I think Naples is pretty much a love-it-or-loathe-it place, so it probably matters that you understand the difference between Sorrento and Naples, because most people find it a big difference.

I think it is great people like different destinations. Would be terrible if everybody crowded into just one lovable place.

Everybody does crowd into one formerly lovable place and that is Positano! That's why it is no longer lovable!

Thanks everyone!

We will probably do as Weadles suggests and reverse the plan. First few days in Positano, taking a Capri tour from there, then staying in Sorrento for touring Pompeii. I wish all of life"s decisions could be so easy....

I do have a question about the Positano internal bus. Is it that helpful in getting around, or are all those danged steps unavoidable? Either way , we'll deal with it

Those dang steps are pretty unavoidable.

The bus can be very crowded and take forever, but other than that it's great. The steps may not be an issue for you if you are staying close to or in town ( Palazzo Murat, Cove dei Sarceni, to name two). Even if you are up on the hill, the steps aren't so terrible unless you have some serious mobility/physical problems. Have fun!

The bus travels the Amalfi Coast road. It will not help you avoid the steps in Positano. If you stay in Positano for three days, nothing much will help you avoid the steps.

We stayed in Sorrento for 3 days and visited Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, including Positano. Then we moved to Capri for 3 days. I much preferred Capri to Positano althought Capri, too, has lots of hills and steps. We liked Sorrento as a base. Positano is beautiful but very touristy and resorty.

I didn't care for Sorrento either. Too touristy for our taste. Positano, same thing. Capri, too overcrowded. However, we fell in love with Amalfi and Vico Equense, and really enjoyed Napoli (for a few days). I guess it depends on what you are looking for.

I would definitely stay a day in Napoli, just to visit the Archelology Museum where you will see all the Pompeii mosaics. It really complements the Pompeii visit and was a highlight of our trip.