Amalfi Coast
 

I will be staying in Sorrento for 4 days in July with my husband and 13 year old daughter. I am looking for suggestions on the best was to see the coast. I know his is high season and was wondering if it would be better to travel to the neighboring towns by boat instead of car? Also any tips on seeing Pompeii? TIA

The boat service s always the cheapest. You can't beat a car service but it can add up. I would not take the bus to go to the other islands. you will be wasting your time. once you are in the area, walking or bus service will be the way.

if you are not committed to your hotel, Positano would make a better base for your family.

Assuming you are flying from Naples, get a car service with a tour guide who can show you Pompeii. Is Pompeii included in the 4 days you'll be in the area? If it is, you are cutting it really tight.

Sorry, but I strongly disagree about Positano being a better "base" than Sorrento. You will get varying opinions on this board about this. Positano is hilly, Sorrento is flat (better for walking). I found Positano completely overrun with tourists or those catering to them. The best thing is the view of Positano as you arrive or leave by ferry boat from Sorrento. Sorrento has ferry service to Positano, Amalfi (the town), and Capri (the island). Sorrento has its touristy issues, but a great passagiata and pedestrian-only zone at night. Better gelato, too!

As for seeing the famous Amalfi Coast, we took the ferry to Almafi and then took the bus south (sit on the side which will be closest to the water).

As for Pompeii, another good reason for Sorrento is that you can easily reach Pompeii using the local train. Hire an English speaking guide once you arrive at the site. July will be quite hot and there is NO shade at Pompeii (although we did have rain in July!).

I agree with zorrosf. Sorrento will make a nice base for your family. Hopefully your hotel has a pool or access to the sea.

If you must go to Pompeii take the local train (the Circumvesuviana)and go early to try and avoid some of the heat. Take water and hats.

Sorrento is a great base if you are interested in seeing Pompeii, Naples, Vesuvius, and Capri.

Positano is a great base if you are interested in seeing Amalfi/Ravello, Salerno/Vietri, Capri and other towns on the Amalfi Coast.

There are currently Two ferries per day from Sorrento to Positano - 10:30 and 3:00, so if you plan on visiting Amalfi and Positano from Sorrento and do not want to endure the bus ride, you must be very mindful of the limited ferry schedule.

Don't forget the world-famous Amalfi Coast buses that constantly ply the lovely coast from Sorrento to Salerno, hitting all the towns en route - hair-raising at times and could be slower than the boat due to traffic but IME a heck of an experience. Driving in this area is no fun due to sinuously curving roads and oft lots of traffic.

Sorrento to me is the perfect base for doing say Capri, Pompeii and some of the Amalfi Coast - no great sea views even though it is on the sea so none of that ambience but a nice nice watering hole - at night the streets are packed with the traditional strolling Italians tend to do and lots of tourists too.

The buses are certainly a hair-raising experience! In July, they will be packed, so don't expect to be able to get on the first bus you find. Often they will not even stop at the second bus stop in Positano, because they are full and can accept no passengers. When catching one in Sorrento (where they originate), you may not be able to get on the first bus you try, if the line is long enough.

Sorrento is a great base, especially for Pompeii. It is so easy. Take the local train, the Circumvesuviana. Hire a guide on site, if you even want one. Take water and sun screen.

For seeing some of the AC (Positano and Amalfi), take the ferry. Cooler on the sea and fabulous views of Positano from the water. No sitting on a bus in Summer traffic.

In Sorrento, if you take the local bus up via Capo, there are beautiful hotels with nice terraces that have fabulous views of the Bay of Naples. My favorite is Hotel Minerva, a lovely place to sit and have a drink in the evening. You can see Vesuvius in the distance. It is really pretty at sunset when the water glitters with light and boats dot the whole bay.

There is a HOHO type bus that runs along the Amalfi Coast Road.

http://www.sorrento.city-sightseeing...g/percorsi.htm

To see Pompeii, take the train - easy and costs around 4 euro one way per person.

Both Sorrento and Positano are full of tourists. Sorrento is worse actually as it is larger and has traffic whereas Positano has a one way small road that snakes in and out.

The ferry mentioned by EKC is a good option but as you can see - only two services per day and I guarantee you they will be packed so get to Marina Piccolo early to get your tickets.

Blueeyedcod said it best. Sorrento is the place people from Positano go if they want to watch a movie. Its big and very city like. Positano is serene. We've there twice and it does not have the tourist traffic of even Capri or Amalfi. Check out Hotel Marincanto. Great breakfast, infinity pool with the view of the coast, and a private walk way to the beach, town and ferry. if you are a foodie, restaurants will send a car to pick you up and drop you off.

Granted Sorrento is a larger town than Positano - but hardly a city.

In high season both will have a lot of tourists but in Sorrenot they are spread among many more loclas.

Positano is better if you want to relax and just stay in the ocal area.

If you want to see Pompeii, Capri, Naples - and spend a day down the AC coast - Sorrento has MANY more transit options: besides the buses it has a tain to Pompeii and Naples, numerous ferries and hydrofoils to Capri and Naples and a few to Positano.

In high season the bus is constantly packed and usually very sow due to traffic and blockages from trucks and giant tour buses. We were there in May and drove the coast road and it was a lot of fun (only one 10 minute stop for a truck and bus to pass each other) but in summer it would be very frustating

how can you drive without encountering the same heavy traffic and blockages the bus suffers?