Am traveling with 2 girlfriends ( we are in mid 60's)... Sept 2016 for 4 days to Amalfi coast. Am trying to decide whether to stay in positano, using it as a base for day trips , or sorrento. Have heard positano is very touristy??

I think Sorrento is more touristy than Positano. We stayed at Villa Maria Pia in Praiano (between Positano and Amalfi) and loved it. You could walk right down to swim at the hotel's own pier, and take a water taxi into any other town you'd like to see.

Well the whole area is pretty touristy and Positano is VERY hilly so unless you don't mind doing ALOT of stair stepping, another option might be a better choice. I think Sorrento is much more convenient, esp. for day trips. It probably is not quite a charming as Positano but other factors make it a better choice IMO. You can visit Pompeii, Capri, and other coastal towns with cheap and convenient public transportation. Plenty of hotels, B&B's and restaurants to chose from. Enjoy!

Sorrento is a larger town with many more shops and restaurants and the main part of the town is quite flat. It is a much better center for touring main sights since it has many more transit options - local train to Pompeii and Naples, ferry and hydrofoil to Capri and towns down the coast as well as the SITA bus on the coast road and taxis/private drivers. However, the town really doesn;t have much in the way of a beach.

Positano is a smaller town, very cute and great for relaxing and a beach - IF you stay nearby and not up hundreds of steps. Also it has limited access to other places via the SITA bus along the coast road (very slows and mobbed) and very limited ferries.

So it really depends on your specific plans for the trip.

It totally depends on what you want to do while you are there. The entire area is touristy, so there is really no way around it.

If your main goal is to see Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Naples and Capri, then staying in Sorrento is your best choice.

If you main goal is staying on the Amalfi Coast, relaxing and visiting the other villages, then Positano is your best choice. There are ways to avoid the stairs in Positano, mainly by making a smart choice of hotel location. There is very frequent ferry service (7 per day in September) from Positano to Capri/Amalfi-Ravello/Salerno. I have spent 8 days in Positano each June for the past 5 years as IMO it is the most picturesque of the villages on the AC. I always find new places to eat and things to see.

Once you ladies decide on your goals for the trip, the choice will be easier.

We were pleasantly surprised by Sorrento and found it less"touristy" than the Amalfi Coast and Capri. It was not difficult to get out of the tourist quarter in Sorrento.