Amalfi Coast
 

I would appreciate feedback regarding the Amalfi coast.We will be in Naples for a day in a cruise and wonder if seeing this coast is worth taking an expensive ship excursion or should we rather stay in Naples and just go to Pompeii.
We are a party of four.Is there a good limo service that we could take to Amalfi or Positano rather than the excursion for four persons.
I wonder what is best to see as we have only one day,Naples or the Amalfi coast.
Thanks

I'd go to Pompeii. The coast is beautiful but Pompeii is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

It depends on your interests, the Amalfi coast offers gorgeous seaviews, dramatic cliffs, small villages clinging to the hillside, tourist shops, cafes, old churches etc. Pompeii is an interesting archaeological site, dry and dusty and best seen with a guide to explain what you are looking at. Having seen both, I'd definitely go for the coast. Visit Positano, Amalfi and Ravello if you have time. You can get the train from Naples to Sorrento (an hour) then catch a local bus to the towns. The train costs about 5 euro, the bus about 1 euro. The bus does get quite crowded and there's a good chance you'd have to stand at some point. If you do a search on this forum for Sorreno and Limo you should find lots of suggestions for drivers. By the way, the train to Sorrento stops at Pompeii so you could possibly do both.
Kay

Hi Mary,

It is really a matter of what interests you: for scenery - the Coast, for antiquities - Pompeii, Herculaneum, perhaps even Paestum.

For drivers and guides try a text search for "limo AND Amalfi". Many have been recommended.

Mary - I'd say don't miss the Amalfi Coast - one of the most breathtakingly beautiful coasts in the world! Here are some pictures:

http://www.capri-exclusive.com/cgi-b...d_Amalfi_Coast

You don't need to take a ship excursion or a limo to get to the Amalfi Coast. Why not take the hydrofoil?

There is a direct hydrofoil from Molo Beverello to Positano at 08.50 daily in high season.
Fare = € 10.00
Journey time = 1 hour

What time do you arrive/leave? With good planning you could see the Amalfi Coast & Pompei.
You could spend time in Positano, then return to Pompei (or Sorrento) by public transport or taxi.

Steve

You're going to be on a cruise. You'll probably be seeing the Amalfi Coast from the ship. Go to Pompeii. The four of you can either hire a driver or take a taxi to the Circumvesuviana train and get off in Pompeii. Don't pay for an excursion there. If you have time you can even get off the train at Hercul... (Spelling?)Actually they spell it without the H. It's just before Pompeii and supposedly better preserved.

Thanks for the information.The trip to Positano sounds nice.I just wonder if the hydrofoil is operating all throughout the day, as we have to be back in Naples by 6:00 PM for the ship's departure.The ship arrives in Naples at 7:00 AM.
I forgot to mention that I have already visited Pompeii although I would not mind seeing it again.
Thanks again

Mary34-

Be careful with the hydrofoil to Positano and make sure you get your times right...Even tho the cruise ship SAYS it leaves at 6pm, you need to be back on board at least 1/2 hr before....

We have done the MED and when we stopped in Naples we had an overnite there---so we rented a car and drove down the coast for the day and had dinner in Sorrento...We also stopped and saw Pompeii....Pompeii was interesting but really nothing more than a large lava mountain.....

The AMALFI COAST is so much more gorgeous and NO ,your ship does NOT go down the AMALFI COAST unless your last stops are Venice and Dubrovnik...
If your last stop is ROME/Naples, then you will not cruise by the Amalfi Coast...

The drive down the coast is terrific-the mosaic tiled look off points are gorgeous.....and the scenery is to die for.....I would never want to miss that sight.....\

Here are some Limoservices/carservices that do the Amalfi Coast:
Positano Car Service or Limoservice, the phone number is +39089875541.

Plus here are some more that are listed on Fodors:

www.seesorrento.com (M.Maresca)
www.tourofitaly.com (G.Gargiulo)
www.flaviogioia.com
www.positanocarservice.com


Again-Just make sure the driver speaks ENGLISH and that he gets you back to the ship by 5:30 pm at the latest-

The Car traffic is the SUMMER is horrendous on the winding road down the Amalfi Coast- so plan accordingly....

Have a blast- some the best scenery in the world is right there!

Is it possible to to both? Got to Pompeii for a few hours then drive along the amalfi coast?

i'll be a cruise as well that stops there for one day

rayoflight--

If you have a driver or limoservice, yes BOTH are doeable --but you will need your running shoes.....

We did both on one day-first stop Pompeii--took about 45 min...then drove to Sorrento and then on down coast..and returned to Sorrento for a quick dinner to be back at Pier by 8pm- ( we had to drop the car at Hertz at the Naples train station--but we acutally had the car rented for 24 hrs but realized we could not get it back before the ship sailed the following morning...

I would do the car and driver route- You can usually email these people and ask all these same questions and they can give you much more EXACT hours as far as driving times...as we took time to stop and look at the sea at the look out areas....Plus traffic was bumper to bumper and horrendously scary to drive...

I would do it again and let someone else do the driving...so I could really see all the scenery and not be worried about the mt on one side and the sea on a great drop on the other...

The only close road that this compares to is HWY 1 down the Calif Coast- but with bumper to bumper traffic and crazy italians on motorcycles cutting in and out amidst the tour busses and cars...if you catch my drift....

Mary - If you don't especially need to include Pompei, it's a relatively easy trip. I'd do it by hydrofoil rather than limo, to avoid any potential traffic problems. (Cheaper too ...)

Looking at the hydrofoil timetables, leaving Naples at 08.50 you would be in Positano by 09.50 (or Amalfi by 10.15).

Here's the link:

http://www.metrodelmare.com/l-mm2.html

You could spend a leisurely day in Positano (- or divide your time between Amalfi & Positano), and then return to Naples from SORRENTO by hydrofoil (-there's one at 16.25).

Let me know if I can be of more helps ...

Steve

"Pompeii was interesting but really nothing more than a large lava mountain....."

and Pompeii took about 45 minutes---

I certainly saw it through different eyes and for a much longer time!

I remember being on a Mexican cruise, when at one port of call the options were a visit to the ruins of the Mayan city Tulum or shopping in Cancun. One of the passengers told me she definitely went to Cancun, as she had heard Tulum was just a pile of rocks.

Everyone has different opinions; I just don't understand these.