We are on a cruise and will be spending 1 day with ability to see Ravello, Sorrento, Amalfi...I have beent old we should take a cab to Ravello and work backward to the coast. Anyone have suggestions about specific shops or sights?

Hi W,

Where does your ship dock?

It's not a bad idea to cab from Amalfi to Ravello and then walk down the hill, but you might not want to take a cab from Sorrento.

We hired Giovanni from www.tourofitaly.com to take us to Ravello, Positano, Sorrento, and Amalfi. We made many other brief stops along the way at scenic overlooks or interesting spots. It was a wonderful day.

Wait a minute: "Walk down the hill?" What "hill" are we discussing here, Ira? Do you have an idea of how long that would take? No, I guess not...


Wordsmith: I did not do much shopping, but I do mention a couple of shops, and a few area sights, in my trip report from last spring. You may have seen it; if not,let me know and I will post the link.

I am looking forward very much to the film version of Gomorrah! But you will see nothing of this on the Amalfi Coast, so fear not!!

Not that I want to be drawn into the current dispute raging on the Italy boards - but I will say that it's a fine idea to walk down from Ravello to Amalfi - you can easily do it in less than a hour if you're fit. I heard the lady in the Revllo tourist office tell the person in front of me he could get down in 20 minutes if he hurried. I think on a one day ony it would be great to do that - away from the traffic, the bustle etc and enjoy a brief taste of the real coast. (And I have walked that way myself....)

The "walk" on the footpaths from Ravello to Amalfi is perhaps two miles, all downhill but most of it is on uneven ground and there are lots of stairs which are hard on the knees. You definitely need to wear the proper shoes and have a map of the walking paths. Atrani is a nice halfway stop.

The "drive" between Ravello and Amalfi is about four miles.

How many actual hours do you have off the ship?

We did hike down from Ravello to Amalfi via Atrani. We ended up at main square in Amalfi. Its all downhill and the gradient is easy. It took us ~1.5hrs, and that included many photo-ops along the way.(we are very fit and have no known joint problems, so we were quite fast doing it). As an aside, we also hiked from Positano to Nocelle. Now that one took quite a while because its uphill.

Thanks everyone! We had hired a driver but he was about $400 US for the day and everyone was telling me it was stupid to pay that $$$ for small towns that a cab could take us to. I am surprised that these towns are only a few miles apart---closer than I thought. I think we dock for about 10 hours....nore than enough time to visit these places, don't you think?

I used www.sorrrentosilverstar.com, they have very reasonable prices

Hi W,

>....We had hired a driver but he was about $400 US ......I think we dock for about 10 hours....more than enough time to visit these places, don't you think?<

Where does your ship dock?

That is very important.

A: A driver is more than just transportation between towns. He is also a tour guide.

B: Taking the buses along the AC could be a very long, slow process in high season when the road gets clogged. Your driver will know how to get around the traffic jams.

C: Taxis on the AC are rather expensive. $450 for an 8-hr day could well be worth the price.

I hired a local driver last spring who was charging 180 euro--a far cry from the $450 quoted by Ira above...

I will be happy to provide details, but he does not speak English.


Ira: Since I know you are reading this, I responded to your admonishment of my spelling on the Praiano thread--the name on the stamp in my passport reads "Tombouctou."

But wordsmith still hasn't told us where his/her ship docks. I assume it's probably Sorrento. That means some little journey to get to the Amalfi Coast, let alone Ravello.

Yes, Wordsmith..tell us where you will dock!

Interested in this drive slong the coast. My ship will be docking in Naples on Oct. 8. frpm 7am to 6pm I definitely want a driver,but as I have been to Pompeii I do not want to do that. Have also been in Sorento so not especially interested in stopping there. Have been to Capri also.
Thanks for any other help that could be added especially about drivers and cost of trip.
Any other suggestions would be helpful.

Maryanne: I will bring up my report on my spring 2008 trip to the Amalfi area; you will find details of day trip from Amalfi to Paestum with a private driver.

The charge was 180 euro; I liked the driver very much but his English is minimal.

Hi Maryanne - The going rate for a full day is normally in the range €300-350.

Shop around for a quote - the following limo companies have all been recommended here:

www.tourofitaly.com
www.francescomarrapese.com
www.cuomonet.it
www.seesorrento.com
www.sorrento.it

www.benvenutolimos.com
www.positanocarservice.com
www.flaviogioia.com
www.limocarservice.net

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Thanks for the wealth of infomration on this post. I'll be in the AC at the end of April and some of this information will be very handy.