bbpower

So here it goes...my father has me planning a trip to Italy for our family of 5 which includes myself (28), my sister (24), my mom and dad (50s) and my amazing grandmother (83). The latter person is the reason for the trip. We have Rome and Sicily all figured out. However, there's this in limbo agenda right smack in the middle with Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. Now we have 4/5 nights starting on June 28 (yes I know the high season!), but as 2 of us work in education there is no other choice. Can someone please tell me where to go? As a family we are stuck-should we stay in Sorrento or the Amalfi coast as a home base and visit Pompeii, the coast? Should we split our time? I was thinking it would be nice to split our time to get a taste of both of these places and everyone would be happy. However, I'm not sure losing time switching hotels makes sense.
If I was making the final decision I would stay somewhere in between the two places. We all want a room with a view. Ideally I would love a place where someone (myself or my sister) can relax, chill, read a book, and look out to this once in a lifetime view, while the older folks do the exploring things from town to town. Does that sound like somewhere in the middle? HELP!!!!!!!

jelopez33

bbpower:
We( entering the 60's)were at the AC in 2009; if you want,you can read my report at:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...1-to-oct-3.cfm

Now,some comments about what you ask:
-You can perfectly stay at Sorrento or at the amalfi Coast.
-We are fans of Amalfi,falatter than othe towns on the coast(just thinking of your grandmather).
-My advice is don't stay(but do visit)at Positano,lots of stairs and spets.
-All the coast is some 50 km long,so,easily visited via public transportation or ferries.
-Don't miss Ravello.
-you can take guided tours to Pompeii fron any town,you just can ask at the front desk of your hotel.
-Just see a list of hotels in the AC and you wiil find them in all price ranges and with or without a view.Of course,you can ask fodorites for any other info you need,this forum is amazing.
Enjoy the planning and your trip!!!

jelopez33

should read " flatter than other towns"; sorry

nytraveler

The whole area is very small - things are definitely close together in terms of space - but not time (the bus along the coast is VERY slow). And while Sorrento is a midsize town with more hotels and restaurants (and not as perpendicular) Amalfi and Positano are tiny towns built into the side of the cliff overlooking the sea. Many hotels and restauarnts are a steep climb from anywhere.

We stay in sorrento since it is more convenient to get to Pompeii, the archeo museum in Naples and grab a hydrofoil to Capri. Then we drove the cost road to visit the smaller towns (but in high season you can probably do this by ferry - for better views and fewer traffic delays.)

ekscrunchy

PLease give an idea of your budget so we can give you hotel ideas.....

I like Amalfi, too.

jelopez33

I think the best hotel views are in Positano,but,again,it is the most vertical of all the towns in the AC.
For hotels in Amalfi,you can start with the web site of La Bussola,just to have an idea of views and prices.Of course there are many other choices.Cannot help about hotels in Sorrento,which have good views too.

CaliNurse

We considered staying in Praiano, approx midway between Sorrento and Ravello. The hotel i looked at was Hotel Le Fiore. Out of curiosity, i looked again, and if i understand correctly, they do have room at 100 euros/night for your dates.
One of the Fodors people loves Praiano and always stays in that town when visiting the area. Sorry, can't recall who (try "Advanced Search" for Praiano)

We decided to trade great view for convenience and bargain prices and a little cooking area, and ended up booking at Villa Elisa in Sorrento. (There's a cafe across the road with a great view--i imagine we'll be there every day!)

One Sorrento hotel with great views that we had considered is Il Nido. They have a free shuttle into the town center, but agin, we wanted easy walking access to ferries, Pompeii trip, etc,

Good luck!!!

bbpower

This is so cool! Thank you all for replying so far. I didn't check this all day because I didn't know how many people would reply.
ekscrunchy-with 5 people we are looking to spend 200-250 max/per room. I'm assuming we will be getting 2 rooms unless some places can accommodate all 5 of us, in which case it will obviously be more money.
We don't need to have a pool unless others on this forum think it is a necessity during these months.
We do need some comfortable place to relax and take in the scenery from a balcony/terrace at the hotel.
We don't want some place that is so huge that is so huge and resort driven. Just some place small-midsize, maybe family owned, without losing quality.
It would be nice if there was a place at the hotel or nearby to enjoy wine. I feel like it is so hard to find something in my price range. I notice that there are many hotels that are super cheap and super expensive, with nothing in between. OK I've rambled a lot. I just feel at this point I can't make a decision.
jelopez33-when you drove the coast, did you continue to stay in Sorrento or did you stay other places along the coast? If you stayed in Sorrento, were you happy with the choice to take day trips and return daily to your home base?
Thank you!!

bbpower

*Also*Is there something in Sorrento that can make one feel like they are near the cliffs with a nice sea view while being a little out of town, while also having access to the town in 10/15 minutes by walking? Is that asking too much?

bbpower

** 200 usd not euros

bbpower

nytraveler did you use sorrento as your home base? In my previous post I thought it was jelopez but as I returned to postings it was you.

jelopez33

bbpower:
We were based in Amalfi,not Sorrento,and we made day trips (or half day trips everywhere),and were perfectly happy with our decission.Plus,we always took public transport(Sita bus,the red open bus for visiting Ravello from Amalfi,and the ferries). Driving is not impossible,may be even funny,but parking is a real nightmare,believe me!!!For Pompeii we took a guided tour starting and returning to Amalfi; and the bus passed trouhg some enchantin tows like Atrani,Maiori,Minori,Vetri sul Mare.
I am sure there are some hotels with views in Sorrento,and a little out of the city;I remember a few days ago,other fodorite was asking for such hotels and received some answers.

CaliNurse

BB, if not already done, check a site such as booking.com.

Plug in your dates and it will bring up all the available places, prices, and reviews , which often state if the location was convenient.

I do NOT think you are asking too much re your request in Sorrento. If you will be on a hillside just above the town center, the 0-15 minute walk down will be ok, but would all of your party mind the walk up? O/w you can take a bus or shuttle.

CaliNurse

ps i meant to say, for place, on booking.com, put Sorrento--or any other town specifically. We chose Sorrento based on Fodors recommendations for convenience to other sites .

nytraveler

Yes we used Sorrento as our base - since we like larger towns and had a car for touring. But we were there in May both times - so that driving the cost road can be fun (in July/august it is so mobbed the road is just hell).

We loved our hotel and it has some of the things you want (great views, center town)but is larger, more traditional and more upscale than you're looking for. But I love the town and think it so much more convenient for getting around.

ekscrunchy

$200 is only 138 euro. Your options will be quite limited at the height of summer for that price. I am not hopeful about getting a place with a terrace and sea view in the main towns.

If my budget were similar, I would begin by looking in Furore, where there are several agriturismi and small hotels. Since Furore is located on the hillside just above the coast, the views from there may be the best in the entire region. There are also a few well-reviewed B&Bs in or near Minori, and in Agerola. These would be accessible from the main coastal towns by bus.

http://www.agriturismovillamaria.it/



http://www.villamarietta.it/en/index.htm


http://www.amalfiholidays.eu/en/index.html


http://www.agriturismoserafina.it/index_eng.asp

http://www.baccofurore.it/


http://www.leterrazzedelduca.it/default.asp

http://www.locandadellejanare.it/

http://www.agriturismoilcastagno.com/description.html