We plan on going to the Amalfi coast for 5 nites. Is that to many nites? We can stay at the Excelsior Vittoria however their pool is under renovation which doesn't sound so good. Or in Ravello at Palazzo Sasso which everyone here raves about! Is Ravello a poor choice if we want to do a day trip to Capri, Positano and on our way to the train out to tour Pompei? Or will we JUST LOVE IT?
We like elegance, beautiful meals, scenery, shopping etc. Any thoughts fodorites???

Five nights will give you time to explore and enjoy this beautiful area. I would consider either splitting your time between two, such as Capri and Ravello. Ravello is a little removed than other towns and may not be the most convenient base for your travels.

I love Ravello but would never base there. It's a better daytrip than base. Sorrento is by far the best base city on the Amalfi with the wide choice of hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops, ferries to Capri and Ischia, train to Pompeii and buses to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

With that said, you can take the bus from Ravello down to Amalfi and get ferries to Capri or buses to Positano. Pompei would be a long trip as it would mean a 1 1/2 hour bus ride to Sorrento and than a 40 minute train ride to Pompei.

Have fun whatever you decide.

Larry J

Five days is definitely not too much time on the AC. I agree with LarryJ that Sorrento is the best homebase for exploring this region. It's simple to get a hydrofoil to Capri or take the sita bus down the coast to the other towns. If anything, perhaps you'd want to split time between Sorrento and Positano? With so many towns to visit & sights to see, five days is good. You've got Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and then Pompeii and Pasetum. Plenty to do. I highly recommend Bellevue Syrene hotel in Sorrento, it's not inexpensive, but it is a wonderful place to stay. www.bellevuesyrene.it I wouldn't worry too much about pools...see the things that are unique to this region. You can swim in a pool at home! What time of year are you planning for? Trish

I echo the votes for Sorrento - after travelling through several of the coast towns, we were most pleased we chose to stay there. It felt a bit more like a real working town - with more to do - then another tourist stop. Though if you're looking for something quieter and perhaps more quaint, Ravello or another town on the coast might be for you. With 5 nights, I would stay 3 in Sorrento and 2 in Capri. You can day-trip from Sorrento to Pompeii/ Vesuvius, the coast, etc. and easily ferry to Capri at almost any time of day. We just got back from 2 nights in Sorrento and 2 in Capri (more details on trip report just posted). I also echo the recommendation of the Bellevue Syrene - sea view if available - amazing hotel and not too far from the square where the excelsior vittoria is. Capri also has fabulous hotels to choose from - we highly recommend the Caesar-Augustus!

I just want to thank all of your for your very quick and informative responses! Thank you so much! I am immediately going to check into Bellevue Syrene for 2 nites and the other recommendation in Capri! (I said 5 nights but actually it is 4) Again, thank you and if there are any other recommendations for restaurants, drivers, tour guides or what ever I am up for hearing about it!

By the way.....would one choose Bellevue Syrene over The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria? It sounds as if the Excelsior is the BEST hotel in Sorrento. Is this true? Anyone stay at either lately??

Also Hotel Cocumella gets rave reviews. So out of Sorrento:
Excelsior Vittoria
Bellevue Syrene
Hotel Cocumella
and / or Palazzo Sasso which would one choose????

The Palazzo Sasso is the best hotel in Ravello and maybe the best on the Amalfi Coast.If you need any more info,please feel free to ask. Ravello is a short bus ride down to Amalfi which has excelent transport connections with Capri,Napoli,Salerno(for mainline train services)Positano & Sorrento.

Not to add to your confusion, but the May issue of Travel & Leisure has an good article about the town of Amalfi.

We stayed at Palazzo Sasso for 3 nights last September, and loved it. I think it depends on what kind of atmosphere you want and how you want to spend your time. We wanted a relaxing, romantic getaway, with some touring of the coastline but more hotel/pampering time than sightseeing. For that, Palazzo Sasso was perfect. If you want to lounge by a gorgeous pool and take in the view, and stroll into town for lunch/dinner/shopping, it is hard to beat Palazzo Sasso (IF you want a low-key, relaxing stay). If this is what you have in mind, the Vittoria may not be a good choice if the pool is out of commission. However, if you prefer more action and plan to be on the go more with trips to other towns and perhaps some nightlife, then Ravello might be too remote and tame for your taste (also Palazzo Sasso did provide lots of hiking suggestions in the area and arranged a private driver to take us to several towns along the coast, which was a very easy way to do it). The shopping in Ravello is more ceramics than anything else, not really chic euro clothing or anything like that (but Positano and Sorrento have this). The other thing to consider is whether you prefer a small town or a city. Sorrento is much, much bigger than Ravello and has more crowds, noise, etc. Ravello and Positano are more picturesque in my opinion, but Sorrento provides more options in terms of activities and is a good base for day trips. Still, it is a definite contrast to the quiet, peaceful town of Ravello or the charm of Positano.

Ravello,Ravello,Ravello. I found Sorrento over touristy and our stay in Positano last trip was great but give me Ravello anytime. Buses leave for Amalfi on a regular basis and it is only a 25/30 minute ride, and from Amalfi the coast is totally accesible.
Ravello is a class act !