Amalfi Coast town to stay in?
 

I am headed down to the Amalfi Coast area to stay for 1 week. Wanting to stay somewhere that won't be to busy but still a beautiful town to stay in and can travel to the other sights. Does anyone have a preference of a hotel or B&B? It's our honeymoon so something relaxing, and not to spendy.

Positano. It is a beautiful town with good restaurants and some nightlife. We stayed there for a week last April. Capri, Amalfi, Ravello and other towns along the coast are easily accessible by ferry from the beach. We stayed at the Villa Gabrisa. It is a small hotel with beautiful views of the sea. We loved it. The reason it is not super expensive is because it is a little hike up the hill from the center of town. They have rooms in different price ranges, but it is worth it to pay extra to get a room with a large balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. Perfect for a honeymoon.

The web site is www.villagabrisa.it There are nicer and more luxurious hotels in town, but this one is worth checking out. We would not hesitate to stay there again.

I have stayed both in Positano and in Amalfi. I liked Amalfi much more - it is a historical town with a magnificent cathedral, with a beautiful market, with ancient shipyards, with lots of history, beach, travel connections by ship and by bus etc.

Positano can get VERY touristy, especially when a cruise ship is there.

Amalfi is more authentic - and it is the historical capital of the region that we now call "Amalfi Coast".

We loved our 4 star hotel in an old convent:

http://www.lunahotel.it/

The food with local ingredients was outstanding.

Take a look at Onda Verde in Praiano.

I agree with the Positano suggestion. It is a gorgeous town with easy ferry access to other towns, lots of great shops, a good selection of beaches and loads of fantastic restaurants. Yes, it can be busy, but there are plenty of places to get away from the crowds.

I stay there for a week each June and rent an apartment. Since you are going to be there a week, you should consider renting an apartment also. The rental rate is usually cheaper than a hotel rate, you have more space, you can save money on food also, and often have the opportunity to do laundry.

I don't see when you are going to be there - which will make a big difference in travel times and how mobbed local transit is.

Positano is better for people wanting to relax and stay in one place - since travel to Naples, Pompeii and even Capri is limited and can be very time consuming - esp in July and August when the buses are mobbed and traffic moves at about 15 mph.

Sorrento (not on the AC, but on the Bay of Naples) is much better for getting to other places from - since it has not only bus connection but also trains and a much larger numbers of ferries and hydrofoils. It is a larger town and has many more hotels and restaurants.

You need to decide how you want to spend most of your time.

There are several ferries per day during the summer between Positano and Capri. But NY is correct, if your main goal is to see Naples, Pompeii and Vesuvius, then you will likely not want to stay in a village on the Amalfi Coast.

ttt

I agree that it depends on how much you want to move around. We stayed in Praiano and took the local buses (it was low season) to visit Positano and Amalfi, and rented a car to go see Paestum, but that was after several nights in Sorrento. Sorrento is an excellent base for visiting Pompeii, Capri, and Positano or Amalfi. Praiano was a good choice for us - a bit quieter than the other towns and nice views of Positano. Personally I did not like Positano since it seems to have an upper and a lower section, so I felt it was a little decentralized for my liking.

Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it and it helps so much!

We are going the month of July towards the end and plan on staying for about 5 nights. This will be at the end of our trip, we would like to be able to relax a few days and sight see for a few days. Has anyone stayed by Vico Equense?

We had a wonderful stay at Villa Monica in Sorrento last May. The property is up in the hills over the town and very quiet and peaceful with a killer view of the Bay and Pompeii. Pasquale the owner shuttles guests up to the villa and down to the town throughout the day and had spot on recommendations for restaurants and how to book trips to Amalfi, Positano and Capri. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I found Positano very touristy and even Amalfi was packed with tourists this time.

My husband and I stayed in Piano di Sorrento, a ten minute bus ride from the touristy Sorrento, so we loved the authentic experience of Piano, but had the convenience of being near Sorrento. I would definitely recommend staying in or near Sorrento to see the other sites, it's the closest to everything in that area, Capri ferries go out of Sorrento and also Pompeii and Vesuvius are closer too...the other towns along the coast are not as convenient. Despite the tourists (being one of them myself, haha) Sorrento has a lot of fun shopping and has nooks and crannies to get away too...like Marina Grande, definitely try that area if you like fresh seafood. Have a great time!

To be honest, I am surprised that people have suggested Amalfi or Positano--two of the busiest towns on the Coast. You wanted "somewhere that won't be to busy but still a beautiful town to stay in". I'd highly recommend Priano... it's centrally located and much less touristy than other places. My all time favorite and authentic non-touristy village is Atrani. Again, central to the Coast and more work-a-day than other towns. My final suggestion would be Maiori, an incredibly beautiful town with a lively waterfront main drag with lots to do. And... that stretch is flat. --Jerry ...

I also agree with the Atrani suggestion, as it is within walking distance of Amalfi, where you can catch the ferry to Positano, or Capri or Salerno. My issue with Praiano is that you are dependent on the bus to get anywhere else and the buses can be horrid.

Do the buses run along the top of the cliffs or down by the beach? I'm thinking of taking my mother to the Amalfi Coast in May. We won't have a car, so will be relying on buses and ferries to get between whichever town we stay in and the other ones. I don't want her to have to walk up TOO many huge hills. Do we need to think about this when booking lodging? Are the town centers (if they exist) generally up or down?

Felly, why don't you start your own thread? (START A NEW TOPIC in orange on the top left of this page.)

Yes the Amalfi coast is very hilly, some towns more than others. You will need to think this through and get lots of advice.

We ended up finding a great apartment in Atrani, glad to see someone posted about it! :) Yay, makes me feel better!

I hope you have a great time in Atrani... a great place to stay. Tell us about it afterwards!