Fodor's says it can be rainy, but I'm tempted to take this chance to visit this part of Italy I've never seen. I have a few days to stopover pretty much anywhere in Italy and (believe it or not) I am actually using Mario Batali's travel (well, food) guide. Not only does he say it's beautiful, but also his favorite place for dining in Italy.

All sounds great, but should I save it for a future trip in a different time of year?

thanks!

I have been there by end of March.

It will be cold, you need sweater and jacket. And of course, there can be rain (but it can be rainy any time of the year). But you may also enjoy beautiful spring days, with sunshine and a chance to wear a t-shirt.

The good thing: No crowds, no congestions on the roads.

You will see the gorgeous coastline, the beautiful towns (Amalfi is a gem), the museums, the archeological sites and, of course, you will enjoy food and drink. The Amalfi cuisine is somewhat simple, but uses the freshest ingredients and these unbelievable lemons which grow only here.

Enjoy fres fish, wrapped in lemon leaf, veal with lemon sauce, limoncello and some pretty good native wines (Aglianico and Piedirosso are good for red wines, Greco di Tufi and Lacrima Christi are good for whites). And do try the lemon chocolate which is sold on the market in Amalfi!

What are you using: the travel guide on the restaurant site? If so, make sure to supplement with other guides, like SlowFood.

mp,

My first visit to the Amalfi Coast was at the end of March. We had 2 out of 3 nights of thunder & lightening with torrential rain, but the days were partly cloudy and pleasant temps.

Very quiet, totally uncrowded, locals only. SITA buses were nice and seeing Pompeii on a cooler day and little crowd was great!

Visiting in Sept a couple years ago was a whole different story~!

Be sure to have dinner at La Brace in Praiano.

Buon viaggio!

Thanks a lot, this is very encouraging. In a different post someone advised me against going to Amalfi because it would entail traveling through Naples which sounds pretty unappealing right now due to the garbage issue. He said it extends outside the city so the journey would be pretty nasty. So I think I might save this for a time when I can see Naples in better circumstances. But I appreciate all these recommendations of what and where to eat. (And yes esk, I was going by the one on the Babbo site!)