My partner and I are looking to head to Italy the end of May to spend some time in the Amalfi coast region . We Would like to have a "home base" in a good location (Positano?) and take day trips to Naples , Capri, Pompeii , and possibly Ischia and Sorrento.
Any recommendations on a good B&B or hotel under 200.00$ per night ?

Positano is not the best base to travel to all these places from - since the primary mode of travel is a bus that runs very slowly along the coast road - plus ferries that run to some places at schedules that may not be often enough for you.

Positano is a charming small towns to stay in (but carved into the side of the cliff with a LOT of steps - sometimes hundreds) - but can be difficult to get to other areas.

We have been twice and stayed in sorrento - a larger town on the bay of Naples - that has much better connections by train, bus, ferry and hydrofoil to all these places. BUT - not as cute/quaint.

So u would recommend just "visiting" Positano and having a base in Sorrento?

Any chance you can split your time between the two places? I'm not a fan of Sorrento because I find it way less beautiful than Positano, but it's no doubt more affordable and convenient for most of the touring that you will want to do.

Both towns have excellent restaurants, but Positano has the edge for jaw-dropping views and charm.

Spent my time based in Positano and found the ferry convenient enough for day trips to the surrounding areas. Took it to Capri, Amalfi, Napoli and Salerno.


We stayed at Villa La Sirene and found the location and rates quite reasonable.

Just wanted to mention La Tagliata where we had the best meal of our vacation throughout Italy. It is a B&B but I found it was a little too far away from the beach/ferry area to stay. I can't recommend the restaurant enough! Enjoy

Sorry, we rented, so I can't recommend a hotel, but as far as the itinerary goes:

I agree that (a) Sorrento is more convenient for transporation and (b) Positano is a better place to stay.

What about if you arrived in Naples, stayed a night there and used it as a base to visit Pompeii? Then you could go down the coast and stay in Positano, which would be convenient for visiting the rest of the AC and Capri.

I agree with the post above. Don't miss out on Positano. It really captures what the Amalfi Coast is all about. Sorrento is tourist bus central in the late spring/summer. Positano has its share of tourists,but you can walk slightly out of town and escape most of the heavy throngs by heading to Fornillo Beach. It would be a shame to miss Positano at its best when the bulk of the day trippers leave.

We stayed in Sorrento - on my first and only "tour" that is where we were based for visiting Pompeii, Capri and brief visit to Naples.
Fortunately we had one free day to do the Amalfi Coast and hired a driver to take us throughout. Another day would have been great ... but Sorrento was a good spot. I liked the town and the deals on leather handbags was wonderful!

My vote for Positano. Been there a number of times with a car. Ferries run from there, just not as frequent as Sorrento. More charming place to stay.