Best way to get from Athens to Naples & rec for Greek Isles & Amalfi Coast
Apr 26th, 2015, 09:58 PM
#21
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Positano restaurant tip - Ristorante Da Costantino - http://www.dacostantino.net. Great food at inexpensive prices. Awesome views too. Ask for a window seat at sunset, bookings essential.
Apr 27th, 2015, 04:54 AM
#22
I would put my last night in Rome if your flight home is from there. I wouldn't attempt morning of flight transfer unless you are hiring a driver from Naples to FCO (about 400€+). If your flight is to the states (doesn't really sound like it is being so late), you would need to be at FCO a couple of hours before departure time (flights to the states will start to board an hour before departure).
At FCO, if you arrive by train from Rome (FCO is in Fiumicino, not Rome), you have a trek from the airport train station over to the terminal where you then need to catch a shuttle bus (you don't always get on the first one) to check-in/security/passport control, etc. This is in an area away from the rest of the terminals. You then have to catch another shuttle bus to the departure terminal. It can take time if there are crowds to do all of that.
As for your list of hotels for Positano/Amalfi, you need to make sure they are actually in those place. Many you listed aren't. The coast road is narrow with lots of traffic. You don't want to be somewhere that makes it difficult to reach things you want to see or even restaurants for dinner unless you plan to spend all your time at the hotel. For example, look at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Amalfi. It's outside and up a hill. It would require transport to get anywhere.
>>>If we switch and go to Amalfi area first, should we take the train to Sorrento and then driver to Amalfi, or driver all the way from Naples? <<<
I would probably stay in Amalfi first just to make transport to Rome easier, but you could take a ferry from Amalfi to Salerno and catch a train to Rome. You would need to check ferry schedules.
It's unlikely you could visit Capri and Pompeii (30 minutes by train from Sorrento) in one day. Pompeii is huge and takes time to visit. The Blue Grotto takes quite a bit of time. You have to get on another boat and then transfer to small row boats to enter (a couple of people to a row boat). Keep in mind that ferries don't run all that often nor late (last ferry from Capri is around 7 pm).
At FCO, if you arrive by train from Rome (FCO is in Fiumicino, not Rome), you have a trek from the airport train station over to the terminal where you then need to catch a shuttle bus (you don't always get on the first one) to check-in/security/passport control, etc. This is in an area away from the rest of the terminals. You then have to catch another shuttle bus to the departure terminal. It can take time if there are crowds to do all of that.
As for your list of hotels for Positano/Amalfi, you need to make sure they are actually in those place. Many you listed aren't. The coast road is narrow with lots of traffic. You don't want to be somewhere that makes it difficult to reach things you want to see or even restaurants for dinner unless you plan to spend all your time at the hotel. For example, look at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Amalfi. It's outside and up a hill. It would require transport to get anywhere.
>>>If we switch and go to Amalfi area first, should we take the train to Sorrento and then driver to Amalfi, or driver all the way from Naples? <<<
I would probably stay in Amalfi first just to make transport to Rome easier, but you could take a ferry from Amalfi to Salerno and catch a train to Rome. You would need to check ferry schedules.
It's unlikely you could visit Capri and Pompeii (30 minutes by train from Sorrento) in one day. Pompeii is huge and takes time to visit. The Blue Grotto takes quite a bit of time. You have to get on another boat and then transfer to small row boats to enter (a couple of people to a row boat). Keep in mind that ferries don't run all that often nor late (last ferry from Capri is around 7 pm).
Apr 27th, 2015, 04:56 AM
#23
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Ls6989,
I can't stress enough how important it is that you are in Rome the night before leaving from Rome! I don't mean to be rude, but all kinds of delays etc. can happen. What if your train is running late? What if you hit major traffic getting to FCO in Rome? Not worth it if you care about getting that flight home.
About Positano: We always stay at Hotel Poseidon, but that's probably more than what you want to spend. Check out a booking engine, see what's available for those dates, and post back here. Then we can all make better recommendations.
BTW, I would head to Positano first, then Sorrento to avoid some backtracking. Sorrento is about 45 min. from Naples by train, so much closer as you are heading back to Rome.
Lastly, forgot to say that there's no way you can do Capri and Pompeii in the same day. You need to get a very early start for both places and they are in totally opposite directions. Capri is about 20+ by hydrofoil from Sorrento; Pompeii is a little less than 30 min from Sorrento on the Circumvensia train.
Good luck!
I can't stress enough how important it is that you are in Rome the night before leaving from Rome! I don't mean to be rude, but all kinds of delays etc. can happen. What if your train is running late? What if you hit major traffic getting to FCO in Rome? Not worth it if you care about getting that flight home.
About Positano: We always stay at Hotel Poseidon, but that's probably more than what you want to spend. Check out a booking engine, see what's available for those dates, and post back here. Then we can all make better recommendations.
BTW, I would head to Positano first, then Sorrento to avoid some backtracking. Sorrento is about 45 min. from Naples by train, so much closer as you are heading back to Rome.
Lastly, forgot to say that there's no way you can do Capri and Pompeii in the same day. You need to get a very early start for both places and they are in totally opposite directions. Capri is about 20+ by hydrofoil from Sorrento; Pompeii is a little less than 30 min from Sorrento on the Circumvensia train.
Good luck!
Apr 27th, 2015, 08:03 PM
#27
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@worldinabag - Thank you for the restaurant suggestion 
We will definitely visit! Should we make a reservation a few weeks beforehand by e-mailing from the website?
@kybourbon - Thank you for your detailed explanation! Now we are deciding on whether we should change that last night to Rome for fear of missing our flight...Also, we have changed our days around and are now staying in Positano/Amalfi first and then Sorrento Thanks for the suggestion! If you know of any hotles for Positano or Amalfi for around US $350/night max then please share! And we will definitely take a day-trip to Capri, but Pompeii is still a maybe for us. I am aware that those are two separate trips for sure I have been to Pompeii before but would love to spend another half day there!
@Judy - I checked out this hotel and it's beautiful but unfortunately unavailable on the three nights we need (9/5-9/8). Please let me know if you have any others you enjoyed!
@WWK - Your input has been so invaluable! We have changed our days around and are now staying in Positano or Amalfi for the first three nights in Italy, then three nights in Sorrento, then our last night is still up in the air. We have the hotel in Naples still booked for our last night before our flight home the next day. We are deciding (and maybe will) change that last night to a hotel in Naples. Since we will be in Sorrento for the last few days, we can just take a train the day before our flight from Naples to Sorrento, then another train to Rome. Also, we definitely want to go to Capri and were planning to spend a day there, while Pompeii was just a possibility but of course for a different day. I have been to Pompeii previously and would love to go again, but my fiance doesn't love sightseeing historic sights as much as I do, so we'll see if we can fit it into a half day trip! Hotel Poseidon is booked for our days for the standard room, and the suites are incredible but way too pricey
it's a beautiful property though and I love that it has a pool! Please let me know if you know of other hotels for a max of around $350US/night in the Positano area. Thanks so much
@ekc - Yes, we are looking for one right now! If you have any suggestions in Positano/Amalfi for a max of $350US/night, then please share! Thanks!
We will definitely visit! Should we make a reservation a few weeks beforehand by e-mailing from the website?@kybourbon - Thank you for your detailed explanation! Now we are deciding on whether we should change that last night to Rome for fear of missing our flight...Also, we have changed our days around and are now staying in Positano/Amalfi first and then Sorrento
Thanks for the suggestion! If you know of any hotles for Positano or Amalfi for around US $350/night max then please share! And we will definitely take a day-trip to Capri, but Pompeii is still a maybe for us. I am aware that those are two separate trips for sure I have been to Pompeii before but would love to spend another half day there!@Judy - I checked out this hotel and it's beautiful but unfortunately unavailable on the three nights we need (9/5-9/8). Please let me know if you have any others you enjoyed!
@WWK - Your input has been so invaluable! We have changed our days around and are now staying in Positano or Amalfi for the first three nights in Italy, then three nights in Sorrento, then our last night is still up in the air. We have the hotel in Naples still booked for our last night before our flight home the next day. We are deciding (and maybe will) change that last night to a hotel in Naples. Since we will be in Sorrento for the last few days, we can just take a train the day before our flight from Naples to Sorrento, then another train to Rome. Also, we definitely want to go to Capri and were planning to spend a day there, while Pompeii was just a possibility but of course for a different day. I have been to Pompeii previously and would love to go again, but my fiance doesn't love sightseeing historic sights as much as I do, so we'll see if we can fit it into a half day trip! Hotel Poseidon is booked for our days for the standard room, and the suites are incredible but way too pricey
it's a beautiful property though and I love that it has a pool! Please let me know if you know of other hotels for a max of around $350US/night in the Positano area. Thanks so much @ekc - Yes, we are looking for one right now! If you have any suggestions in Positano/Amalfi for a max of $350US/night, then please share! Thanks!
