This is probably a strange question, but my husband is kind of set on going to Capri for a week and exploring (daytrips) from there.

One of the reasons is price. We had explored staying in Positano (and surrounds), but can get a gorgeous deluxe room with sea view for 270E (La Minerva), whereas on the Amalfi Coast it's 350E+ if you want a deluxe sea view. He also thinks it would be more relaxing to stay put in one spot, and do day trips as we feel like it.

I'm not so sure the ferry/hydrofoils would accommodate this. We are going sometime in May 2005 - are flexible on dates. I certainly don't want to get stuck on the Amalfi coast with no way back to our hotel in Capri!!

If this is not doable, can anyone suggest something similar to La Minerva
http://www.laminervacapri.com/ on the Amalfi Coast? We would like to see Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, and possibly Sorrento (is there anything there to see?), Pompeii, and maybe Pasetum.

We will have @ 10 days.

Wanderer - Capri is lovely, but you will spend alot of time ferrying back and forth to the mainland. Can you strike a compromise with your husband and split time between Capri and either Sorrento (which I think is the optimum homebase for Amalfi Coast exploration) or perhaps Positano? Your itinerary sounds wonderful and very comfortable for 10 days in the area (I'm jealous!) but just think the back and forth to Capri will get old. You've got a year to consider your options, and there are many Fodorites on this board who can recommend hotels that will meet your budget too. Good luck! Trish

Until you have been a visitor, I don't think you can imagine how time consuming travel can be on or near the Amalfi coast.
Distances are deceptive. The traffic can be slow, even in May. A drive from Positano to Amalfi, which is only about 12 or 15 km can take 45 minutes or more depending on the traffic.

There is nothing wrong with your wanting to stay on Capri. You just must realize that it will take time for you to do day trips, even by water.
I hope someone with a more knowledge than I can tell you just how much time.

I cannot suggest a hotel, others can. We rented an apartment.

My suggestion would be to spend a couple of nights on Capri, if your heart is set on it. And place yourself somewhere else for the remainder of the trip.
Have a wonderful time.

The ferries from Capri usually don't run very late so that might create sightseeing problems. There are always water taxis if money is no problem. I think the last ferry at night going back to Capri from Sorrento is around 7 pm. Try Capri.net for the ferry schedules and times.

Sorrento is the hub of transportation for the area. It is the last stop for
the Circumvesuviana train and the busses and ferries leave from there for all the coast area. Hotel prices are better in Sorrento also. Maybe you should spend 2-3 days on Capri and the rest on the mainland since you want to do so much sightseeing.

I have done Capri as a base and thought it was wonderful. I am doing it again this june. You will LOVE the Minerva. The ferrys run until about 7:30 p.m. Going to Positano takes about 45 min-1 hour if I remember correctly. I never felt I was wasting time on the ferry. The food on Capri is to die for. Also at night Capri is way less touristy than the mainland-they all leave by ferry. You won't get stuck on the coast if you keep track of time. the weather should be fine in May as well. Busses are available to take you to other cities too.

I would love to have Capri as a base.

As others said you just have to bear in mind the time restraints of getting back to the island, but if you are early risers that should be no problem.

Also realize that rough seas could force the boats to cancel and you may get caught on the mainland. Others may know if there are helicopter services in that case.

I have based myself in Praiano and still had to keep track of the busses so I wouldn't get stranded in another town on the coast, because they stop running on the coast fairly early too, I think before 9pm.

I am an island lover and love Capri.

I wouldn't base in Capri. Last summer, on a cloudless day, our hydrofoil to Sorrento was delayed for over an hour due to "bad water conditions". As another poster so rightly pointed out, travel times are deceptive, easily cancelled, and can be alarmingly slow on the coast.

If you don't mind this kind of thing, fine. But it can be a real hassle to get back and forth. That's why I'd recommend splitting your time between Sorrento and Capri. Sorrento has excellent transportation options up and down the coast. Both buses and boats are available to most towns/cities along the coast. Also, there's a local train that leaves you at the main gate of Pompeii ( takes about half an hour).

In Sorrento, for about $250/night, you should be able to book a room at the Tramontano, the Bristol, or the Ambasciatori, all of which have comfortable rooms with terraces overlooking the Bay of Naples. We stayed at the Tramontano last July, and while the room itself was comfortable but nothing special, the terrace was ENORMOUS and the view spectacular. (We had a corner room on the 4th floor.) All of these hotels are within walking distance of many good restaurants, shops, cafes,etc.

Good luck!

Agree with other posters about splitting time between Capri and somewhere on the mainland. If you stay on Capri you must accept that there may be days when you cannot get off the island or cannot get back to it.

We took a day trip from Sorrento to Capri a couple of years ago on a beautiful day and in the afternoon the weather started to go bad. Our hotel had warned us this might happen and said if it did immediately get on the new boat back - which we did. But the last few boats to and fro the mainland were cancelled with no warning and a couple of people from our hotel had to hire a private boat to get off the island - they said at an enormous price.

Since "One of the reasons is price", I wonder if you've factored in the cost of the ferry transportation. How much would that be and might that offset the savings?