Hi all - hoping for some words of wisdom. Heading to Italy with family (includes 2 kids, 13 and 11). Plan is to go July 2015. As it stands, we are doing a bit too much hopping around. Want to see Capri and Amalfi coast and we came up with the idea of staying on Capri for 4-5 nights and taking ferries to the Amalfi coast as day trips on a couple of those days. This way, we still maintain just one residence the entire time and not have to pack up and move luggage (although we hope to travel light).

Wise plan? Ferries seem like short trips but not sure if there are long waits for the ferries. Also, I realize that there are other important considerations I'm likely not thinking of.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

kbern,

Personally, I don't think this is the best plan. Do you know if your kids get seasick? The boats to/from Capril are subject to the weather and the seas. They get cancelled if the seas are too rough. The boats are extremely busy so you would need to make reservations in advance for every trip, not so carefree! Also, it would take you about an hour on the boat to your destination town, or more depending where you want to go. Not all the Amalfi Coast towns have boat service, so once on the coast, you would still have to utilize a taxi or bus.

Is cost a factor? Lodging on Capri in the summer will be much more than even on the coast.

Just some things to think about.

Thanks for the quick reply. Not worried about being sea sick. But, the extra time for the boat ride and so forth is a real consideration.

Didn't realize that about the need for reservations. Was hoping it was a bit of a reverse commute. I've read that Capri is a popular day trip destination, hoping the crowds going opposite direction would be less. Sounds like you don't agree though.

Regarding the towns, I think Positano and Amalfi would be fine destinations and we could take buses / taxi's between towns if desired.

We checked out prices and actually feel like we did find comparable prices on Capri and the coast given the options that looked good to us.

Hmmmm, got me thinking .. any more thoughts are very welcome.

Commuting from Capri could get to be a real time consumer. The ferries can be very crowded and they do take time to load up, cross the bay, unload etc. We based in Sorrento and were very happy. Did a day on Capri, drove the Amalfi coast, a ferry trip to Positano and spent time in Sorrento. Sorrento was. Perfect match to us.

I think it's a bad idea to base in Capri. Ferries in the summer months are packed and don't always run on schedule. On top of that, the boats are sometimes cancelled even on sunny days if there are rough water conditions in Positano or Amalfi.

You'd be much better off basing along the coast. Positano is my favorite town after many trips because of the incredible scenery and wonderful restaurants, but Amalfi is popular, too.

Whatever you decide, try to book ASAP. Summer is peak season for the Amalfi Coast, and many of the best hotels get reserved months ahead.

I agree with WWK. WE based in Positano and took the ferry to Capri and Amalfi. It is not that it is a bad idea to base in Capri, but that would be my 3rd choice behind Positano and Amalfi.

Much as I loved Capri after day-trippers left, I agree with the above -- it could be quite limiting to try to stay there. It might make more sense to consider one of the towns on the coast itself that has both bus and ferry connections to places of interest in the area, Depending on your interests, several of the places already mentioned could be good bases, and again, depending on your interests, Salerno might be worth considering.

Hope that helps!

Have you looked at the ferry schedules?

Typically ferries to and from Capri do not run in the evening - since tourists are usually there for the day only. (When we went the last trip back to Sorrento was about 6 pm) - so you need to plan your days carefully.

Staying in Sorrento gives you many more options for getting to and fro other places since there are bus, train and cab as well as ferry and hydrofoil.

Ideally, I would base for a few days on the coast and then move to Capri for several nights. I think there is enough to do on the island, at a leisurely paceand you can get away from the daytrippers if you go out and about the islands. I wouldn't want to commute several times from there to sightsee along the coast.

Sorry - did not mean staying on Capri is a bad idea. It;s a great idea to see Capri -which has a lot to see and do. Just not a convenient base for touring the larger area.

Thanks all -- soooo glad I posted this question here. We have officially nixed this idea. But, it has caused us to reconsider our whole plan. Going to post another Q on Italy forum and hope for more wisdom.

Stay in Sorrento.

It is important that you think about the "traffic flow" in the Amalfi coast area in July, and try to plan around that flow. July will be very crowded, and the tide of visitors (many of them day visitors) begins moving in the morning, going from Naples and Sorrento at the northern end of the Amalfi coast, traveling south along the coast. Most of them will take the big buses from Sorrento and those buses will stop at Amalfi, wait and then return to Sorrento. The buses will therefore be jammed with people going south to Amalfi in the morning and then jammed going north from Amalfi back up to Sorrento in the afternoon and early evening. You really need to try to organize your movement along the coast to work around this and avoid the congested periods.

As well, the traffic flows from Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi over to Capri on the ferries in the morning and then back to the mainland in the afternoon.

Here's one way to work around this: if you are coming from Rome or Naples, take the train to Salerno, which is at the southern end of the Amalfi coast. Then take a morning ferry from Salerno up the coast, going north, in the morning. You will be avoiding the crowds coming south by ferry or bus. Base yourself wherever you want on the coast. Go over to Capri and stay at least 3 nights. This will let you settle in, enjoy the place after the day visitors leave (they start leaving Capri around mid-afternoon), plus the kids can run around, hike, really enjoy the island. Be sure to go to Capri in mid-afternoon (the ferries will be relatively uncrowded in this direction in mid-afternoon), and then leave Capri in the morning (again, this is against the traffic flow).

As other posters have said, look carefully at ferry timetables and look at the map of the area to see how the crowds will move. Think of this entire area as Manhattan. Envision the Connecticut suburbs pouring into the city in the morning and then going back home in the afternoon.

BTW, Salerno is a great little city, lots to see, beautiful seaside promenade, safe, clean, nice people, good food. I am a fan, obviously. See my trip report for more info.