Capri or Positano or both?
 

I am planning an anniversary trip to Italy for July. After getting some excellent advice after my first post, I have planned to fly into Naples and spend the first half of our 9 night trip in the Capri/AC area. The second half we will take train to Rome and finish there, flying out of Rome. I was looking primarily at Capri, but after some great advice and more info, Positano looks like a serious consideration for us. Should we split the 5 nights between the two or stay primarily in one and visit the other? I am leaning towards splitting the two.

Happy anniversary! What a great anniversary it will be!

I think you should split it in two -- say 2 nights in Capri, and 3 in Positano? We did that a few years back, and it was really perfect to capture the essence of the Amalfi Coast, relax, sightsee, etc. If your plan is to visit the Blue Grotto, you'll probably need at least 2 days there, since it's always hit or miss if the sea will be calm enough for the boats to get inside the grotto. In fact, we tried 3 times, third time lucky. Although on the second try, boats were not going in, but swimmers were swimming in -- my husband got up the nerve to do this. As strong a swimmer as I am, I chickened out. (There is a possibility of getting scraped or hurt). Although most tourists to Capri are daytrippers, it is certainly worth more than a day. And it is magical at night!

From there, you can take a ferry to Positano. Again, a surprising amount of things to do if you are energetic and like a good workout. In July, it will be pretty hot, so the water is a perfect way to cool off. You can take a bus all the up to Montepertuso, a little village high above Positano -- a couple of really nice dinner places up there, and a lovely place to walk.

If you want to take the train to Rome afterwards, you could take the ferry from Positano to Salerno, then catch a train right to Rome.

www.hotelpasitea.it

from under 100euro/nt for a sea view room Expedia/AAARP

www.hoteldelfino.com

$60/nt Sorrento area www.otel.com

Good experience great value

www.hotelsantacaterina.it for luxury

Capri expensive touristy worth a nite or a day trip

but gets old quickly for me...

Congrats,

Any issue if we go to Positano first for three nights, then Capri for two nights, and off to Rome via train?

No issue I can think of. And I agree that 3 in Positano and 2 in Capri is the better option than 5 in one place.

Incidentally. You may be able to book locally on one of the day trip boats to Capri out of Positano -- just going one way and taking your luggage. That's a whole lot cheaper and easier than routing all the way back through Sorrento and out or even looking at the regular "transportation" boats. Most of the day tour boats will let you ride and take your luggage direct to Capri from Positano. We did it in reverse.

Thamks That's a great idea. I thought we would have to go all the way back to sorrento to catch ferry to Capri.
Any recollection or idea of company names for these trip boats?

I tried researching that idea before going and had no luck. The first time we did this it was from Ischia to Positano (the boat also stopped at Capri on the way). We simply went down to the harbor a couple days before and asked where they were selling the day trip tours -- and we were given great prices to go along just one way. No idea of the names of the boats -- these are mainly smaller independent companies I think that do the day trips.
If you're going to be in Positano for three days before Capri, I'd suggest you go your first day there and inquire where they sell the day trips. I think even if you paid for a full round trip day ticket it might be cheaper and certainly easier to buy it and just do the one way instead of the loop through Sorrento!
Just let them know you won't be returning so they don't hold the boat for you coming back!

Thanks. I will inquire on day 1.

No interest in Pompeii?

Not sure, if I am interested, we need to consider staying in Sorrento?

Some of the advice might change if you said you wanted to visit Pompeii. You could stop there when you're arriving or departing the area as there is luggage storage, but visiting Pompeii while staying on Capri or in Positano would not be very easy. You're lucky the days will be long in July, but that doesn't overcome the logistics involved. Sorrento is about 30 minutes by commuter train from Pompeii. Some here have recommended staying in the town of Pompeii, but we've never done that. If you don't tolerate heat and sun well, you might want to skip the excavations which offer little shade and few facilities.

FWIW, Pompeii and the archeology museum in Naples were our favorite things to do/see in the area. Disclaimer: We're not into relaxing, shopping, aimless wandering of tourist towns but have happily wandered around Pompeii for many hours over multiple visits.