I will be in Capri and Positano October 3-11. I hear varied opinions about renting a car in Positano. Sounds like it's a nightmare.

If we skipped the car rental, can anyone share how we'd get from Positano in the late morning back to Naples for our flight departure?

Also, we're staying at the Cesar Augustus in Capri and Palazzo Murat in Positano--any tips or insights?

Jill, we'll be there the same time ( but not as long)and will have a car. I had a friend with relatives in Naples ask them about the car issue and they said it should be no problem in October. By then most tourists are gone...at least that's what they tell me!

If you do a search you will see plenty of options. You can hire a driver to take you. I use Flavio Gioia auto service. Let me know how you like the Murat. My daughter's having a wedding reception there next June. have a great trip. WT

The best bet would be a driver to take you from Positano-Naples. We very much enjoy Giovanni Gargiulo from tourofitaly.com, who we found on this forum a few years ago. The other option, (although I don't know about scheduling in the fall) would be to take the ferry from Positano to Sorrento, then a train from Sorrento to Naples, but that seems like it would be an enormous hassle with luggage.

Sorry-- I don't know the hotels you're staying at, although we were in Positano and Capri this July.

Have a wonderful time!

I forgot to mention that the Murat has a beautiful garden restaurant and great food. Be sure to have dinner there at least once. I haven't actually stayed there, just had dinner there, so I am curious about the rooms, but the hotel is well maintained and looks lovely, so I have booked several rooms next year.

I think you will love it!

Hi jill
You can do what we did, park the car the entire time you are there. It was a waste of money having the car there.

We ended up taking busses and ferries to the other towns and cabs to and from the restaurants.

Have your hotel set up car service back to Naples. I think it was E30./hour for the car service.

A taxi will cost you about € 100 from Positano.

If you're looking for a cheaper option there is an airport bus from Sorrento (Piazza Tasso) to Capodichino. You can find timetables on the Curreri website:

http://www.curreriviaggi.it/pagine/agenzia_viaggi.htm

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi jillheis, I have just returned from Italy and have not even posted my trip report yet, but I also stayed at the Caesar Augustus so here are my thoughts:

The hotel is located in a beautiful setting with heartstopping views of the sea and the islands. There are many large terraces and gardens from which to enjoy these views. The pool is one of the best I've seen. We had a deluxe seaview room which was smaller than the picture on the website (the website photo shows a corner room), but clean and nicely decorated with a small terrace.

Capri town must be reached by the bus, which stops right outside the hotel and runs frequently. The smaller town of Anacapri is a five minute walk away and is much quieter and more "neighborhoody" than Capri.

The hotel managers are not very helpful. They will answer your question and then look to move on to the next issue at hand. Also... one night we were very very tired and wanted (needed!)to eat at the hotel but their restaurant is only open two nights a week. So there was literally nothing to be had at the hotel. I found this unacceptable, every full service hotel should have some sort of food available on any given night.

Overall, it is a very pleasant hotel, and we enjoyed it. We took the ferry from Capri to Naples on our way home, then a taxi to the train station and on to Rome. All very easy. I don't think Positano has ferry service to Naples, you probably will have to hire a driver. The only other option I can think of is to take the bus to Sorrento, then the light rail to Naples.

Just got back from our honeymoon in Italy and spent 3 days in the Amalfi Coast. We ate dinner in the restaurant at Murat and it was wonderful...the eggplant parmigiana I had there was the best that I have ever tasted!

Also - do not miss the connoli at La Zaraga bakery...huge and super yummy. They also have really good panini sandwiches!