If I have four nights on the Amalfi coast, does it make sense to hydrofoil over from Naples (after arriving by train) to Capri for two nights, and then hydrofoil over to Positano for two nights? We will be visiting Pompei from Positano.

We have never been in the area (or Italy) before. Are there better ideas on what to do with 4 nights?

Thanks.

Definitely! My husband and I were there last year on our honeymoon and absolutely fell in love with it. I have done extensive travel in Italy and France and this is one of my favorite places.

It's also a good idea to travel by hydrofoil vs train and bus. Even though the mileage between towns are very short, it takes forever to get around because of the curving roads.

Two nights in each of these places are sufficient, although you could spend more time in Positano and not get bored. There is not a lot to explore on Capri, and the beaches are rocky (although we rented chaises longues) but it is beautiful and relaxing. We stayed at the Hotel Villa Krupp which I would highly recommend. It was only about $110 a night in the month of May. And was excellent value for money, especially in pricey Capri. Our room was very prettily decorated and clean and we had a balcony with magnificent views facing the beautiful gardens and villas of Capri as well as I Faraglioni (the 3 famous rocks jutting out of the sea). What struck me most about this hotel was the beautiful blue tiled terrace where you take your breakfast, it seems to stretch right out to the sea. This hotel is also in a good location.

As for Positano, you can spend 2 days exploring it or one day here and one day trip, say to Amalfi. It is very easy to get around the coast on the SITA Blue line buses which run up and down the coast frequently. It's about an hour ride. In Positano, we had drinks at the Palazzo Murat and wished we had stayed there instead of the hotel we had chosen. It may be pricy but it's absolutely gorgeous. It's in the very center of town. We ate dinner at least 3 times at Chez Black, it was so delicious, and right down on the boardwalk.

So, to sum up, if you are going to be so close to this area you can NOT not visit, there is no better place to go in my opinion and we hope to go back very soon.

Visiting Pompei from Positano is time consuming.

I would either see Pompei immediately after arriving in Naples or, assuming you're returning to Naples after Positano, see Pompei on the way from Positano to Naples. There is a baggage check at the Pompei main entrance.

As to two nights on Capri and two nights in Positano, sounds wonderful.

Axlerod-I love the Amalfi Coast perfect place for your honeymoon,I have found this web site helpful for Capri-www.caprionline.com- you can check the hydrfoil schedule etc.
I also recommend the Mamela hotel on Capri, listed on the Capri web site.
Wishing you love & happiness in your new life together
Fluffy

I appreciate the responses and welcome more! But Fluffy, it is not my honeymoon - you noticed jfinley's reply that she went there on her honeymoon. It is actually more like my 24th anniversary trip. But romance is always welcome!

Just got back from a week spent on the Amalfi coast. We stayed the entire time in Sorrento which was great due to it's central location/easy day trips to Capri, Pompei, Herculaneum, Positano/Amalfi as well as Naples. Sorrento was a great town and an even better home base! I would also recomend taking the slightly slower ferries than the hydrofoils (which are enclosed/ noisy and offer little view.)

Axel-ooops-sorry about the misunderstanding, I'm impressed 24 years.I know you will love the Amalfi Coast, and romance you shall have.
Happy Anniversary
Fluffy
ttt

We visited Capri, Positano, and Sorrento last September and would definitely recommend them. I agree that visiting Pompei from Positano would be difficult. Going there on the way back from Positano makes more sense. Personally I would do one night in Capri and 3 in Positano if you are going to day-trip from Positano. Capri is definitely worth a night since it is very different when all the day-trippers leave. How much there is to do depends on when you are going and what the weather is like. We spent 3 nights in Capri, but the weather wasn't great so we didn't get to do a lot of the things we had planned like the Blue Grotto and just relaxing on the beach.
While Sorrento makes a great base I think it lacks the charm of Capri and Positano.

One last comment on a previous posters suggestion of taking a slower ferry. Depends on when you are going. If you are going over the summer months, when the water tends to be a bit calmer, fine. But if the water is rough, you want to make sure you are on a hydrofoil. When went to Capri the day after a rainstorm on a slow ferry, it was the scariest experience of our lives. Took the hydrofoil back, still in rough water, and it was a piece of cake.

Golfergal - Thanks for the tip about the hydrofoil - since it will be October, we will want to be sure that the seas are calm!

Trashtalk: Glad you recommend Sorrento. I need the ease of location as we're only there 2.5 days and want to do side trips. Where did you stay? Was it under $150 USD and do you have a web site for the hotel? We looked into LaFenice in Positano for late June and it's full.
I will be with my 17 year old daughter and would like a nice room with a view.
Grazie

SS - We stayed at the Imperial Tramontano in Sorrento and thought it was perfect for us. Great location, historic charm, beautiful view, and responsible price. There are a lot of good choices in Sorrento and it all depends on what you are looking for. In Positano we stayed at Villa Rosa, which we also loved. It is a bit of a hike, but the view and our room were worth it. Great, great bathroom - huge tub and good shower. Huge balcony with a view of water and town and lots of plants and flowers.

Axelrod-
Congrats on 24 years! We just got back from our honeymoon and we were already talking about when in our marriage we could go back. It was so magical and beautiful.

We did 1 night in Capri and 3 in Positano. I thought 1 night in Capri was just fine and felt that it was plenty of time to see some of the sights. Oct may be chillier than summer so I'm not sure if the beach is on your agenda.

I wish we could have spent 4 nights in Capri b/c that would have given us time to do a side trip to Ravello but we just didn't have the time. We did a trip from Positano to Pompeii though. You have a couple of options- you can rent a private car which I think was $250 for four hours. They estimate 1 hour there, 2 hours there, and 1 hour back. Nice option but it was out of our budget.

We took the SITA bus to Sorrento (one about every hour) and left Positano at around 10:20. Got to the Meta train station in Sorrento around 11:00. The train to Pompeii (one every 20 mins) arrive at 11:15 and we were in Pompeii at a little before noon. Spent two hours there. Coming back took a little longer- about 2 hours. We had 2 rather large bags so I don't know if I would have gone as we left Positano or left from Naples going into Capri. Even with the bag check in, it could be a hassle using public transportation.

Best of luck on your trip and I hope you have a fabulous time!

Jane

My husband and I visited Capri last summer. In our opinion it is one of the most beautiful islands of Mediterranean. If you are into hiking or walking, take some time to explore a paved trail in the eastern part of the island. It changes its name from via Tragara to via Pizzolungo to via Matermania. The views are breathtaking! Even in high season during the day there are very few people there.
We were adventurous enough to use via Krupp to climb down to the beach, however it is not for everybody (the road is in bad condition).
We second jfinlay's opinion about Villa Krupp. Very friendly and tranquil place. Giardini di Augusto are a couple of steps away.

jfinlay - I have been wanting to book 2 nights at Villa Krupp, but can't seem to find their info. on the internet. How did you make your reservations? Thank you for any suggestions.