Daytrip to Sorrento or Positano?
 

Hi everyone. I'm going to be in Naples for a few days at the end of May and am trying to decide between a daytrip to Sorrento or a daytrip to Positano. I wish I had time to do both, but unfortunately I have to choose one. Has anyone has been to either or both? Which is your favorite? What are the must see's in each of the cities? (I tried to do some research in the guidebooks, but they don't dedicate very many pages to the different Amalfi Coast towns so I feel like I don't have enough information to make an informed decision). Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi CTU - You can easily do both from Naples - they're only 45 mins apart by bus :)

Steve

I only have one day available... would it be too rushed to try to do both?

This is right at the end of my 3 week trip, so I want a nice relaxing day. Would really prefer to not try to deal with the bus and getting from place to place.

There is so much to do, and so much going on in Sorrento it's not easy to relax. For a relaxing day do Positano.

I think you can reach there by boat from Naples. I'd choose Positano. Or better yet, the Isle of Capri!

Or maybe Ischia.

Pedantic note: Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast. It's around the corner on the Gulf of Naples.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Also wondering what your favourite highlights of each of the towns are? I'm not finding much information on either towns (in terms of what there is to do, besides hang out?) Are there any *must see* sights in either town I should be aware of?

thanks!

The Amalfi coast, Capri and the Sorrentine peninsula are not the type of places you go to to rush to see sights; they are the sight themselves. Utter beauty.

If you want to relax just this last day, I'd choose Positano and take some walks, do a bit of shopping and of course eat. Or go to Capri, skip the Blue Grotto, get yourself up to Anacapri and walk around and enjoy a long lunch. Stop off back in Capri town for a bit of shopping and a walk around.

We stayed in Sorrento for four nights and loved it, but I think on a one day jaunt, you'll get a better sense of the area from just taking in some beauty, a little shopping and eating ( have some limoncello and chill out!)

Hi I would say Positano as its just lovely for walking around and eating and enjoying the views. The views really are breathtaking. You can just potter around, coffee, sit & enjoy those views :-)

I agree with David. I love Positano and it's so relaxing. For a special treat, you can sit outside on a terrace and have a bellini cocktail at the Hotel San Pietro, which hangs over a cliff. It is breathtaking. I also recommend a restaurant way down at the bottom. It's called "Black's At The Beach" and they serve wonderful seafood. Blackie is the owner and is a charming hand-kisser. I haven't been there in six years, so I hope it's still there. The shops are lovely to wander through. I think it's smaller and much nicer than Sorrento, though that's where we are going soon, as we are going to Pompeii. Have fun!

If you have a full day, I would suggest you do both, even though that's not what you want to hear. Both are charming, beautiful cities and you can enjoy a few hours walking around and having a meal in each one.

You can leave Naples in the morning and get to Positano by 10 or 11. Walk around, shop, have lunch. My feeling is there isn't a lot to "do" in the town but just walk around and enjoy the scenery and my favorite, eat. There are lots of stores, some very pricey (and just good for me to windowshop). Due to the vertical landscape of Positano I suggest doing this town first when you have more energy to climb steps. After a few hours you can take a bus up to Sorrento and walk around town, stay for dinner and then catch the bus or train back to Naples.

And then you've also had a chance to see the coastline, which you might not get to do if you choose just one town, depending on how you choose to get there.

If you want to carry stuff around, you might want to bring your swimsuit and other necessities if you wanted to spend any time on the beach in Positano (which I think is preferable) or Sorrento.

Hi C,

>I want a nice relaxing day. Would really prefer to not try to deal with the bus and getting from place to place. <

Stay in Naples.

What will you have already seen?

((I))

By the time we get to Naples, we would have already been to Venice, Florence, Rome. We'll be in Naples at the tail end of 3 weeks in Italy. We are using Naples as a base to daytrip to Capri and Pompeii. Not really sure if we want to see the city of Naples, so we're trying to decide between Sorrento and Positano without cramming too much into one day.

There is really nothing "to see" in these towns except the scenic beauty. They are both set up for tourism--i.e. shopping, eating, beaches. etc. That's the reason the guidebooks don't have much info. I personally like Positano.

Hi C,

>Not really sure if we want to see the city of Naples, ...<

Give it a chance.

Get a video of "Yesterda, Today and Tomorrow" with Loren and Mastroianni.

Naples is the REAL Italy.

Have you looked it up in "Destinations"?

((I))

If you're using Naples as a base for seeing Pompei and Capri, why not stay in Sorrento instead? Pompei is halfway between Naples and Sorrento, and Capri and closer to Sorrento. A daytrip to Positano from Sorrento is very easy.

I agree with Jean. Naples has a frantic feel, to me. Nothing relaxing about it. We always stay in Sorrento and LOVE it. It's easy access to Pompeii, Capri and Positano(take the ferry, not the bus. Much more relaxing). The most strenuous things to do are window shopping and drinking wine by the sea while we gaze at Vesuvius and wonder what we'll do if it starts to erupt!

Unless you have reason to stay in Naples, business or family, I would stay in Sorrento, drink limoncello all day and visit Naples and/or Positano. We hired a chaffeur (www.benvenutolimos.com) for the day to drive us along the Amalfi Coast. Well worth the money. Capri is just short boat trip from Sorrento.

We have been to Naples, Sorrento and positano. Firstly, we loved Naples. If you plan on seeing Pompeii, be sure to see the archeological museum in Naples. It houses one of the largest amount of items from the ruins of Pompeii. It was truly amazing. Plus ask about the "secret room" at the museum. It basically is a room that houses the more revealing side of Roman life. Romans, or Pompeiians, were quite the -- well, how do I say -- promiscus people.

Also, go up to the Capidomonte Museum, on the hill. YOu can get beautiful capidomonte ceramic items.

another area to visit is the castle -- can't remember the name of it -- but it is in the area where they are famous for the cameos. You can go in some of the shops and maybe have the chance to watch them make these lovely cameos from conch shells.
We used public transport the whole time. Just be smart. You will get pickpocketed. No biggie if your pockets are empty. Naples was cheap, cheap, cheap to eat at. People there are not your "Rome" jet setters, but they are warm, friendl. It was a fun place.

Sorrento, we spent 2 nights. Lovely, lovely town,but if you only have a day and want to relax, i would try Positano. Much smaller, more picturesque. Actually, to me it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. To walk up the stairs, through nooks and crannies, on the side of a mountain where the homes are built into is incredible. The Amalfi coast is beyond what I could have imagined.