FRUMDC

WE ( 4 ADULTS) Planning a 12 day tour( mid-may) to the a.c. We're flying to Rome from there to Naples then on to sorrento, capri, positano, ravella.

Just by reading the posted messages most of my questions have been answered, i.e. renting a car/or not - not!; what to focus on; where best views/vantages in the towns/

One issue i don't have settled is where to stay in sorrento,positano, ravella.
Like everyone else we value our comfort but our Canadian dollar doesn't seem to stretch as far as it did since the change to the Euro.
With that in mind, any ideas as to where to stay in these towns for about 200.00 Can and still have a nice vantage and clean and decent decore?

Grinisa

Why do you want to switch hotels three times in 12 days and still be on the Amalfi Coast? You can stay in one place and see all the towns. Sorrento would probably be the least expensive and it offers good connections to Capri and also Naples and Pompeii if you want to daytrip there. Positano and Ravello are more expensive. Is that 200Euro and do you mean 200 for each double room or 200 for a quad? You might also check apartment/villa rentals which for 12 days would be the most economical way to go.

ira

Hi fru,

Much as I loved it, I think 12 days on the AC is about 5 days too long.

I suggest a few days in Naples or Rome.

I also do not recommend chaging hotels.

How much is 200CD in Euros?

FRUMDC

grinisa and ira thanxs for the tip but i should clarify we'll be in rome for 3 days and in naples for 2 the rest will be spent in the a.c. and i agree its a good idea about staying put in one place.
ira 200Can is about 130Euro.
also wanted to know if there are any off the beaten path places to visit to see

Grinisa

You can pretty much forget a quad for 130 per night but you still might look for an apartment. Considering you are going to need two double rooms and your trip is only seven or eight weeks away, finding one apartment might be easier. With all that time, it would be nice to spend a couple of days on Capri, rather than daytrip, but you may not be able to find availability in your price range. Consider a trip to Paestum. Without a car, out of the way places can be difficult to reach from the coast.

mweiner

We stayed 4 days in Sorrento and did Pompei and Naples from there. It was great fun and a great location. Stayed at the Hilton Sorrento. Best ever buffet breakfast in the world!

Then we stayed 5-6 days in Ravello at the wonderful wonderful Villa Maria and its A+ restaurant. This hotel was just a dream.

We used only local transportation and our feet in both places. The local bus going up/down from Ravello was scenic to say the least. We then took a boat to Positano.

Our major splurge was letting the Hilton book a private limo driver from Sorrento to Ravello. Ride and driver were exceptional.

Forget what everyone else says. You could spend months in Ravello. Take time to smell the roses, watch the sea, go to evening concerts, watch the sunset, visit with locals, and enjoy a daily gelato.

By the way the shopping was very good in Amalfi.

Enjoy. Feel free to ask any questions.

FRUMDC

mweiner,
sounds like you had a marvelous time.

what are the distances (in time and mi/km) like between
soorento-positano
sorrento-capri
positano-amalfi
positano-ravello

by bus or boat
also is there an advantage of taking a private driver for that off the beaten path?

Grinisa

I never said you shouldn't spend 12 days on the Amalfi Coast, I just don't see the point in changing hotels three times. Personally, I'd spend all summer there in a villa if I could. But since you won't have a car, basing in one town with good bus and boat connections, like Sorrento, would be best. Sorrento/Capri is about 30 minutes by hydrofoil. Sorrento/Positano is about 20 min. by hydrofoil, 30 minutes by bus unless it's a busy traffic weekend. Positano to Amalfi is 15 minutes by hydrofoil, by far the best way to get there. The drive either by bus or car can be anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. The bus from Amalfi up to Ravello takes about 15 minutes.

panucci

Check out Le Sirene http://www.lesirene.com/rooms.htm
Praiano is between Posiano and Amalfi. It is a tiny town, but easy to get from one town to another. The views of Positano are amazing. The staff is really nice. Be prepared for abour 150 stairs from town and a 15 minute walk down to the beach 35 minutes back up.

guykb

I desperately wanted to stay in Positano last year, but because it was Winter there were less properties available, and because, similar to you, I had to stretch the Aussie dollar, I ended up staying in Amalfi. For me it was serendipity, because Amalfi was so much more appropriate - at that time of year at least. We had a marvellous time.

I would strongly agree with the recommendations to stay in an apartment. You get to meet lovely local people and have room to stretch out. I'll try and find the url and post it here of the wonderful apartment I stayed in.

ira

Hi Frum,

You might find the Naples/AC part of my trip report helpful.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

We stayed in Praiano, at the Hotel Le Sirene, www.lesirene.com.

We visited Naples, Paestum, Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi.

No need for a car.

You can get distances between places at www.mappy.com.

s1951

Hello mweiner:
I was so delighted to read your note about the Hilton Sorrento Palace because we are staying there 9 days in July. We went to Rome last summer and are flying into Rome again this year and stay a couple of days and then to Sorrento. We are using Sorrento as a base to see all of the other towns.
Did you have an issue with the hotel a 10 minute walk from the town center? Week before last I had posted a note inquiring about the Hilton Sorrento Palace and some of the comments led me to believe some people did not like the walk. When you have time, please give me the hi-lights of your day excursions from the Hilton, and what you liked about the hotel. Thanks.

mweiner

Hi FRUMDC,

We hired a driver to go to Pastum and saw wonderful Greek ruins, best preserved temple incl Greece.

We also hired a driver to take us from our hotel in Sorrento to Ravello. There is a boat, but the drive is really spectacular and not to be missed. Boat ride is also tooooo long.

There are ferries/boats that go between Sorrento and Positano. We took a boat between Amalfi and Sorrento. We took the bus down from Ravello to the docks. very easy. There are also boats from Sorrento to Capri- very easy.

Have a great time. Did you book your hotel? Remember to take the Vesuviana train between Sorrento and Pompeii. Also into Naples to see the wonderful mosaics from Pompeii in the Naples museum.

ajadedidealist

Capri is very nice, but I recommend Ischia, its sister island, as a much nicer place to stay. Ischia is far less "touristy," though it has become pointedly more so in recent years, and has the most amazing mixture of mountains/hilltops, beaches, mud baths, and lovely piazzas and piazettas. One of the towns, St. Angelo, is located on a hill with tiny, narrow streets - and no cars are allowed save for luggage carts that look rather like golf carts. My mother (and later, my mother and I) has been going for 25+ years to this heavenly town.

It is near the famous mud bath spa "Cava Scura," other day-spa-pools, the beach, and much more. There is an amazing hotel called Casa Garibaldi there, which is located entirely on this amazing terrace made out of colored tiles and has a panoramic view, but is very inexpensive.

Amalfi is nice, but very small; if anything, it is a day trip.

caroline_edinburgh

mweiner: "We also hired a driver to take us from our hotel in Sorrento to Ravello. There is a boat, but the drive is really spectacular and not to be missed. Boat ride is also tooooo long." Eh ? Ravello is not on the coast.

SeaUrchin

s1951, do you have trouble walking? If it is not a problem for you it is an easy stroll down to the Corso. The Hilton is on the higher road but it is still in town.

Patrick

Ideal for me?
3 nights on Capri
3 nights in Sorrento
4 nights on Ischia (day trip to Proscida)
3 nights in either Positano or Priano or Amalfi
2 nights in Ravello
3 nights in Naples

To me the advantage of changing hotels is that day trips to places like Capri, Ischia, and even Ravello just don't give you a full appreciation of those places. If you have the time, I say go and visit several places. My itinerary above could of course be cut down -- several ways, but I'd sure not get bored doing it that way. I would get bored staying in Positano for 12 days though!

You can narrow it down from there. I can't imagine 12 days being too long to stay on the Amalfi Coast, unless you just sat in one spot. Each of these places has a different feel, and all are great, in my opinion.

mweiner

Ravello is on a cliff overlooking Amalfi. There are buses that run rather frequently down to Amalfi and neighboring towns and villages. We loved the spectacular views, the people, the off-the-beaten path feeling to the area. It was far more sophisticated than Positano and Amalfi. Much more relaxing and beautiful.

caroline_edinburgh

We stayed in Ravello in mid-June and I found it not as warm as I'd have liked, since it's high up. It was hot during the daytime in the sun, but quite chilly in the shade and at night. I don't know if this is important to you.

I also found it a bit too small and quiet and wished we'd just visited it as a daytrip instead of spending several nights there. There are really only the 2 famous gardens to see, and the centre is very small - just a village, really - with not many restaurants or bars.