Groceries/Markets in the Amalfi "Mountains"?
 

Hi experienced travelers!

We are total newbies and are looking into renting an apartment on the Amalfi Coast. We plan on relaxing and enjoying each other's company (it's our honeymoon)...

The place isn't in Amalfi per say, it's in between Amalfi and Atrani... I realise there's the SITA buses that run on the coastal road, but we were wondering if it's going to be difficult to get some food to cook on our own?

This might be a really stupid question, lol! I just want to check if we should be looking into renting a car or not... We would prefer not to, but if it's going to make our lives easier than we'll look into it...

We're also trying to come up with a food budget for that 1 week stay :S

Any help would be appreciated!!!
Thanks!

Catherine

Here's a link to see where the place is exactly:
http://www.summerinitaly.com/eng/ren...p?codcasa=0078

We've stayed in that particular apartment a few years ago. The "estate" is in Castiglione di Ravello, along the road to Amalfi and a few minutes to the road going up to Ravello.

As far as groceries...they have a small supermarket in Amalfi itself, as well as in Minori.

I know there are buses up to Ravello and Amalfi but I don't know how frequent they are.If you do end up renting a car, the villa (which consists of several apartments) has parking (across it), so that will not be a problem.

My wife and I honeymooned near by six years ago, it was a delight.

There's a small supermercato in Maiori, which will be just a short bus ride from where you're staying. We were staying in a villa 2 or 3 kms to the east of Maiori so it was the easiet and nearest for us. I amagine there'll be an equally small supermarket in tucked away in Amalfi somewhere but we never has reason to look.
In Maiori, too, there was a decent fruit and veg place on the square and a useful pharmacy (when I needed something for an insect bite).
Btw - unless specifically shopping there I wouldn't bother with the town - it was destroyed in flooding and now is the most non-descript sort of place with none of the Amalfitana charm you're looking forward to.

As to whether or not you need a car - that's quite upto you. We went to Pompeii and Paestum which without a vehicle would have proved quite challenging. Furthermore it meant we could go to a larger supermarket in Salerno for a "big" shop. Despite driving on the "wrong" side of the road in a left-hand drive car I didn't find the famed coastal road in anyway daunting with the exception of our initial arrival, when tired after a long 2 day drive from Venice. We were greeted by hordes of suicidal youths on mopeds and motorbikes (heading back to Salerno at the end of a saturday day out) driving on which ever side of the road they fancied. That was a little exhausting as I recall - but otherwise we zipped along the coast road hither and tither all week when not relaxing in the sun or by the pool.
You don't need a car, for instance, to walk into Amalfi and from there to catch a ferry to Capri (or Sorrento) - something which I think you might like to put aside a day for - if only for the sublime views of the Amalfi Coast from out at sea. But a leisurely lunch in Capri, some retail therapy and a stroll out to the Villa Jovis or bus upto Anacapri and the chairlift upto Monte Solaro before a late ferry back to Amalfi again would be an idyllic day in most holiday schedules.

My only other recommendation to you is not to miss a trip up to Ravello - you can bus up I'm pretty sure - enjoy the town, the jaw-dropping views of Amalfi and Atrani from the gardens and belvedere ("Terrace Of The Infinite")of Villa Cimbrone, enjoy a lunch and then walk back down the mountainside to Atrani down the Path Of The Gods ("Sentiero degli Dei").

Whatever - have a great trip, congrats on the forthcoming nuptuals and enjoy yourselves mightily.

Dr D.