HELP -Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi, Capri
 

I only have two full days in this area and I'm not sure what to do and where to stay. Should I stay in Amalfi an take day trips to Pompeii and Capri? Or would it be easier if I stayed in Naples and took day trips to Amalfi, Pompeii and Capri? I don't know anything about the distances these places are from one another, please help. Thank you

How are you getting around? Car, bus, or train? Naples isn't all that close to the other places. I would stay somewhere more central. When I visited those places I stayed in Sorrento. If you have a car you can easily get to the other places. I know there is also bus service, but I don't know the particulars, like how convenient the schedules are. Two days is not a lot of time. Capri involves taking a boat, of course. Pompeii takes several hours to get a good look. I would probably avoid Naples altogether, unless there is something you want to see there. You didn't mention Positano, which is the place I would choose to be at. A blissful setting.

I agree with Pam. I stayed in Sorrento as well and did daytrips to Pompeii (by local train, which leaves from the center of Sorrento and drops you right in front of the entrance to Pompeii) and Capri. We took a bus tour of the coast, which stopped in Amalfi and Ravello. That was plenty, I wouldn't try driving it myself.

You don't say whether you're headed back to Rome after the two days, but if you are, you could base yourself in Positano which is, IMO, much more beautiful than Sorrento. From Positano, you can easily travel the coast by SITA bus to Sorrento, Amalfi, and Ravello. You can also catch a hydrofoil most days in the summer to Capri, although sometimes the hydrofoil isn't running due to rough water conditions. If you have a car or are willing to hire a driver, you could visit Pompeii on your way back to Rome.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Weird, I didn't like Positano at all. Scruffy seafront that looked like a tatty old English seaside resort, and shop after shop of the most awful tourist tat. I MUCH preferred the sophistication of Sorrento and the medieval charm of Amalfi.

If you're not overly worried about driving in a crazy driving place, I'd rent a car in Naples, hit Pompeii for a few hours on my way south (and even as a pretty serious history buff, 3 or 4 hours is plenty), and stay either in Sorrento or Positano. We were just in both, and while I agree with the last poster that Positano didn't quite live up to expectations (and the old town part of Sorrento was somewhat nicer than I expected), I'd probably opt for Posi. But either would be nice. Driving distances aren't bad - probably 45 minutes from Naples to Pompeii, and another 45 or an hour to Sorrento/Positano. The drivers are nutty, but I didn't think it was quite as bad as sometimes advertised. That said, I was certainly ready for a drink when I arrived. From Sorrento or Positano, you can catch a boat out to Capri easily, although I think it's a little quicker and somewhat less rough from Sorrento. Enjoy!

I have to totally disagree with Kate, but that's what makes this forum so interesting. We found Amalfi very bland compared to Positano, and Sorrento less dramatically beautiful. Yes, some of the shops in Positano were quite touristy, so we avoided them, but the cliffside walk along the water, and the views from some of the hotels and restaurants were spectacular. Also the two restaurants we visited in Montepertuso (sp??) a mountain village that overlooks Positano ( we went to Il Ritrovo and Donna Rosa) had some of the best food we ate during our entire trip.

Good luck whatever your decision, and have a great time!

If you're looking for what's "easier" (your word), stay in Sorrento, the geographic center of the places you mention. Pompeii is 30 minutes away by train. Capri is 30 minutes away by hydrofoil. Positano is about 30 minutes away by bus.