KS

I'm in the begining stages of planning my 1st trip to the Amalfi Coast Sept. 2003. Have visited the major citites of Italy therefore I want a relaxing vacation where I can soak up some sun, culture and the beauty of the area. Also celebrating a wedding anniverary so romance is a must. Here is my itinerary thus far. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated...<BR><BR>Day 1 Arrive in Naples hire car/driver to transfer to Ravello(Palazzo Sasso)<BR><BR>Day 2 Ravello to relax from jet lag<BR><BR>Day 3-6 Amalfi(Santa Caterina)base to explore coast, rent car.<BR><BR>Day 7-9 Capri (Hotel Luna)More relaxing<BR><BR>Day 10-12 Naples (Parteno)Visit Pompeii & Herculaneum<BR><BR>Day 13 Fly Home<BR><BR>

gac

Great hotels! Don't leave out Paestum, the major museums of Naples, and the Royal Palace of Caserta (time permitting).

David

I just did a similar trip but with slightly less time.<BR><BR>Just a couple of suggestions to ponder: Ravello and Amalfi are so close to each other that it seems unnecessary to move hotels between the 2. You might want to consider spending a couple nights in Ravello and then maybe a couple nights in Positano...that way you have some time towards each end of the Amalfi Drive. <BR><BR>We stayed in Positano the entire time and did day trips to Amalfi/Ravello and Paestum. The driving wasn't too bad--it was much less crowded than I expected.<BR><BR>FYI, Pompeii and Herculaneum are both closer to Positano than I thought (about an hour's drive between Pompeii and Positano)so if you wanted to use Positano as a base to see those towns instead of Naples, you could. <BR><BR>

KS

GAC- <BR><BR>Thanks for your reply I'll definately make time for Paestum and the museums of Naples. What do you think about renting a car in Amalfi? I hear parking is bad and the driving is crazy. Although I'm from San Francisco so I guess it's all relative.

gac

I personally would not rent a car, even though you do give up some sightseeing flexibility by doing so. You won't want to take the car to Capri, nor drive it to or around Naples, and there is excellent public transportation (i.e. every 30-60 minutes) to ALL the places you are likely to visit. You'll also save money by taking the buses and trains, and won't lose time having to look for parking places. Print out the schedules before you go (they are all on the web), with the understanding that the bus schedules are subject to traffic and weather conditions, especially along the busy Amalfi Drive. The car would be most useful to go to Paestum; but even here, there are hourly buses from Salerno (as well as several trains), with decent connections to the SITA bus to Amalfi.

Linda

Hi,<BR><BR>We did a similar trip last year for our honeymoon (7 days in Positano & 3 in Ravello) and I would have to agree with the suggestion of skipping Amalfi and staying in Positano instead. Positano does not have the Amalfi drive cutting through its down town area so personally I think it is more beautiful and more romantic than any of the other coastal towns. I would also recommend staying at least 2 nights in Ravello - maybe reduce Naples to 1 or 2 nights, especially as we also drove to Pompeii from Positano very easily. <BR><BR>Please feel free to email me with any other questions. You will have an amazing time!

Al Meilan

Personally, I would spend more time in Amalfi and less time in Capri(1-2 days to me is enough, very touristy) If you like ceramics, drive to the last town in the Amalfi Coast ( right before Salerno), Vietri Sul mare, full of wonderful ceramic shops!! Enjoy.

Jill

Try to catch an opera in Naples and check the concert schedule for Ravello.