We arrive in Salerno early on May 9 and are booked for 4 nights. Would like to visit Isle of Capri, Positano, Ravello, Vietre sul Mare, Pompei, and Paestrum. I would appreciate some ideas of how to see all this--realizing something may have to be passed by--without a lot of backtracking.
My thoughts: Day 1: Isle of Capri--will do this the first day weather allows so if not day 1 will switch with another day.

Day 2: Bus to Vietre sul Mare, Ravello, Amalfi and Positano, although may try to walk from Ravello to Amalfi.
Bus or ferry from Amalfi to Positano. Return trip I'm thinking ferry from Positano to Salerno.

Day 3; Train SALERNO to Pompeii and maybe Mt. VESUVIUS

Questions: If we take the SITA bus one way between Amalfi-Positano, can we get off at each town and then get back on to continue our journey, or do we have to buy point-to-point tickets?

If we don't walk Ravello -Amalfi, is there enough time that day to also visit Paestrum?

If not, we arrive in SALERNO at 9:00 am our first day, would there be time to do Paesteum that day? It one of the other trips listed?

Any siggestions/advice will be appreciated.

Do you have 3 full days for the Amalfi Coast or can you spend part of your last day there? I ask because you are, I think, pushing the limits for your time.

If you try to visit Paestum on the same day of your time in Ravello and Amalfi, then I would strongly encourage you to (a) skip Vietre sur Mare and Positano on that day; (b) skip the hike from Ravello to Amalfi unless you finish everything else and are absolutely sure you can complete the hike before the light gives out; and (c) make Paestum your first stop of the day as you will, I think, face more limits due to closing hours / schedules for Paestum. I could be wrong, but if you start with Ravello and Amalfi, I don’t think the connections would work out particularly well, and even if they did, I think you would have to watch the time so carefully that it could make the experience rather stressful. Check the train, bus, and ferry schedules for early May carefully, and also check the relevant closing hours -- Paestum, the museum there (well worth an hour or so) and the gardens in Ravello at Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, the duomos in Ravello and Amalfi....

If you do that, you might be able to find a bit of time to see Positano and / or Vietre sur Mare after one of your other days, perhaps to stop for dinner?

With one exception, I think your idea of attending to the weather makes sense – and that means you would need to think through your priorities for outdoor activities and your tolerance for visiting places with an umbrella or rain jacket. The exception: On that first day, you will need to (a) make sure that you can make the last ferry of the day from Capri and (b) that you will have enough time to make the trip worth it that day. I’d probably make that first day my day for Pompeii (skipping Mt. Vesuvius), but that’s just me….

I trust that others who know the area better than I will chime in…..

>>> If we take the SITA bus one way between Amalfi-Positano, can we get off at each town and then get back on to continue our journey, or do we have to buy point-to-point tickets?<<<

Tickets are not hop off/hop on unless you were to buy a day ticket (assuming they still sell them).

As for trains between Salerno and Pompeii or Paestum, there are gaps in morning service so you would need to leave early. From 9/9:30 until about noon you may find there isn't a train. Check the train schedules on Trenitalia (select the day of week you plan to travel, but within the next 7 days so it will show prices). You need to realize that the Pompeii train station for Trenitalia is a good trek from the entrance of Pompeii. It is not as convenient as the Circumvesuviana train that runs between Sorrento and Naples with a stop right across the street from the main entrance to the ruins. The Pompeii entrance closes to the Trenitalia station does not have the amenities the main entrance has and may not always be open so check for that since you are going in May. It would probably be faster to take a taxi from the Pompei Trenitalia station to the main entrance of Pompeii.

FYI- If the sea is a bit rough, ferries will not put in to Positano. Ferries don't run late either (about an hour before dark will be the last including from Capri). Buy a return ticket when you book Capri. Ditto for the train to Paestum as the station at Paestum is unmanned and you can't always count on ticket machines to work.

>>>Bus to Vietre sul Mare, Ravello, Amalfi and Positano, although may try to walk from Ravello to Amalfi.
Bus or ferry from Amalfi to Positano. Return trip I'm thinking ferry from Positano to Salerno.<<<

This is a lot in one day and you may want to reverse depending on how late a ferry operates between Positano and Salerno. I think I would head to Positano first (by ferry perhaps) then to Almalfi to catch the bus to Ravello. Hike down if you think you have time. Otherwise take the bus down, visit Amalfi and catch a bus back to Salerno. If it's not late, you might have the time to stop Vietri sul Mare

Thank you for your replies. Yes, we do have 3 full days and should arrive in Salerno by 9:00 am, giving us, hopefully, 3 1/2 total days--taking into account time to get from train station to B & B, get settled in and get started on our activities. I was thinking this first 1/2 day might be a good time to do Paestum?? Then, the first full day, I will try for Capri if weather is good for taking the ferry. We have no qualms about touring in rain--we're ready to see/do whatever, regardless of weather. Just thought since weather is a determination in getting to Capri, we would try that the first (full) day weather is good for water travel. Anything else, we can do rain or shine. I'm going to pass on attempting the walk from Ravello to Amalfi--I'll probably be walked out from our 4 days in Rome, anyway. Also no fear of twisty highway; it can't be much worse than some of the mountain roads where we live--in the middle of nowhere!

So, maybe, this: Day 1 (half day) Paestum (train from Salerno only 32 min.); Day 2: Early Ferry from Salerno to/from Capri--I want to see both sides of the island, see the blue grotto, etc., so I feel we should devote the whole day to the island. Day 3: Pompeii/Vesuvius;--Do you think we'll be really missing out if we don't go to Vesuvius? Day 4: Early ferry to Positano, ferry back to Amalfi, then bus to Salerno stopping in Ravello and Vietre Sur Mare if time since not doing hike. Don't really care which order we do these in. If you feel like day 4 is still too much even with leaving out hike, perhaps we could see Vietre Sur Mare and/or Ravello after our visit to Paestum that first 1/2 day--maybe for dinner as you suggested. Or maybe Vietre sur Mare and Ravello after visit to Pompeii? I know some have said that they spent 5-6 hours at Pompeii--I can't imagine my husband staying interested that long, but he might surprise me.

Since the train station from Salerno is not within walking distance to Pompeii, would you suggest taking the train from Salerno to Naples then to Pompei? It is 1 hr. 17 min. versus 48 min, but in the long run maybe better if more convenient to ruins??

Is it "safe" to purchase ferry and train tickets after we arrive or should I purchase now. Would we get a refund on the ferries if they don't go to either Positano or Capri if weather is not conducive to travel?

Thank you again for your help.

I skipped Vesuvius, which means I can’t comment on whether it would have been worthwhile. I can say that, for my interests, it was an easy skip.

I would ask: why is Vietre sur Mar featureing so promenently in your planning? Perhaps I’ve missed something, but I never thought it ranked up there with Ravello or Amalfi – or even Positano – as places to see. I could be mistaken….

I'm really not set on going to Vesuvius, just didn't want to skip it if most people consider it a "must-see." As for Vietre sur Mare, I've just read that is a pretty little town so, since it was so close to Salerno, I thought it might be nice to go there. I'm mostly trying to figure out how to work it all in without backtracking. Does the schedule for the 3 1/2 days look sensible?

I should say that we are two seniors for whom this will be our only trip to Italy. I still can't believe I'm in that category, but that's the way it is. We are very active, though, and I want to see everything, reasonably, that I can. However, I am very open to suggestions. Although we do plan to visit churches and museums, my husband is only going to go to so many, so I may visit some while he has coffee/wine nearby. We like the famous things but also the out-of-the-ordinary.

I've listed our whole itinerary below to see what comments/suggestions you may have. We will arrive in Rome on May 5 and fly home from Venice on May 20, so a total of 15 nights. Plane and train tickets to Salerno, Florence and Venice have been purchased, but side trips are all open. I have purchased tours for the Vatican and the Colleseum/Forum/Palantine Hill, as well as a 2hr. welcome to Rome tour the evening we arrive. I'd also like to do a Catacombs tour (the one I'm considering includes the Catacomb of Santa Priscilla, the Capuchin bone crypt, and Basilica of San Nicola in Carcere. Is it worth $174.08?
Rome, arrival at 7:15 AM--4 nights.
Early train to Salerno--4 nights
Early train to Florence (arrival around noon--4 nights with possible day trip to Pisa and Lucca or Siena. Very open to thoughts and advice here.
Early train to Venice--3 nights

Thank you for your help, and I hope it's o.k. to cross post this on the main Italy forum.

Linnielou, you have really done your homework! A few comments:
Yes, Capri will certainly take a day.
A heads up re the local buses on the Amalfi Coast. I was there in early May 2015. Although I’d read numerous trip reports, I hadn’t completely taken in the comments about how crowded those buses could be. I took the bus to/from Capri and Anacapri and the Sita bus to/from Amalfi and Ravello. All were packed.
Positano/Amalfi/Ravello would be a quite a full day but I would choose that over a return to Ravello on another day coupled with another major site.
Getting around on the windy roads via public transportation can take a lot more time than the distances might lead you to think—worth it, though, as the area is drop dead gorgeous.