My fiance and I are getting married in Tuscany the last week in April 2007. I have always dreamed of visiting the Amalfi Coast, while my future husband has his heart set on the Lake Como. Result? We're splitting the baby and doing both. In short, we have 9 days that we are splitting between the 2 areas.
As part of our compromise, we decided it would be fun if he planned the Lake Como part of the trip and I planned the Amalfi Coast segment (so that it would be a surprise for the only person) and of course, I want to blow him away with my plans! The only problem is that I don't even know where we should base on the AC! Does anyone have any thoughts on where we should stay and how to best spend the final leg of our honeymoon? (the last night of which is my birthday, BTW). Do you think we should split the time equally or does one area deserve more time than the other?
I am feeling pretty overwhelmed with all of the wedding planning, so any advice at all (towns, hotels, restaurants, sites, etc) from the knowledgeable and helpful fodorites would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Aj - I really think there's only one place to base on the Amalfi Coast - Positano.

The setting is stunning - have a look:
www.pbase.com/mightyone/amalfi_coast_
(- with thanks to Sea Urchin )

There have been lots of threads on hotels in this area if you use the search box.

As for restaurants, two of my favourite are:

La Tagliata - above Montepertuso
Da Costantino - Upper Positano, above Chiesa Nuova

'Do you think we should split the time equally or does one area deserve more time than the other? '

Personally I'd spend and extra day or two on the Amalfi Coast - especially if you want to see Pompeii, Capri and the other highlights nearby.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi Aj,

5 days on the AC and 4 on Lake Como would be very nice (6 and 3 would, I think, be better).

What's your hotel budget?

Thanks so much for the responses! I was thinking Positano, but came across several convincing threads in support of Sorrento, so was getting confused!

As far as our hotel budjet goes, I am hoping to keep our budget to (an aggregate of) $1000 US a day (for everything), so I was thinking something in the 150-200 Euro/night range for hotel. Do you all think that's realistic for this area?
Given that it's our honeymoon, we do want to stay someplace special, if possible. That said, I don't think La Sirenuse is in our budget either...

thanks again everyone!

You will no doubt get many recommendations for hotels in your budget. I am going to recommend that you treat your time in Positano as a time to finally do nothing and just relax, relax, relax. That is what it is there for. You mention that already the complexities of planning the wedding are piling up. Do yourself a favor and envision your time in Positano as a time when you can finally let all the plans fly out the window and not feel pressured to do anything.

Any good guidebook will tell you the usual things to do: you can take a ferry to Capri if the weather is nice. You can hike up the hill for some perfect views. You can take a bus to Ravello if you like Italian gardens with statuary.

But to me, the difference between the Amalfi towns is not so much that you should sacrifice the peace of just being in one place for a few days -- if that's what you and your husband want to do -- and not bother with sightseeing. You won't miss much if you don't hop around to all the towns. You will miss something wonderful if you don't stop to enjoy the springtime, and let time standstill for a day or two on your honeymoon in Italy.

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I do think we're going to be pretty wiped out after a week in Tuscany leading up to the wedding and then the wedding, of course. I do want to see some things around the area (I'm excited about Pompeii in particular-which the FH thinks is sort of weird, but so be it!), but R&R is definitely on the schedule as well!
thanks again,

If you want Pompeii, a night in Sorrento on your way to Positano makes sense.

Just came back from the Amalfi Coast with amazing photos (which I have no idea how to display on the Fodor site). Absolutely base yourself in Positano - we spent 5 days there and made day trips to Amalfi, Ravello, Capri and Pompeii. We had fabulous meals there, ate in different restaurants every night - I'd be happy to advise in detail since I took business cards from all of them. The absolute best meal of our trip (including our 4 nights in Rome) was at Donna Rosa in Montepertuso, a small village further up the mountain and reachable within 20 minutes from Positano by taxi (or bus - we missed it!!).

I have to add a special mention to Ravello. Although the views in Positano were amazing, Ravello was, by far, the most beautiful and charming spot. The Villa Rufolo (where the Ravello Music Festival is held) has fabulous gardens (again, more pictures I have no idea how to share). We had lunch on the terrace at the Hotel Cimbrone with a view to kill for - I thought that was the closest thing to paradise I'd seen recently.

I'd be happy to share the specific details with you so let me know if that would be helpful.

And, CONGRATULATIONS !!!

thanks SO MUCH everyone for your help!

And, ready2travel, I would so appreciate any details of your trip that you think would be helpful! A few of my questions are... (anyone with an opinion please feel free to answer! I am always amazed by the willingness of all the fodorites to help and I truly value all of your opinions)

(1) Where did you stay? (and would you recommend it?)

(2) How did you access the various AC towns? (e.g. did you hire a driver? did you attempt to navigate the bus system?)

(3) I was thinking that we'd perhaps go to Capri for my birthday--which is a Saturday--would that be a nightmare? I don't think the real crowds will have descending on the region yet (first week of May) but I'm really not sure what to expect.

(4) How did you decide on the restaurants that you chose? Is there a guide book that you recommend? And do we need to be thinking about making reservations?

my personal email is [email protected] if you'd prefer to reply that way or to send your pics!

I can't believe it, Amy. I just spent the last 40 minutes typing out all the detailed answers to your questions, tried to preview my reply and wound up seeing it disappear forever. I'll try to send it again when I have the time and energy. Damn.

Hi there,

My husband and I honeymooned on the Amalfi Coast last October (2005). We first hit Venice and Florence, and then spent the last 4 days in Positano. If we could go back and do it again, I think we'd spend the entire 12 days on the Amalfi Coast. It was THAT good.

We used Positano as our base and stayed at the most wonderful hotel -- Albergo Miramare. We splurged and went with the best room (also the most expensive room!) #210. This was something I surprised my husband with as well (the hotel, that is). While planning we decided to stay on budget and go with a more reasonable hotel (which, if you decide to do -- definitely check out Hotel California. It was ranked in Budget Travel magazine as one of the best deal's on the coast). Anywa, I threw caution to the wind and booked this killer hotel as a surprise for him. It was well worth it.

You can see my review and pictures of that room on tripadvisor.com. This hotel is pricey, but absolutely wonderful.

We took trips to Ravello, Capri, Amalfi, and up to Montepurtuso for dinner one evening. It's easy to get around by boat, bus, or -- if you dare (which we didn't!) -- car.

Time spent on the Amalfi Coast is time you'll never forget. It's absolutely stunning, romantic, relaxing, peaceful, and fun.

I think Positano was a perfect base, but I do believe there are other good places as well (Amalfi and Sorrento are both convenient, I've heard).

You must try the lemon cakes, limoncello, and brushetta! I think the best pasta I've ever eaten was as Il Ritrovo in Montepuruso.

I can relate to your overwhelming feelings with wedding planning (AND honeymoon planning -- as if one thing isn't enough on it's own!) Best of luck and enjoy every minute! Feel free to contact me if you would like more details.

Hi aj,

If you wouldn't mind a smaller hotel with all the amenities and a beautiful view, I can highly recommend the www.lesirene.com in Praiano (about 6 km E of Positano).

Room 12 has a large, private balcony.

I have pix at http://tinyurl.com/ygbows

More details in the Amalfi Coast part of my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

While I wanted to share my suggestions to ajl55 (and any other interested people) on the Fodor's site, I tried for the second time. The same thing happened tonight that happened last night - I typed away, tried to post it without previewing it this time and then felt like pulling out my hair after seeing it evaporate once more. I wound up emailing ajl55 privately, not wanting to risk another time consuming frustration. Am I the only one who's having this problem?

bkm

Hi r2,

If yoo are posting a long reply, I suggest typing it in Word, saving as a Text Only document, and then copying and pasting.

We stayed at the Villa Rosa, recommended by Fodorites and Tripadvisor.com, literally across the road from Le Sirenuse and would absolutely stay there again. Because we booked so close to our departure, we were somewhat limited in our room selection and wound up spending more than we had anticipated. We spent the first 4 nights in Room 37 - actually a suite of bedroom, sitting room and a bathtub large enough to hold a double Jacuzzi; the price was 250 Euros. While our room was huge, the terrace was small but with a spectacular view, made even more spectacular by the fact that our terrace overlooked Le Sirenuse's terraces. I'll try to send you the photos. Breakfast was served on the terrace - croissants, rolls, jam, juice and coffee - and brought to the room (no dining room available) by some unlucky soul climbing up steep flights of stairs. The last night was spent in Room 25, much smaller but with a very large terrace; price was much less for a perfectly good room – 140 Euros. The staff was uniformly warm, gracious and helpful.

While based in Positano, we visited Amalfi and Capri (more about that later) by ferries, about 25 minutes to A and 1/2 to C. There are 4 or 5 ticket booths at the marina but we consistently booked with Miramare which had the most convenient schedules and the best prices. Once we arrived in Amalfi, we were directed to the bus stop for Ravello but no one mentioned that you needed to buy tickets before you boarded. After struggling to push through a huge group of German hikers, we huffed and puffed onto the bus only to have my husband shove his way OFF, run across the street to the local tobacco shop and purchase our 1 Euro tickets which no one collected in any case. It was quite an experience trying to save his space and seat while packed like sardines but we were victorious in the end.

We splurged once and hired a private driver, suggested by the Villa Rosa staff, to take us (in a Mercedes no less) to Pompeii, about an hour away. Michael (Micaele?) was a terrific driver and, when he heard that we were planning to hire a guide outside the entrance to Pompeii, suggested that we use a friend of his and called while driving us. Sasha - charming, knowledgeable and very protective - ushered us through 2 full hours of sightseeing and photo taking which was worth every part of the 100 Euros we paid him. By the way, if you're thinking of Pompeii, read Robert Harris's book POMPEII beforehand - it will add immeasurably to your knowledge and pleasure.

Which leads me to your birthday plans. I would absolutely NOT plan to be in Capri that day. That was probably the most disappointing place we visited, due to the crowds of tourists from all the cruise lines and the fact that our stay on the island was shortened. Our late afternoon ferry back to Positano was canceled so that we only had time to see Capri town itself and not Anacapri, the smaller, unpretentious village on the top of the hill which we had originally planned to visit. If you love being surrounded by hordes of people and window shopping at one pricey designer store after another, you'll enjoy Capri.

If not, by all means spend your birthday in Ravello which I loved even more than Positano. It's gorgeous and you can wander along the winding streets, admire ceramics to die for, get lost in beautiful views glimpsed through archways and courtyards, tour the gardens and have a leisurely lunch on the terrace of the Hotel Cimbrone with a spectacular view where you'll be treated like a king and queen. Return to Amalfi, have a cappucino in the main piazza, take the late afternoon ferry back to Positano, rest up and celebrate with dinner at Donna Rosa.

Food on the Amalfi Coast was wonderful with one exception. We did not even take a guidebook (although we used the Access: Rome book while we were there), depending instead on printed out recommendations from Fodorites. The first night, we ate at Caffe Positano, the second at La Tagliata in Montepertuso (a small village further up the mountain from Positano, platter after platter of terrific food all suggested by our waiter). The third night we ate at Max's in Positano, a charming combination restaurant/art gallery where I tasted my first stuffed zucchini blossoms and the fourth was at Da Costantino, also in Monte and the only disappointment. The food was good but not outstanding and, while the service was gracious, our waiter kind of forgot about our main courses for a LONG time. The last night was at Donna Rosa and the unquestioned best meal of our whole trip, including Rome. The restaurant is family owned with mama in the kitchen, papa at the bar and the 2 daughters as hostesses; it's small, simply but elegantly decorated and you will be treated like honored guests. At the end of the meal, Mama and I traded compliments in her broken English and my broken Italian where I was trying to tell her that I would absolutely recommend her restaurant to everyone I came across.

By the way, don't stress about reservations. We had the Villa Rosa staff make all of ours, either the same day or the morning before. We were there from October 11 through October 16 but I don't imagine the crowds in late April/early May will be so enormous that you'll have to plan days or months ahead.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I can't imagine what I'm doing wrong, trying to reply directly on the Fodor site but I couldn't risk another 30 minutes of typing only to see it disappear AGAIN.

Anne

Hey !! It worked - thanks, Ira !!!

Anne,
Thank you SO MUCH for your post-and I'm so sorry about the trouble you had in posting. I really appreciate the extra effort in trying again (and again!)
Your insights are exactly what I needed. After reading your post I'm even more excited about our trip! And I love your birthday plans for me--it sounds absolutely wonderful!
thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank you to everyone who has responded. All of your insights will really help make our honeymoon the trip of our dreams!

I definitely agree with everyone who has said that Positano is the place to be. It's a perfect honeymoon destination-- gorgeous and romantic!

I highly recommend staying at Villa Rosa in Positano. It's right in the center of town, not far from the beach. Location is key in Positano. Some of the places high up the hill have great views, but the stairs are a killer after a while. Villa Rosa is reasonably priced and quite nice. I really enjoyed it.

In regards to your questions:

(1) Villa Rosa- highly recommended

(2) I used the bus. It was easy to manage. It's about 30 minutes over the hill to Sorrento. If you want to go to Pompeii, hop on the Circumvesuviana train in Sorrento and it's another 45 minutes. I did this as a day trip from Positano with no problems. The only time I had trouble with the bus is on a Monday when we were leaving town-- everyone else seemed to be leaving the Amalfi Coast at the same time and all the buses were jam packed and couldn't take more passengers. We finally ended up taking a cab to Sorrento and the train from there. But I never had any issues the rest of the time.

(3) Capri is easy to access from Positano. However, if it rains and the sea gets choppy, the boats don't always run. Just check in with your hotel in the morning and make sure boats are going out that day. (FYI, I didn't make it to either place on my trip, but have also heard from many people that Ravello is a better experience than Capri).

(4) We just stumbled into restaurants and there was only one we didn't care for during the whole trip. We didn't make reservations anywhere.

You are welcome, r2.