How to see the Amalfi Coast
 

We are going to be spending two nights along the Amalfi Coast in May, coming from and returning to Rome. We'll be stopping at Pompeii on the way (most likely on the way to Amalfi, but considering doing it on the return trip), and otherwise I am trying to figure out how to best spend my day and a half or so in the area. We will not be renting a car, and we're both very active people in our mid 20s.

How do you recommend getting to/from/in between towns along the coast? Bus or ferry? Is it easy/fast to get around or is it important to get accomadations in the actual town you want to see?

What are people's favorite towns?

Is Capri worth a half day trip, or will all of our time be spent getting to and from there?

According to Wikitravel: Cheapest way to get to Pompeii from Rome - take the special train from Termini (each way is 10.50 Euros) or the regular train (each way is 22 Euros, 29 for first class) to Naples, then go down the escalator to the Circumvesuviana and buy a ticket to Pompeii Scavi (1.80 Euro).

If I remember correctly it's about 2 hours from Rome to Naples, then another 45mins to Pompeii (assuming you don't make the mistake my friend and I did and get off the wrong stop...). Pompeii will take up most of your first day. Remember, it's not a museum you're seeing, it's an actual city. So there's a lot of walking and taking in to do. http://wikitravel.org/en/Pompeii

As for Capri, do go! It's absolutely beautiful there, just very expensive (my friend and I got lost and ended up at some really fancy beach bar and it cost us €12 each for a beer!) There's boats from Naples that take you there, think it was a 30min ride.

I don't think you can see much of the coast in a day and a half since there's a lot of travelling you will be doing. Perhaps, if time permits for you guys, you can do 3-4 days in Naples and do day trips from there?

In May the traffic on the coast road shuold not be horrendous - but don;t know how long the wait for a bus will be. Ferry gives great views - but doesn;t stop everywhere.

Capri is worth a day - you can do Blue Grott, Capri town, the roman villas etc in a short day.

I would stay in the townyou want to see just due to your very short time there - you want ot keep trekking around to a minimum. And do be aware that the towns are carved into the side of a cliff - and are very steep with many many dozens of steps.

We are also considering making it 3 nights along the Amalfi Coast, giving us 2 full days before seeing Pompeii on the way back to Rome. This would mean going straight to Amalfi after our international flight into room that day. Is it reasonable to get to Amalfi the same day we fly into Italy?

It would be a long day but doable if your arrival in Rome isn't too late in the day.

Do you mean going to the town of Amalfi? If so, take the train from Rome to Salerno and then the bus or ferry to Amalfi. The fastest trains Rome-Salerno take only 1:59.

In May for us the Majestic Palacewasniceclose to Pompeii in the suburbsof Sorrento booking.com also Best Western Paistea Positano both $100 for a sea view might do that.

I would suggest staying in Sorrento. For one thing, it really is a lovely town. Considerably larger than Amalfi or Positano but it's certainly not a city by any means. There are more choices for lodging, better transportation connections. Also, if you are going straight there after your flight from the US (we did that) it's closer than going on to the village of Amalfi (or Positano).

Then if you have two full days (which is really the minimum you should consider to make the trip worthwhile) you could spend one day going to Amalfi and Positano and the other going to Capri, in both cases spending the night back in Sorrento. No changing hotels, no schlepping luggage. Then on the day you have to leave to go to Pompeii on your way back to Rome you are right on the train line and only a half hour from Pompeii so you can get there early enough to beat the tour groups.

Here is a link to my trip report - and photos - I give info on how we traveled to each of the places in the area (combo bus and ferry). http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm

Beautiful as the other towns are on the AC, I agree with Isabel for such a short time, just to stay in Sorrento. Though it is not on the AC, views of the Bay and Vesuvius are lovely from there. Just choose a really good hotel, with a nice place to relax on a terrace or balcony with great views when you are in the hotel.

If you end up with only one day on the AC, I would take a ferry down the coast to Positano or Amalfi, rather than Capri. You can always take a ferry one way and a bus the other way. If you have two days, than go to Capri.

Great suggestions! Hope you don't mind that I tagged along.

Sorrento has easy accessibility to the other towns/cities on the Amalfi Coast plus Capri. Take the boat when you can. The ride to the other towns/cities is much more pleasant and scenic out on the water. Definitely spend part of a day in Positano, which has some of the most gorgeous views of any of the towns on the coast.

Don't know what your budget is, but Bellevue Syrene is a lovely hotel in Sorrento, only a few blocks from the old town.

Good luck!