Italy trip: Second guessing my choice. Should we go to Positano or Amalfi
 

Up until today we were planning to spend the latter part of our trip in Amalfi. We wanted a place to wind down and relax and possibly swim or go to the beach.

Need opinions on the beaches of each for the kids as well as transportation options to/from Rome to Capri and back to Naples.

We found a nice apt in Amalfi and the price is just right but not if the beaches aren't or if it's harder to get back and forth to the other areas. What are our options for transportation aside from hiring a driver?

Any opionions of somewhere to stay in Positano for our family of four that is under 175 euros?

In pictures it looks like a better beach in Positano and it is also closer to Capri. From Capri we need to head back towards Naples.

Thoughts?

I wouldn't pick the town or lodging based on the local beach unless you're planning to spend a lot of time on it. Was that your plan?

There is public bus service all between Sorrento and Salerno. Here's a link to bus and ferry schedules:

http://www.amalficoastweb.com/amalfi...s_ferries.html

To get to Amalfi from Rome, you first need to go to Naples or Sorrento. You can take the train to Naples and a second train to Sorrento, or you can take a bus from Rome to Sorrento. If your budget allows, you could also hire a driver to meet you at the Naples train station and take you to your apartment in Amalfi. Here's the Rome-Sorrento bus schedule:

http://www.sorrentotourism.com/eng/S...l=20&st=aa

I agree with Jean--do not decide based on beaches--none are that good. I would prefer Positano if you all have good legs. How many days? If 5 or more an apt. thru summerinitaly.com is always a good idea.

We stayed in Amalfi last April. Had rain cool weather most of the time and no one was on beach at Amalfi or Positano.

Trouble with Amalfi is getting in and out. We had a car and came in from Salerno. Was about 10 miles and took a hair raising hour plus. Had the whole Rick Steves moment meeting a tour bus and people in car behind us and the bus getting out to direct us past each other. Was very little traffic that time of year. Can't even begin to imagine what it would be like in the summer.

Made trip three times and would not recommend it for a base. Was a very pleasant place though and several good restaurants. Ferry or bus would be better option than driving.

Positano in straight up and down and no cars are allowed down. Everything was very near the beach. We just spent a day there and don't think there is enough to do occupy kids or a us for that matter unless want to sit and stare at the Med.

Did not drive in or out of Positano. Used the ferry. Bus service is frequent. Ferries might stop running if waves are too high.

We would stay in Sorrento if we had it to do over again and we didn't go there.

For a reference point - We are in 60's and always drive with a gps and plan own trips. Have been to Italy six time and are going to Piedmont in April. We much prefer north of Rome.

Have a good trip and never pass up a wc.

I liked Amalfi MUCH better than Positano; it seemed to me to be much more of a real town, as opposed to the overwhelming tourist-orientation of Positano. There were many more Americans in Positano than in Amalfi when I visited last May.

There is a decent beach in Amalfi (more or less the same type of beachas in Positano) and there is another one a 10 minute walk away in neighboring Atrani. There is a ferry from Amalfi to Capri.

Amalfi beach:

http://tinyurl.com/bpyjxs

No illusions please - those beaches have lots of pebbles (stones actually).

I take it your kids want to experience the beach, good for them. In addition to the ones mentioned there is a nice beach (pebbly) in Positano, Fornillo.

If you found a nice place to rent in Amalfi I would go for it.

"Have a good trip and never pass up a wc."

LOL Charlesg, that's my motto as well!

Sorry - none of the beaches on the Amalfi coast are really good - if you're judging by FL or the CArib. Almost all are pebbles and stones - not beautiful fine white sand. Also - you don;t say when you'll be there.

We've been the end of May and our hotel pool was fine -
but the sea wasn't that warm - unless you're used to the North Atlantic.

It is nice to rent a lounge chair so you don't have to sit on the pebbles and those surf shoes are good for wading around.

There are some nice coves in the area too with many steps down to them.

I guess the reasons I am second guessing my Amalfi choice is based on the following reasons:

1. Whether one beach is better than the other.

2. Whether I can get back and forth to Capri and Naples better from one than the other. Can we reach both places by train, bus, ferry?

3. If I can get to one without driving the car-sick inducing roads.
Are there more than one way to reach each town without driving?

4. If one has better accomadations within our price range. We do have the apt in Amalfi within our price range but so far have not found anything in Positano.

I think the transportation may factor in more than anything else as I really don't want to stress about that. My son and I tend to get car sick pretty easy. We skipped the road to Hana on Maui just because we didn't want to chance getting car sick.

We are going at the end of June '09 and this part of the trip will be towards the end when we are looking to just relax and take in the scenery.

1. IMO, one beach is not better than the other.

2. If you look at a map, it's quite apparent that Positano is closer to Capri and Naples. You can check the bus and ferry schedules on the link I provided earlier.

http://www.amalficoastweb.com/amalfi...s_ferries.html

3. There is no train service to Positano and Amalfi. There are only two ways to get there: on the road or on the water. On the road, take the bus, rent a car, hire a driver or take a taxi. My husband didn't do well on the bus. On the water, I suppose you could have a problem if you're super-sensitive to motion, but I doubt it.

4. I'm only guessing, but I think accommodations in Positano would be overall more expensive.

Jean,
Thank you so much; your responses are exactly what I was looking for.

With that, I think we will go ahead and go to Amalfi since I do have a apt within our budget and most other things are about the same between the two towns.

With that said, we are going to spend two nights on Capri, do you think we should go to Capri from Naples (by ferry) and then on to Amalfi or to Amalfi first then Capri. Lastly, we would like to go to Pompeii, what are your thoughts on how to fit that in? We have a week to spend between these towns before flying home.

If you went Naples-Capri and then Capri-Amalfi, you'd bypass the possible problem on the road.

If you want to avoid the road on the Amalfi-Pompeii day, ferry to Sorrento and then train to Pompeii.

Okay, that sounds good; I do want to avoid the roads and think we will do okay with the ferry's.

What do you think about this-

Train from Rome to Naples, then hydrofoil from Naples to Capri.

Spend 2 nights on Capri, then ferry to Amalfi for 4 nights.

Then somehow get to Pompeii for the day and spend the night in Sorrento in order to catch our noon flight out.

Positano & Amalfi are extremely close to one another. It would be no trouble at all to stay in Amalfi and spend the day on the beach in Positano.

If you want to relax, head to Ischia instead of Capri.

What airport are you departing from? If it's Naples, great to stay in Sorrento the night before. But if you're leaving out of Rome, you should definitely stay there the night before your flight home.

Weadles,
We are flying out of Naples.

Do you think my plan looks good?

So how do you think the day leaving Amalfi and going to Sorrento will go? I would like to leave Amalfi, and actually then spend the day in Pompeii before spending our last night in Sorrento. Will it make for too long of a day? What will then be the easiest and fastest and somewhat economical way to get from Sorrento to Naples airport?

ttt- anyone?

You can certainly leave Amalfi early for Pompei and then spend the night in Sorrento. I believe there is a bus from Sorrento to the Naples airport but perhaps Steve James or another poster with better knowledge can give you details:


http://tinyurl.com/brjsq5