I'm just starting to put together the bones of this trip for 2010, and have been searching the forum for all the usual, very helpful, advice. Two basic questions just to get me started though.

1) When? I'm figuring either the last 2 weeks of May or first 2 weeks of June. Does it matter? Less crowded in May? What about the weather?

2) Any guidebook recommendations? I usually buy a few to help get me going. My general plan is to rough out an itinerary, the number of days in each place, and where we'd fly to/from. I generally like to stay 2-3 nights each stop. And we almost always like to rent a car, although we ditch it in big cities. Once I know more about what we want to do, I'm sure I'll be back with more detailed questions!

Thanks,
Alice

Well, the Amalfi Coast is actuly a very small area with several cute but very small resort towns, the Isle of Capri, Sorrento (a larger town with better accees to Pompeii etc) and not far from Naples (and the archeological museum).

If you plan on spending more than a couple of days here I would suggest dividing it between Capri (which is totally different at night with the tourists gone) and one of the towns on the mainland. Late May is fine in terms of weather - hotel pools are open and swimming in the seas is fine as long as you don;t expect hot water (it's warm to someone used to the north atlantic).

If you want to swim, the water will be slightly warmer in June. Otherwise I'd stick to May.

And reconsider driving on the Amalfi coast. The famous road along the coast is very narrow and twisty. The driver better not admire the view. There are buses and boats between towns and between Naples and both Capri and Sorrento. As well as the Circumvesuviana local train between Naples and Sorrento.

With 2 weeks, look into staying several days on Capri (and maybe Ischia?), Herculaneum as well as Pompeii, and Paestum, a treasure of Greek temples not far south of the AC.

Can't recommend a guidebook. For my research I get everything the public library has. Then I bring along only one very informative book, usually a green Michelin guide.

My choice between May and June would be May. We have always visited Italy in spring, sometimes April. We love Sorrento (many would disagree) and find it well located for visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum (by circumvesuviana). Naples is at the end of the line and Sorrento the other end.

We used SITA buses to visit Amalfi and Positano. Driving is difficult because of the twisty road and the driver would miss all the breathtaking scenery.

Catamarans from Marina Piccolo to Capri are comfortable for the short trip. We've never stayed on Capri, but you should probably consider this.

If you decide to base in Sorrento try to stay at a hotel overlooking the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvio brooding in the distance. We've always stayed at the Bellevue Syrene, but won't recommend it because it's been so long since we stayed there; it has changed hands and been completely remodeled. It did have great view, short walk to Piazza Tasso and Marina Piccolo.

First of all, kudos for planning on two weeks instead of 9 or 10 nights. You'll need it.

A few thoughts on your itinerary.

Naples - 2 or 3 nights (mimimum 2)
Rent car after checking out of Naples.

This middle part is of course highly flexible. 7 or 8 nights. I would consider (especially as you don't want to stay in one place too long) 2 or 3 different "home bases" here. I would also consider making a town with direct ferry service to Capri your last "car desination". Leave car on coast and then take the ferry to Capri.

Capri - 2 nights

Ferry back to Naples (1 night) for a final night in Naples before flying home.

The new Fodor's guidebooks are much better than they used to be (and they used to be pretty good). I also like to get a DK book - the photos are very helpful in planning what to do and see. I also like Frommer's.

The Rick Steves Italy book has quite a bit of info on this area. My personal preferences - I'd skip Naples unless you want to see the archeology museum - it has alot of the decorative arts that used to be in Pompeii. I'd also opt for public transportation - MAYBE you want to drive along the coast but if you do, you need to factor parking into your hotel choices. I'd spend several nights in Sorrento - you can use it for a good base for seeing Pompeii and the coast, unless you want to stay some additional nights in Positano. And several nights staying on Capri - I'm not sure you can take a car there even if you have one! But as others have said, its very nice there in the evening when the day trippers have gone. And May is pleasant but some days are not quite warm enough for laying out. And I wouldn't count on hotel pools being heated - maybe the high end ones are but the place we stayed on Capri was a lovely hotel but we thought they had dumped ice cubes in the pool! Have a wonderful trip!

Unlike some people, I'm a big fan of Sorrento. I find it a nice little city. Good access to Naples via communter train, Capri via boat, Positano/Amalfi via boat or bus.

I've based there twice. One time in mid-May and it was cool and the boats were just starting to run. The other time was mid-June and it was beautiful. Not too crowded and the boats were running.

Conversely, I'm not a big fan of Positano. There really isn't a town center. Just a pathway down the hill to the water will little sales tents along the way. It's good for a day visit.

Actually, I like Ravello more. I took the bus up, walked around the town, visited Villa xxxx (forget the name) with great views of the ocean, then walk all the way down to Amalfi and the boat back to Sorrento.

I visited the region once in May and loved it then - places were open, but nothing was overly crowded.

The guidebook I found most useful for that part of my trip was from the Rough Guides. Fodor's and Frommer's were also useful to me.

Hope that helps!

Don't forget Positano!! We loved it there and the food was wonderful! You will love the Amalfi Coast. We drove it the end of May with no problems.

Hi Alice. We spent 12 days on this trip about 4 years ago, in early to mid June, and enjoyed it a lot. Here's a fairly detailed trip report, with pix:
http://www.onelittleworld.com/campania_1.html

Enjoy the planning, and enjoy your trip!

Much food for thought here! I will check out all the suggestions, and think about where we do and don't want to drive. May is sounding good, we like to get out and about, and cooler is better.

I always hear very different opinions about Naples - some people say I HAVE to go there (notably, my younger son), others really don't like it. It's interesting, looking at these replies, that people seem to feel the same way about Sorrento.

And I JUST ordered the Frommer's book because it seemed to include more - Amalfi Coast with Naples, Capri & Pompeii.

Thanks SO much for the help.
Alice

Jumping on your post, I wonder what town to base our 4 day stay. Would like a small intimate setting rather than a city. We have a car so we must find a hotel or B&B with parking.

Don;t be discouraged about a car if you want to drive. We typically stay in a hotel in sorrento with free parking and love being able to explore the area at our whim, instead of being subject to a bus that doesn;t run that often and can be packed.

But - if you drive you must get a hotel with free parking (few).

The Amalfi Drive is very pretty and fun to drive - it is very narrow and twisting - but there's enough traffic that you can;t get going very fast tand there's a stone wall between you and the drop to the sea below. You can simply take turns driving and stop at many of the cut pouts along the way - plus the best way to see the towns in toto is really from the sea - so be sure to take a ferry down the coast one day.

Bogger... if you're still in the market for info, I'm planning a similar stay and I'm basing out of Sorrento due to the success of a previous stay in '07 at Casa Astarita. Besides Sorrento, I was able to hit Naples/Pompeii, Capri and Positano in 3 days. Hope to chill some more in Sorrento this next trip...

Just fyi, if you check my more recent posts, we finally booked roundtrip airfare to Naples, will depart May 14, come home May 27. We'll rent a car, and start in Amalfi for 5 nights, then possibly Benevento for 2 nights (or another small town close by), drop the car off in Sorrento, ferry to Capri for 2 nights, and end with 3 nights in Naples.

I booked our hotel in Amalfi (Hotel Floridiana, highly recommended on this board and Trip Advisor AND they have free parking, a precious commodity in Amalfi). I am currently looking for the rest of our accommodations.

I'm pretty happy with the itinerary, but as I noted somewhere before, there really are no bad choices here!

Alice

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Hi: Naples is fascinating 2-3 days absolutely. Hotel Neapolis in the historic center. Amalfi Coast I suggest Positano. Holiday House apts. Gilda. Spectacular location reasonable prices, apts. with kitchen. or Hotel Monre mare.Hre I would stay a week and see Ravello, Amalfi and the many famous Archeological sights. Capri 2 nights. Hotel Minerva or Anacapri B&B Girasole. Ischia 2-3 days for the thermal baths. Giardini del Poseidon.

I used a Guide called Francesco Carpegna "Walking With The gOds" for an itinerary and was totally in awe of what he knew and showed me.

I will check out your hotel suggestion for Naples, it's the only place I haven't booked accommodation yet.

I'm happy with our choice to base in Amalfi, Positano seems 1) more touristy and 2) more vertical! We'll definitely day trip there though, as well as Ravello, Pompeii... I haven't worked it all out yet.

I had heard of that guidebook, I will check that out too.

Thanks,
Alice

Alice I want to give you an additional suggestion for a Naples hotel - the <b>Decumani</b> - also smack in the middle of the historic district. Beautiful hotel, very large rooms, huge bathrooms, 10 ft ceilings, step to many cool sights, restaurants, etc. We paid 100E a night - our best value on our 11 days in southern Italy (a similar type room in Carpi was about 280E, and our Amalfi hotel was about 160E). The Decumani is just gorgeous and an incredible value - at least take a look.

Oh and, yes, definitely stay in Naples 2 (or even better 3) nights.

http://www.decumani.it/en/