Last Minute Trip to Italy-Need help planning
 

Good day fellow travelers...

I have never traveled abroad but, our daughter who is in the US Military in the middle east is going to be married in SaprI, Italy in 2 weeks. We never thought we could afford to go but, have decided to go for it. You only live once!! Her fiance is helping us with giving us their itinerary for the first 3 days. We have our flights booked and the 3 nights in Sapri. After the wedding we would like to see the Amalfi Coast before returning to Rome for 2 days. We are scrambling to book hotels etc. Below is an outline of where we will be. I would appreciate your help in filling in the gaps!!

Nov 19-8am arrive in Rome & taking train to Sapri

Nov 19-22 Sapri,Hotel Pisacane for wedding

Nov 22-24 Amalfi Coast...we do not know where to stay. 1 night Amalfi, 2 Sorrento??? What to see while we are there and where the best location is to get to as much sightseeing as possible! Want to make the most of our time.

Nov 24-late in day train back to Rome

Nov 25-26 Rome...again where in the city to stay central to sights and what to see.

Nov 27 back to Los Angeles :(

Thank you for any and all suggestions

Debbie

I would not recommend changing hotels on the Amalfi coast if you have only three nights. The town of Amalfi would be an excellent place to stay, but if you want to visit Pompeii, you should consider staying in Sorrento. If you want to tour around the coast, Amalfi would be the best place in November.

I do not know your budget, but here is where we stayed for 5 nights last May; I highly recommend:

http://www.hotelfloridiana.it/

With only three nights on the Amalfi Coast, I would pick one place to stay. What do you want to do? If you want to go to Pompeii, I would stay in Sorrento. If not, choose Positano or Amalfi. In either case, take the bus from Amalfi up to Ravello for wonderful views. Some things will be closed in November, and ferries will be affected if seas are rough, but from Positano or Amalfi (or Sorrento, for that matter), you can get around by bus.

In Rome, stay in the Piazza Navona/Campo de' Fiori/Pantheon area. Right in the center, walking distance to lots of things, dozens of restaurants closeby, good bus connections. How much do want to spend per night?

With such a short time, decide on your priorities. You could spend one day seeing the Vatican Museums & St. Peter's, the other at the Colosseum & Forum. In between, fill in with a few other churches, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain & Piazza Navona. These last two could be seen during a stroll after dinner.

For Rome look for something by the Pantheon, or Campo di Fiori, or Piazza Navona...all very central and good areas for seeing the sights and walking around.

ek, I guess we were posting at the same time, but we seem to agree! :-d

Glad we agree too Susan...we also posted at the same time hahahahha

jamikins, yes, I see that now!

Is it reasonable to think we can go to Positano, Sorrento, Ravello, Amalfi and Pompeii in 3 days. If not which would you select? We will be coming north from Sapri so we will hit Amalfi area first.

I dont think you can do all of that in 3 days as you are also counting travel days (usually lose half a day each time you change locations).

You could spend a day in Pompeii alone. I'd pick myabe 2-3 over that time period.

If you stay in Amalfi, you could see Amalfi and Ravello the day you arrive (assuming you're leaving Sapri early). Then do Pompeii on one day and Positano on the other. I wouldn't worry about getting to Sorrento (unless, of course, you plan to stay there). I stayed there for five nights and enjoyed it, but I think Positano and Amalfi are more what you're thinking of when you see the pictures of the Amalfi Coast.

I agree!!!

So would you recommend on the way back from Sapri to stop off in Paestum for a 1/2 day, then on to Amalfi. Stay 2 nights in Amalfi and see Ravello & Atrani. Then 1 night in Sorrento and see Pompeii also while in Sorrento. What do you think about Positano and Capri. If you were limited on time what would you pass on??? I need to decide and book our rooms right away. 15 days til we leave.

Debbie

One other question...what about Salerno or Cilento National Park?? Worth the time?? Or are some of the other location on the Amalfi coast a better choice?

Debbie

Debbie - Forget Salerno and the Cilento National Park. You won't have time to do it all - you need to be selective.

Will you have a car? If not, Paestum will work best as a half-day trip from Sapri rather than en route to Amalfi.

(Paestum is 15 mins walk from Paestum station - and there is no left-luggage facility at the railway station :( )

With your limited time it would be best IMO to visit Pompeii en route to Rome on 24 Nov.

Do you have 2 nights or 3 on the Amalfi Coast?

If you choose to base in Amalfi, with an early start from Sapri you can certainly visit Ravello on 22 Nov.

On 23 Nov with an early start you could bus to Sorrento, spend half a day in Capri, then visit Positano on your return to Amalfi (- or stay in Sorrento).

Hope this helps ...

Steve

I don't mean to push a particular hotel, but I will again mention the Floridiana in Amalfi. The owner, Agnese, speaks English well and goes well out of her way to be helpful to guests, to the extent that we almost felt as if we were staying in her home and not in a hotel. Superior double is 90 Euro in November.

I think this kind of service, here or at another hotel that you select, would be important for you since this is your first trip and you have little time for planning..

Again, I am not sure that I would split up 3 days into two different hotels..

Hi AN,

>Is it reasonable to think we can go to Positano, Sorrento, Ravello, Amalfi and Pompeii in 3 days.<

Yup.

Assuming that you are staying in Sorrento,

Take the SITA bus to Positano. Walk downhill through the town to the docks.

Take the ferry to Amalfi.

Take the SITA bus to Ravello.

Return to Amalfi.

Take the SITA bus to Sorrento.

For Pompei, take the Circumvesuviana. Visit Pompei Scavi in the morning.

Take the C to Naples for the Archaeological musem.

Take the C back to Sorrento.

While you are in Apri, take a 1/2 day or so to visit the Greek ruins at Paestum - 1:18 hr by train.

http://www.initaly.com/regions/campania/paestum.htm

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Ira,
No offence intended, but I am exhausted just reading your post, let alone trying to fit in all those bus, ferry and train connections.
These folk "have never travelled abroad."
Do you not remember trying to figure out how the trains worked, the first time - or buying bus tickets, or even how the language works sometimes.
If it were me, and a "you only live once trip" with a very scant few days to see the coast, I would rent a car with GPS, and then go wherever you want, whenever you want, without wasting time on slow buses, waiting for trains and stressing about whether the ferry will be running or not.
A 6 day car rental from Kemwel with pick up and drop off at Rome Airport runs about $300US.
Also, don't worry about hotels on the Amalfi right now - even though, many have closed, there is a lot of availability.
It's also still tshirt weather! - you're going to have a great time.

BellaLinda

I appreciate your comments. I am VERY overwhelmed!!! I am okay with the train from Rome to Sapri ans Sapri to Amalfi. Do you know where I can get a car in Amalfi so we can drive around the area and then drive to Sorrento. My husband was nervous about car rental and driving. Also it was suggested we stay 3 days either in Amalfi or Sorrento but not to split the hotel. With a car can we easily get to and from those areas and the surrounding areas such as Ravello, Positano and Pompeii??? Thank you for any suggestions and to all of you who have shared your advice and expertise!!!

Debbie

Debbie, seriously consider taking the bus around Amalfi coast rather than renting a car. We have driven in many interesting and difficult places but we were glad to use the bus on Amalfi coast. The views are beautiful but the road is difficult so the driver would have to really concentrate and doesn't get to see much. We stayed in Sorrento and bus and local train access was good from there to Positano but perhaps others can tell you better about bus if you stay in Amalfi.

Debbie,
If your husband is already nervous about driving then I will have to agree with laurieann,
however, I found by scanning these posts before i left, that the people who drove were happy they did, and the people who bussed were happy they did. I was very happy to have a car, and what I especially liked was driving the Amalfi at 30 kms/ hour, because that's how it's done - beautiful.
Being on a big lumbering bus on those roads would be a scary situation-no wonder the bus people dont understand the drivers. Another observation I have is that most tourists -us, see that road at it's worse - full of summer traffic, with nowhere to park or pull over. I just came from there last week, and the driving mid-week before 2pm is ,yes, hard to believe, tranquilla.
As to Amalfi or Sorrento - me, I'm a slow traveller. I would choose Amalfi, and revel in the natural landscape - go on the walk of the gods - an amazing walk that is too hot to do in the summer. See Paestum on your way, and skip Pompeii/Naples for another time. You only have 3 days to spend on the most beautiful coastline in Europe. Sorrento is not on that coast.
But, if that is too quiet for you,
Sorrento is a busy town, and good for shopping/nightlife and easy access to Capri/Pompeii.
Ultimately, you have to do what feels right for you.

You have to look at the car rental site to see where you can rent. I only picked Rome because I doubt if the Amalfi will have any rental cars between Salerno and Sorrento. and it really doesn't make sense to rent just for that bit.
We're all with you, and wish you the best experience possible.