I am planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast and Capri for mid-October for 6 nights (10th anniversary trip) and can't decide where to stay. I do not want to spend a lot of money but want a good location for using public transport and somewhere with beautiful views from the room.

We fly in to Naples mid-day on 10/15 at plan to take a ferry or hydrofoil to Capri and stay on Capri for 2 nights. I am seriously considering Anacapri - Il Tramonto, Senaria and Bussola di Hermes and Il Sogno are on my short list. Also considering Aiano but not sure if it is easy to get around from that location. We do not need to be in the center of the action and like the idea of more economical options for food and lodging in Anacapri. It seems like the views may be better from Capri though so suggestions for affordable options are welcome.

We plan to stay 3 nights in either Positano, Praiano or another village on the Amalfi Coast. Again somewhere with great views and easy to get around on public transport but economical for food and lodging. I want to do some easy walking (got the sunflower guide) and see Positano, Ravello and Amalfi.

Last night we will stay in Naples and fly out the next morning. We plan to stop by Pompeii on the way. Suggestions for somewhere in a good, safe location that is easy to use public transport to get to the airport. I don't want to stay near the train station.

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

I had a wonderful experience when at I stayed at La Tosca in Capri - loved the view from my room and terrace!

Enjoy!

This is a very short trip. You might consider staying in Amalfi (much easier walking) and take a ferry to Positano for one day and a bus to Ravello on one other day.

I also think staying in Anicapri is a great idea - just pick a place not too far from the bus line.

The Decumani in Naples is wonderful: charming, perfectly located, nice, and very cheap. Highly recommended.
http://www.decumani.it/en/decumani.html

<i>We plan to stop by Pompeii on the way. </i>

cmw,

I would LOVE to hear your hour by hour plan on how this day is supposed to work!

Thanks for the information! I was thinking we would take the circumvesia train to Naples the last morning and stop off at Pompeii for the day. We are planning to just have dinner in Naples the last night and fly out the next morning but I am not sure even that much of Naples is for me. Our plane leaves at 12:40 so maybe we could stay in Sorrento the last night and take the train in the morning to Naples? I am not sure what would be best.

I would stay in Sorrento the last night and take the airport shuttle bus from Sorrento to the airport. It's 10€ and you could take the 9:30 shuttle which is supposed to get to the airport at 11:00. Click bus routes, not shuttle because the shuttle link gives you a private shuttle, not the airport shuttle.

http://www.curreriviaggi.it/

One of these days I may get around to posting a trip report of our May trip to the AC and Capri......... But I think I need to retire first.

We had the exact same wish list of things you want in a room and found them. We spent 4 nites at the Aiano on Capri and 4 nites at La Tovolozza in Positano.

My comments on the Aiano, along with pics, are on trip advisor. I can't recommend it enough, especially if you get the large room with the 39 sq meter private terrace. We thoughy the location was perfect. We didn't want to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle that is Capri town and the Aiano is just 10-15 from the center of town depending on how fast you walk. There's a bus stop very near the property. And the views......... I really don't think there are any better on the island. Tony, the owner, is fantastic. It's very private. You're actually staying in rooms in his home (he was born on the property). But the layout is so good that it's like a very small inn. We'd go back in a heartbeat.

Knowing what I know now, I would still opt for Capri town. Anacapri is about 15 minutes by bus from Capri town and is very small. It's worth visiting to go up the chair lift to the top of Mt Solaro (don't miss this--incredible views), to walk thru Villa St Michele, and to gaze at the floor of the Church of St Michele. But on balance, I'd opt for the Aiano where you can easily get to the port for a boat ride around the island (well worth it but I'd skip those trips that offer the Blue Grotto option which we thought was a bit of a rip off for what you pay), walk up to San Jovis, walk to the Arco Naturale, have a wide choice of restaurants, and have a wider variety of shops if that's of any interest.

La Tovolozza has to be the best bargain on the AC. It doesn't have a website. The owners are all friendly and helpful. We stayed in room 6 (a corner room) which has a private bath and a semi-private terrace (you share it with three other rooms but there are dividers separating each room's area) at 90E a nite. Great views from the terrace. The fancy hotel just an 1/8 of a mile up the street charges $1000 a nite but the views aren't that much better. Our room also had a small fridge which was nice. Not all rooms have a private bath, if that's important. The location is superb. Bus stop is just a 2 minute walk down the street. It's about a 10-15 minute walk to the beach area. There are lots of photos of the property on trip advisor. See http://tinyurl.com/n846mr There's a reason (lots of them actually) it's been top rated for a long time.

Here again, knowing what I know now, I think Positano makes for a great base for exploring the AC. All the buses and ferries stop there, making visits to other places great. If you love to cook, you might consider splurging on Mama Agata's cooking class just outside of Ravello. It gets rave reviews. It was booked the days we were there. Salvatore's boat ride along the coast was a highlight as was the visit to Ravello.

We used the Sunflower guide, too. Very helpful. But a word to the wise on hiking. Do lots of exercises to get your calves in shape. We had no difficulty walking down all those steps from Ravello to Amalfi (great hike but the Sunflower directions aren't so great once you reach the coastal town--I forget its name--and try to figure out how to get to Amalfi). But the next day our calves were really barking. So much so we weren't able to get another hike in. (That's what return trips are for!!) The point is that while we were in relatively good shape from working out and are not overweight, our calves simply weren't prepared for all those steps.

dcd - thanks so much for the information. I tried to contact the Aiano property several days ago and have not gotten a response. I need to try again based on your glowing recommendation! La Tosca in Capri quoted me 129E for mid-October which seems high based on other information I have seen. We will probably do Bussola di Hermes if they still have a seaview room available.

I also tried to get a room at La Tavolozza and they were booked. I think I have settled on Amalfi and will splurge on the Marina Riviera. I definitely want to do the Ravello - Atrani - Amalfi hike and need to get on a stairmaster asap!

I also like the plan of staying in Sorrento for the last night and taking the bus straight to the airport the morning. I am not wed to Pompeii so we will play that by ear on our last full day. Any suggestions for an affordable option in Sorrento for one night with a decent view and easy access?

www.ilnido.it is in the hills above Sorrento with free shuttle to town. Views are great.

cmw, he always responded to my emails promptly. He might be traveling. When I made the reservation, I called him. His English is excellent. Tell him Dave from St Louis highly recommended him.

We really loved Capri. I think too many people see it only as a day trip. But it has so much to offer beyond that.

Amalfi would be a nice base, too. I wrestled with where to stay.

We were celebrating our 10th too!! Congrats! You'll love the area. Very romantic.

We leave tomorrow! thanks so much for help with planning. I booked a room at Marina Riviera in Amalfi and they ended up moving us to Santa Caterina because they decided to start some renovations. Can't wait!