sandi_travelnut

I've been to Italy many times, the latest was last year. My friend and I are in our early 60's and will go again next year. We'd like to visit the Amalfi coast (Sorrento possibly) but I'm concerned about all the stairs and my knees are not the strongest. Since we don't plan on boating or swimming, I'd be fine with staying somewhere that has an amazing view as long as the city, and day trips around, can hold our interest for a few days, compared to places like Rome. Would Sorrento be a town that has a lot of things to see, restaurants, shopping etc to make it worth our while? Should we consider a different town in the area that might be better on my knees? We plan on seeing Pompeii and possibly visiting Naples while in the area. I've traveled extensively in Rome and Northern Italy but this far South is lesser known for me.

TDudette

Hub and I based in Sorrento for day trips to Pompeii (easy by train), Naples museum (train and cab), Capri (boat), and town of Amalfi (bus). I had hoped to see more of the towns along the coast...we took the city bus and traffic was slow. Our hotel was on a hill but there was an on-call mini bus to take us to the center:
https://www.vesuviosorrento.com/en/

There are hotels with private lifts to the beach/marina levels, and here's a link for the public service:
https://www.sorrentolift.it/en/
I will say we never found it but we were younger!

Based on my limited visit, I think you should be ok basing in Sorrento. Others can offer more info.

ekscrunchy

Would you consider spending time on Ischia? Mostly flat and with a bus that you can use to travel around the island....maybe combine with Sorrento????

sandi_travelnut

I don’t know anything about Ischia! I assume it’s beautiful and there’s things to see and do? EK do you remember meeting me in Italy all those years ago? We shared a tour with Francesca in Rome. I still use her everytime I go.

geetika

Sorrento’s a lovely town, we’ve been on previous visits, but it’s not on the Amalfi Coast. Early May 2022 we spent four days in Atrani, right on the AC. No steps, 7-8 minutes walking to Amalfi, with its excellent network of Sita buses and multiple ferries. We took the bus to Positano one day, this place is mostly vertical, but stunning. The bus dropped us off at the top and we slowly made our way down to the water, stopping en route to explore churches, stores, stop for a gelato, etc, etc. We spent the day there before taking the ferry back to Amalfi. Atrani is so small it’s not on the ferry circuit, even the buses stopped only if you needed to get off!

Ravello could be an option for you, it’s mostly on one level. Calm and quiet, with drop-dead gorgeous views of the sea and coast down below, I would happily stay there for 4-5 days. You could take the bus down to the coast one day, or even hire a taxi.

Sorrento is good if you want to see Pompeii, harder to do from the AC. But I would suggest adding 3-4 days at Naples and visit Pompeii from there, Naples has a lot to offer. Take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii, also visit the Archeological Museum in Naples to see the originals from Pompeii. Absolute musts, IMO.

SusanP

I stayed in Sorrento for five nights. While not really on the Amalfi Coast, it is good for connections. There are buses to get around. You can take one from the center down to the water to catch ferries or to the train station to catch the bus down the Amalfi Coast.

As ek mentioned, Ischia is great and has two bus routes that circle the island.

bvlenci

Visiting Pompeii is much easier from Sorrento than from the Amalfi Coast. From Sorrento you can also visit parts of the Amalfi coast by boat.

I've never stayed in Sorrento, so I can't advise on things to see and do there.

ekscrunchy

Sandi, of course I remember, and I also remember our meal at Armando al Pantheon!@. I am SO glad to see you back here!!!!


Trust me..take a look at Ischia, and best regards from your NYC friend!@!

nylilly

I’m a fan of Ischia, but I don’t know that I would describe it as flat.

sandi_travelnut

I was back in Rome last October and took a girl friend. We did a tour with Francesca. She's so wonderful. It's good to be back to traveling.