EdEdwards i will be in Sorrento in Sept for 3 days also. it would be so great if you had time when you get back to post here how your 3 days went. it would be tremendous help in me planning out my 3 days....also all good reviews on il Nido there were no rooms available for me in Sept or i would have definatly stood at that hotel...have a great trip!!

We did really like the Il Nido - it's a typical, Italian, family run hotel; very clean, very friendly, nothing fancy, meets all your basic needs. Absolutely fantastic views from the room balconies and the main dining room balcony.

Catching the bus - if you took an early one (which you would want to anyway as there's a lot to do to do the AC in a day), I think you would be ok from the Il Nido - but you can ask the Il Nido staff what they think.

For ferry all the way - yes I did suggest ferry from Sorrento to Positano, (very nice around the headland close to Capri), then when you are ready to go on, jump back on a ferry to go to Amalfi.

The views from the coast road are lovely which is why I like the bus to Positano (plus it's a lovely walk down through town), but you get some of the same sense on the bus up to Ravello. The walk down from Ravello is extraordinary - one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Incredible views. (We walked down via Atrani to avoid any walking on the road - very straight forward; tourist office in Ravello has free hiking maps with the walk clearly marked.) Then yes bus or preferably ferry back from Amalfi to Sorrento.

Do all the buses from the AC towns -- like Amalfi -- hug the coast, or is there also an inland route?

That's a good question, Ed. The city bus we took from Sorrento to Amalfi hugged the coast. Other posters can let you know about inland busses. I'm sure they exist as the people who life there would need them, eh?

Bookmarking, thanks!

If the bus returning from the Amalfi Coast towns to Sorrento does not escape the crowded coast route, is there an inland train of some kind? As fun4all4 suggests, you'd think that there would be a faster inland route of some kind for non-tourists.

Hi Ed - There's no fast inland route back to Sorrento - the Amalfi Coast is backed by mountains.

There is a hydrofoil service between Amalfi/Positano and Sorrento in August. Otherwise bus (- or taxi) are your other options.

The coast is spectacular whether by road or by sea - so it's nice to do both.

http://tinyurl.com/3coedn
http://tinyurl.com/yo582h

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Ed,

Have you already made your hotel reservations? I tried Sunday to reserve at Il Nido for approximately the same time as you will be there and found that they have no availability for our dates.

We stayed at Il Nido a couple years ago and just loved it. Altho we did not spend a great deal iof time in our room, we really enjoyed the view when we were there and sitting on the little balcony drinking wine and nibbling on some cheese while watching the sunset was fabulous. The shuttle services is frequent and very convenient. I recommend taking the SITA bus from Sorrento early in the morning - it's the terminus, so the bus starts from there empty, sit on the right side of the bus (i.e. not the drivers side) for the incredible views, then get off in Positano or Amalfi, wherever, you like, but for the return trip, take the ferry back to Sorrento. It's a lovely end to the day, and seeing the Amalfi Coast from the sea is really nice.

mamcalice -- I already have the reservation, so we're set, fortunately.

hazel1 -- Are you saying that the the SITA bus starts from in front of the Il Nido, which would indeed be very convenient, or does it start from the train station, in which case we'd need to be at the train station very early to be sure we get the seats we want?

Thanks.

The SITA bus starts at the train station in Sorrento. It does stop in front of the Il Nido but may be full by that point.

We took the bus from the train station to be sure of getting a seat. Someone did get on our bus at Il Nido, but the bus was full and that person stood until someone got off a few stops later.

How early does one have to begin lining up for the SITA bus in order to get on -- much less get a coveted right sided seat? We're thinking the convenience might justify the huge expense of hiring a driver, if we can't be sure of seats on the bus.

Ed - In high season you really want to be at the stop 20-30 mins before departure time. Buy your tickets beforehand (- at the station shop) and
N.B. don't forget to VALIDATE them on boarding.

Steve

Check my answer to "Taxi" ( vs "driver ) for Amalfi Coast in August ? by EdEdwards.
The driver Giuseppe does tours to all the places you mentioned, and he would be able to make the best suggestions as to how to include all or some of the sights you want to see into 1 day or 2 or 3! He is easy to get along with, very fair and not "pushy", and is located in Sorrento which would be a good place for your base. Have a super trip. I'm envious.
Montanabrit