GiacintaG

Hello again Fodorites! Thank you so much for your help with my last question. We were able to add an additional day to our trip to give us 14 nights. Also, we opted to keep Capri in our plans as I'm not sure when/if we will be back to this area in Italy and we would really like to experience it to the fullest. However I am wondering if we will have enough to do with 9 days spread out between Sorrento and the coast. I realized that many visitors here spend time at beaches and pools but we really aren't beach or pool people. We might spend a couple of ours lounging but not an entire afternoon.We prefer to keep fairly busy. We would like to have one or two things to do most days with ample time to enjoy lunches and dinners taking in the breathtaking views. Here is what I have planned:

Day 1: Arrive Naples, transfer to Sorrento. Spend rest of the day exploring Sorrento.
Day 2: Day trip to Pompeii
Day 3: Day trip to Naples
Day 4: Ferry to Capri, spend the day relaxing, exploring Capri town
Day 5: Boat trip around the island, visit Anacapri, chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro
Day 6: Transfer to Positano, explore the town
Day 7: Day trip to Amalfi, Ravello and Atrani
Day 8: Day trip to Salerno and Vietri sul Mare for ceramics
Day 9: ?
Day 10: Hydrofoil to Salerno, train to Rome, settle into apartment
Day 11 - 14: Explore Rome, possible day trip to Orvietto
Day 15: Fly home to Toronto

I'm not sure how long these excursions take. Should I add in other stops to our days in Positano? Any suggestions as to what to do on Day 9? I had thought about Paestum but it seems to require a lengthy travel time.Or should I add this day to Rome? Not quite sure what to do. Does this itinerary sound reasonable? Thanks again for all your help!

bobthenavigator

Nice trip!
Look at this coastal excursion---hard to beat.
http://www.gennaroesalvatore.it/

You ca

bobthenavigator

Sorry!
You can buy the same ceramics in Positano and Ravello and save the trip to Vietri---a long trip.

GiacintaG

Thank you bobthenavigator! Those boat excursions sound amazing. Do you have any idea how much the tours cost? And if we eliminate Vietri sul Mer, do you think Salerno is still worth a visit?

denisea

Bookmarking for our trip to AC.

Mimar

You could spend 2 or 3 nights in Salerno and then leave directly from there to Rome. Depends on how much you want to see Paestum vs. how much time you want to spend in Positano.

You can always find something to do with an extra day in Rome. I don't think I'd bother with Orvieto, but I'm not as thrilled with it as others here. Have you been to Florence? You could do it in a daytrip from Rome.

Have you confirmed that the ferry between Capri and Positano and the hydrofoil between Positano and Salerno are running in May when you're traveling? That's before the high season.

Samsaf

This sounds like a wonderful trip!

GiacintaG

Thank you all. Mimar, a daytrip to Florence from Rome sounds great. I looked at train schedules and it does seem doable. There are no ferry schedules available yet for May of next year but on an earlier post, Peter (A_Brit_In_Ischia), provided some schedules for this year and apparently the ferries started running in April. So I hope we will be OK for next year also.

vespacurves

Are you interested in art and history? Paestum is an amazing destination. Naples also has more outstanding art and historic sites than it is humanly possible to see in one day.

I don't understand your Day 10. Why are you taking a hydrofoil to Salerno to get to Rome, since presumably you will already have seen Salerno on Day 8? Also, if by that time you have re-located to Positano, I think perhaps it is more time consuming to get to Salerno from Positano than it would be from Sorrento.

Personally, I would stay in Naples, and day trip from there to Pompei, Sorrento and Salerno/Paestum.

Are you very familiar with Italian ceramics? Vietri sul Mare has unique shops and high-end ceramics, while the other Amalfi towns and Sorrento have the generic lemons-and-birds and more lemons. Vietri sul Mare also has, of course, the extremely sophisticated Vietri line of bakeware and other great ceramics. If you like ceramics, Vietri sul Mare will give you much more variety.

Any chance that what might make sense is to flip the trip?

Day 1: Arrive Naples, transfer to Salerno. Spend rest of the day exploring Salerno.
Day 2: Day trip to Paestum
Day 3: Visit Vietri sul Mare, then transfer to Positano, explore the town
Day 4: Day trip to Amalfi, Ravello and Atrani
Day 5: Ferry to Capri, spend the day relaxing, exploring Capri town
Day 6: Boat trip around the island, visit Anacapri, chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro
Day 7: Ferry to Sorrento or Naples, spend rest of day exploring town
Day 8: Day trip to Pompeii
Day 9: More Naples and Sorrento
Day 10: train to Rome, settle into apartment
Day 11 - 14: Explore Rome, possible day trip to Orvietto
Day 15: Fly home to Toronto

bobthenavigator

I see no reason to go that far---too much to see closer to home.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

If you don't know the various places very well, it may help to have a look here...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/tele

.... and tracing out your proposed travels on a copy of the little map there might be an idea?

Bearing in mind that it's only some 20 "crow" miles between Sorrento and Salerno, you're perhaps bunching your stopover destinations together somewhat?

Fine if those are the places in which you most want to stay - but rather limiting on the exploration opportunities?

And I'll repeat my caution about how unlikely it is that there'll be any particularly early sea departures eastwards from Positano!

Peter

Anna_Galea

Personally, I do not like that Salerno much, that I would base myself there, not even for one night - I would prefer to use that precious time to stay elsewhere on AC - I have visited Salerno a couple of times as my cousin lives in a village a few miles from Salerno, and we visited visited Salerno centre a few times to go dinner or for a drink. I would prefer to base myself in other towns or villages along this lovely coast.

Since you plan to visit Naples and Pompeii, I think you might as well spend the last 3 nights close to Naples or in a town closest by called Castellammare di Stabia, and train to Rome from Naples not Salerno, that way you would reduce unnecessary travels - travelling to and from Naples to Sorrento three times in three days is not an ejoyable experience) check out these two hotels, we passed by them but did not stop - Hotel Plaza Stabia (on the main route to AC), and Grand Hotel Medusa. They really have an optimum view of the Bay of Naples. Alternatively maybe you can stay in a hotel/B&B in Naples close to the harbour if you do not wish to stay in centre of Naples - many lovely hotels, affordable B&Bs and restaurants in that area, and very central travelwise to places you would like to visit.

Personally - always in my opinion, (unless you are a lot into archeology and history) a visit to either Paestum or Pompeii is enough. Better use the time to make a trip up the Vesuvius mountain from Naples, or to make time for Naples itself.

So, taking into consideration your personal preferences regarding places you want to visit, I would make trip as follows:

Arrive in Naples - take train to Sorrento

1 night Sorrento (the town centre in itself is nothing special, it is the harbour area that is so breathtakingly beautiful - above or down the harbour - try and book a hotel overlooking the harbour, amazing view of Gulf of Naples and Vesuvius. Spend the rest of the day exploring Sorrento town, and maybe if you have the time go to Vico Equense for dinner, a town very very close, where you can try out the world famous Pizza al Metro (pizza by the metre). This town also has a train station or you can take a bus ride which would only take a few minutes.

2 nights Capri

4 nights Positano (doing any day trips you want to do from there - alternatively you might consider basing yourself in Amalfi or Atrani to be even closer to your places of interest - but I am sure that you will enjoy every minute of the AC's breathtaking coastal area to arrive to Amalfi/Ravello/Atrani/Vietri/Salerno (Minori and Maiori are also lovely) etc, if you base yourself in Positano. There is not too much long distance anyway, the towns/villages are all mostly on the coast on the same route, and it won't be peak tourist season regarding traffic.

You might even go for dinner up the Montepertuso mountain very close by from Positano - there are some lovely restaurants up there, and the most breathtaking view of the whole of Positano from above. Many restaurants in Montepertuso offer a free pick-up from hotels in Positano.

3 nights Naples area

Take train from Naples to Rome

4 nights Rome

Alternatively, you might consider doing the 3 nts Naples as your first stop - but maybe by doing it as your last stop it might give you a bit more time in Rome,as you might arrive and check in at Rome apartment earlier as you would be close to Naples train station to travel to Rome.

vespacurves

Different horses for different courses, but I found Vesuvius uninteresting, and Pompei and Paestum are nothing alike. Paestum has, in fact, the best preserved Greek temples in Europe (including those in Greece).

Salerno is not a picture postcard town, but if you want to see Paestum and shop in Vietri sul Mare, then it logistically means you will spend less time on public transport if you stay there briefly while accomplishing that. Restaurants are excellent in Salerno, more so than in Sorrento.

If you are not lounge-and-stare-at-the-view types (which, along with shopping, is the main activity of the Amalfi), and if you don't want to spend a lot of time on public transportation, it can make sense to pick some of your locales for ease of getting around in a place that is notoriously difficult and expensive to get around.

But if you only want picture postcard views, then sticking to the famous tourist balconies -- Sorrento, Positano, Capri -- is the way to go, and don't worry about the cost or the time spent moving around.

Mimar

Yes, Paestum has wonderful Greek temples, Pompeii is a wonderfully-preserved Roman town. 2 different things entirely. And 2 places well-worth visiting, each worth a trip in Michelin-speak.

GiacintaG

Thank you all again for your advice. Vespacurves, we are interested in art and history but I just don't know if we will want to make that trek out to Paestum. I think we will play that one by ear and we may find we have our fill of art and history in Naples, Pompeii and then of course, in Rome. I would like to make the trip to Vietri Sul Mare. I don't have a lot of knowledge about ceramics and probably aren't interested in high end products, but after reading about the shops and seeing photos on-line, I think I would like to go. I just thought we could combine that visit with a stop in Salerno to walk the lungomare. Also, I was planning to get to Rome via Salerno simply because I was told that was the most efficient way of getting there.

Peter, are you saying that we will have trouble getting a ferry or hydrofoil going to Salerno from Positano in mid-May? We were planning on going the ferry route for most of our travel while on the Amalfi coast because I suffer from vertigo and am worried about doing the drive. Certainly, I don't think I could do the bus. Do you think this will this be an issue for us with limited ferry/hydrofoil service in May? Also, thank you for the link you provided. I would like to see all of those places, especially Caserta! But I suppose that won't be possible in just one trip.

Anna_Galea, after reading your response, I did more reading up on Naples and it does seem like there is so much to see there. However, I'm not sure I want to stay there this trip. I have talked to several people who have been to Naples and were not charmed with the city. I think we might prefer to base out of Sorrento for a few days and deal with the commute to Pompeii and back to Naples. I did have a thought though, that we could possibly do Pompeii on the way to Rome if we could hire a driver for that part. Of course, then we will likely lose the better part of that day for Rome, so again we might see how that goes. I will still do more research. If we do decide to stay in Naples, I was thinking of staying at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio. What do you think of the location of this hotel?

ekc

Gia, there is also a small museum in Raito (the small town next to Vietri) dedicated to the ceramics of the area, with some very good pieces and a good historical information. It also has great views. Here is a blog post about it: http://amalfi-coast.com/ceramic-museum-guariglia-villa

I think a stop in Salerno to walk the lungomare sounds great - you could even walk the historic center.

GiacintaG

Thanks ekc. That sounds great. Is there a bus we can take from Vietri or can we walk it? Will be able to do Salerno, Vietri and the museum in one day?

A_Brit_In_Ischia

Hi!

Not impossible.... only that, with most people heading Capriwards in the mornings, the first boat / hydrofoil to Salerno is unlikely to get you there until after 11AM - to arrive in Rome c.2.30 PM.

To me, a good half of a day lost - but that may fit well with the apartment's handover time? (*)

Much the same, even at present....

http://www.coopsantandrea.com/it/ser...izi_b.asp?id=5

http://www.alicost.it/content/?id=6

... although that's not necessarily so important for your sightseeing days, what with breakfasting and getting ready?

(*) On reflection, the ideal opportunity for Pompei?

Peter

PS: Amongst those Vietri pictures of mine, there's this - which shows the various bus lines that use the stop outside the Solimene workshop/showroom... with the #1 and #68 serving the town's Raito "suburb"...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/128796759

You can find the Museo on this map, in grid B4 - at extreme left:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/136464768

Anna_Galea

Grand Hotel Vesuvio does seem lovely, and it does have good reviews.

If you prefer not to stay in Naples for a few days (it was the same for us, we based outselves in Vico Equense, Massa Lubrense and Monteperturso - we hired a car and drove around everywhere) then do stay where you really want to base yourself. It was just a thought to save you some time and inconvenience of travelling to same area every time - it happened to us.

Yes, it would also be a very good idea to do Pompeii before taking train to Rome, or if you are not too tired, on your arrival in Naples prior to your trip to Sorrento and AC. I believe there is a train station in Pompeii - not sure though, pls check this out or Fodorites can give their recommendations, alternatively take a taxi from Naples train station or bus ride. That way, if you do decide to spend one day in Naples, you would only have to travel to that area once during your stay in Sorrento. Alternatively (considering that you are not really intersted in city of Naples itself) you might do both Naples and Pompeii in one day from Sorrento or you meet up in Naples to save some money - maybe hiring a private driver or taking a tour to save time and so that you would be shown the best sites in one day.

GiacintaG

Thanks so much Peter. At least I know we can do it even if it will be later in the morning. We will just have to adjust to whatever times are available as I think I will do much better traveling by boat than by car. Thank you for the bus routes also as well as the map.

Anna_Galea, I appreciate the thought and you have definitely given me pause. I am now reconsidering my itinerary because after looking in a few guidebooks, we think we do want to spend some time in Naples. There is so much to see there! This is now what we are considering:

Day 1: Arrive Naples, settle into hotel and spend rest of the day getting acclimated, exploring Naples.
Day 2: Naples
Day 3: Train to Pompeii, put luggage in storage, explore site and then on to Sorrento.
Day 4: Sorrento
Day 5: Early ferry to Capri, spend the day exploring Capri and spend the night
Day 6: Transfer to Positano, explore the town, Discover Positano tour
Day 7: Day trip to Amalfi, Ravello and Atrani
Day 8: Hiking, lunch at Adolfo beach
Day 9: Boat tour around island with Gennaro and Salvatore
Day 10: Hydrofoil to Salerno, leave luggage in hold, walk the lungomare and if time allows, go to Vietri sul Mare, train to Rome, settle into apartment
Day 11 - 14: Explore Rome

So this gives us 2 nights in Naples, 2 nights in Sorrento, 1 night Capri, 4 nights Positano and 5 nights Rome. Is that too many moves? At least this way, there is no backtracking. What do you think? Thanks again for all your help!
Day 15: Fly home to Toronto