Tabernash2

DH and I are still deciding, but are considering a visit to southern Italy in late October. We will have 5 or 6 nights there. I've been to Rome and northern Italy, but DH has never been to Italy. We are both drawn to be in a coastal setting. We would probably fly in and out of Naples.

Our preference is to stay at one location, and take easy day-trips. A hotel oceanside, and without too much climbing uphill to get to our hotel room.

Where to stay? Positano comes to mind, as I've seen several posters recommend it. It looks like we could visit Capri, the blue grotto, Amalfi, and maybe take a boat excursion from Positano. Correct?

The Eden Roc Hotel looks nice there, is available, and is a very good price for an ocean view junior suite with balcony and breakfast. It has good reviews, but I'm still researching. Does anyone know of this hotel?

Is Positano a good choice, or is it swamped with people 24/7?
We are bound to these dates, and wonder what late October weather is like.
When is their tourist high season?

Thank you!

frencharmoire

In late October, tourist crowds have thinned dramatically in the Amalfi coast area, although you still have a fair chance of sunny, dry weather. However, you have to take seriously the possiblity your vacation will see several days running of soggy grey rain, even downpour, and winds that cancel boat excursions to islands - if a storm rolls in.. Sicily might be a marginally better bet because, if it rains in Sicily, there is always loads you can do and see indoors, whereas if you've booked into Positano, there just isn't (unless you marathon shop). Positano is somewhat remote, so it isn't easy to take a day trip elsewhere when rain descends on the tiny village.

If you don't want to go to Sicily (where it helps to rent a car if you want coastal scenery) you can hedge your bets weather-wise near the Amalfi by staying in Sorrento, Naples or Salerno. If you get straight sunny weather, you can visit Capri and the most scenic parts of the Amalfi coast from these 3 towns. But if you get rainstorms, these towns have easy pubic transporation options to marvelous indoor activities, or sightseeing that doesn't crucially depend on clear weather, like Positano and the rest of the Amalfi coast or Capri do.

Tabernash2

Thank you so much. That is really good information about rainy weather and staying in Positano. Bad weather like that would really be disappointing.

The situation is that we will be in Dublin for a week, for a conference. Then we have a week off to travel wherever we want.

We are looking for a sunny coastal area, with warm weather. That is easy to get to/from. I was hoping Amalfi's southern location would provide what we are looking for.

Should we look elsewhere?

ira

Hi Tab,

We very much liked our stay at
http://www.lesirene.com/index_ing.htm in Praiano.

From the town square in Praiano, you get a lovely evening view of Positano and the coast.

The buses stop in town.

Enjoy your visit.

Tabernash2

Thank you, ira!

ekc

Eden Roc is a lovely hotel in a good location. There is a chance of rain, but that is true no matter where you travel. Any chance you can visit the AC the week before your conference in Dublin?

Leely2

If you fly into Naples then you'd book a driver, I assume? Last summer we used Fabrizio at Amalfi-Drive Limousine www.amalfi-drive.com
He picked us up at our hotel in Naples and drove us to Ravello, with a stop in Pompeii. But there are many of these services and quite simple to arrange if you don't want to go the train/bus route.

OTOH, I do think the Sicily suggestion is worth looking into if there are easy flights from Dublin and Sicily piques your interest. Sicily is truly marvelous.

frencharmoire

Definitely check out the possibility of flying from Dublin to Sicily. Again, nobody can promise you absolutely clear dry skies for your entire stay, but chances are a bit higher than further north.

That said,I would rate your chance of having lovely weather for some or all of your days in the Naples/Amalfi area to be over 50 percent. Think about whether you'd be willing to stay someplace on the coast not quite as remote as Positano, with good transit options, so you can fill your time with some indoor activities in case of rain, but go to Positano for lunch and strolls if the day is beautiful.

Also, if you don't mind living dangerously, go ahead and buy tickets in and out of Naples, and book a hotel in Positano with a great cancellation policy. But work up a solid plan B and even plan C -- then wait. If the day before you fly from Dublin you see believable weather forecasts for bad rain for your arrival, cancel your hotel reservations go for plan B -- which could be something visiting Rome or Naples cty instead, and plan C might be 2 nights in Naples but then heading up to Tuscany with a car or Florence without one? You can find accommodations last minute. But if the weather forecast is mostly good or even brilliant for Positano, then you lucked out.