vickio

I am new to this forom and I am getting the most wonderful information to help me plan a 4 week trip in late September/early October with my DH. We are going to spend 4 days in Rome, travel down to the Amalfi coast and then on to Sicily for the first 2 weeks. We have one unplanned day that we can spend in either Positano or take a day trip to Capri. I have studied both locations and simply cannot make up my mind. Help! Unfortunaely, because of our other plans it is not possible to do both. Does anyone have a preference?

zoecat

If you are just daytripping, I suggest Capri. There is more to see and do there- hiking, shopping, people watching, boat tour, villa tour. Get there early and make the most of your day!

Positano is more of a place to relax on the beach or by the pool, shop a little (it doesn't take long), drinks and then have dinner.

vickio

Thank you Zoecat. That really makes sense. DH always reminds me too that this will not be our last trip over there and we will have other opportunities. I certainly hope that's true! But I have read many wonderful things about both locations and am obsessing a bit about what would be the best choice!

mbluvsne

We spent 4 nights in Positano last year at the Hotel Miramare and it was the single best 4 days we have EVER had. Could you carve time out of Sicily for a few nights there? There is a ferry to Capri from the beach at Positano, and the hotel has a boat which will take you for a shore excursion, including snorkeling, for free. (Of course you overtip the very old man who captains the boat after he plies you with fresh fruit and pinot grigio!) There are fantastic hikes up the mountain above Positano, where you can eat a mind-blowing lunch at a restaurant called Il Retrouvo (or close to that name) before making your way back downhill. We never had less than a wonderful dinner meal, if you like seafood. The room we had at the Miramare was not large, but the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean was quite spacious and had the most comfortable lounges, with thick cushions, perfect for sipping $5 bottles of wine while the sunset. Does it sound like I could go on and on? I could. In Roma, Al 34, near the Spanish Steps has always fed us great meals for reasonable cost. Have a wonderful trip.

vickio

mbluvsne

Thank you for this tantalizing information. Unfortunately, our plans are very much set. We only have the one free day. But with the information you provided, I can see an extended stay in Positano in my future! Probably one in Capri as well. There are so many wonderful things to see & do in both locations that one day will not do justice to either one of them. So I still don't know for sure what we will do that one day, but while we are in Roma, we will definitely look for Al 34. Thanks for the tip!

Crumlin

My husband and I were in Southern Italy last Sept. Positano was beautiful, but you better be in very good shape to walk up and down and up and down the hills. Being from NJ and having the best beaches on the East Coast, I did not like the beaches in Positano, too gravel-like! Capri was my favorite...LaMinerva favorite, favorite hotel! Also stayed in Sorrento before our final four days in Rome. Fun, but I felt Sorrento caters to much to the Brits!

rbnwdln

I always read that Positano is only for those in great shape. Climbing the hills in San Francisco makes Positano seem flat! I found hiking up Nob Hill every day to our hotel in SF much more strenuous than climbing the steps in Positano.

vickio

Sorry to take so long to reply to your comments. I really do appreciate you taking the time to give me advice.

I have been worried about Positano because I have had a troublesome knee and from the descriptions of the hills surrounding the town, I didn't know if I could handle it. However, I think that hiking around Capri can be just as hard. Fortunately, after some physical therapy, my knee is much better (!) and I am really getting excited about our trip.

All of what I have been reading on this forum has been so helpful and I'm really glad to have the experience of so many travelers who give great advice. In fact, I think that I will post my first trip report and I hope that other Fodorites will find it useful too-as well as a very nice trip down memory lane!

tuscanlifeedit

You can certainly do a day trip to Capri without any steep hiking at all. Positano is much less of a day trip town, as others have said.

And we walked up some very very steep steps everyday of our trip to Positano. Oh, and to the top of the town to the Post Office! High up there!

vickio

Thank you for your comments, Tuscanlifeedit. The more I read, the more I can see that Positano is a place that DH & I will go to when I am healthy and we can really enjoy the beach and the hiking. Capri does offer much more to do on a day trip.

Thanks to all who've helped me make a decision.

e17345

While we are on the subject...Vickio, have you found a good place to stay in Positano? We are going in 2 weeks, and I am still searching...

traveller1959

I liked Hotel Il Saraceno, halfway between Positano and Amalfi (which I highly prefer both over Positano and Capri).
http://www.saraceno.it/

vickio

Oh No! Now I have to admit that DH & I are actually going with a tour group. I know that most Fodorites are much more independent travelers and I can appreciate that very much. But I don't know at this time the names of the places where we are going to stay. Hence, I can't answer your question.

When we went 4 years ago for a 4 week trip that included Paris, Lake Geneva and much of Italy, we planned the whole trip ourselves and loved it! It was the most exciting trip we've ever taken. There was a very nice young gentleman who taught some classes at our local communitiy college on traveling in Europe and we asked his advice on some accomodations. The 3 places he recommended that we chose were absolutely wonderful. In fact, all of his advice was superb. We learned that he used to work for another tour company, but now has his own. He keeps his groups small and tries to keep some 'down' time for the individuals to do their own thing throughout the tour. So we are going with his company for the Amalphi coast and Sicily portion of our trip We thought we'd try a tour group this once to see how it goes. The rest of our trip will be on our own.

But I have to admit that this portion of our trip does not hold the same excitement as Rome and Umbria holds. I research guide books, websites, forums and anything else I can find to determine where are the best places to stay and what are the best things to do. Since I don't have to do that for the AC or Sicily, the same excitement is not there. But, we are game to try it once. If we don't like it, then we won't do it again.