Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Positano or Ravello?

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Positano or Ravello?

We are driving into the Sorrento/Amalfi coast from Rome in early December, and would like tips on which town to stay (and hotels?). We don't want to stay in the "touristy" Sorrento.

If you don't want to stay in touristy Sorrento, you could stay in touristy Positano, or touristy Amalfi. In all seriousness, all the main stops are pretty touristy. We stayed in Praiano at the Onda Verde and loved it. Praiano is a small town between Amalfi and Positano and the Onda Verde is an enchanting although modest hotel right on the lower cliff. We loved it. Here's the URL for the Onda Verde. http://www.ondaverde.it/hotelim.htm There are several other hotels in praiano as well. Also, if you'd like some more information on our trip to Amalfi, check out my web site : http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/5733

I stayed in Ravello at the four-star Hotel Villa Maria, and loved it. Service is very cordial and personal. I felt as though I was a participant in a Checkov play. The private restaurant has a lovely view towards the sea, and is considered by some to be the best in town. The overall setting is intimate and very refined, but not stuffy. Parking facilities are provided by the affiliated Hotel Giordano nearby. Villa Maria can be reached only on foot, and a porter can assist with luggage. The hotel website has photos and rates for 2002. If this is too expensive for you, try the Villa Amore or the Hotel Toro, both two-stars properties and very reasonably priced. Ravello is a bit out-of-the-way, compared to the towns along the coast such as Amalfi and Positano, but its seclusion is the source of its charm. Villa Maria is a mere five minutes on foot from the Villa Cimbrone (which is both a privately owned estate and hotel), the Belvedere of which has the most fantastic panorama of the entire coastline (I would describe it with some hyperbole as "insanely beautiful"), uniformly praised by poets and writers. The other famous villa in town, Villa Rufolo (closer to the main square and cathedral) has a marvelous summer concert program of classical music. By contrast, I found Amalfi to be noisy, crowded, very touristy and generally more pedestrian (although its Cathedral is superb and it has better public transportation options).

I loved Ravello, but would not stay there. My favorite spot is Positano. I have heard from my Positano friends that it is very beautiful during the holidays.

Another vote for Positano or even Amalfi but you may prefer the much smaller and quieter Ravello. As with everything, this comes down to personal preference.

Brian--Following is extracted from my multiple posts last June after a week spent driving the Amalfi Coast: If you like touristy, crowded places, w. lots of "action", then stay in Positano. But if you want quiet quarters w. spectacular views, the Hotel Tritone near Praiano is the place to stay. We have been there twice; cancelled our trip to Sicily to return for a few more days just last week. EVERY room has a view to the west all the way to the Faraglioni (the 3 "rocks" for which Capri is famous), and on a clear day you can actually see the arch in the middle one from your room balcony. To the east is a magnificent vista of the village of Praiano, w. its twin-steepled church in the center of your view and the ancient church on the horizon about half way up the mountain. Straight down about 1000 feet is the sea. You can watch the ship traffic in and out of Salerno from your balcony as well. The breakfasts (which are included in the room rate) are sumptuous, including different pastries/cookies of the region every morning (including almond cookies and cannola), and you can get delicious omelets w. ham/cheese and apricot juice along w. the standard breakfast fare most hotels provide. They are served on an outdoor terrace w. to-die-for views. The hotel is literally carved into the side of the cliff below the road, so it is very quiet and very private, if that is what you want. You may even hear the "cock of Praiano" crowing in the sunrise if you leave the doors to your balcony open, and you can easily hear the church bells toll the quarter hours. It is the loveliest place I have ever stayed in decades of travel. The downside, if there is one, is that you really need a car to see the other sites along the Coast and inland if you stay there. The hotel does have adequate parking, however. The service is superb. (Posted6/9/01)

Brian--Since you are driving Rome/Amalfi Coast, this excerpt from another post last June may be of interest: Just returned from a week driving the Amalfi Coast and inland backroads from there. If you enjoy driving, you will greatly enjoy the coastal road and its challenges--be sure to get a small car--parking is precious. A standard transmission is the best (and much less expensive) way to enjoy driving the coast; again, IF you enjoy driving. To get to the Coast, you have two choices: The Autostrada (A1 from Rome and A3 around Naples) to SS145 toward the Coast--look for the shortcut to Positano in Meta. This is the quickest by far--about 3 hours from Rome driving at 85-90 mph--there is no speed limit on the Autostrada, and you will be passed a lot at this speed. But for the scenic route, cut to the coast south of Terracina (SS82 off of A1) and wind along the coast to A3 around Naples to Meta. This will take much longer; at least twice as long as the Autostrada. There is no point in driving directly to the coast out of Rome; the area from Ostia (on the coast just SW of Rome) to Terracina is highly developed, and buildings block most of the view of the beach. (Posted 6/8/01) For a humorous view of driving the A.C., look at "Rules for Driving the Amalfi Coast", last topped on 11/14/01. You will have a great time.

Brian--More from last June: For restaurants, Cumpa' Cosimo in Ravello is everything good you have heard about it. In Praiano, La Brace is a great find--informal, extensive menu, good food--although it doesn't look like much from the outside. It's right on the main road, up a flight of stairs. (Posted 6/13/01) We visited Ravello three times; the views of both mountains and coast are the most spectacular on the Coast. The best view is from Villa Cimbrone's Terrazza dell'Infinito, the far end of the Villa from the entrance--absolutely stunning view. Villa Rufolo's gardens also offer spectacular views. If you don't want to pay the entrance fees for the Villas, walk up Via R. Wagner (right next to the Information Office beside the Duomo) to Via S. Giovanni del Toro/Via dell'Episcopio (same street, two names--one to left, one to right). Go left about 100 meters--just past Hotel Palumbo Palazzo Confalone--and there is a public courtyard (Belvedere Principessa di Piemonte) w. a beautiful view of the countryside and coast. In the early evening, you can also hear the strolling musicians from the restaurant just below while you enjoy the view. We had no trouble parking in Ravello; used the public lot just below the Piazza Duomo each time w. no problem. You can pick up a free map of Ravello at the Information Office. We also did a day trip to Amalfi, and it's much the same as Positano in some respects: lots of shops, tourists, and things to do, but also dozens of tour busses, inadequate parking, etc. We did all of the guide book things in Amalfi, and spent a wonderful day there. We even found the covered passageway (Via Annunziatella) leading up to Cappuccini Convento, w. spectacular views along the way. It's a pretty steep walk and difficult to find, so the easiest approach is probably to take the elevator up to C.C., and then walk down V. Annuziatella to Amalfi. We also checked out Hotel Onda Verde near Praiano since we had seen it mentioned several times on this forum. It is a great setting w. a very nice seaside walk. It appeared to be clean and well kept, and parking was no problem, but we did not actually stay there so I cannot comment on the quality of service/food. It is less expensive (L300,000) than Hotel Tritone (L400,00), but the views are not as sweeping--it is much lower, nearer the water--and some of the balconies don't offer much privacy. (Posted 6/18/01)

You might have a limited choice of where to stay in December. We were there in November 1999 and were told that many places close down for the season at the end of November.