Has anyone stayed at Hotel La Perla in Praiano on the A.C.? What do you think of the town? Is it too out of the way to work as a home base for exploring A.C.?

If you have a car, it would be fine. If you are traveling by bus, I wouldn't want to stay in Praiano. It's too small for me.

It is not really a town--- just strung out for about 4 miles along the highway. The Vettica Maggiore area is the only real town with shops and places to eat--not sure where La Perla is located.

I agree with KY..I would not stay there again without a car if the idea is to explore the Coast.

My impression was that even the Vettica Maggiore area was a not really a "real town" but rather a clutch of shops and restaurants (mostly oriented towards tourists) strung out along the highway. La Perla is not in this area, but further east. Not an ideal location, unless you want to stay put and spend most of your time sunning and swimming, although the hotel looks lovely.

This is towards the end of our trip, so our main goal is to stay put. We have four nights....may do two or three excursions. Renting a car is an option...how difficult is it to get around? I've heard A.C.highway can be a pain. How busy is this area in early May? Oh, and thanks for the info so far. All helpful!

Here is the area in May--we spent a week in an apartment in Vettica Maggiore and took the SITA bus both directions.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4481

Wow! I can see now we'll need to bring plenty of memory from the camera...

...for the camera...

The closest major car rental agencies are in i Sorrento. You can rent a car for a day or two in Positano from smaller agencies. Driving is not difficult as long as you are ok with winding roads.

But I would not rent a car just to take a few daytrips...for that, since you will not be arriving with a car, you can give the buses a try. There are also many scenic hikes.

Thanks ekscrunchy, that's what I was thinking. Most of the reviews I've read have stated the buses were easy too catch, just not that reliable. We have a night between Rome and A.C. We were thinking of staying on Ischia for a night but if we stayed in Sorrento or even Naples, we could hit Herculaneum and Pompeii from there. We fly out of Naples airport early that Friday morning. Anyone know of a nice, inexpensive hotel near the airport?

Take a look at Hotel Onda Verde near Priano. Stayed there for a week last September and fully enjoyed it.

We stayed in a 3 bedroom villa in Positano for a week last April which was not only incredibly comfortable with amazing views from every room and the expansive balcony but was also much cheaper than a hotel. From there you can use the cheap ferry system to go up and down the coast.

Thanks, Sundancebee. Do you remember the name of the apt?

For apts., always go here:
www.summerinitaly.com

The one near the airport that seems to get decent reports is the Ranch Palace. I've never stayed there, though, as we prefer to spend the night in the city and take a taxi in the morning. That costs about 22 euro or so, more or less.

How early do you need to be at the airport? Your other option is to take a car service from your Amalfi Coast location...pricey but it will allow you to squeeze in another night there rather than an airport hotel.

Flight leaves at 7am, unfortunately......

Domestic flight or international? You could still stay IN the city, if willing to take taxi to the airport.



http://www.ranchpalacehotel.it/


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ious-night.cfm

Thanks eks! Hotel looks nice. Their website says they have a shuttle to the airport. May not run that early.