If we take a day to go to the Temples at Paestum, what else should we do in that area? We will be staying (I think) in Ravello so it looks like it will take us 1 1/2 to 2 hrs to get there. Any other historical sites or gardens or short walks, hikes?

Plan on longer than 1.5-2 hours to drive to Paestrum, but it is well worth the drive. It was my very favorite day trip of our 10 day trip to the Amalfi Coast. Paestrum was a great respite from the rude crowds and ugly tourist traps of the coast. The people were lovely and the food was authentic. The museum there is very informative and for the first time in the entire trip I didn't feel ripped off. I don't think there is much else around there to see. If you are staying in Ravello, (which is beautiful) beware that the roads to and from are excruitatingly narrow and one must be patient as at times there is only room to let one car pass at a time. It's worth staying there rather than in either Positano or Amalfi. Ravello is prettier and a little more upscale. Enjoy your trip. The area is wonderful with great history and beauty beneath the graffitti.

Salerno? It has a lovely waterfront, a small old town, and a cathedral with some real gems (e.g., two magnificent ambos). The diocesan museum has a set of amazing carved ivories.

Linda ~ Sounds peaceful. Maybe we'll do that our first day since we will have spent 5 days in Rome with a gazillion people.

Any great place for lunch? Gelato?

Paestum is buffalo mozzarella country. You can tour a facility where they make it, and then enjoy it for lunch.

There is a fantastic B&B there...Casale Giancesare
http://www.casale-giancesare.it/

The family is great and a whole lot of fun. I cannot remember the lady's name, but if you ask in advance she may cook you one of her amazing dinners. Yes, they use the olive oil they make from their own olives and wine from their own vineyard. It is a beautiful location. Her husband's brother has something to do with the archeological site.

dave

Salerno's old town centre is lovely, if you are interested in gardens, the Garden Minerva is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe.

Certainly visit a mozzarella maker if you have an interest in cheese or in food in general. Most of the actual production takes place in the morning so you might want to make that your first stop, before the temples.

This cheesemaker is very well regarded and allows visits; I list another one in my trip report:

http://www.vannulo.it/eng/caseificio.html

Food in that area is fabulous, so certainly seek out a place for lunch, as Davees recommends.

Salerno is worth a visit; the Duomo is a gem.

http://www.cattedraledisalerno.it/

I will top my trip report from 2008 for you; I have info on at least one mozzarella maker and on restaurants in Cetara. You will pass this small fishing town en route to Paestum and it is definitely worth a stop at mealtime.

I LOVE the idea of going to Tenuta Vannulo !

Here's another link to a story about them

http://www.starbulletin.com/travel/2...ala_bliss.html

The "normal route" if driving would be from Salerno on the A3, then turn of at Battipaglia to Paestum. I would avoid this as it is a horrible road with some lunatic drivers. I prefer to take the Litoranea road along the coast from Salerno - it takes a little longer, but overall only about 10 minutes, it is far more scenic and ends up in Paestum.

I would second all the glowing reports - I love the temples, the museum is excellent. I have eaten at the restaurant near the main church (to your left as you exit the main temple site), and it was very good.

Other places: Agropoli is about 15- 20 minutes by car - it has an old Medieval castle and the restaurants nearby offer very good views over the marina.

A further 15 minutes along the coast brings you to Castellabate. This is another fortified/castle town on the top of the hill - it is really worth just walking through the maze of 13th century streets and again the views are pretty spectacular.

We loved Paestum! Just a quick tip. You didn't say when you are traveling. If it is going to be hot, bring an umbrella. It was an incredible relief to have an umbrella in the hot sun. There is no shade.

We also really enjoyed Salerno so you might check into that too.

If you need an on-site pick-me-up, Bar Anna offers delectable coffees and gelato. There's outdoor seating with table service--from the cafe's patio, you can sit and gaze at one of the temples. It makes a nice break between exploring the grounds and visiting the museum.

AHHHHHHHHHH Gelato, perfecto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gina, we will be there in October so HOPEFULLY we will not need umbrellas....for sun

We really enjoyed Paestum. The ruins--I guess that's what one would call them--were interesting, and the museum worth seeing.

We are going to visit the area in March 2010. What is the entrance price to the temple and museum? Also, does anyone know the price of the ferry from Sorrento to Capri?

Thanks

I seem to remember the combined ticket was around £6 - certainly a lot cheaper than Pompeii. I will rummage through my souvenir and trip rubbish bag, and see if I have the tickets still (I was last there in September).

It probably won't effect you, but EU citizens over 60 do get in free (As with Pompeii, Herculaneum etc) as long as they have their passports with them.

FYI the museum was open later than the temple site! We did the museum first and then the temples. I misread the sign and thought the site would be open later than it was. We had enough time, but I would have liked to have stayed in the temple area longer. A few tourists got there late & were told to leave. The woman was screaming at the guy who was telling them to leave! I think the tourists were Italian! We were there in late Sept. & only 2 other people were in the temple area when we were there! I loved it.

Does anyone happen to have a recommendation for a great hotel or B&B or agriturismo in the Paestum/Agropoli area? (I did not realize that Agripoli was so close)

We stayed in Il Granaio at the end of October. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a beautiful old building that once was a granary, and that has been converted to a small hotel/B&B, located across the street from the temple area. The grounds are very attractive, and the interiors are lovely. It is furnished with country antiques, comfortable beds and a very nice bath. We were greeted with a roaring fire the night we arrived in one of the living rooms, and breakfast was served in a windowed room overlooking the lawn. Our room was large, with its own private porch. I would describe it as an upscale, country inn. The proprietress recommended La Pergola. located in the modern day part of Paestum, for dinner, which was an excellent choice.

Thanks! I have only visited that area on a daytrip and would like to return and explore further sometime...Il Granaio looks lovely!

http://www.ilgranaiodeicasabella.com/