We are travelling to these cities from Rome in November. Any hotel recommendations? We realize it will be cold and are not looking for a beach or spa hotel, just a jumping off place to see the archeological sites.

Hotel - Albergo California Positano:

Stayed there last Sept. Liked it a lot

Villa Maria in Ravello is wonderful, but it is not an easy place for day trips--very high on the hill.

Which archaeological sites do you want to visit? If you're going to Pompeii, you'd really be better off basing in Sorrento, which is only half an hour from the main gates.

We loved staying at the Posa Posa in Positano.

The rooms were large, very nice, and had balconies with that wonderful view.

http://www.hotelposaposa.com/home_en.html

Byrd

We stayed at the Villa Maria in Ravello and it is indeed a lovely hotel. Of course, it's a trek to the main sites on the coast, but it is just down the road from Villa Cimbrone.

In Positano, we stayed at the Villa Rosa - loved that, too.

Thank you for the recommendations but Weadles makes me think we are staying in the wrong places. We plan to go to Pompeii, Herculeum and Paestrum. Positano and Ravello were suggested. Are there closer or better places to stay? We are coming from Rome and staying three nights and then going to Florence. Also, I am not sure if we should take the train down and then rent a car and then train to Florence or do a car the entire way.

Do you have a map?
Paestrum is a long way from the other two.

If it's just as a jumping off point, Positano & Ravello are terrible places to stay. Positano is off the main coast road & between most hotels & the bus stops it's a long walk or crowded minibus drive uphill or downhill. Ravello is off on its own up in the hills.

Naples is much handier for Pompeii & Herculaneum & has lots of interesting sights in its own right - we stayed there a week without even visiti ng P & H.

For Paestum, why not stay at, er, P:aestum ?

Amalfi would be handier for seeing the Amalfi Coast towns (like Positano) & Ravello - it is right on the coast road & has good connections by bus & by sea.

I totally agree with caroline edinburgh. You really should consider what you are going to see, and then base somewhere within striking distance. Positano and Ravello are not the best locations for visiting these sites.

I second the above 2 comments.

Was there June 2007. I wanted to base myself in a less maddening crowd so Sorrento was a better base for me in terms of of Pompeii & Herculaneum. And you could still go Naples in the day from there (albeit a little cumbersome to some people but still doable). From Sorrento, you can also consider a day trip to the island of Capri - view from summit of Monte Solaro was a major highlight for me.

I would not particularly say Paestum is a must see if you plan to go Pompeii and Herculaneum. Reason being there wasn't much else to see besides the temples (well-preserved, I think) and a museum? Don't know how others did it but I took a bus-ride from Positano (a little on that next) to Salerno, then another bus from Salerno to Paestum. My only grouch was the WAIT for bus back from Paestum to Salerno took at least 30-45mins. I felt so tired and sweaty by the time I reached Salerno that I simply slumped onto the ferry back to Positano. (ps: train wasn't an option for me due to timing but I reckon you can consider going there by train..from Napoli station, I think).

Positano is a lovely place but considering how many hundred steps I had to climb up and down for each day I was there...you might want to reconsider? Again, that's only me.

Cheers. =)

Thanks for all your advice. It has made me rethink. I have three days between Rome and Florence and perhaps since I'm going in November, not ideal beach weather, I should just take the train to Pompeii and Herculaneum and leave Paestum and a full Amalfi coast experience for another day. I just don't know when I'll get back, and I wanted to do the coast road. I will look into Naples as an overnight.I wasn't sure the driving distances, but I thought at first a car would make it all possible.

That sounds a much better plan.