fables

7 days of my upcoming trip in September are allocated to Rome, Amalfi and Capri. Please advise if the following itinerary seems logistically do-able and if I am missing anything glaring as far as sights or experiences. Also any feedback on my hotels would be great if you have any. First time to Italy.

day 1 - flight arrives late morning from Paris, private transfer to Hotel Nerva near the Forum, drop carry-on at hotel, tour Colliseum and Forum, dinner in Monti area.

day 2 - National Museum of Rome, Borghese Gallery, Pantheon, dinner near Campo de Fiori

day 3 - Vatican Museum, St Peter's, night walk from Spanish Steps by Trevi with some gelato along the way

day 4 - fast train from Rome to Salerno, bus or ferry to Amalfi, check into Hotel Aurora, and explore Amalfi and Valley of the Mills

day 5 - bus to Ravello to see Villas Rufolo & Cimbrone, do the walk to Atrani, bus to Positano

day 6 - ferry from Amalfi to Capri, check in or drop carry-on off at Capri Wine Hotel, Via Krupp, Augustus Gardens, Villa San Michele

day 7 - bus to Anacapri, chairlift up Mt Solaro, hike back down, Chiesa San Michele

day 8 - early ferry to Naples, 11:30 flight to London

kja

Potentially do-able, yes, but more rushed than I personally would prefer. I'm sure others will be more sanguine. Some observations and questions:

Are the ferries from Capri to Naples reliable in September? I honestly don't know. If catching that flight from Naples to London is critical, you might not want to be on Capri the night before.

For your day that includes Anacapri, consider including an hour or so for the magnificent Villa San Michele:
http://www.villasanmichele.eu

While in Ravello, also stop in the cathedral for its unusual and very special ambo.

Make sure you have advance reservations for the stunning Borghese.

Re: your day 1: I would not have been able to enjoy both the Colliseum and the Forum in an afternoon while suffering jet lag. Maybe that's just me.

I trust that you know that you are barely skimming the surface of these magnificent areas -- but they are magnificent, and if you pursue this itinerary, you will see some amazing things.
Enjoy!

Rubicund

My only concern would be the same as kja has, regarding the flight back to London. If it's an 11:30 flight, even with hand baggage only you need to be at the airport by 10:00am.

I'm not sure what time that would mean that you need to check out and catch a ferry to Naples (do they start early enough?) and then get out to the airport.

fables

Thank you for your replies kja and Rubicund.

The ferry in time for the am flight out of Naples is a concern to me as well. I think I will just spend more of that day in Capri and then fly out of Naples at 7:35pm. I don't want to cut my time on Capri short just to stay the night before in Naples so I think I will take away a little time from London instead.

kja, I will definitely get reservations for Borghese and make time for Villa San Michele. My flight from Paris to Rome is only 2 hrs and with the excitement/adrenaline I hope to have plenty of energy for Colisseum/Forum.

another question ... Is Positano very different or more beautiful than Amalfi. I ask because if I really enjoy Ravello, which I know I will, I don't want to arrive at Positano too late in the day and then end up having to take a very expensive taxi back to Amalfi. So in summary, is Positano skippable. I'm not a big shopper or fine dining kind of person so I really would just want to see Positano for its beauty.

Thanks again to you both !

yorkshire

I did a few hikes in the area, and I have to say that Ravello to Atrani was not the highlight. While there are some great views at the top, a lot of the descent was along road and not terrible scenic. (Ravello to Minori was prettier.) The Valley of the Mills, otoh, was fantastic and a lovely respite from the sun. With your limited time, you will want to do the best possible hikes, so you may wish to check out the Cicerone and Sunflower hike books (which also cover Capri).
For Salerno-Amalfi, you will want to consult ferry times and bus times to see your best option.

Dayle

Also be sure to have advance res for the ferry from positano to capri! At least one day ahead.

Agustus gardens and villa san micbele are in anacapri. Sl be sure to see the beautiful chiesa san michele with its amazing tile floor.

Buon viaggio

Rubicund

Positano is certainly not skippable and where Amalfi is gently hilly away from the sea, Positano is spectacularly built on the side of a hill that descends steeply to the water.

I've been to the area many times and would skip Capri (it does nothing for me)to stay in Positano.

fables

Thank you yorkshire for the insight into the Ravello to Atrani. I will definitely look at the Cicerone and Sunflower hike books and look into the Minori hike. Valley of the Mills does look great. I definitely want to get the best scenery for my buck.

Thanks again.

fables

Thanks Dayle. I think I did get my Capri and Anacapri's mixed up there a little bit. I am very excited about Capri.

WWK

Positano is one of the most popular towns on the Amalfi Coast for a reason. It's stunningly gorgeous, and much more charming IMHO than Amalfi.

Both towns are likely to be pretty busy in the first few weeks of September, but one way to avoid the crowds, is to walk along the pathway that leads from the town dock to Fornillo Beach. It's a beautiful walk, flower filled, spectacular sea views all the way, and much less congested than the tiny beach in town.

Also- about 1/2 mile along that path is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, LO GUARACINO, which has unbelievable wood fired pizzas, homemade pastas, and out of this world sea views from its perch high on a hill.

Have a great time in the area.

Oh and by the way, I agree with the others about catching that early flight to London out of Naples. Not something I'd want to chance coming from Capri. Either take the later flight from Naples, or stay overnight in Naples, which is a wonderful city to explore.

fables

I hear ya Rubicund. I will make the time for Positano. I would have stayed there instead of Amalfi but I saw these photos of a low sea view from The Hotel Aurora terrace rooms in Amalfi and I was kinda hooked.

Capri just has a hold on me which is hard to explain but I promise I will enjoy Positano too.

Thanks again.

fables

Thank you WWK for seconding Rubicon's opinion. I chose Amalfi also because of the proximity to Ravello but maybe I should re-evaluate and look at staying in Positano for the two nights and then do ferry or bus to Ravello then Amalfi. I greatly appreciate both your opinions.

That restaurant sounds great as does the walk.

Luckily I have til September to tweak and re-evaluate.

Thanks again.

ekc

I would second (third?) the vote to stay in Pos over Amalfi - there is nothing like Pos and it is always my choice when staying on the AC (5th trip coming up in June).

kja

I was very happy to stay in Ravello.

fables

Ok, now that the debate is in full swing, can I hear everyone's favorite hotel in the AC.

That will help me narrow it between Positano, Amalfi and Ravello since the travel logistics seem to be fairly even.

Thank you.

kja

Actually, I'm not sure that the travel logistics are even: Ravello is harder to reach than Positano or Amalfi , because you need to take a bus or taxi from Amalfi. To me, it was worth it. I had a wonderful experience at the Parsifal -
http://www.hotelparsifal.it/en/

fables

I see your point kja. There is that one extra step you need to take to get to Ravello. That hotel looks pretty amazing. On top of the world... literally. 250E for the two nights with a sea view room. Definitely a strong candidate.

Thank you for your selection.

Rubicund

Hotel recs depend on your budget. Positano's Palazzo Murat is one of my favourite places, as is the Buca di Bacco and Le Sirenuse.

Have a look at

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/SmartDe...tel-Deals.html

for a choice of hotels in the area.