rome, postiano and capri
 

We will be visiting Rome, AC and Capri in September.
We arrive in Rome with plans to stay there a few days then head over to Postiano and Capri. (4 nights and 3 nights)
We are planning to spend our final night in Rome to be close to the airport for our flight back to TX the following morning.
My ? is which location - Postiano or Capri would be the least hassle to get back to Rome.
My understanding is you can take the ferry to get to Capri from Naples and hire a private driver to get you from Naples to Postiano. Correct?

Also, hotels in Postiano - we need to book asap.
We want mid or high above the beach, great view, terrace and our price range is 350.00 or less per night. Is this doable? We don't care if we have to climb stairs. We are fit. We just want a place that is relaxing, caters to adults and has great views.
IAny recommendations would be welcomed.

There are issues with Capri and Positano for drives to Rome, but neither is insurmountable. From Capri there is the ferry, from Positano there is some formidable traffic. If you chose Positano consider Casa Cuccaro. It is high about the town with awesome views, and significantly less than your 350 nightly. You could also consider Sorrento as your base, taking a ferry to Capri and hire a driver for the Amalfi Coast. A car would give you greater mobility, but I've been called insane for enjoying driving in Naples, so perhaps that should convince you of the wisdom of your current plans.

One other possibility, with an interesting location, is the in Erculano, "il Sentiero al Vesuvio." It puts you on the side of Vesuvius, provides majestic views of Naples and the volcano, and will leave you with unforgettable memories of sleeping on the mountain.

If you want to see the AC from Capri you are better off taking a ferry to Sorrento and having a driver pick you up there - it will save you an hour's drive - unless you actually want to tour Naples first (for which you wouldn;t have time). There are about 20 ferries/hydrofoils daily each way between Capri and Sorrento.

Just be aware that ferries don't run in either direction after early evening.

we don't have plans to see Naples. Just passing through to get to either Positano and Capri.

we really want to stay in Positano but not
sure if we should maybe just stay put and then add Capri as a day trip or is would be better to plan to stay in Capri for a few days also? Can you appreciate Capri in just one day? And is it too time consuming to go from Positano to Capri or visa versa? Will there be ferries going back and forth in September?

Either way, we plan to spend our last night in Rome so we can make it to the airport for our a.m. flight back to the USA.

I would stay on Capri for a couple of nights. The island is very crowded during the middle of the day when the day-trippers and cruise passengers are there. It is much more pleasant early and later in the afternoon. We liked Capri better than Positano as it is much easier to get around and, we thought, less "touristy" (although others would disagree).

You might consider going directly to the AC and spending your last nights in Rome so as not to break up your time there.

With seven nights, you have time for two destinations. A lot depends on your travel style. For me, Capri is The Hamptons of Italy, (shopping, glitz, glamor, people clamoring for deals on Gucci sunglasses), so I'm not a fan, even though it is much better at night after the day trippers have left.

But if you want to see it, you can either day trip there ( can be done from Positano and is only about 40 min, though boats can get cancelled), you could split your time: Capri, 2-3 nights; Positano 3-4 nights. Just check the schedule to see what is running in September.

Another itinerary option: Since you're returning to Rome end of your visit, you might consider a two night end of AMalfi Coast stay in Naples, which has tons to do, great restaurants, and beautiful hotels overlooking the Bay of Naples. From Naples, you could take the fast train back to Rome ( 70 minutes).

Now about Positano. Yes, it can be tourist central ( like many AC towns) right through the fall months, but if you plan your day well, you can escape the worst of the crowds.

Some hotels I'd recommend at beach level: BUCCA DI BACCO (right on the beach. Beautiful rooms, great restaurant!); ALCIONE Residence, in the covered bazaar that leads to the beach. Lovely rooms, garden, convenient location.

Midway up from town: HOTEL POSEIDON, my all-time favorite hotel in Positano, but I don't know if it will be within budget for the fall.

Some others: Hotel Marincanto, Albergo Miramare, Covo dei Sarceni ( down at the beach overlooking town dock, has nice pool, but can be noisy!).

Hope I didn't confuse you. Just wanted to add that Naples is about 1.5 hours from Positano. To get there, you can either: Take the SITA bus to Sorrento, then local train to Naples. OR, more expensive option but great with luggage: Private transfer from your hotel in Positano to Naples: About 120E.

If you go straight to the AC (or Capri) on arrival, and put all your time in Rome together at the end of the trip, you will save checking into and out of a hotel twice, and not have to worry about rushing back to Rome the night before a flight. You can stay in only one hotel in Rome and have a nice relaxing last night in Rome before departure.

Sassafrass: Yes, thanks. It makes perfect sense to do as you say and we are considering this option.The only reason I wanted to do AC AFTER Rome was because Rome will be more about sight seeing, standing in lines, hitting all the tourist spots whereas AC will be the more laid back and relaxing part of our trip and so I thought we should save it for the 2nd part of the trip before we head home. Lots of great feedback and very much appreciated.