Salerno - A social and culinary blast! + cheap accommodation
 

We wanted to try out an "off the beaten path" kind of vacation. We were pleasantly surprised Salerno offers such an excellent restaurant & nightlife scene it was less expensive than the big tourist places where we did daytrips - Amalfi & Positano. It was so central that we got to see those places, plus Pompei & the ruins at Paestum (awesome!) - it was all so close.
Somehow we managed to find this B&B place on the internet (it wasn't on most of the booking sites we looked at) www.mysalernoapartment.com and the price fit our tight budget. It was a nice comfortable room and we were able to use the kitchen freely. The host made us feel really welcome and gave us a little guide of neibourhood places where we could shop for groceries, recommended restaurants, sites, and how to travel around the city and to get to the other tourist cities for daytrips. This helped quite a bit, and it was also great she was always available to answer our questions.
We had a fabulous time and encourage others to explore this area. The food is amazing so eat lots of pizza, sample much regional vino, & try the mozzarella di bufala (made with buffalo milk) it's all wonderful!

leneyinn: We had a similar experience on our second trip to Italy. We stayed a couple of days at Salerno because of circumstances beyond our control and we were delighted by this city. Just to walk along the street, into shops and cafes and observe Italians just living with no tourists in sight was really enjoyable. And, you are right, Paestum is marvellous.

I, too, liked Salerno. While it is not the most beautiful city on the AC, it does have its unique characteristics and some charm. It's no wonder that there is anything left of Salerno as it was heavily bombed during WW2 (the "soft underbelly of Europe" was indeed Salerno and that is where the sea-to-land invasion began). However, there was an effort to make the city centre area more attractive and appealing - they are still doing re-beautification efforts. Overall, it is nice to find a place that is not over-populated with tourists and the prices are quite reasonable.

We stayed at the Hotel Plaza, near the train station, yet within a pedestrian walking zone/boulevard. It was very nice at night with the outdoor cafes and stores lit up and people out on their nightly "passegiata." We found some excellent seafood restaurants along the waterfront. And yes, the insalata caprese with mozzarella di bufala is the best! The convenience to Paestum and Pompeii via public transportation (we took busses) can't be beat. I agree, I liked Salerno and would return there again.

Neapolitants sometimes refer to Salerno as their "little sister", although the two cities don't really compare well.

Salerno's chief appeal, in my estimation, is the excellent public transportation options (train, bus, ferry boat) to the surrounding areas of southern Campania, Pompei, and the Amalfi Coast, the fact that it is not a "touristy" town at all, and hotel prices are consequently much lower than in Naples (although with far fewer selections).

leneyinn,
Can you give me some idea about the towns that took you to off the beaten path. I am panning my March vacation and getting concerned that I am visiting almost all places with huge tourist traffic.
Thanks

Hi pg,

What's your itinerary now?

Paestum can be reached by train and bus from Salerno. It is the site of the best preserved Greek ruins outside Greece.

((I))

About 100 miles from Salerno is Maratea, which I highly recommend. It's probably quite quiet in March. That's probably not a bad thing!

100 miles doesn't sound like a lot, but it's mostly hilly, mountainous driving. I really enjoyed this area and want to spend more time there.

I agree Ira! Paestum is absolutely magnificent in its preservation and aura.

GAC, so true about the transportation options out of Salerno. It is amazingly convenient - more so even than Naples in my opinion.

BTW, you can catch a train down from Salerno to Maratea too (just under 2 hours). I would bet it is wonderful in March with nearly no tourists.

Another vote for Salerno, I was keeping it to myself for a long time. It is not a tourist town as noted and I thought of it as a safer, tamer Napoli too.

I should mention here (as this specific information is not commonly found on this website), that the SITA bus from Salerno to Amalfi runs every 30-60 minutes daily and a one-way ticket costs ONLY 1.80 Euros. For an additional 1.30 Euros, you can connect in Amalfi to another SITA bus for Positano.

The ferry boat from Salerno to Amalfi costs 4 Euros, or 6 Euros to Positano.

www.sita-on-line.it
www.salernocity.com (ferry boat)

OK..Salerno sounding better & better..Type of hotel accomadations? Ocean swimming? Type of food? restarants? Any & all info appreciated

Exactly SeaUrchin, a much safer Naples and certainly under the tourist radar screen!

foodiern, the hotel accommodations vary, with some hotels near the train station, a few others alongside the waterfront, and then those in the town centre. I stayed at the Hotel Plaza and found it very convenient and within walking distance to the shopping, waterfront, and city sites. Here is a more comprehensive list of Salerno hotels to look into if you are interested:

Furore Inn Resort, Salerno
General price range: EUR 150-750.

Palazzo Belmonte, Salerno
General price range: EUR 142-620.

Albergo il Castello, Salerno
General price range: EUR 60-90.

Locanda Ripa delle Janare, Salerno
General price range: EUR 65-135.

Hotel Villa Sirio, Salerno

Hotel Olimpico, Salerno
General price range: US$ 60-80.

Jolly Hotel Salerno, Salerno

Hotel Hermitage Salerno

Hotel Mec Paestum, Salerno

Savoy Beach Hotel, Salerno

Grand Hotel Certosa, Salerno

Hotel Il Forno Antico, Salerno

Marcaneto Palace Hotel, Salerno

Hotel K Salerno, Salerno

Hotel Villa Maria, Salerno

Notturno Italiano Villa Del Parco, Salerno

Hotel San Pietro, Salerno

Hotel Florida, Salerno
General price range: EUR 29-48.

Club Hotel Copacabana, Salerno

I didn't see a lot of swimming going on, however, there were people laying out on the manmade harbor embankment and out in boats on the water. At night, the harborfront becomes a beehive of activity as everyone and their mother is out taking their nightly passegiata. It is funny, when we arrived in Salerno on a hot July afternoon last year, we wondered where the entire town was because it was so dead. We practically had the town to ourselves. Then after a wonderful seafood dinner we stepped outside of the restaurant to see throngs of people milling about and eating gelato. Mercifully, the weather had cooled down to a bearable temperature and it was quite pleasant.

The food is similar along the entire Amalfi Coast - mixed seafood/shellfish risotto, fried seafood platters, mussels with linguine, seafood salad, and of course, the trademark (and my fav) insalata caprese with mozzarella di bufala cheese. If anything, you have to try some of that cheese (slightly salty and very good). It is the best in all of Italy (IMO) -- I have finally found it here in the States at Costco so I am able to get my monthly fix until I return to Italy again!