Sorrento or Amalfi?? Help!
 

Hi, my husband and I are flying into Naples on Sept.13th for 7 nights. Have been looking at this site for the past few days. Would like to see Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Ravello and Amalfi areas. Should we stay in Sorrento and take day trips to these areas or break up the holiday into 2 different areas. Also, can you suggest hotels with seaview, balcony/terrace and air conditioning or apartments with the same facilities. I have looked at Grand Hotel De La Ville, in Sorrento but it seems to be a little expensive. Would prefer Bed & Breakfast to Half Board. Thanking you in anticipation!!!

Forgot to mention, we won't have a car, so we will need to be near public transport. Dont mind a mile or so of a walk.

What a question. The Amalfi coast is breathtaking. Sorrento has a lot more things to do; shops, restaurants, etc.

Not recommending anything, but Pompeii is a few minutes by train from Sorrento; Positano is reachable easily by bus as a day trip. You can take another bus to Amalfi.

Really depends on what you like to do as a tourist. Sitting on hotel balcony reading and sipping lemoncello or touring Pompeii or Herculaneum. Which ever you do, you will love it.

One must is, imho, the little bus trip along the Amalfi coast. It is unbelievable. Take it from Positano to Amalfi....spend a few hours there and return.

Use Sorrento as your day trip base, not Naples. Don't get me wrong... go to Naples, but make it a day trip.

Get a copy of Rick Steves "Italy 2005." Follow his suggestions and you will not go wrong!

Enjoy...

If you want to base yourself around the costal towns (Amalfi, Poisitano, Ravello, etc) then stay in Amalfi. However, Sorrento is a much better base if you want to visit Pompeii, Herculanaeum, Capri and Naples.
We spent a week in Sorrento this time last year and found it an ideal base.

We travelled the Amalfi coast (in 2003 late August) and stayed in Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano and Capri- It was amazing- Each place more beautuiful than the last and fun to see different hotels. If you want to stay in one place, Sorrento may be best-It seemed busier and more touristy than the other places- But it was our first stop and we may have misjudged it. Our favorite place was a small B&B in Positano (La Fenice) It is family run with villas set in the side of a cliff.(No A/C) - We were there for 3 days. In Amalfi, the Luna Convento was beautiful- We didn't stay there , but wish we had. We had dinner and drinks. From Amalfi, we took a day trip to Ravello- Ravello felt like the most beautiful place on earth- Perfect for one day- so you can still dream about it. In Capri, The Villa Brunella was great. It was sometimes trying to move our luggage from place to place (especially in Capri) but definately worth it! We went from Sorrento to Capri to Amalfi to Positano and back to Rome- Navigating public transportation was pretty easy (trains, buses, ferries, etc). We had only 2 small suitcases with wheels- It was pretty hot and we didn't need many items. Good Luck! Have a great vacation!!!

lilyhound--you didn't misjudge it. Sorrento is package tour central for the area from Naples to the Amalfi Coast.

If I had a choice, I would stay in one of the towns along the Amalfi Coast instead of Sorrento. Not that Sorrento is a terrible place where one's vacation would be ruined, but it is very, very well represented by package tours.

My vote would be for Sorrento, with perhaps a night on Capri.

Sorrento is the largest town, so you won't run out of things to do in the evenings when you return from your excursions. It's also well placed for visiting Naples, Herculaneum and Pompeii by train, and the other coastal towns by bus or boat. Amalfi is lovely, but very small.

I suggested a night on Capri because you'll be disappointed by a daytrip. Hoardes of tourists do the daytrip by boat, and it's swarming with crowds. However, the last boat back to Sorrento leaves about 5pm, after which you have the most beautiful island to yourself.

Hi M,

We spent a week in Praiano, just outside Positano at Le Sirene.

www.lesirene.com

See my trip report for more details.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

((I))

Thanks everyone for your replies. Have booked 7 nights in Sorrento in Hotel Majestic Palace. B&B accomodation. Anyone stayed there? We now plan to do a day trip to Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Positano, Ravello, Amalfi and Capri. I'm sorry now that I did not stay on Capri for a night as suggested by Kate. We are flying into Naples. Is there a bus from the airport to the Central Station. We will be going to Sorrento by train.

Hi Guys, Have any of you stayed at the Hotel Majestic Palace???