Will be in Italy in May and am having disputes with my traveling partner as to whether it would be better to stay in Sorrento or Positano. We wont have a car and would prefer not to have to hire one either so will be relying on public transport. we woudl like to be able to visit Pompeii and amalfi and Capri.

Sorrento!!!<BR><BR>More to do. Easier to get to other places: Capri, Positano, Pompeii, etc.<BR><BR>The train (commuter) goes from Sorrento to Pompeii-Naples.<BR><BR>Boats to Capri (short), Positan, Amalfi.<BR><BR>Bus to Positano, Amalfi, etc.<BR><BR>There are those who think Positano is the greatest place on earth. However, there are different opinions on that.<BR><BR>Have fun.<BR>

Hi<BR> Good advice from Myer. Since you want to see Pompeii you save a bus ride if you start from Sorrento.

As one of those people that think Positano is the greatest place on earth, or at least in the top three, I'd vote Positano. There are direct boats to Capri and Amalfi and you can take a boat to Sorrento (or the bus) and get on the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii. Plenty to do in Positano and it has a great variety of wonderful places to eat. Wonderful views in all directions, it's just a magical place.

I agree with Grinisa. Sorrento's a medium sized city. Although it has lovely views from many of the hotels, it doesn't offer the dramatic beauty of Positano or some of the other Amalfi Coast towns.<BR><BR>From Positano, it's easy to take the Sita bus up and down the coast, or take a boat to Amalfi or Capri.<BR><BR>Have a great time, and if you go, make sure to eat at Donna Rosa's in Montpertuso ( spelling?- a tiny mountain village just above Positano). Unbelievable food.<BR><BR>

Positano has another advantage over<BR>Sorrento - the beach. Granted, it is all pebbles but still you could spend some time on the beach whereas in Sorrento you will have to spend most of your time at the pool.

Sorrento is obviously much better as a base. If you're staying there, you can easily go to Positano for the beach or the scenery or whatever, but from Sorrento, you get get to other places much more easily. Sorrento is the best place to base yourself.

The only place it is easier to get to from Sorrento is Pompeii. I certainly wouldn't want to have to take a boat or a bus just to get to a beach and swim and relax for a while just to have to get back on a bus or boat to go back to my hotel. If you are in Sorrento and want to visit Amalfi or Ravello, it is a long bus ride or, if you take the boat, that boat will make a stop in Positano anyway.

thanks for responses! am still confused.Will more than likely take in the 2 but base ourselves in Sorrento. It also depends on finding reasonably priced hotels/pensiones as well! do you think we'll get bored of the coast if we stay there for over a week? Is there enough to do? Or should we travel a bit more( we are also taking in Rome)

Another vote for Sorrento. Some feel it is &quot;touristy,&quot; but it is one of my favorite places in Italy. The only time I remember hordes of people was when a ship was in port, and they seemed to be mostly congregated in Piazza Tasso.<BR><BR>On our most recent visit a few years ago, we spent a week there and found plenty to do. We visited both Pompeii and Herculaneum, took the hydrofoil to Capri, took a SITA bus to Positano and Amalfi. We enjoyed both Amalfi and Positano, and Positano is gorgeous, but we found it easier to get around based in Sorrento.<BR><BR>We stay mostly in the old town and wander into Piazza Tasso occasionally for lunch. I think you would have more choices for inexpensive lodging in Sorrento as well. The wonderful part about it po21, you will have a wonderful time in either place, so essentially you can't go wrong!

You should make your decision based on what you plan to do with the first part of your trip. If you stay in Rome for a few days, you definetely want to go to Positano and just relax on the beach and enjoy the scenery. However, if you are a city person, Positano might not be for you. Anyhow, you can definetely visit Pompeii, Amalfi, and Capri from Positano very easily. We stayed in Positano last year for 5 days and weren't bored at all. However, when we went to Sorrento for half a day, I did not particularly care for that town. It lacks beauty and charm of Positano.

If you have over a week to spend in that part of Italy, I'd probably suggest basing in two different places, so that you can really experience the area. Ideally, I'd suggest Capri for a couple days, then Positano,(from which you can do daytrips to Amalfi, Ravello, and Pompeii) but I'm afraid that Capri may be out of your budget. I've read a lot of posts here about the island of Ischia, which is located in the Gulf of Gaeta, about a 40-min hydrofoil ride from Naples. It sounds beautiful-- in fact, it's called &quot;The Emerald Island&quot;, and cheaper than Capri. I'm sure you can find more info by searching the posts.<BR>Have a wonderful time!