Sorrento vs Positano in February
Sep 24th, 2009, 10:56 AM
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I believe you are right about Positano closing down for the winter; you are better off choosing Sorrento. We thought it was a very nice place to spend several days, based there to visit Pompeii, even tho it was summer then.
Sep 25th, 2009, 01:29 AM
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In Positano in February, they drop an enormous curtain between the mountains and the sea, so you can't see anything, and all the buses are parked and locked, so you are not allowed to go anywhere. In addition, all the hiking paths are gated and the restaurant kitchens close, so you can only get cold sandwiches. The hotels are shut, so you have to bed down on cots in the local schools.
Most important of all, the tourists shops selling caftans in size 3xx, limoncello, ceramic corkstoppers and beward the cani signs are SHUT DOWN!!!! Nowhere to shop.
To get serious for a moment:
Many of the best restaurants and hotels of Positano will be open, the magnificent views will be there, the lemons with be full to bursting cascading down the mountains, there will be crisp weather for hiking and walks and -- best of all -- you'll have all this mainly to your self, and not a lot of tourists or tourists tat to distract you.
I've nothing against Sorrento -- which will still be packing in the cruise ship tourists -- and it makes a much better base in February if you are planning an excursion to Capri and Pompeii. Sorrento is charming in the unique way that Sorrento is charming, and in February you will have a lemon extravaganza. But it's a big flat city and if you wanted to go to the Amalfi to hang out on a cliff and gaze at the sea and the twinkling cascading lights at night, they don't "shut down" the view in winter.
Most important of all, the tourists shops selling caftans in size 3xx, limoncello, ceramic corkstoppers and beward the cani signs are SHUT DOWN!!!! Nowhere to shop.
To get serious for a moment:
Many of the best restaurants and hotels of Positano will be open, the magnificent views will be there, the lemons with be full to bursting cascading down the mountains, there will be crisp weather for hiking and walks and -- best of all -- you'll have all this mainly to your self, and not a lot of tourists or tourists tat to distract you.
I've nothing against Sorrento -- which will still be packing in the cruise ship tourists -- and it makes a much better base in February if you are planning an excursion to Capri and Pompeii. Sorrento is charming in the unique way that Sorrento is charming, and in February you will have a lemon extravaganza. But it's a big flat city and if you wanted to go to the Amalfi to hang out on a cliff and gaze at the sea and the twinkling cascading lights at night, they don't "shut down" the view in winter.
Sep 25th, 2009, 05:57 AM
#8
I didn't see group tours in Sorrento, but Amalfi was swamped with them. They were all wearing what seemed to be required tags. I wondered when they started numbering the tourists.
>>>if you wanted to go to the Amalfi to hang out on a cliff and gaze at the sea and the twinkling cascading lights at night, they don't "shut down" the view in winter.<<<
There are cliffs above Sorrento when you can stay and gaze at the views too.
>>>if you wanted to go to the Amalfi to hang out on a cliff and gaze at the sea and the twinkling cascading lights at night, they don't "shut down" the view in winter.<<<
There are cliffs above Sorrento when you can stay and gaze at the views too.
Sep 25th, 2009, 06:09 AM
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Yeah, but a big kick of being on the Amalfi coast and Positano in particular is being way up in the clouds and seeing the lights of the tiny town spill down the high hills at night to the sea. The cliffs of Sorrento are not the same.
The funny thing is, I actually like parts of Sorrento (in the lemon groves) more than I like Positano as a whole -- but I might like Positano more in February than I did in the part of year I was there, when I felt it to be overloaded with tourist shops selling faux-fashion crap, and too many people huffing and puffing and hating all those steps who apparently didn't understand where they were going when they booked the tour. I'd like having the romantic views to myself, the restaurants empty and not harried. And you never have to fight your way onto a bus.
I'll bet there are tourists in Positano all year round (February really is the month for lemons) and unless it's a six-week stay, you are hardly going to exhaust the good restaurant possibilities.
I find coastal towns off-season romantic in their abandoned privacy. But I even felt that way in NYC, where there can be snow on the sand. Not for everybody -- but you can't "shut down" Positano, unless you aren't going there for the beauty but are going there for the consumer goods.
The funny thing is, I actually like parts of Sorrento (in the lemon groves) more than I like Positano as a whole -- but I might like Positano more in February than I did in the part of year I was there, when I felt it to be overloaded with tourist shops selling faux-fashion crap, and too many people huffing and puffing and hating all those steps who apparently didn't understand where they were going when they booked the tour. I'd like having the romantic views to myself, the restaurants empty and not harried. And you never have to fight your way onto a bus.
I'll bet there are tourists in Positano all year round (February really is the month for lemons) and unless it's a six-week stay, you are hardly going to exhaust the good restaurant possibilities.
I find coastal towns off-season romantic in their abandoned privacy. But I even felt that way in NYC, where there can be snow on the sand. Not for everybody -- but you can't "shut down" Positano, unless you aren't going there for the beauty but are going there for the consumer goods.
Sep 25th, 2009, 06:15 AM
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Picture of Positano
http://www.italycarservice.it/img/lo...ositano_05.jpg
Picture of Sorrento
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Leaott/fi...5/Sorrento.jpg
http://www.italycarservice.it/img/lo...ositano_05.jpg
Picture of Sorrento
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Leaott/fi...5/Sorrento.jpg
Sep 25th, 2009, 08:55 AM
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I have been to most of the places around Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast in February and they are all beautiful all year around as far as I am concerned. I love the views from, say, the Hotel Minervetta in Sorrento (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Campania.html). The views from the rooms are of Mt. Vesuvius, Naples and the whole coastline. Breathtaking even during a winter storm.
Positano in February is quiet and calm and still beautiful and the views of the islands and sea come and go with the weather of course.
Amalfi is quiet and the locals are living their lives, same as Sorrento and the other towns along the coast.
During rainstorms which may occur in February with many rained out days I would rather be in Sorrento where more is going on during the night and day. It is personal preference whether you want solitude or a little local action.
Positano in February is quiet and calm and still beautiful and the views of the islands and sea come and go with the weather of course.
Amalfi is quiet and the locals are living their lives, same as Sorrento and the other towns along the coast.
During rainstorms which may occur in February with many rained out days I would rather be in Sorrento where more is going on during the night and day. It is personal preference whether you want solitude or a little local action.
Sep 26th, 2009, 12:10 PM
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Here is an excerpt from our March 2008 trip report:
On Saturday 3/15 we traveled from Palestrina to Sorrento via Rome and Naples. Cost-saving tip: took the IC Plus train from Rome to Naples instead of the Eurostar or AV trains. Savings = 12 euros per person each way. The IC plus train took two hours from Rome to Naples compared to 1.5 hours for the fast train.
The Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento was, as others have described, comparable to a big-city subway/elevated train ride. The Naples train station was a bit tricky, in that men in blue jackets would come up to us and hassle us about where we were going. We have heard that these men are trying to scam travelers for money in return for assistance with luggage, etc. We tried to ignore them by not making eye contact. The Circumvesuviana trains leave from the Garibaldi station, which is downstairs from the main Napoli Centrale tracks. It was somewhat difficult to get our suitcases down the stairs to the Garibaldi station. In return for these hassles, the fare from Naples to Sorrento was a cheap 3,30 Euros.
We arrived in Sorrento in the middle of the afternoon. Our B&B (Il Roseto) was halfway between two Circumvesuviana train stations. On the way in, we got off at the main Sorrento station and walked to the B&B. After settling in, we walked around Sorrento, and then had dinner in the old part of town at the Ristorante Giardiniello. Sorrento has only one main street, so it is relatively easy to get oriented to the town.
Day 8
Today was perhaps the highlight of our trip a visit to Pompeii. We were glad to be staying in Sorrento, so that we could get to Pompeii on a half-hour Circumvesuviana ride. Even so, we could have easily spent two days at Pompeii perhaps one day without the guidebook to just let it all sink in, and another day with a guidebook.
Our innkeeper recommended a restaurant in Sant Agnello, which is the town just east of Sorrento. We had a nice meal at Ristorante Peppino, which reminded my wife of her Italian grandmothers home cooking.
On the way to dinner, my wife tripped on the sidewalk and strained some muscles in her back. The sidewalks on Via Corso Italia are very narrow (and in some spots non-existent). This injury caused her discomfort, but she was able to walk without difficulties.
Day 9
This day was spent walking around Sorrento. Sorrento has a picturesque old section, highlighted by Via San Cesareo, a pedestrian-only shopping mecca. There is a lemon grove garden where you can get a free sample of limoncello (the local lemon liqueur). Sorrento sits on a bluff overlooking the sea the best view is from Villa Communale. We walked down through an ancient Greek gate to Marina Grande, a fishing village. We ate again at Ristorante Peppino.
Sorrento was pretty, but it is definitely a resort town with shopping as the main activity. The tour buses were already arriving, and I shudder to think how crowded the town must be during peak tourist season. We found the people to be less friendly than in other parts of Italy we have visited. Our theory was that the locals hardly have any respite from the hoards of tourists, so they develop a callous attitude. On the other hand, it was only March, and the tourist season had barely started. When we arrived in town, we asked a couple of locals if we were headed in the right direction to reach Corso dItalia (the main drag). The first two people refused to help us. The people working in the stores and restaurants seldom made eye contact, so it felt somewhat awkward to greet them with our usual Buon giorno.
Our B&B, the Il Roseto, was very nice, especially for the price of 65 euros a night. Michele and his family were polite and helpful. The rooms were clean and in good repair, although not overly large. The breakfast was close to the best that we have had anyplace in Italy.
On Saturday 3/15 we traveled from Palestrina to Sorrento via Rome and Naples. Cost-saving tip: took the IC Plus train from Rome to Naples instead of the Eurostar or AV trains. Savings = 12 euros per person each way. The IC plus train took two hours from Rome to Naples compared to 1.5 hours for the fast train.
The Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento was, as others have described, comparable to a big-city subway/elevated train ride. The Naples train station was a bit tricky, in that men in blue jackets would come up to us and hassle us about where we were going. We have heard that these men are trying to scam travelers for money in return for assistance with luggage, etc. We tried to ignore them by not making eye contact. The Circumvesuviana trains leave from the Garibaldi station, which is downstairs from the main Napoli Centrale tracks. It was somewhat difficult to get our suitcases down the stairs to the Garibaldi station. In return for these hassles, the fare from Naples to Sorrento was a cheap 3,30 Euros.
We arrived in Sorrento in the middle of the afternoon. Our B&B (Il Roseto) was halfway between two Circumvesuviana train stations. On the way in, we got off at the main Sorrento station and walked to the B&B. After settling in, we walked around Sorrento, and then had dinner in the old part of town at the Ristorante Giardiniello. Sorrento has only one main street, so it is relatively easy to get oriented to the town.
Day 8
Today was perhaps the highlight of our trip a visit to Pompeii. We were glad to be staying in Sorrento, so that we could get to Pompeii on a half-hour Circumvesuviana ride. Even so, we could have easily spent two days at Pompeii perhaps one day without the guidebook to just let it all sink in, and another day with a guidebook.
Our innkeeper recommended a restaurant in Sant Agnello, which is the town just east of Sorrento. We had a nice meal at Ristorante Peppino, which reminded my wife of her Italian grandmothers home cooking.
On the way to dinner, my wife tripped on the sidewalk and strained some muscles in her back. The sidewalks on Via Corso Italia are very narrow (and in some spots non-existent). This injury caused her discomfort, but she was able to walk without difficulties.
Day 9
This day was spent walking around Sorrento. Sorrento has a picturesque old section, highlighted by Via San Cesareo, a pedestrian-only shopping mecca. There is a lemon grove garden where you can get a free sample of limoncello (the local lemon liqueur). Sorrento sits on a bluff overlooking the sea the best view is from Villa Communale. We walked down through an ancient Greek gate to Marina Grande, a fishing village. We ate again at Ristorante Peppino.
Sorrento was pretty, but it is definitely a resort town with shopping as the main activity. The tour buses were already arriving, and I shudder to think how crowded the town must be during peak tourist season. We found the people to be less friendly than in other parts of Italy we have visited. Our theory was that the locals hardly have any respite from the hoards of tourists, so they develop a callous attitude. On the other hand, it was only March, and the tourist season had barely started. When we arrived in town, we asked a couple of locals if we were headed in the right direction to reach Corso dItalia (the main drag). The first two people refused to help us. The people working in the stores and restaurants seldom made eye contact, so it felt somewhat awkward to greet them with our usual Buon giorno.
Our B&B, the Il Roseto, was very nice, especially for the price of 65 euros a night. Michele and his family were polite and helpful. The rooms were clean and in good repair, although not overly large. The breakfast was close to the best that we have had anyplace in Italy.
May 12th, 2010, 11:46 AM
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thanks everyone for you replies...did not go in feb at all..ended up going to Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre and Tuscany instead...people said stay away from Rome at Easter (we went Easter Week) - I say stay away from italy on Sat, Sun, and Monday of Easter - crazy....
we are now planning a trip to amalfi coast in june...and looking for hotels in sorrento..
we are now planning a trip to amalfi coast in june...and looking for hotels in sorrento..
May 19th, 2010, 05:16 AM
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If anyone didn't see tour groups in Sorrento, then they weren't looking very hard. Because it is a great transportation hub as well as the lovely setting, it is tour group central for that part of the country.
May 19th, 2010, 04:50 PM
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I'm loving this question....we've just been in March this year, 2010. It was our choice to drive straight through Sorrento - we didn't like the look or feel of it, dirtier and bigger than Positano! Positano to us felt more like a small fishing village. My husband even went off fishing with a local!
All of those people saying that Positano 'shuts down' during this time have obviously NEVER been there. The weather was to die for...beautiful sunny days. We had the most wonderful eperiences in Positano, simply because the crowds aren't there at that time of the year. We mingled with locals. We sat on the beach and had it to ourselves. The kids even had a swim, albeit a quick one! We didn't have to wait for service in any of the restaurants and managed on most occasions to get a table on the waterfront. The only business that wasn't open was the nightclub on the cliff face, probably because it was being rennovated at the time, but that didn't bother us. We relaxed and actually had a 'holiday'!
On one of the days we travelled along to Amalfi, which was worth the effort. A little busier and more touristy than Positano, but interesting and equally as beautiful. The drive itself was mindblowing! Breathtakingly scenic.
There is a funny little saying we did hear in Positano...The English go to Sorrento & the Americans go to Positano. Since we're neither, we took it as a chance to meet some lovely people.
We loved Positano so much that we extended our stay there and decided not to spend any time in Naples. A decision we were so glad of when we drove through it! Pompeii was covered in a day visit.
All of those people saying that Positano 'shuts down' during this time have obviously NEVER been there. The weather was to die for...beautiful sunny days. We had the most wonderful eperiences in Positano, simply because the crowds aren't there at that time of the year. We mingled with locals. We sat on the beach and had it to ourselves. The kids even had a swim, albeit a quick one! We didn't have to wait for service in any of the restaurants and managed on most occasions to get a table on the waterfront. The only business that wasn't open was the nightclub on the cliff face, probably because it was being rennovated at the time, but that didn't bother us. We relaxed and actually had a 'holiday'!
On one of the days we travelled along to Amalfi, which was worth the effort. A little busier and more touristy than Positano, but interesting and equally as beautiful. The drive itself was mindblowing! Breathtakingly scenic.
There is a funny little saying we did hear in Positano...The English go to Sorrento & the Americans go to Positano. Since we're neither, we took it as a chance to meet some lovely people.
We loved Positano so much that we extended our stay there and decided not to spend any time in Naples. A decision we were so glad of when we drove through it! Pompeii was covered in a day visit.
