Southen Italy City Order Advice
 

Greetings. Planning a trip to S. Italy in Oct 2016 and would appreciate some advice/opinions on the order of the cities/towns we'd like to stay at.

Option 1:
Day Fly into Naples (around noon), then train to Sorrento for 3-4 nights.
Ferry/bus to Amalfi for 3 nights.
Ferry/bus to Positano for 3 nights.
Ferry/train to Naples, stay 3-4 nights then fly out.

Option 2:
Go directly to Amalfi after landing in Naples, then go to Positano, then Sorrento, then finish up in Naples.

Would it be very difficult to go all the way to Amalfi as soon as we land? I believe the train to Sorrento is a bit over an hour, then we could hop a ferry to Amalfi. Or would it seem better to get to Sorrento and then stay put for several days and explore the city/surrounding area (Capri, Pompeii, etc)? Please share your thoughts.

Also, any thoughts on staying in Amalfi vs Ravello. I was thinking of staying in Amalfi and going up to Ravello during a day or two. We are young-ish couple that enjoy exploring areas on foot. Thank you.

No need to split your time between Positano and Amalfi. They are not far apart and there are frequent buses and ferries between the two. I assume you are staying in Sorrento to see Pompeii and Herculaneum?

If you stay in Amalfi or Positano for 6 nights, you then have the option of renting an apartment, which will give you more room, the ability to do laundry and it is usually cheaper than a hotel.

I always rent an apartment in Positano for a week and prearrange for a driver to meet us at the airport and take us directly to Positano. Cost is 100 euro.

I would not stay in Ravello, as it is too remote and quiet for my taste. But if you are looking to have a quiet few days just for hiking, then it may suit you.

Yes, we will do trips to Pompeii/Herculaneum from Sorrento, possibly Capri and other areas as well, though I'm still researching.

Agreed, we always rent apartments as we love having kitchen/laundry. I was thinking 3 days in both of those towns so we could experience them more fully than if we simply did day trips.

Thank you for your advice on Ravello. I believe it will be interesting to visit for a day but would rather stay down in Amalfi near the water.

I'm wondering if it makes sense to go directly to Amalfi, or stay several days in Sorrento first...perhaps it doesn't really matter either way? Sounds like transportation in that region is quite good. Any experiences/advice is appreciated.

In your first post you indicated that if you go to Sorrento first, you plan to take the train from Naples airport. If I am not mistaken, there is a bus from the Naples airport directly to Sorrento. (I don't know how long it takes or the cost.) But if it exists, it would be simpler than taking a bus or taxi from the airport to Napoli Centrale and then taking the train to Sorrento.

In your first post you also indicated you'd be interested in taking the ferry or train from Positano to Naples to fly home. There is no train from Positano. If you are discinclined to take a taxi, you would need to get to either Sorrento or Salerno to get a train to Naples central train station, and then a bus or taxi from there. Unless your departure flight is quite late in the day, you would need to spend your last night in Italy in Naples, not Positano. If you are in Positano your last night, most reliable way to get to the airport is a taxi.

Regarding whether to go to the coast upon landing or travel to Sorrento, different people have different takes on how much further they want to travel after their plane lands in Naples, and a lot of the difference depends on whether the traveler is already in Europe and flying to Naples, or whether the traveler is flying transoceanic to Naples, with a plane switch or two. Other considerations are how much money people are willing to spend, susceptibility to motion sickness, and their attitude toward schlepping even carryon luggage (esp if it rains) on and off buses, trains and ferries, and up stairs.

For folks like me, it's absolutely worth it to get a taxi and take the fastest route to the hotel/apartment door. I'd rather economize on something else. Other people slice the travel salami differently.

I don't know if the ferries from Sorrento or Salerno to the Amalfi coast run if the weather is very windy (therefore seas are choppy). I'm sure someone else does.

So dealer's choice about whether to put Sorrento at the front or the end of the trip or the back end.

Hi sandralist.
Thank you for your reply. I'm not worried about figuring out the means of transport to/from the cities and towns (I enjoy that part of the research process). I was merely checking that there wasn't an insider's reason for putting Sorrento at the beginning verses the end of the trip and you have verified that it really doesn't matter. Also that it wasn't too difficult to go directly to Amalfi and again you answer that question. I appreciate your insight.

Personally I like the idea of starting in Amalfi, then moving onto Positano next, following by Sorrento and finally Naples. We will fly out of Naples and want to explore that city for a few days beforehand. We travel light/mobile and enjoy taking trains/ferries, though I will look into a private car or taxi for the Naples airport to Amalfi trip.

We can do 3 nights in each of those 4 places, with an extra night in one of them. Perhaps Sorrento would be the best choice for that extra night (so 4 nights total) so we could do day trips to more places? Thoughts?

Thanks again.

Given the number of days that you're able to spend in the area, I'd recommend that you research the Greek temples in Paestum to see if a visit there would be of interest.

Great idea bon voyage, thanks! I've seen a couple pics of that area and the temples look incredible. I'll definitely look into possible day trips to Paestum. Thanks again.

Depending on your October dates, ferries in the area Sorrento-Amalfi Coast start to wind back their services. Early October is fine - late October you may run into issues such as routes being scaled back. On the upside, the buses along the Amalfi Coast are much less crowded and run more frequently than the ferries - particularly the Sorrento/Positano/Amalfi run which has only one outbound and one inbound service per day.

Hi abs004,

The first time I visited that area I did a version of what you did, but rather the other way around: I started in Naples, visited Pompei on my way to Ravello, stayed in Ravello a few days and then relocated to another spot along the Amalfi to be by directly by the water. From there I visited the towns of Amalfi and Positano. Finally went to Naples airport to fly to Sicily.

What I enjoyed most about that trip was Pompeii and Naples, and have since returned to both places for longer visits (I took a day trip to Capri on a revisit from Naples.) What I enjoyed least was the bus rides in the Amalfi area to "daytrip" between towns. I was there in April, so there was no issue with crowds or lines. It was simply dealing with feelings of motion sickness on the buses. Fortunately they were only mild cases, and I learned not to eat or drink before the bus rides, sit by an open window, etc.

I never mind switching hotels and generally don't like the back-and-forth of "daytrips," even if they don't involve buses. So that's why I "road-tripped" through the area. However, I will say that the Amalfi towns are very tiny. In April, with no chance to swim, they didn't occupy me for more than an hour or so apart from meals. (I am not a shopper.) When the mist rolled in a few times, I spent my time reading.

If I were re-planning the same trip off-season, I think I would have spent nights in Pompei itself, more nights in Naples, and probably would have limited my time on the Amalfi drive to one day of having a driver take me to Ravello. If I were ever to stay in any of the towns again, I would pick Ravello and bring a lot to do with me, and just stay there to have a vacation and hike.
I didn't visit Sorrento except to be driven through the back hills on my way to the airport, and the lemon farms were very charming. If I were to go to Sorrento, I think I would stay there, in the lemon farms, even if it meant needing a taxi to get to the ferry docks or train station to go other places.

So those are my complete thoughts! Lots of different ways to go to the Amalfi, and much easier if motion sickness is never an issue for you. Like I said, for me the highlights were the cultural attractions away from the coast, and that was equally true when I went south again and included Paestum and Salerno, and a revisit to Naples. Much preferred it to my day in Capri.

Blueeyedcod, thank you for that thought! We will be there in mid/late Oct so I will plan on busses if the ferry routes are inconvenient or unavailable.



Sandralist, awesome info, exactly what I was looking for! Motion sickness isn’t a problem for one of us, a mild problem for the other. Recently on a trip through Greece, the buses/ferries didn’t cause any problems, though it sounds like the Amalfi road could be more treacherous.



While in Greece, we enjoyed the smaller towns of Oia and Naxos, though we were there in Sept so the weather was on the hot side and we could relax in chairs at the beach/apartment. It sounds like Amalfi and Positano are even smaller than those towns and that there isn’t a lot to do. We aren’t big shoppers but we really enjoy wandering streets and exploring the shops, restaurants, cafes, etc. In Greece we learned that slowing down and reading outside can also be highly enjoyable so I’m not worried about having a packed itinerary. However, perhaps we should either limit our stays at those towns to 2 nights each, or maybe 3-4 nights in one only, using that time to also visit the neighboring towns.



We enjoy exploring large cities as well and I think we’ll fall on the side of the people who love Naples. We want to tour Pompeii or Herc but one day should be enough (while in Rome years ago, we spent several hours wandering through Ostia Antica and it was the perfect amount of time). I’ll need to research more about Capri (taking the chair lift up the mountain seems fun) and visiting Paestum. We definitely want to stay in Sorrento so I will look into the lemon fields and all that the town has to offer. Cooking classes and walking tours are also something we have discussed trying, so maybe on this trip we will. It sounds like shifting extra days to Sorrento/Naples and spending less time in Amalfi/Positano is the way to go.



Again, thanks all, and please the info coming if you have more thoughts.

Not been to the towns in Greece that you have been to, but if you still find yourselves pondering the options, you might put up a thread asking people who've been to both for comparisons about size/similarities.

Many people prefer an overnight in Capri to a day trip. But if you are happy to be relaxing and enjoying the beauty, anywhere on the Amalfi coast dishes that up abundantly.

Pompeii is considerably bigger than Ostia Antica. Not urging you to overnight there, but just to be prepared for that. Also much hotter if the sun is shining between April-Oct.

Paestum is exceptionally beautiful and interesting, and it is often said that these are the best preserved temples in Europe.

Naples is an unforgettable city, and among my favorites in Europe.

Even though the choices seem overwhelming, whatever way to decide to arrange the touring is likely to yield lots of rewards.

I've spent time on Oia and there are similarities with Positano in terms of the abundant natural beauty and opportunities for relaxation. Positano has the edge in that you can leave and explore other places, like Amalfi, Ravello or even the unexplored towns like Scala and Atrani.

Not to add more angst to your choices, but there are other islands off Naples - Ischia and Procida. Procida is a perennial favourite of mine as it is unspoilt by mass tourism and yet has so much to offer - like an abandoned jail to explore, an historic centre, a picture perfect marina with fishing nets, cats and kids and some great food.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Touri...Vacations.html

There are also the almost unknown Vesuvian sites - the villas of Stabiae - which were only found in the 1950ws - and Oplontis
http://www.napoliunplugged.com/dont-...an-villas.html

Thank you sandralist and blueeyedcod! You've both given me much to consider, and I agree, no matter where we end up staying, it will be paradise.

I need to research more but now I'm leaning towards an itinerary more like:

~4 nights Positano (with exploration to Amalfi, Ravello, Scala, etc).
~4 nights Sorrento (possible visits to Capri, Herc/Mt. V/Pompeii, etc)
~4 nights Naples (Procida looks very intriguing, perhaps train/bus to Paestum)

That would give us more time in each town/city too with less moving around between apartments, which is appealing. Thanks again and I'm sure I'll be back with any additional questions. Cheers!

The schedules can be a tad difficult to come by, but there is also a direct bus from Naples airport to Salerno, where you could take a ferry to Positano.
I would only do this if the schedules were nearly seamless, but like you I don't mind public transport at all when it works well--and it did for me in this case. We were staying in Cetara, which is quite near to Salerno, so we arranged a pickup from our host. I rarely mind a boat trip after a long night of travel though. If you have to take the bus, then I would pay the 100 euro for a transfer, as time is money.
October should (fingers crossed) be great hiking weather.
I think this is the ferry website, but there may be other operators:
http://www.travelmar.it/en/
I think the bus is SITA bus, but their website is wack, so you'll have to do some digging to get a reliable schedule.

Good plan. It's best to see Pompeii (and Herculaneum) first, then go to the Archeological Museum in Naples.

It looks like a great trip! I hope you end up loving Positano as much as I do!

It's shaping up to be a great trip, abs004! According to its website, Goldentours in Sorrento offers day trips to Paestum and Salerno on Tuesdays until October 30 of this year.