Trip Report - September in Rome, Naples, Amalfi Coast and more
Sep 30th, 2006, 08:34 AM
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Trip Report - September in Rome, Naples, Amalfi Coast and more
Thanks to all the Fodorites who answered my specific questions or just posted great information. It really helped make our 20th anniversary trip to Southern Italy fantastic. (SlowTrav and TripAdvisor were a big help too.)
So I’m ‘giving back’ with my trip report.
Rome – 3 nights
We did the Scavi tour of St. Peter's, which was great, and I highly recommend it. We also did the Vatican’s tour of the Vatican Museum. Again, I recommend it -- both because you can jump the queue and because the guides know how to steer around the worst of the crowds. The Vatican was the only part of our trip where crowds marred the experience. It’s hard to be in awe in the Sistine Chapel when you’re shoulder to shoulder with hordes of tourists, many of whom ignore the request for silence.
We stayed at Residenza in Farnese. I highly recommend the hotel for its great location near piazza Campo de Fiori. It’s expensive, starting at E330 per night, but we used Amex points so it didn’t hurt so much. It has a nice TV/reading area, which was helpful since two of our three days were cold and rainy – we bought a bottle of wine and relaxed in the afternoon after our morning touring.
Campo de Fiori provided enough cafes, street life and restaurants that we didn’t need to wander far at night. Of the nearby restaurants I we really enjoyed Grappolo d’oro Zampano at Piazza Cancelleria.
Quadrelle – 3 nights
We stayed in this little village in the countryside as a base to visit my father-in-law’s town, Bagnoli Irpino. It's a lovely part of Italy, with skiing in the winter and a lake for summer. If the dollar weren’t so weak I’d consider renting a place here in the summer. But alas, we can do better in the U.S. for an ‘r and r’ vacation.
On our way from Rome to Quadrelle we visited the Reggia di Caserta – the palace built by Charles III in the 18th century. This place is on the scale of Versailles, even bigger I believe, but almost unknown. I thought this was a real find and recommend a stop if you’re in the area.
We took day trips from Quadrelle to Pompei and Paestum. Pompei needs no introduction - it’s a must-see. I enjoyed Paestum, and we have some awesome pictures, but it is quite a drive – about 30 minutes on the dreary SS18 plus the time from wherever you are traveling from. That said, I’m glad we did it. I do agree with the tour books that it would be great to stay overnight and see the temples lit up at night. There’s a beach nearby, which we didn’t get to see, but the two combined might make for a nice few days.
Positano – 3 nights
All I can say is – wow! My husband and I have a timeshare in Puerto Vallarta that is built into the side of a mountain – it’s open-air, with a view of the bay. So I was expecting about the same in Positano. And actually, it is very similar, but the Amalfi Coast scenery is more dramatic; the water is cleaner; the area is more upscale – so it certainly wasn’t the same-old, same-old for us. I thought I would have my fill after three days, but I could definitely have stayed longer. (It helped that the rain cleared out, and we had three gorgeous days.)
We stayed at the Hotel Miramare, which I would recommend. At E240/night, it’s not bad for Positano, and Rosaria and Nicola are as nice and helpful as everyone says. I also thought the location was good – about midway between the beach and the top of the hill. That said, do be prepared for lots of steps if you go. If you stay there, I recommend paying for a taxi from Sorrento rather than taking a SITA bus, then a local bus to drop you at the top of their steps. And do take advantage of the free boat ride they offer – the scenery is great, and it’s a very relaxing way to spend a couple hours.
We ate at the restaurant of Miramare’s sister hotel, Palazzo Murat. The setting is beautiful and the food very good. But it was our most expensive meal of the trip, even with a 10% discount for staying at Miramare.
The only thing we would change about the entire trip was the concert at Ravello. I thought it would be magical to hear classical music outside in such a gorgeous setting. But the concert was inside – probably because of the recent rain and the cool evenings, so it was really just another concert. And the taxi ride there and back was tiring and very expensive. But we ate at Cumpa Cosimo, which was good and entertaining, and we did get to see another Amalfi town, so it wasn’t all bad.
Naples – 2 nights
I have to admit, I was wary about going to Naples, especially after loving Positano so much. We even tried to stay another night in Positano, but the Miramare didn’t have a room available, and we didn’t feel like moving to another hotel for one night, so we stuck with plan A.
Boy, am I glad we did – though the start was rocky.
We had booked a ride with Francesco Marrapese, recommended by many here. He sent another driver, Adriano, which was fine since Adriano is a Neapolitan so he could gave us an entertaining rundown on the city. Like everyone else, he advised us to remove our jewelry and Rolexes (yeah, as if) before we went wandering around and to avoid the Spanish quarter. As we drove into town, he pointed out that yes, the Neapolitans do regard stopping at red lights optional; there were three boys on a scooter with no helmets, and women crossing the streets with babies with traffic coming from all directions – ie, just the madness we’d read about. Also, the buildings are scarred with graffiti. I’m from Trenton, NJ, a town that has its share of crime and grit, and I go into New York City often, so I’m comfortable in cities – but my initial reaction was really negative. I wondered if we had made the right decision to stay here for two nights.
I had selected our hotel, Costantinopoli 104, specifically for its location in Centro Storico and because it was said to be a haven in the madness of Napoli. Upon our arrival we were told that they didn’t have a room for us!! We would have to spend our first night in Hotel Santa Lucia. I was, of course, furious, but off we went. (Costantinopoli picked up the taxi ride each way.) Although the Santa Lucia isn’t to my taste – it’s a business hotel – its location is fabulous. It overlooks the bay and is right across from the Castel dell’Ovo. Plus, there is no graffiti here – I suppose since the area caters to business travelers. So it’s a more inviting introduction to the city. We toured the Castel and ended up strolling quite a bit, coming upon a palace, numerous beautiful churches and the Saturday passegiata along pedestrian-only streets. We had a great dinner of pizza and clams at a restaurant recommended by our driver, Marino, and ended the day liking Naples very much.
The next day we returned to Costantinopoli 104. This was actually our favorite hotel of the trip, not counting the view from our room in Positano. We were upgraded to a junior suite, which was on two levels and found the courtyard with a pool to indeed be a haven. We spent most of our second day at the Archeological Museum, which is another must-see, especially if you’ve been to Pompei. So sadly we ended our stay wishing we had MORE time in Naples. (And Positano, and time for Capri, etc, etc.)
Finally - a fashion note. There is a lot of discussion on whether or not to wear jeans in Italy. If you like jeans, definitely wear them. I felt like I blended in more when I wore jeans than any other time. It was only in the countryside that I saw jeans less – but even then they wouldn’t have been out of place.
And as for shoes, if you like those funky sneakers in fun colors, they are everywhere. I went for comfort and wore Ecco Mary Janes. Maybe not the most stylish, but my usually bad feet held up well in hours of walking and standing. And as everyone says, when you’re carrying a guidebook and a camera and speaking English – the Italians have a clue that you’re a tourist. Ciao!
So I’m ‘giving back’ with my trip report.
Rome – 3 nights
We did the Scavi tour of St. Peter's, which was great, and I highly recommend it. We also did the Vatican’s tour of the Vatican Museum. Again, I recommend it -- both because you can jump the queue and because the guides know how to steer around the worst of the crowds. The Vatican was the only part of our trip where crowds marred the experience. It’s hard to be in awe in the Sistine Chapel when you’re shoulder to shoulder with hordes of tourists, many of whom ignore the request for silence.
We stayed at Residenza in Farnese. I highly recommend the hotel for its great location near piazza Campo de Fiori. It’s expensive, starting at E330 per night, but we used Amex points so it didn’t hurt so much. It has a nice TV/reading area, which was helpful since two of our three days were cold and rainy – we bought a bottle of wine and relaxed in the afternoon after our morning touring.
Campo de Fiori provided enough cafes, street life and restaurants that we didn’t need to wander far at night. Of the nearby restaurants I we really enjoyed Grappolo d’oro Zampano at Piazza Cancelleria.
Quadrelle – 3 nights
We stayed in this little village in the countryside as a base to visit my father-in-law’s town, Bagnoli Irpino. It's a lovely part of Italy, with skiing in the winter and a lake for summer. If the dollar weren’t so weak I’d consider renting a place here in the summer. But alas, we can do better in the U.S. for an ‘r and r’ vacation.
On our way from Rome to Quadrelle we visited the Reggia di Caserta – the palace built by Charles III in the 18th century. This place is on the scale of Versailles, even bigger I believe, but almost unknown. I thought this was a real find and recommend a stop if you’re in the area.
We took day trips from Quadrelle to Pompei and Paestum. Pompei needs no introduction - it’s a must-see. I enjoyed Paestum, and we have some awesome pictures, but it is quite a drive – about 30 minutes on the dreary SS18 plus the time from wherever you are traveling from. That said, I’m glad we did it. I do agree with the tour books that it would be great to stay overnight and see the temples lit up at night. There’s a beach nearby, which we didn’t get to see, but the two combined might make for a nice few days.
Positano – 3 nights
All I can say is – wow! My husband and I have a timeshare in Puerto Vallarta that is built into the side of a mountain – it’s open-air, with a view of the bay. So I was expecting about the same in Positano. And actually, it is very similar, but the Amalfi Coast scenery is more dramatic; the water is cleaner; the area is more upscale – so it certainly wasn’t the same-old, same-old for us. I thought I would have my fill after three days, but I could definitely have stayed longer. (It helped that the rain cleared out, and we had three gorgeous days.)
We stayed at the Hotel Miramare, which I would recommend. At E240/night, it’s not bad for Positano, and Rosaria and Nicola are as nice and helpful as everyone says. I also thought the location was good – about midway between the beach and the top of the hill. That said, do be prepared for lots of steps if you go. If you stay there, I recommend paying for a taxi from Sorrento rather than taking a SITA bus, then a local bus to drop you at the top of their steps. And do take advantage of the free boat ride they offer – the scenery is great, and it’s a very relaxing way to spend a couple hours.
We ate at the restaurant of Miramare’s sister hotel, Palazzo Murat. The setting is beautiful and the food very good. But it was our most expensive meal of the trip, even with a 10% discount for staying at Miramare.
The only thing we would change about the entire trip was the concert at Ravello. I thought it would be magical to hear classical music outside in such a gorgeous setting. But the concert was inside – probably because of the recent rain and the cool evenings, so it was really just another concert. And the taxi ride there and back was tiring and very expensive. But we ate at Cumpa Cosimo, which was good and entertaining, and we did get to see another Amalfi town, so it wasn’t all bad.
Naples – 2 nights
I have to admit, I was wary about going to Naples, especially after loving Positano so much. We even tried to stay another night in Positano, but the Miramare didn’t have a room available, and we didn’t feel like moving to another hotel for one night, so we stuck with plan A.
Boy, am I glad we did – though the start was rocky.
We had booked a ride with Francesco Marrapese, recommended by many here. He sent another driver, Adriano, which was fine since Adriano is a Neapolitan so he could gave us an entertaining rundown on the city. Like everyone else, he advised us to remove our jewelry and Rolexes (yeah, as if) before we went wandering around and to avoid the Spanish quarter. As we drove into town, he pointed out that yes, the Neapolitans do regard stopping at red lights optional; there were three boys on a scooter with no helmets, and women crossing the streets with babies with traffic coming from all directions – ie, just the madness we’d read about. Also, the buildings are scarred with graffiti. I’m from Trenton, NJ, a town that has its share of crime and grit, and I go into New York City often, so I’m comfortable in cities – but my initial reaction was really negative. I wondered if we had made the right decision to stay here for two nights.
I had selected our hotel, Costantinopoli 104, specifically for its location in Centro Storico and because it was said to be a haven in the madness of Napoli. Upon our arrival we were told that they didn’t have a room for us!! We would have to spend our first night in Hotel Santa Lucia. I was, of course, furious, but off we went. (Costantinopoli picked up the taxi ride each way.) Although the Santa Lucia isn’t to my taste – it’s a business hotel – its location is fabulous. It overlooks the bay and is right across from the Castel dell’Ovo. Plus, there is no graffiti here – I suppose since the area caters to business travelers. So it’s a more inviting introduction to the city. We toured the Castel and ended up strolling quite a bit, coming upon a palace, numerous beautiful churches and the Saturday passegiata along pedestrian-only streets. We had a great dinner of pizza and clams at a restaurant recommended by our driver, Marino, and ended the day liking Naples very much.
The next day we returned to Costantinopoli 104. This was actually our favorite hotel of the trip, not counting the view from our room in Positano. We were upgraded to a junior suite, which was on two levels and found the courtyard with a pool to indeed be a haven. We spent most of our second day at the Archeological Museum, which is another must-see, especially if you’ve been to Pompei. So sadly we ended our stay wishing we had MORE time in Naples. (And Positano, and time for Capri, etc, etc.)
Finally - a fashion note. There is a lot of discussion on whether or not to wear jeans in Italy. If you like jeans, definitely wear them. I felt like I blended in more when I wore jeans than any other time. It was only in the countryside that I saw jeans less – but even then they wouldn’t have been out of place.
And as for shoes, if you like those funky sneakers in fun colors, they are everywhere. I went for comfort and wore Ecco Mary Janes. Maybe not the most stylish, but my usually bad feet held up well in hours of walking and standing. And as everyone says, when you’re carrying a guidebook and a camera and speaking English – the Italians have a clue that you’re a tourist. Ciao!
Sep 30th, 2006, 08:43 AM
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Happy 20th Anniversary! What a wonderful way to celebrate. We, too, had Adriano provide transport for us last week...internet creates a small world. He was a hoot! Enjoyed your report. I agree, the crowds in the Vatican museum take away much of the atmosphere.
Sep 30th, 2006, 04:53 PM
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Pat,
So glad you had a wonderful trip and thanks for the trip report, especially the positive comments on Napoli!
I only had 1 night there, but would have loved at least a couple more. Very interesting city and nice people.
Ciao!
So glad you had a wonderful trip and thanks for the trip report, especially the positive comments on Napoli!
I only had 1 night there, but would have loved at least a couple more. Very interesting city and nice people.
Ciao!
Sep 30th, 2006, 07:12 PM
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Hi Pat,
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for your trip report--DH and I are headed to Naples in December and have reservations at the Costantinopoli 104 so I was happy to read your review... Do you know why they didn't have a room for you? I like to prepare for the worst, hope for the best! ;-)
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for your trip report--DH and I are headed to Naples in December and have reservations at the Costantinopoli 104 so I was happy to read your review... Do you know why they didn't have a room for you? I like to prepare for the worst, hope for the best! ;-)
Oct 1st, 2006, 05:50 AM
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Happy 20th Anniversary Pat! You chose a special area to celebrate.
I love the format of your trip report, quite easy to follow. And am glad that you visited and enjoyed Naples inspite of the chaos, graffiti etc. I have always had such a good time in Naples, well except for trying to cross the streets, lol. Your timeshare in PV sounds lovely also, and place that I have always so enjoyed. Wishing you many more beautiful trips.
I love the format of your trip report, quite easy to follow. And am glad that you visited and enjoyed Naples inspite of the chaos, graffiti etc. I have always had such a good time in Naples, well except for trying to cross the streets, lol. Your timeshare in PV sounds lovely also, and place that I have always so enjoyed. Wishing you many more beautiful trips.
Oct 1st, 2006, 08:53 AM
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Hi Pat: Happy 20th anniversary and glad you had a great trip. I enjoyed reading your trip report.
My husband and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary next year with a trip to Scotland and Italy. Our time in Italy will be spent - Rome 7 nights, April 14 - 21, and Positano 7 nights, 21 - 28. On leaving Positano we have three more nights before returning to Canada from Rome on May 1,2007. Our flight leaves at 13.35.
I had been thinking two nights in Sorrento and one night in a Hotel close to the airport in Rome, but as we could possibly visit both Sorrento and Capri from Positano any suggestions for other stops on our way back north to Rome would be greatly appreciated.?
We are renting a car to drive from Rome to Positano and will have it until we get back to the Airport in Rome. We have driven in Europe frequently, including Italy.
Thanks for any suggestions you can send my way.
My husband and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary next year with a trip to Scotland and Italy. Our time in Italy will be spent - Rome 7 nights, April 14 - 21, and Positano 7 nights, 21 - 28. On leaving Positano we have three more nights before returning to Canada from Rome on May 1,2007. Our flight leaves at 13.35.
I had been thinking two nights in Sorrento and one night in a Hotel close to the airport in Rome, but as we could possibly visit both Sorrento and Capri from Positano any suggestions for other stops on our way back north to Rome would be greatly appreciated.?
We are renting a car to drive from Rome to Positano and will have it until we get back to the Airport in Rome. We have driven in Europe frequently, including Italy.
Thanks for any suggestions you can send my way.
Oct 4th, 2006, 09:00 AM
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If you haven't visited Pompeii or Herculaneum they would definitely be worth a visit. We didn't stay there, but from what I saw and have read in guidebooks they don't sound like the most charming cities. So maybe you should base yourself in Sorrento for two nights and do daytrips from there. There is also a coral factory in Torre Del Greco that I wanted to visit. Not worth a full day, but just another idea for ways to spend time if you stay in Sorrento for a couple of days.
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