Hello all. I've enjoyed reading these pages for years, but at last have a direct question/s to ask. Does anyone have any advice for the following?

1. I've read the hiking season in the Dolomites doesn't start to mid June. Are there any rifugi or walks people know of that would be "open" for hiking in May? What would be a good base for hiking in the Dolomites region?

2. Has anyone walked in the Aeolian Islands? If you only had a shortish trip to Italy, would you include them before, say, Sicily? Thinking of taking a ferry out of Naples.

3. Is Sorrento a good base for seeing Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum? I'm a bit nervous about stying in Naples.

Thanks in advance and apologies for so many questions!
Bel

I can answer the question about Sorrento. It is the best place to stay for Pompeii and Herculaneum if you don't want to stay in Naples. You take a commuter train called Circumvesuviana from Sorrento right to either of them. Paestium is on the far end of the Amalfi Coast and is closer to Salerno so it isn't close but it can be done using busses, ferries or a train from Naples down to Salerno and transferring.

Put these sites in the search box and you will get alot of good tips from the pros here that know the area and have posted many times answers to your questions.

Hi Bellbird
We visited the Dolomites in late May. The higher trails were snowy; lower areas, for example the huge alpine meadow Alpe di Siusi, were green and lush and hikable. We stayed in Castelrotto, which was a great location with a variey of lodging options. We stayed in a "garni" (like a b&b); plenty of these, as well as hotels. We also went into Cortina; in late May the town itself was definitely in the off-season, much quiter and shut down than Castelrotto. There is a dolomite website, I think it is dolomites.com, that is helpful. Even though we couldn't hike high up, this area is spectacular!

Hi Bellbird,

Naples is a much better base for visiting Herculaneum, Pompeii and Paestum. You can take the train right to Paestum by way of Salerno.

There is no reason to be concerned about Naples. We recently spent 3 nights there. It is chaotic, but not unsafe.

You might find the Naples part of my trip report helpful.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

I agree with Chardonnay, I would rather stay in Sorrento than in Naples. I would stay along the area of La Minervetta hotel and have beautiful views and easy access to the train to Pompeii and Herc. From Sorrento you can catch a SITA bus to Salerno and then transfer to Past.

Sorrento is a much more pleasant place to stay on the Amalfi Coast, but Naples is nice to visit if you want.

Hi

From Sorrento you catch a SITA bus to Amalfi. From there you take the bus to Salerno. From there you take the bus or train to Paestum. If there is traffic between Sorrento and Amalfi, the bus ride can take *hours*.

You can also take a ferry from Sorrento to Salerno and the the train or bus to Paestum. Coming back you will have to take the buses. The last ferry is about 5:00 PM.

Two small towns in the Dolomites, Siusi and Fie allo Sciliar, would put you close to Puflatch, a plateau in the Dolomites with a circular hike. Either town is very very pretty. Puflatch was approximately a 20 minute drive from Siusi.

We visited Panarea in July several years ago. We walked out to the Etruscan fields along the coastline. It was hotter than hot.

Naples is wonderful! The new mayor has done considerable work in getting things under -well, - reasonable control. Cars now stop, most of them at least, at traffic lights. The city is vivacious, baroque, and a joy to see.

Carol L

Thanking you all for the good advice so far. Hopefully this will move back up the top and get some more?!

Salerno seems to be a hub for transport in the south. Worth staying at instead?

The Aeolian islands ARE in Sicily! They are part of the province of Messina, in the region of Sicily, and they are located off the northern coast of the main island of Sicily. The islands are lovely and very much worth a visit, but I don't think I'd want to go there INSTEAD of going to the rest of Sicily. The Aeolians would fit into your trip very well if you are taking a fairly long trip to Sicily, or if your trip is focusing on northern or northeastern Sicily. (I personally wouldn't go to the Aeolian islands if I were taking just a short trip to Italy.) Yes, I've walked there, when I was on a walking/hiking tour of eastern Sicily a few years ago. Salina was a wonderful island for not too difficult hiking and views. I also walked in Lipari. Most of the people in my group also hiked on Vulcano, but I did not take that hike, and I also don't recommend hiking on Vulcano because of the fumes.

You might be interested in the area called the "Lucanian Dolomites." It is a part of Basilicata (also called Lucania) that has mountains that look very much like the Dolomites of the north. There are little towns built right into the sides of sharp vertical rocks, e.g., the town of Pietrapertosa. Maybe it would be warmer there and the hiking season might start earlier. I was there in May a few years ago, and it was quite warm. I was not hiking there, and I really don't know whether there are trails for hiking. I know that in Pollino park there are, but that is not the Lucanian Dolomites.

CMT, thanks for the very good advice. I stand corrected on the Aeolian Islands, I meant "mainland Sicily"! I've a slight volcano fetish, hence volcanoes must be part of the trip, regardless of time! Maybe stick to Vesuvius?!

I didn't want to discourage you from going to Sicily. If you want a real volcano, there's Etna! It's active, the views of it are beautiful, you can usually take a trip part way up, and when it is very active, you can see and experience the effects many miles away.
Or Stromboli, which I didn't see. Just not Vulcano, because it smells awful.

Ciao Bel,

If you require any Hiking information relating the the Amalfi Coast and the Sorrento Peninsular,please email me

At the Aeolian islands, we did a day trip from Lipari to Stromboli. Our boat stayed until after dark and bobbed around off shore to see the spectacular "show" the volcano provided, and we returned to Lipari just before midnight. Others stayed there and did the evening hike up to the top of Stromboli -- quite a hike (you must go with a guide), and returned in the wee hours of the morning.
I felt ill after half a day on Vulcano, those fumes really did get to me. Didn't notice that at all on Stromboli.
I'm looking forward to hiking from Ravello to near Positano on the "Path of the Gods". I'm hoping it is half as wonderful as some of the information makes it sound.

I am hardly a sesoned hiker, but the Alpi Suisi near Castelrotto sure did impress me--do not miss it.