Amalfi Coast

We chose Sorrento as our base because it seems easy access and central to other things we want to do. We choose a B&B - Villa Monica - check it out on TripAdvisor. . . it's the #2 in Sorrento. We have booked several day trips to Herculanium (we chose this over Pompeii - same volcano destruction, smaller area), Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ravello, Positano. We booked thru a tour company that Rick Steves has partnered with -- www.sharedtoursmondoguideforricksteves.com. We also signed up for a SORRENTO FOOD TOUR, www.sorrentofoodtours.com, that we found on TripAdvisor that has really good reviews too. It's fun to see what others are doing.

David, this link is more for folks reviewing where they have recently been. You may get more responses from the Destination Q&A link, Italy.

we found sorrento an ideal base,( good transport links etc and good size town, with lots to look at) we day tripped to positano. we could walk around sorrento each night trying different restaurants. however we spent about half a day in positano and walked around the whole town ( very steep in parts) it was beautiful but expensive.
pompeii was great, also capri/anacapri ( check out villa san michele and the chairlift at anacapri, for a day out with great views)

My husband and I stayed at Villa Mary B&B in Positano a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Positano is much smaller than Sorrento, which is why we chose to stay there. We were able to get to Capri and some of the other towns very easily from there, via ferry (which is a fantastic way to travel up/down the coast) and/or bus. We actually did a really nice hike from there, as well. However, if you are driving and want a good base for road trips or organized tours, then Sorrento is definitely your place. Additionally, Positano is quite steep, as one of the other posts indicated, so if you are not keep on walking up/down hills, then Positano is not for you.

if money isnt an object stay in ravello. wonderful town. but if you are like most of us, it may be a little bit of sticker shock.
sorrento is a good town to use as a base to visit the entire coast. we stayed at hotel antiche mura. it is ideally situated in town. it has a covered garage if you are driving. the staff and grounds are great.
sorrento is a great town not to large and not too small.

if money isnt an object stay in ravello. wonderful town. but if you are like most of us, it may be a little bit of sticker shock.
sorrento is a good town to use as a base to visit the entire coast. we stayed at hotel antiche mura. it is ideally situated in town. it has a covered garage if you are driving. the staff and grounds are great.
sorrento is a great town not to large and not too small.

Another vote for Sorrento - which is actually the Sorrentine Peninsula and not the Amalfi Coast. IMHO transport options are more frequent and varied from there (bus, local train, ferries). Keep in mind that the ferries only run to locations on the Amalfi coast during the warmer months (not sure when your trip is), and do not dock in Positano at all on a stormy or windy day with rough seas.

Local train service makes it easy to get to to Pompeii in just 30-40 minutes or so, or to day-trip to Naples or Herculaneum. Ferries from Sorrento run to Capri all year long, and yes, you can catch them from the docks to points around the Amalfi during the season they operate - although I wouldn't use them at lot if on a budget, or if wishing to stay in a location later into the day: some of the last runs can be pretty early. Depending on where you're going and what time you wish to leave/arrive, buses are a better option.

Restaurant suggestions are better answered once you decide where to locate. I see Hotel Antiche Mura was suggested in previous post? While we've stayed there and enjoyed it as well, it's not a B&B, and I wouldn't call it moderately priced depending on what "moderate" means to you? What is the price per night you're looking to spend?