amalfi coast

How long will you be in Italy or in the Amalfi Coast region and is this your first trip to Italy? These answers will make a difference in how comfortable you are at making all the transportation connections. If you are flying into Rome and then going to the AC you probably want to stay at least 1 night in Rome to catch your breath (and see some sights) before your journey south. To get to Ravello you have a few options, all of these get you to Sorrento where you will take a bus or taxi to Ravello: 1-You can take a bus from Rome directly to Sorrento; 2-take the train from Rome to Naples. In Naples take a cab to the Port of Naples then a ferry to Sorrento, Or from Naples take the Circumvensuvian train to Sorrento (you could stop at Pompeii for a couple of hours on the way); 3- There are private car services that will take you from Rome to Ravello for a set price. This may be worth it to you if you don't want to do all the connections. Being based in Ravello you are not too far from Positano, Amalfi Town, etc. A guidebook can give you a map and distances. Each of these towns offers an abundance of eating, shopping and sights to see. The most beautiful sights are the towns themselves and the natural beauty of the coast. The famous handpainted pottery is everywhere in abundance and if you are there for a few days you will find which styles/manufactures you like best. Positano has lots of upscale $$$$ designer shopping, if that's your thing. You can take a bus, boat, or taxi between the towns if you do not have a car. I would not want a car there. Capri makes a good day-trip but does get crowded with day tourists. If you want to experience it without the crowds consider staying there a night or 2. We based in Sorrento so I cannot say which town you could catch a ferry to Capri from, but I think there is one. The management of the villa can give you this kind of information and may offer special transportation from Rome or Naples, too. Hope this wasn't too confusing.

Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate any information in advance to ensure my trip is problem free. This is my first trip to Italy and I am flying into Rome. I plan to stay in Rome for a couple of days and then head down to AC. It would be very nice not to have to make connections on the way. Do you have any idea how much a taxi or hired driver would charge for that trip and how long it would take compared to taking buses and trains. I would like to make the most of my time of course.

Also - is it a good idea to have my passport with me at all times?

We used Rick's recommended Monetti Tours ([email protected]) for a hired car and driver for a day to tour the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento. It was more expensive than the bus but one of the best "splurges" of our trip. I know they also do Rome to Amalfi transfers so you could check with them. This will be the most expensive option but, when you add train tickets, taxis, buses, time, luggage handling and aggravation together it may be worth it, We took the train, cab, ferry option I mentioned in my last post. That took at least half of the day, as I recall, but was a fun adventure. I don't know how long a drive it is by taxi or bus. The bus from Rome to Sorrento, Sorrento to Ravello may be your easiest option after a hired car. There is schedule and contact info for this in Rick's Italy Book. As for carrying your passport, we always carry ours mainly because we don't want them to disappear. We have never been asked to present them besides at our hotels, I think. Many hotels will ask for them and keep them for a few hours when you check in, this is normal. Make copies of your passports, credit cards, etc. and keep them somewhere safe so if anything disappears or is stolen you have copies.

Also, you may like to consider staying in Sorrento a night or 2 before or after Ravello. That would break up the transportation from Rome to Ravello a bit. It is a fun city with it's own attractions and you can travel to Capri or Pompeii easily from there.

I did that trip several years ago by car basing in Priano--Hotel Margharita--wonderful experience. It is between Positano and Amalfi. We went to Positano, Amalfi, Capri (for the day and it is worth it)and Ravello. My memory is that Ravello is at the top of a small mtn. reached by a very narrow winding road unless things have changed--I was there in 92/93. If this is the same town,it would not be a good base in my opinion. Also went to Sorrento and did some shopping, but it's larger and not my favorite. I think it would be hard to do without a car, but the driving along that coast is treacherous to say the least. I don't know if I would do it today! Good luck!

Hi Linda,

We spent a week on the Amalfi Coast last June and loved it! We also based in Ravello and it worked out well for us. It is a quiet place and we likd d to be able to go to the touristy towns of Amalfi, Positano and Capri; but then be able to come back to a peaceful and quiet place.

There are hiking trails that connect each town. These are not easy trails and consist mostly of stairs. We are in good physical condition, so this was ideal for us; but it wasn't easy.

Amalfi was about a twenty minute walk from where we were in Ravello. If you are staying at the top of the village then you are looking at a 45 minute hike. From Amalfi you can catch the ferry for the hydro foil to all of the other towns. There is an early morning hydro foil to Capri and it makes for a good day trip.

You will love it there. I dream of going back.

If you go to Capri, be sure to take the one person chair lift to the top of the mountain in AnaCapri (I think that is the correct town) if it is a nice day. The ride up and down was like floating and the views are superb.