amalfi coast

Steve, how are you planning to get to the coast from Palermo, and does your 3 days include the day that you make that transfer? Also, where are you off to after the coast, and what sorts of things do you want to do during your stay? All of this can be a factor in deciding a location. "Best" is also a subjective term so expect votes to be all over the place! :O)

we will be on a r.s. sicily tour sept 21 to oct 2 or so. we will either fly into nap and spend a couple nights there then go to amalfi for a couple 3 days. we want to go to pompeii , and herculinium( spelled wrong, sorry) then move over to amalfi.so flying in and out of palermo or cantania depends on which we do first. we enjoy taking in all the good sites, architecture,shops, beach etc..food for sure. i am thinking we will fly from the states to nap and visit as above then fly into palermo, then out of cat to nap and home???
thanks, steve

Don't think you will get a consensus best town.
I would choose Positano ; but it likely is the most expensive option.

Of note, most choose Sorrento but part of the reason is logistics, if you already are staying in Naples and visiting Pompeii from there you don't really need the logistical advantages of Sorrento as much as others.

Have stayed in Sorrento and Positano and prefer Positano.
If you want a little more escape from it all with beautiful views from high up, staying in Ravello would be a nice treat though would not offer you a beach and make everything harder to reach you would need to go to Amalfi first to get anywhere else.
Positano is the only town that has what I would call a nice beach.

Don't think you will get a consensus best town.

Exactly. It's very much up to personal preference. I like Sorrento, even if it's not 'on' the Amalfi, because it's sort of a transport hub for the region; it's nice to have train service to/from Naples, and there's ferry service to/from Naples as well. Granted, if you're doing Herculaneum and Pompeii from Napoli then train service may not be as big a factor but I personally don't care for the extra transport legs (via public transport, anyway) it takes to get to Amalfi, Ravello, Amalfi, etc. No right or wrong to it, just what trips - or not - our individual triggers?

thanks, it will take some research to decide but, i bet any one of those locals will be good.
steve

You may wish to do Naples last if you are not spending your last night in Rome. Flight time?

I think all the RS tours end in Catania. Alitalia, Volotea and EasyJet fly Catania-Naples.

The Circumvesuviana train (really a metro) connects Naples and Sorrento, with stops at Herculaneum and Pompeii. There's also a more "upscale" train, the Campania Express, that has the same route, but doesn't stop at all the towns along the way, so the locals don't use it much. SITA bus has a line from Sorrento to Amalfi town and another from Amalfi to Salerno. There are also ferry lines from Sorrento to AC towns. That makes Sorrento the best base for visiting both the AC and the ancient ruins.

However, all of these transportation options are slow. I don't know how to get from the Naples airport to the train station. Some folks here have just used a private transfer directly to Sorrento. The best bet may be the bus from the airport to Sorrento. They only run a few times a day, so if you have an hour or more to wait for the next bus, it won't save time but it will save hassles. Taxis in Naples can be excruciatingly slow because of traffic. The Circumvesuviana/Campania Exp takes an hour or more to Sorrento, with trains only about twice an hour. It's over 1/2 hour from Sorrento to Pompeii, longer to Herculaneum. The SITA buses also don't run all that frequently and the journey is an hour or more. In season, lines can be long and the buses can be crowded.

An alternative is to stay in Salerno, at the "other end" of the AC from Sorrento (which is not really on the AC, but around the cape from it). Salerno is connected to Naples by fast trains, and to all the AC towns by SITA and ferries - and it's closer to them than Sorrento. You can take the train (real Trenitalia train :-) to modern Pompeii, then quick taxi or longish walk to the historical sight. Salerno has a lovely sandy beach, well-preserved historic center and some good restaurants. Both rooms and food are cheaper than Sorrento, which is cheaper than the AC towns.

My recommendation would be 2 nights in Salerno, then 2 nights in Naples, using the full day there to visit the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Circumvesuviana schedule from Naples Garibaldi (is connected to Centrale) to Sorrento and points in between:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule

Curreri (coach) bus schedule from Naples airport to Sorrento and some points in between:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-airport-to-sorrento

Campania Express train schedules (Naples to Sorrento and some points in between) won't be out for 2019 until spring as it only runs seasonally but here's the schedule for this year:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule

Current ferry schedule (Molo Beverello port) Naples to Sorrento. If timing works, this might be a good option if you decide on Sorrento, and if you're arriving by cruise ship anyway.

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/ferry-schedule?from=napoli&to=sorrento#

Steve, I did virtually the same exact thing in 2014, when the RS Sicily Tour both began and ended in Palermo. Wonderful tour, by the way. I flew from Palermo to Naples on Volotea, fine flight, low price, one hour flight, although their carry-on allowance was so low that I paid when booking, not much, to check my carry-on bag, and just took a tote on the flight with me. It’s more if you add a checked bag at a later time. I spent 3 nights in Naples, at a wonderful B & B, and took one day trip to Salerno and the Greek ruins at Paestum. Don’t miss Paestum! Then I spent 4 nights in Sorrento, with one day trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum, and two day trips to the Amalfi Coast towns, once with Mondo Tours, the next day on my own by bus (ferry would be better if operating then). I chose to skip Capri. Here’s a tip: my best “splurge” of that trip was to take a taxi directly from the door of my B & B in Naples to the door of my hotel just outside Sorrento. I spent the morning and lunchtime in Naples, was picked up at 2:00 pm, arrived at my Sorrento hotel by about 3:15 pm, and was out exploring just after 4:00 pm. Cost more than negotiating public transit with my baggage, but involved so much less time, hassle and personal energy. At that time, the taxi was €100, you might find a car service for a little less.

i want to thank everyone for their help. steve