Amalfi Coast

You may be wishing for too much! First, the language barrier shouldn't be a problem. In five trips to Italy I ran into one proprietor who didn't speak English. I am amazed at how well the world has accommodated English speaking.

The Amalfi Coast is difficult to navigate without buses, boats, or taxis. If you are staying in one place and looking for no need to use public transport I would suggest Positano. It is a fairly large town and has everything you need within walking distance. Of course, Amalfi and Ravello also have that.

If the language barrier isn't going to be a problem, the transportation issue wouldn't be either. I think we just wanted to limit the stress of trying to get the guide book out to translate signs at bus stations, etc. :)

We haven't been to the Amalfi coast, so I can't help you there. However, I'd like to assuage any language concerns you might have.
We stayed near Greve, a small town in Tuscany. We did step into one store looking for a place to buy bus tickets to Rome. I asked an older woman if she spoke English. She replied no, but said "aspetta un momento" and went to the back of the store. She came back with a high school student who spoke excellent English and was glad to help us. We took a local bus to Florence and were the only non-residents riding. Our fellow passengers were friendly and spoke enough English to help us. Our crowning moment was when we went to the grocery store in Greve and successfully shopped and paid, all without speaking a word of English! Do a little studying of basic phrases (which you probably won't need) and you'll be fine.

Rick Steves has a great little compact language phrasebook, it's very useful and doesn't take up much space (or you can use some language translator app on a phone, but I prefer a small book). I wouldn't count on everyone speaking English if you stray off the major tourist areas, so knowing some phrases always helps. Plus people really appreciate when you try to speak with them in their native language.

Thanks!! I have been worried that If I attempt to speak italian while i'm over there, I'll most likely butcher it and that they would be offended. But good to know they appreciate the attempt!

Oh gosh, if you're going to explore the that region, buses, ferries and trains are a given! You don't want to go there and not see more than one town, right? You might want to see Pompeii, right? It's only 30 minutes away by train. Capri? Just a ferry ride away, as are towns along the A.C. Easy-peasy.

And you're going to have to get there somehow, right? It's not like you can fly into it! :O)

Stay in Sorrento: it's an easy one for first-timers and has the most transit options around the region. It's also a fun one to stroll at night when they close a main drag to all but pedestrians. Language will NOT be a barrier but using the manner words (good day, please, thank you, etc.) in Italian will be appreciated.

after a busy 3 days in Rome, we were thinking we would be pretty lazy somewhere in amalfi coast ( I was leaning toward Sorrento! :D ) have a few days to relax before heading back to Rome to catch a flight home. :D But Capri and the Blue Grotto is really interesting to me, too. So many amazing things to do/see there!

I was just there a couple weeks ago. If you're interested in anything on the Bay of Naples side of the peninsula (Naples/Pompeii), I'd recommend staying in Sorrento for a couple nights. As long as you're traveling in-season, the ferries are the optimal travel option, relatively cheap, comfortable, and a superb way to enjoy the scenery. All of the towns on the Amalfi coast are small enough that you don't need transport within them, but you will have to take a bus at some point to get to places like Ravello. Don't sweat that, it's easy. The language barrier is pretty non-existent. It's an area that caters to tourists 24/7, so you're not asking anybody a question they haven't heard before. In fact, I kind of stopped trying to speak Italian because it just threw people off. As far as what town to stay in, I'd recommend Positano or a town called Atrani (I stayed here and loved it.) I found Amalfi to be a bit worn out, but it has superior transport options. Enjoy, it's an amazing place!

What time of year are you going?

As others have pointed out, there is no way to walk everywhere....buses trains and ferries are the deal. The entire region is set up for tourism, a few phrases and a smile will be much appreciated. English and German are spoken widely in Campania.

If you are going before Oct. 1st ferries will be running on high season schedule, so that is a good thing.

If you are looking for something different, with real sandy beaches take the ferry to Ischia for the whole day...beach, lunch and 2 hours at Castle Aragonese will fill the day nicely...or take the tour boat around the island that stops at all 4 major towns. Early departure from Ischia Porto so make sure you time it right.

Unless you cannot change plans I HIGHLY recommend seeing ROME at the END of the trip...it is only 1 hour or so fast train from Rome to Naples...that way you get to be jetlagged in a place like Sorrento...and you will probably shop in Rome and not have to lug stuff around...I have done this many times! ")

Review the RS travel safety tips and don't even think about leaving valuables in your hotel room safe etc. Keep passport and bulk of cash well hidden under clothing. Investing in a lightweight travel shirt with hidden pocket is a good thing!

GO YANKEES! :)

Review the RS travel safety tips and don't even think about leaving
valuables in your hotel room safe etc.

Will cheerfully offer up the opposite: we use hotels safes ALL the time, have done so for many years, and we've never had a problem. In fact, I don't know anyone personally who has ever had anything taken from a hotel safe.

I second the above! Do all that traveling when you arrive. Airport train takes you to Rome Termini, lots of 1hr train to Naples all day, then grab Circumvesuviana from Naples to Sorrento. Sorrento will be waiting with a nice relaxing dinner for you.

We are most likely going end of april/beginning of May. Will weather be warn by then, you think?

We are thinking of flying to Ireland and spending 4 days there, then flying to rome for 3 days and then Sorrento for 3 days then fly back to the states from Rome. So, jet lag will be in Ireland. :)

Thank you everyone for all the tips!! I'm making notes!! Does anyone happen to know if the blue grotto is worth it? It looks AMAZING!

Jj-nowvoyager-- bwahahhaha yessss. Yankkeeeessss!!!!

Hotel in room safes are not safe...anyone can open them...you are not in your own home. I mean jewelry, credit cards, cash and passports should be on you at all times. If you want to leave an ipad or something in the room or safe...that is easily replaced...

I have opened the safe in my hotel room in Rome when it was locked from the previous occupant who had checked out.

I am glad that others have been lucky. If you have something really valuable you can put it in the HOTEL SAFE...in their office...just don't forget it. :)

Review the RS travel safety tips and don't even think about leaving
valuables in your hotel room safe etc

We can agree to disagree. That's OK 'cause we're all different but Rick himself says....

"Leave your valuables in your hotel room. Expensive gear, such as your laptop, is much safer in your room than with you in a day bag on the streets. While hotels often have safes in the room (or at the front desk), I’ve never bothered to use one, though many find them a source of great comfort. Theft happens, of course, but it’s relatively rare — hoteliers are quick to squelch a pattern of theft. That said, don’t tempt sticky-fingered staff by leaving a camera or tablet in plain view; tuck your enticing things well out of sight."

So while he doesn't use room safes himself, and he doesn't mention cash/cards/passports specifically, he doesn't discourage the practice either. The biggest thing is setting your own code and remembering to empty it before checking out. Put a shoe or something else in it that you KNOW you'll miss! :O)

I learn a few words, but the worst part for me is I know some French from my junior high years here in Canada and I inevitably end up trying to speak my meager Italian and my brain throws in French...picture me in Cinque Terre, trying to pass behind someone in a pizza place, meant to say excuse me in Italian and ended up saying it in French...the pizza guy working behind the counter said Merci when I left...lol.

We stayed in Atrani at an airbnb, which is a short walk around the corner from Amalfi. Amalfi seems to be the bus hub. Ravello was gorgeous, but you aren't on the sea, and not sure if the buses are as easy to come by as they are in Amalfi. Many recommend Positano. If you wanted somewhere slightly more quaint, then Amalfi may be a good choice, tho there are lots of lovely looking villages sprinkled all along the coast.

And as others have said, walking everywhere is really not an option as the villages and towns are very spread out. We used one of our days and booked a private driver via Sorrento Silver Star - and I'm not a big spender, so I had to really force myself to do it...but that was the trip my mom came with us and she said it was her most enjoyable day.

Oh putting a shoe in there is a great idea!!! Knowing me I would totally forget haha!! Can't forget a shoe, though!

Sorrento was a great place for us to headquarter as we toured the Amalfi Coast. We were staying in downtown Sorrento and parked our rental car there as we caught a bus to Amalfi. We had a beautiful lemon grove by a swimming pool at our hotel and opted to stay home one day and relax by the pool as we were tired......BAD IDEA....... we should have used that day to see Capri. I really regret that we did not do that ......and doubt since we have seen most of Italy that we will go back to do just that.

Does anyone happen to know if the blue grotto is worth it? It looks AMAZING!

Yankeechick, if there's one thing I WOULD skip on Capri it's the Blue Grotto. We stayed on the island for two nights and found plenty to do without that one. It's expensive for the very short amount of time you get to spend in the thing, and there's no guarantee you'll even get into it if the seas are too rough. You can also chew up a bunch of time in the process, and there have been umpty reports of tourists being overly pressured by the boatmen for tips. Really, that one falls into "Tourist Trap" category for me, and we skipped it based on a lot of review reading.

There are better corners to explore on the island, and you'll only have so much time if doing it as a day trip.

after a busy 3 days in Rome, we were thinking we would be pretty lazy
somewhere in amalfi coast

Yep, I'm a big fan of some daily down time in Italy - and we work that in - but not at the expense of missing what we can't see at home. I figure I can lounge pretty doggone well on our deck in Minnesota but I can't climb up to the ruins of a 1st-century Roman palace. Or take a chairlift up and over vineyards to the top of a mountain with killer views of the sea. I can't head down to the fishermen's docks and watch them clean the squid that might end up on my plate at dinner. I can't wander off to Villa Comunale (Sorrento) with a cup of gelato at sunset to watch the lights twinkle on around the Bay of Naples or wind my way through the streets of a Roman city that was buried for the better part of 2000 years.

You get the idea?

If you're flying from Dublin, Aer Lingus flies to Naples. You could then take the Curreri Viaggi bus to Sorrento. Do Naples before Rome.

SO NOT MISS THE BLUE GROTTO!! It is so beautiful and a very fun experience!

I agree with skipping the Blue Grotto - it's all relative, but I've seen much more amazing things. There's plenty more fun things to do in Capri given your very limited time (hiking, strolling around, etc).

Re: the Blue Grotto: When we went a couple of years ago it was closed due to high/rough waves. So it's certainly a chance to take. BUT, we rented a small boat (more reasonable than you might imagine) so we had a lot of flexibility to do other things, take it around the other side of the island (there are other grottos that can be explored), go further up the coast, etc. If you or your travel companion are comfortable operating a boat that could be another option for you. It was one of the highlights of our trip!

We loved staying at the Hotel Villa San Michele!!! Situated directly on the sea with gorgeous gardens and sitting areas at many levels, AMAZING food and hospitality, and we felt - an extremely good value. We walked (carefully) to Atrani and Amalfi, could take the local bus up the hill to Ravello, and were able to book a tour to Pompeii through the hotel. AND, they had a dock from which we could swim, or if we had wanted, we could book a boat to take us to Capri or elsewhere. We would love to go back some day and spend at least a week there! FYI...lots of steps, but each one so, so beautiful...