Amalfi coast in April

Where else are you going?

There's a companion thread the OP has started, which gives more info on the trip.

One year we went just before Easter. I thought it was a great time to go. Some crowds but not a lot. Everything was opened. We drive when we travel and it is a challenge. If you take buses from town to town just be patient schedule are not exact and there are lines. You may want to stay in Sorento or Positano. I was more impressed with Positano and Ravello than the actual town of Amalfi. We stayed at the hotel Margherita in Praiano and loved it. Nice rooms with a restaurant which is nice. It isn't that far from Positano and buses do pass through.

Thank you! We we also be spending a few days in Rome (and flying in and out of there). So basically contemplating going south or north :). It's good and helpful to know that things will be open!

What's an OP post?

OP post means (I think) the originating post, not offensive post! So it's all good.

Me? I'm going south from Rome, only to possibly get some warmth. The Amalfi peninsula will be somewhat open, more in Sorrento than on the actual Amalfi Coast itself. Traditionally, their restaurants & shops usually open for the season after Easter like you say, but with it falling on April 21, I suspect some places will open before that.

We've been to the A.C. twice in March and it can be sunny and 60 or driving rain and 40's, when there just isn't much to do other than eat. Reading your other post about your son being very much into Italian history, you cannot do better than visiting Pompei's ruins and then visiting the Archeological Museum in Naples, preferably on separate days. And to do that, your best base would be in Sorrento.

Enjoy your planning!

OP - original poster, in this case, You :-)

I visited the area twice in February, truly low season. Once I stayed in Sorrento, good base for Capri and Pompeii, and once in Salerno, better for the Amalfi Coast and Paestum, and Pompeii with a short taxi ride from the train station. On the Amalfi Coast, some restaurants and most tourist shops and a lot of hotels and inns were closed and there weren't many tourists, I guess I saw maybe 6 tour buses parked in Amalfi town. The public buses were not nearly full and the passengers were mostly locals (they must have been, none were looking at the views). Everything was open in Sorrento and Salerno. I think it's much the same in March. I'd expect that most everything will be open for the season by early April, though some of the ferries may not be operating until Easter. I didn't think the AC towns were that interesting but the views are gorgeous.

With young kids, I'd recommend staying in Salerno. It is connected to Naples, Rome, etc, by fast train, it has an interesting medieval center (Sorrento doesn't) and it has a big, sandy beach (Sorrento doesn't). It also has really good gelato and pizza. You can also take the train or bus to Paestum to see the ancient Greek temples. Another plus is that rooms and meals are cheaper than Sorrento which is cheaper than the AC towns.

I've been there in mid March (also a few times in mid summer) and there was certainly 'enough' open so, although not everything. The weather is unpredictable at that time of year. I had some glorious days and a few where it rained so hard you couldn't even walk around. I would definitely say stay in either Sorrento or Salerno rather than Amalfi or Positano at that time of year. I've always stayed in Sorrento but the suggestion about about Salerno is good. The temples at Paestum are amazing, worth seeing. And from either Sorrento or Salerno it is easy to get to Naples so if you do get a rainy day you can always go there for museums/shopping.

Amalfi Coast photos - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p266655284
Pompeii, Paestum photos - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p941704494

How many days did you spend here?

Isabel, thanks so much for sharing the lovely pictures of both locations. So helpful! Much appreciated

I visited the Amalfi coast at the end of March, beginning of April several years ago. I stayed a few days in Salerno so I could easily visit Paestum, a few in Sorrento, and a few in Naples. It was a little before Easter that year. I found most things to be open. The ferries had just started running from Salerno if I recall correctly. I took the ferry from Salerno to Positano one day and then used a bus/ferry combination to return, stopping in several other towns. The buses were full but I never had to wait for a second bus. I visited Capri from Sorrento. The weather was fantastic - don't know if it was typical - with daytime requiring only a light jacket some of the time and no rain. I would go the same time of year again in a heartbeat.