We're considering a one or two day side trip from Rome in February to take a quick look at the Amalfi Coast, staying overnight in Positano or Sorrento. Can anyone offer advice as to whether that region has much going on during that time of year? We're not going for beach or party experiences, much preferring historical sites and cultural immersion. We're having a very hard time finding any inexpensive lodging, including hostels or monasteries. Any insight, advice or recommendations on where to stay during that time of year will be appreciated.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
Hi Brenda. My understanding is that Positano and the other "true" AC towns are pretty dormant then while Sorrento is 95% "open for business." My only trip to Sorrento was in February and I fell in love with Sorrento, used it as a base to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples. However, it's a long trip from Rome for an overnight - fast train to Naples, then transfer to the slow local commuter train to Sorrento, not really worth it for only one night. If that's all you have, I'd go to Orvieto instead.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
What Chani says, although in my Sorrento hotel/B&B research for lodging there first week of March it seemed to me that possibly as many as 25% of the hotels were still closed. No matter--we found a nice B&B near the train station for 5 nights, reasonably priced too. Check it out, Brenda, if you like: Piazza Tasso Sorrento.
Looking forward to enjoying Sorrento without the crowds--some friends of ours just got back and said that even in September it was pretty much overrun. But we were in Amalfi town a year ago mid-March and most places were either still buttoned up or just getting ready to open for the season--still gorgeous, though.
BTW, Chani, we're taking a daytrip from Rome to Orvieto as you say.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4347 posts
Chain, agree with you. We are going to Rome in February and nixed the Pompeii excursion and are going to Orvieto instead. We will be in Rome for 8 full days and couldn't fit another day excursion into our itinerary. Too much to see.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
If you're looking for "historical sites and cultural immersion," then the Amalfi Coast (which, as Chani pointed out, does not actually include Sorrento) would have little to offer in February. Instead, consider a night or two in Naples - "cultural immersion" should be the tourist office slogan, and the Archeology Museum is one of my all-time travel highlights.
As an aside, I stayed in Naples and took a day trip to Sorrento and Positano - in September. I consider it a waste of a day; the point of these places is settling in and relaxing. So, in February, I wouldn't bother with the long schlep to them from Rome.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
Harold--
We're staying in Sorrento in March but will be taking a daytrip to the Archeological Museum in Naples as you said. We heard it was kind of the bookend to Pompei, which we visited last year. What made it so great for you? And did you visit Ercolano as well?
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Jay: I didn't visit Ercolano, and wish I had.
I had constantly read that "the past comes alive" in Pompeii, but to me, it was just a bunch of old stones. Now, I was much younger then (1994) and I didn't take a tour. I've since learned that a good tour is necessary for these kinds of places (I just posted in my UK trip report about how much the docents and guides in certain places made the places come alive).
But in the Archeology Museum, I felt history come alive with a WOW, and that was without an audioguide or live guide. There are the amazing sculptures from the Baths of Caracalla on the main floor (the Farnese Bull and Farnese Hercules), then the great mosaics and paintings from Pompeii and Ercolano. I was enthralled, and the Secret Room with erotica wasn't even open!
To be fair, a friend of mine had heard me talk about this museum for 15 years, then finally went, and was "meh" about it. So, everyone's reaction will be different, of course.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
Yes, I'm sure some of the hotels, B&Bs, etc. are closed, but I don't think it would be difficult to find a room. When I said 95%, I was thinking of shops, restaurants, and attractions (should have been clearer).
BTW, February 14 is the local saint's day in Sorrento, so the town is decorated a few days in advance, there's a big market for 2-3 days and processions on the day itself.
Jay, I think it's worth starting your own thread for more info. I went to Pompeii and Ercolano on separate days and enjoyed both. At Pompeii, it was well worth the time to take the long walk to Villa dei Misteri. I skipped the other long walk to the amphitheatre (friends said it wasn't worth it). The theatre should not be missed, though. In Ercolano there's a museum about halfway between the archaeology site and the train station. I skipped it, but others later told me it was worth stopping to see.