Amalfi Coast in February

That may be the one time of year a car may be helpful in that area. Suspect ferries are running limited schedules or not at all.

The road is fine, its the traffic that is the issue, and parking.

Hi Sheila. I spent a few days on the AC in mid-February 2017. After unsuccessfully looking for places to stay in several AC towns I took Jay (from Chicago)'s advice and booked a lovely B&B in Salerno. I stayed 5 nights - 4 days. One day I drove to Paestum (beautiful Greek temple ruins and and good archaeology museum). On the way there I stopped at Vannulo Buffalo Farm. They are very well-known in the area for their mozzarella. I had an amazing canolo and yummy buffalo milk gelato. I spent two days driving along the AC itself and one day exploring the sights of Salerno. I picked up and returned the rental car in Salerno and spent €20/day for parking in an underground garage (in and out privileges) since my B&B was in the middle of town with no parking. Here's a description of some of my driving experiences.

Amalfi town - I spent a couple of hours walking around. It seemed that some of the tourist-oriented shops were closed. The few open restaurants (lunchtime) in the center didn't look particularly attractive. I chose one and was pretty unhappy with the food and the service.

Other towns - I didn't explore Positano because I couldn't find parking. I stopped in Minori for a pastry at Sal de Riso and went back on my second day for more - and got a box of goodies to take back to my B&B as well. The best pastries ever. I believe they get high marks for meals and gelato too.

Salerno was quite lively, mostly with locals. There are lots of good restaurants and bars with the lowest prices around - certainly lower than the AC or Sorrento. A few years ago, I spent several days in February in Sorrento and loved it - a very good base for exploring the Naples Bay area - Pompeii, Capri, etc. Definitely not with a car though. I was never in the AC towns in the evenings, not wanting to drive the AC after dark, so I don't know what, if anything, is open in the evenings. The SITA buses run regularly and they never looked crowded. There are no ferries in the winter - except between Sorrento and Capri.

Another plus for Salerno is that it is on the high speed train line to Naples and Rome. And it has a big sandy beach and promenade along the sea, great for a stroll at sunset or on the weekend, mixing the with tourists and lots of locals.

Thanks Chani for your valuable report. It's not fair for me to summarize it, but you said so many things that people don't want to believe about the AC:

"After unsuccessfully looking for places to stay in several AC towns I took Jay (from Chicago)'s advice and booked a lovely B&B in Salerno.

"spent €20/day for [Salerno] parking in an underground garage (in and out privileges) since my B&B was in the middle of town with no parking.

"Amalfi town - I spent a couple of hours walking around. It seemed that some of the tourist-oriented shops were closed. [in February]. The few open restaurants (lunchtime) in the center didn't look particularly attractive. I chose one and was pretty unhappy with the food and the service.

"I didn't explore Positano because I couldn't find parking.

"Salerno was quite lively, mostly with locals.

"Sorrento and loved it - a very good base for exploring the Naples Bay area - Pompeii, Capri, etc. Definitely not with a car though."

Thank you, Chani! Very valuable information and I appreciate every detail. I also read your previous posts which I found helpful. We are on the fence about renting a car since the bus service seems to be ready available even off-season. And since trains to Naples, Sorrento, Pompeii, and other areas are an option as well, we might just stick to being riders and not drivers.

I chose a car for these reasons: I love to drive. I've driven similar roads on the California coast and western mountain back roads (though maybe not quite so challenging). I have no problem driving a stick shift (don't count on getting an automatic in Salerno).

Things I enjoyed about having a car: I could (and often did) stop along the way to enjoy and photograph beautiful scenic vistas. I was able to get to a couple places that the buses don't go or go infrequently. I had a lot of "stuff" with me that I could leave in the car - snacks, drinks, jacket, binoculars, gloves, guide book, etc - and if I bought anything, I had a place to stash it rather than carry it around all day.

My biggest regret was trying to drive up to Ravello from Amalfi. About half way up, I decided that the road was too harrowing for me. I finally found a place where I could turn around (not very easily) and go back down. I wish I had just parked the car and taken the bus and there wasn't enough time left for that.

Chani, you never told me that you 'wussed out' driving up to Ravello! I thought you had the cojones of a burglar! :)

Truth be told, I wouldn't drive on the A.C., period, so this is tongue-in-cheek to my pal Chani.

That time of year--and we've been on the Amalfi Coast twice in early March--you go for the scenery, which is augmented by the fact that their are few if any tourists to distract you. It is simply drop-dead gorgeous, some of the most spectacular vistas on the planet, which is why I don't drive there. The views are like a siren song, and forget it if you're behind the wheel of a car, you'll look for a split-second too long and that'll be the end. People do drive it, I know, but it's sensory overload.

The SITA buses run on schedule, and to my way of thinking more efficiently that time of year, with less people on them. We took one from Salerno to Amalfi--harrowing but fun like a roller coaster ride--even though the headline 'BUS FLIES OFF MOUNTAIN ROAD--ALL PERISHED' flashed through my mind. And then we took a more sane trip from Sorrento across the breadth of the peninsula to Positano, which was still buttoned up for the winter but we found a little cafe near the bus stop open--had one of the best meals of the trip at a rickety table on the roadside. Best fried calamari in Italy!

Salerno's great. I just had a friend of mine come back and say that they didn't enjoy Salerno because more people spoke Italian than they had expected and that it appeared the Salerno folks weren't used to tourism. It's a real Italian small city, un-'screwed up' by tourism, and I absolutely dug the passeggiata, which the late afternoon walk by local families along the main streets and the lungomare, which is the walkway along the sea. Just beautiful, multi-generational, shopkeepers waving hello to their friends, a daily ritual. You can't see that in any of the touristed-up cities, believe me.

Couple other things--I think Chani mentioned to me that Vietri sul Mare is really neat for views and pottery. And Chani, I forgot that Sal de Riso in Minori was a recommendation from our dear departed Zoe, kinda sorta the patron saint of this board! Also, from Sorrento (which BTW has the most stuff open that time of year on the peninsula, a big factor to where you might end up staying, even though you've already booked in Amalfi town) to get to Naples or Pompei, you need to take the Circumvesuviana commuter train. It's similar to a big city subway, for better or worse. If you keep to riding it during the day and watch your wallet, you're fine. Don't listen to the reviews that you'll get your eye teeth plucked from your mouth as soon as you embark on the CV. It's cheap, efficient, and kinda fun.

Get a map and check out the logistics, that's the only way you can make cogent planning decisions. I think late winter is a perfect time to check out the A.C. and its environs. Enjoy your planning!

Hello Everyone,
I am truly obsessed with the RS travel forum! I find myself checking it daily. Our first trip to Italy planning is shaping up. Originally we had planned to fly into Rome and within a day, travel to Furore to spend the week just relaxing and visiting with our son who is meeting us there from Japan. Since our RT flights from Boston were purchased and nonrefundable, we needed to stick to that. After much research and reading of this forum, we settled on the following:
Saturday: Arrive in Rome at 2:30pm (quick layover in Zurich). Stay at Hotel Aberdeen
Sunday: Free day in Rome (Celebrating marriage of 26 years)
Monday: Free day in Rome/ Monday night our son arrives - reunion after a year
Tuesday: Walks of Italy Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's (9:45am)
Wednesday: Walks of Italy Premium Colosseum/Forum/Palatine (9:00am)
Thursday: 8:40am Frecca from Termini to Salerno. Hired driver to our airbnb
Friday - Sunday: free days! We are flexible depending on weather. We will find local open restaurants (need gluten-free!), take the SITA bus as much as possible, and hire a driver as needed. If we get to Pompeii or Paestum, we get there.
Monday: Hired a driver back to Salerno and take the 12:29pm Frecce back to Termini.
Tuesday: All three of us fly out in the afternoon/evening.
I'm not sure if anyone on this forum will be interested in our schedule or not, but I'm adding it to my reply just in case. We are not renting a car. We are taking the weather as it comes, although we will be prepared for cold weather and rain as it is end of February, beginning of March. And since we live in New England, we are used to it. Thank you, RS for this great forum!

I think you've got yourself a winner, SBB. That time of year, you must build flexibility into the schedule, to zig & zag according to the weather, e.g. Pompei. You staying at Salerno Centro? If so, PM me for details. And take time in Rome--if the temp's warm enough--to sit outside with a drink or espresso and just watch people. Best value entertainment in town!

Jay,
We actually found a rental in Furore for 4 nights which looks like the perfect location for us for peace and quiet. As our 90+ year old twin friends say, "It is what it is." We will report back!
Thanks,
Sheila

I am hoping to learn something from your trip upon your return should you read this. We, too, are New Englanders traveling to Italy (in April) and I am gluten-free as well! We are meeting our daughter there who lives in Copenhagen. Currently, our plans are to stay in Salerno (based on reading Chani's many recommendations!) to visit the AC, then Rome for the last few days. Should you have any gluten-free recommendations in either Rome or the AC, particularly Salerno and Positano which we plan on visiting, please feel free to pass them along! I do hope your trip is grand and you make wonderful memories - oh, and you celebrate your anniversary in style (we have five years on you!). Cheers!

Hi kaceedeen,
Welcome to the forum! I'll be happy to report back to you. Feel free to PM me if you don't hear from me by the end of March.
And yes, we are super excited for our trip!

Best,
Sheila