Amalfi coast in March - please help!

Sorrento, while not technically on the Amalfi Coast, will be your best base. More restaurants and shops will be open and it is the transportation hub of the area.

Bus and Circumvesuvian schedule.

http://www.sorrentoinsider.com/#

For day trips, this would be your best bet.

https://www.sharedtours.com

My daughter lives 45 minutes away, so we either stay there or rent an apartment further south of Amalfi town.

We did stay at this hotel on one of our first trips. Nice rooms, great food and wonderful staff. Up in the hills, about 2 miles, overlooking Sorrento, but they have a shuttle into town.

http://ilnido.it

Thank you. Since we are going in March and the train from Florence goes direct into Sorento, would it be good to stay there somewhere?

Gerri is right, Sorrento's the best base.

Get to Sorrento Friday afternoon, I would recommend staying near the Old Town, near Piazza Tasso and also that puts you within walking distance of the train/bus station. Do some shopping, taste some limoncello (we shipped some home fairly reasonably), then have a nice dinner at any number of great restaurants.

Since it's still March, weather could be iffy. I would take the best forecast out of the two days and go to Pompei. Take Circumvesuviana from Sorrento station to Pompei Scavi stop (about 45 minutes) and the ruins are nearby. It's a crapshoot, but it is possible to find a good guide right there at the entrance that can maximize your time there so you're not wandering. Four hours is about the right amount time--wear comfortable shoes--lots of uneven surfaces! Then retrace your steps back to Sorrento, maybe a nap, then another great dinner. I mean it, you could go two weeks and hit a wonderful place each night.

The other day, you could take a private tour but it being uncrowded that time of year I would take the SITA bus to where it ends at Amalfi-town. Not sure, but I think there is another bus that takes you up to Ravello. On the way back, stop at Positano. The views at all these places are spectacular indeed, but remember that in mid-March not everything will be open yet for the season. We were there last March and truly enjoyed it without the throngs of tourists. Then back to Sorrento for your last night and another tasty dinner.

Enjoy your planning!

Thank you. Since we are going in March and the train from Florence
goes direct into Sorento, would it be good to stay there somewhere?

The train does not go direct from Florence to Sorrento. You will have to take the Freccia train to Naples then get on the Circumvesuviana regionale train to the Sorrento station. Please read up on the CV train to see whether it's your cup of tea. We've ridden it multiple times--but not with bags--and although it's a rogue's gallery of riders, it serves its purpose and we quite liked it.

Oh Geeze, I meant to say Salerno. The train goes direct from Florence to Salerno, so was wondering if we shoud stay there. Jay, since you went in March, how were the crowds? I'm looking forward to being there in March as it won't be super hot. We aren't lay on the beach people, but more wine on the terrace watching the view. We have a beach house here in MD so we get our fill of swimming in the summer. Like the idea for Pompeii for sure. My MIL loves history and it will be a great visit I am sure. Any tips you have are greatly appreciated. I wish we were leaving today!

Oh Geeze, I meant to say Salerno. The train goes direct from Florence
to Salerno, so was wondering if we shoud stay there. Jay, since you
went in March, how were the crowds? I'm looking forward to being there
in March as it won't be super hot. We aren't lay on the beach people,
but more wine on the terrace watching the view. We have a beach house
here in MD so we get our fill of swimming in the summer. Like the idea
for Pompeii for sure. My MIL loves history and it will be a great
visit I am sure. Any tips you have are greatly appreciated. I wish we
were leaving today!

You can stay in Salerno, that's a good base as well. We stayed there in March 2015, at a B&B called Salerno Centro. https://www.salernocentro.it/en/ It's a small 2nd-floor apartment-like place with a lift, owned by the Manzo family. The breakfasts are fabulous, and you'd be with a real Italian family. Only 3 rooms, only one with a en-suite bathroom (the Positano). Plenty of restaurants around, you're right by the Old Town and about 4 blocks away from the Salerno Centrale station, bus & train. Train to Pompei 50 minutes but it's to the Pompei-town station, which is about a half-mile walk to the southern entrance to the ruins. Bus from Salerno to Amalfi is an hour, another hour to Positano.

Temperature-wise, it was mostly the 40's & 50's, maybe touching 60. So don't worry about swimming!

Crowds are, blissfully, almost nonexistent this time of year. We loved it.

Now you have the pros and cons of staying in Sorrento vs. Salerno. We've stayed in both and enjoyed them as a base in different ways.

Jay gave you great info on each location. The medieval area of Salerno is what you'd imagine. But keep in mind the base population of Salerno is around 125,000 while Sorrento is maybe 13,000. So investigate both areas and decide which fits your expectations. Transportation from both areas is comparable.

I'm with Jay. At his suggestion, I made Salerno my base last year in February, though for a little longer. I stayed at the B&B he recommends and really felt like they were family, even though I don't speak Italian so communication with the older generation was pretty limited. You will also get to drink her home-made limoncello. The son & his wife speak fluent English. Here's why I would choose it for your itinerary:

1. Fast train service.
2. The bus route from Salerno to Amalfi and then the other bus from there to Positano covers the scenic coast. From Positano to Sorrento is mostly inland and mostly not scenic.
3. It's easy to get to Pompeii by train, then a short taxi ride to the entrance.
4. Salerno is cheaper, both food and lodging than Sorrento.
5. Salerno has a selection of good restaurants for every budget. You can stroll along the beach, just a couple hundred yards from the B&B and get really good gelato there too.
6. Salerno's historic center is as interesting as Sorrento's, and less touristy.

Let me finish by saying that I loved staying in Sorrento (also in February).

I think the main difference between the two is the fact that you can take the Freccia train from Florence SMN station leaving at 10:24, and arrive at Salerno Centrale at 13:42. 3 hrs, 18 min for that distance without having to change trains is a huge advantage. From what I remember, you won't stop until Rome Tiburtina, then Rome Termini, then Naples Centrale, but you won't have to get off at all.

Thank you all for all of your advice! Wish you were traveling with us to help us along. Maryland is not pleasing to me right now - can't wait to get to Italy!

I may have more questions before we leave. Headed out March 11, going to Florence through the 16th, then to Amalfi Coast, flying home form Milan on the 20th. It is a short trip around my daughters study abroad and birthday.

Well, that sounds like a pretty sweet trip then--I like the itinerary, it has plenty of variety. Florence is totally different than what you'll experience on the A.C. and Pompei. Where are you staying in Florence? As long as you're on the north side of the Arno River, then you can walk to the Santa Maria Novella train station in 20 minutes max.

Another easy visit from Salerno, half hour by train, is to visit the Greek and Roman ruins in Paestum. The standing Greek temples are well preserved and the museum is very informative and interesting.

We stayed in Sorrento last March and it was a wonderful time to visit. Beautiful, sunny warm days and not terribly crowded. Took two day trips (one to Capri on our own and the other to the Amalfi Coast - Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello - on a Mondo Shared Tour). For the trip to Capri, we took the hydrofoil from Sorrento and visited Anacapri, where we took the chair lift to the top of Monte Solaro and stopped at the San Michele Church to see the amazingly beautiful painted tile floor showing the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. We ended the visit by taking a short cruise around the island - and through the Faraglioni Rocks - before catching the hydrofoil back to Sorrento. The Mondo tour was great, and only 50 Euros/person. I highly recommend both day trips. Also, since we were going on to Florence from Sorrento (via a train from Naples), we hired a driver to take us from our hotel in Sorrento to Pompeii and then on to Herculaneum before dropping us off at Napoli Centrale to catch our 3:00 pm train. Hotel-wise, in Sorrento, we stayed in one of the mammoths (the Bristol), which I understand is not the type of lodging that you are seeking, but I feel compelled to give it a plug, as it was a truly outstanding hotel and the view of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius from the balcony of our room was spectacular.

Great info on Capri. We will see how are timing goes if we can get there. We decided to book a room at Salerno Centro B&B. Francesco seems to be a very nice fellow and has already sent me helpful info. I actually think a cooking class with his mom might be quite fun.

Ok, another question - my mom in law is interested in the hand made sandals from the region. Does anyone have any info on this? You all could probably write your own tourbook.

In Florence we are staying at Residence Johanna I - a bed and breakfast suit in town north of the Arno. It fit the area in reference to my daughter, train station proximety, walking to sites, and recommendations. Hopefully it will be a nice stay.

FWIW:

http://www.coriumsorrento.com/shop/en/

https://www.sandalicorcione.com/en/

https://www.sandaliarteartigiana.com/en/

Watched did not buy.

http://www.labottegucciapositano.it

We are also going in March ! Planning to go similar sightseeing. We will be staying at an BnB in Sorrento by their main shopping district not far from train station. I was looking into the shared tours along the Amalfi Coast referenced above - but they don’t begin until April. I am opting for the other option referenced in Rick Steve’s Book - and hiring a Monetti taxi driver for 8hrs. From that same train station near our apartmment, we can catch the Circumventia train to Pompeii; Also plan to take the ferry from port in Sorrento to Capri. Happy travels !

Do you mean to say you are leaving in a week and a half and don't have room reservations yet?

Get crackin'

@chriszaw: I can tell you that the Mondo shared tours ran in March because we took their Amalfi Coast Tour on March 24, 2017. They supposedly require a minimum of 6 people. However, since only 5 had signed up for the day of our tour (our party of 3 and 2 others), I asked Mondo if we paid 60 Euros/person, which is what they would have received if 6 people paid 50 Euros, would they run the tour? They said yes and asked the other two people who had signed up if they were willing to pay 60 Euros. They also agreed, so we were good to go. I would definitely send Mondo an email and ask before paying a heckuva lot more for a private driver. You absolutely cannot beat a full day (10 hours) tour for 50 Euros per person; a private driver and car (minivan) for a full day would easily cost more than 500 Euros in Italy (based on my prior experience).