Amalfi Coast Mondo Guide shared tours

We didn’t do that particular tour, we did their Capri boat trip and Pompeii tour and both were excellent and very affordable. The Capri boat trip ( around the island, skip Blue Grotto) was especially fun, one of our favorite days among all of our travels.
Given that I would not hesitate to try their Amalfi day tour.

We did that tour a few years ago and it was very good. The scenery is amazing. Just know it's not a lot of time in each spot, but it was enough to see the area for sure. We loved Sorrento and loved our time there.

I did this tour way back in 2016 and it was wonderful and a very good value. The bus had excellent huge windows and we stopped in three towns: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. I wouldn't hesitate to use Mondo again. Can't comment on Capri as I never made it there from base camp in Sorrento.

Thanks for posting the question, as we will be in the area mid-May. Thx also for all the comments, and Geoff, I'll look up your Trip Report. You included much practical info in your post.
My hesitation is needing to wait so long to know if there's enough people to form a group- did that concern you all? The other private tour companies I'm emailing claim they will be fully booked in May, so we best book now- who knows?
Also, the weather question- booking in advance before you know the forecast.
I'm also looking at Mondo for a shared tour of Pompeii, but of course have to figure out the transportation from the Sorrento hotel to the train station. I can't justify 100 euros just to get to Pompeii with a private driver, just seems too much.
Last question - for today- is there any shared transportation between Sorrento and FCO? Private cars want 500 Euros. If we had another couple, it would be easier to justify. My husband thinks he'll be too tired to deal with public transportation getting to FCO- we fly out the next morning.
Thx again for all the great info you all have taken the time to share.
Safe travels!

Hi Pat,
We did the shared tour of Pompeii in Nov 2021. We were the only people who signed up, but we emailed the company, and they were happy to do the tour for just us. We had 3 people, and just paid the amount for a 4 person tour.

Re: transportation, you might want to start a new thread with your questions. There's no need for private transportation all the way to the airport. You should be able to get a bus/taxi/driver to a train station, and then have an easy ride to Rome. I just don't have the details on what would be your best route

Pat
Mondo guides also offers shared transfers
https://www.sharedtrips.com/shared-transfer/sorrento/24/one-way-transfer-to-rome-fco-airport-at-any-time-as-needed#tour-details

From Sorrento to Pompeii is easy
Take the Circumvesuviana for a few euros

From Sorrento to FCO- I hope you are planning to make that trip to arrive IN Rome the night before your departure
You could do private driver to Napoli Centrale then fast train to Rome
It’s not difficult

When we did the Capri tour with Mondo it was a drippy day, they notified us early that am that we could cancel if we wanted with no penalty but weather reports looked OK to us so we went and sure enough it cleared up, no rain

For more advice on transportation in the area do some searches here on forum, topic comes up a lot
And post your own questions in a new thread.

Please report back! I have 2 shared tours booked for July. One day the Amalfi coast, and the next day a boat excursion to Capri. The cost was unbeatable. Fingers crossed!

What are your specific dates? We've booked the Pompeii tour for 9am on Tuesday April 18th and Naples tour for Saturday April 22 at 3pm. So far, nobody else has signed up.

Alice and Christina, thx so much for your info. I thought I looked at everything Mondo offered, but definitely missed that link.
Just putting the final touches on these details, then there won't be much to do until we actually get there early May, except for rereading the RS guidebook.
90 days and counting!

Hey Pat... Dario Fornario from Mondo's emailed me explaining they have two sites with tours: sharedtrips.com & sharedtours.com. We were recently confirmed for the Amalfi Coast Full Day tour on April 18th using sharedtours. We're still waiting for the Pompeii/Naples tour on sharedtrips to sign up enough folks for April 17th to make. First time to the area... we are absolutely stoked!

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I booked the Amalfi Coast tour for May 1, but of course almost the entire first tour group of 19 is now almost full for the two days I was considering (some guy named Max reserved 11 slots - I don’t know if cruises use these tours?). Anyway, 1 of our group of 4 is now the first person on the second tour. I received an email stating my reservation has been received and is awaiting confirmation. I assume this means that until the second tour of 19 fills up or at least someone backs out of the first we will not be confirmed? I really can’t take the chance of finding out three days before the tour that we can’t go. I may need to book another tour somewhere else with free cancellation as a backup. Any thoughts?

You know, that time of year (late April/early May) shouldn't be too bad yet if you wanted to do your own thing. We did that from Sorrento in early March 2017. Granted, that time of year everyplace (except Sorrento!) on the peninsula is still buttoned-up & deserted. The SITA bus originates from the Sorrento Centrale station on the upper level of Sorrento, which is the same place as the Circumvesuviana station that would take you to Pompei or Naples.

The SITA bus winds you across the peninsula and ends up on the A.C. itself and the coastal road to Positano and Amalfi-town. Cheap (under 10 Euro) and the bus runs at least every hour--but be advised there almost always is a queue, so arrive early and be prepared to maybe have to catch the next bus.

Funny story, we rode that run and I mistakenly had my wife and I get off the bus one stop too early, just as we were entering Positano. We got off and I said, oops... The road to the next stop (Sponda) in Positano was about a mile away, so we walked. It was slightly downhill, and lent some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen, certainly on my own two feet. And it was a sight I probably wouldn't have been able to see nor savor had we stayed on the bus.

So...tours are nice, but sometiems when the time is right, just winging it can be somewhat of an adventure.

have to figure out the transportation from the Sorrento hotel to the train station.

Pat, are you saying that your hotel is so far from downtown Sorrento that it's hard to either meet a tour or get to the Circumvesuviana for independent travel? Are you on the hillside above Sorrento?

Jay, could you please say a little more about "buttoned up" in early March? Every time I suggest here that something, anything, might be closed in Positano off-season, I am contradicted. (Our 5-night Sorrento stay was in late May.)

Tim, no, we are at Hotel Tonnarella, just figuring out taxis or if there's a hotel shuttle, not a major issue.
Thanks

We have the luxury of five nights in one hotel in Sorrento- not sure I've ever been in one hotel so long on a European trip. We will do the all-day excursions ( Pompeii one day, the coastline drive on another day.) I also want to relax on our balcony and just take in the beautiful scenery on some days, and am trying to figure out less demanding, maybe half-day adventures. My husband doesn't want to go to Capri- something about his Navy days??? Any input for slower, less demanding days?

Jay, could you please say a little more about "buttoned up" in early
March? Every time I suggest here that something, anything, might be
closed in Positano off-season, I am contradicted. (Our 5-night
Sorrento stay was in late May.)

Tim, I have been on the Amalfi Coast itself twice, both times the 2nd week of March--in 2015 from Salerno to Amalfi-town via SITA bus. Along the way, the towns like Maiori & Minori and even Amalfi were open but many restaurants and hotels closed. We dined at a place outside on the water--glorious--at 60 degrees, and it was their first day open for the season.

In 2017 from Sorrento to Positano via SITA bus. It was still pretty much shut down, especially on the lower level near the rocks. We found a cool cafe right near the Sponda bus stop, and had a fantastic lunch.

By the way, in March 2017 Sorrento was busy. Probably not as much as later in the season, but that week it was definitely the most active place on the peninsula. There are tons of great restaurants, and all were low-key and spectacular. Sorrento is vastly underrated for its food, which to me has some of the best cuisine in the country.

Bottom line is March into early May is a splendid time to visit.

I thought our 10 minute walk (850 m on Google Maps) from the Ambasciatori to the Circumvesuviana station in Sorrento was pretty good.

It's true that Capri is a high foot mileage day. I'll only add that if you are omitting the Blue Grotto (as we did) it can be a leisurely and rewarding high-mileage day in the sun and heat. (Last week of May for us.) It is highly pedestrianized. I couldn't see any trace of wartime occupation ... Only minus would be a concentration of high-end boutiques in one place.

If you like walking, but want less, and slow-vacationing, consider the bus (opposite the Circumvesuviana station) up the hill to Sant' Agata sui dui Golfi. Even if the convent (?) observatory tower is closed, the views are fantastic, and it's a quiet, lower tourism town. We had a great Rick Steves lunch (I mean, little English overheard, families in First Communion finery, etc.) at "da Mimi" (seems to be closed.) Continuing away from the main street on the same street as the restaurant, we eventually stumbled on the beginning of a long (1 1/2 hours) 99% paved, downhill walk to Sorrento. Great views, some citrus trees, small homes, really nice walk. Need real shoes, not sandals for the downhill aspect.

Now that I think of it, I'll tell you another nice walk. In 2015, we had taken the regional train from Salerno to Pompei. In advance, I had looked & seen that Pompei station is a fairly long distance away from the main Scavi entrance, but closer to the Marina entrance. That's the main problem with staying in Salerno if you're focusing on Pompei--from Sorrento the CV takes you directly to the Scavi entrance. So that's what we did--it was a beautiful day, on the way we passed a 9/11 monument (with a bronzed girder from the Twin Towers--impressive!) near the town hall, and down the main drag of Pompei itself. Nothing earth-shattering there, but it was a very pleasant 1-mile walk.

After 4 hours at the ruins, however, we exited at Scavi, and because 'the dogs were tired' we had to take a taxi back to Pompei station!

Jay, thanks so much for your first-hand report. It has been my observation that Sorrento has sustained year-round demand, especially from sun-seeking UK visitors. There are a significant number of posts on Trip Advisor asking " 'ow much is a Pint in Sorrento?" I was surprised just how swelteringly hot it was at midday in the last week of May. We were glad to have icy air conditioning at the Ambasciatori (Sorrento.) The heat affected our long visit to Pompeii, as well.

Six months in advance, we ended up at the Ambasciatori because all our cheaper or smaller hotel ideas (six ?) were sold out. Luckily the Ambasciatori was not completely out of our price range ability. Our driver (through the Ambasciatori) for 8 hours on the AC was cheerful and nice, but certainly not a licensable tour guide. I've written elsewhere that when he offered us (his brother-in law's ????) Pottery Shop, we knew enough to say, "Wow, do they have a line of bathrooms for the tourists? Let's stop there, but no shopping!" We particularly liked our stop in Ravello, although there wasn't time for both the church museum and the (paid admission) Villa Rufolo Gardens. Luckily our post-lunch-hour stop at a Ravello luxury restaurant yielded a better Delize del Limone (and coffee) than we ever got in Sorrento. They were empty and glad to have us just for dessert. We had earlier gobbled a ready-to-eat hero sandwich while walking, to keep sightseeing.

I did think the driver's recommendation of the Green Grotto was a charming, almost "home-brew", roadside attraction. But it was at the end, missable. At least no fighting over entry, like some reports of Capri's Blue Grotto!

There are a significant number of posts on Trip Advisor asking " 'ow
much is a Pint in Sorrento?"

Funny you should mention the UK presence in Sorrento, Tim! We saw at least two British bars/restaurants while wandering the upper level, and had a very pleasant & proper English lunch at one of them, with a tasty 'Black & Tan' (Guinness Stout/Bass Ale) on tap. Watched some 'football'.

On a long European trip, I try to always make a point to sample international cuisines other than the resident country: Turkish in Florence, German in Taormina, Vietnamese in Paris, Greek & Japanese in Salerno. Only in Rome did I stick local, either indigenous to Roma itself (puntarelle salad, spaghetti alla carbonara, fried artichokes) or regional joints that focused on Pugliese or Sicilian dishes. The competition for the dining dollar (oops, Euro!) in Rome is fierce (hopefully Covid hasn't winnowed that down) so almost all places--especially off-the-beaten-path places--are tremendous and cheap.

Next trip finishes with 5 days in The Eternal City, and we plan to explore further!