Amalfi Coast - Stay in Sorrento or Positano?

We stayed in Sorrento in December 2012/January 2013 and had a great time, but weren't on the water. Sorrento has you closer to Capri than does Positano, and we also used it as a base for visiting the ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum, plus Naples, and passed thru Positano on our drive of the Amalfi Coast one day.

Our B&B owner, a Sorrento chef who also runs a cooking school, said if there was one time of year he would visit Sorrento, for the best weather and minimal crowds, it would be April!

Hi adjust 73, My husband and I are Australian and will be there at the same time. How did you find the private limo tour?

Welllll....if you want to stay on the Amalfi Coast, then Positano is where you want to go. If you want to stay on the Gulf of Naples, then you would stay in Sorrento. I have never been to Sorrento, but have been all over the Amalfi coast. Positano is far too touristy, crowded and kitschy for me. Look at Ravelllo, Praiano or Minori. Much less crowded. You can catch the hydro foil to Capri from Amalfi.

Personally, I don't use AirBnB because I've lived in so many apartments in my life. It's unfair to long-term tenants to have transients dragging in and out every few days, putting garbage in the wrong place, and behaving like wedding guests in the hallway of a hotel.

The choice should be based on your primary activity. The water may be cool in April, but are you going to swim or go to places like Pompeii and Paestum? The first is very difficult from Positano, the second is easier from Positano than from Sorrento.

If you're going in the water, do your prefer a pebble beach where you pay for a chair, or a wooden boardwalk? We didn't look for a public beach in Sorrento (we stayed in a luxury hotel with a boardwalk bathing platform at the base of the cliff, accessed by elevator.) but I think there is very little of that. And if it exists, it may be far from your AirBnB.

How are you arriving. It's a long slog to Positano from Rome. From Naples, it's not as long a local travel day. I do think you're ahead of the main season, but it's always crowded in those two cities.

Thanks everyone! We'll be on the Amalfi Coast first week of April, so we have no plans of going swimming, but maybe a stroll on the beach and eating at a few restaurants with a water view. Hopefully the crowds won't be too bad that time of year (off season).
We understand we can take the hydrofoil to Capri from either Positano, Sorrento, or even Amalfi, but need your expert opinions on where to stay for 4 nights that will be the most memorable! Leaning towards Positano...

Hi

I say Sorrento-easy to get so many places from and beautiful to boot. Stayed at Hotel Sorrento city and loved it

Mike
DC

I would also suggest Sorrento. Stayed 3 nights in Il Nido in May this year.

Also not sure why you would want to go to Capri. It is a full day trip of questionable value in my opinion.

I prefer Praiano, smaller, less crowded than Positano and you can stay in the hills or on the water side. La Maurella is a beautiful small hotel with onsite parking, breakfast, and great views - it's on the right side going toward Amalfi. Bus stop nearby if you don't have a car.