Amalfi Coast vs Puglia

Are you coming in from overseas, or is this within a European/Italy trip? Do you have the option to fly into Bari or Brindisi, or is Naples your best bet? Are you good with driving (for Puglia only), or do you need to limit it to transit?
I'd be inclined to do either/or, but I certainly understand being fascinated by Pompeii/Herculaneum. Pompeii is vast, like really really big, so I would not worry too much about crowds. I'd like to eventually see both, but I would choose Pompeii unless you have a major time limit just because Herculaneum is more compact. You could stay in Naples, Sorrento, or Salerno (or one of the villages close to the mainland) and visit fairly easily as a day trip. You can pick up a car in Sorrento, Salerno, or Naples airport (not recommended to drive in Naples, but if you are confident, you could pick up and just get good directions to the highway)
Late September should still be bustling in the AC, but not overwhelmed like summer. In Puglia, I would not give crowds much of a thought except at really famous places like Alberobello, and even then it is just bus tours that are easy to work around.

In April 2022, we stayed in Pompei the town as our base for seeing Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae over the course of 4 days, including a day trip to Naples for the Museum of Archeology. Obviously, we are Ancient Rome freaks and wanted way more than 2-4 hours in either Pompeii or Herculaneum.

On the one day in history that we went to Herculaneum, it felt just as crowded as Pompeii - it's much smaller, so there are fewer options for getting away from the crowds. If I had to choose one, I would pick Pompeii for the Villa of the Mysteries, the Amphitheatre, and the public buildings.

We used Salerno as our base for seeing the Amalfi Coast. We paid the owner of our B&B to drive us to Ravello (which was amazing), and then to Amalfi to meet up with the small boat we chartered to tour the coast up to Positano (too touristy for us, but looked great from the water), and back to Salerno.

Our experience in Salerno was fantastic, but we could have just as easily used Pompei as our base for the Amalfi coast. Rick Steves dismisses Pompei as a "dreary little town" or words to that effect, but we thought it was great - and our 4* hotel was significantly less expensive than comparable digs in Sorrento and Amalfi.

http://www.hotelforumpompeii.com/en/

Hi MB,
We just returned from the Amalfi coast. Recommend staying in Minori, a town with that genuine, authentic feel that most travelers seek in Italy. That vibe won't be found in busy Amalifi (and certainly not in Positano--the Insta capital of the universe). Also suggest daytrips to Cetara, Atrani and Scala, plus of course Ravello.
We also based on Ischia in similarly authentic Ischia Ponte.

You would see by reading our TR here 'Bella Puglia' that we also love Puglia. But the AC offers a certain 'je ne sais quoi'.
As for Herculaneum, we've been twice and I would absolutely suggest it. 'Better' might not be my choice of words, its just smaller and less-crowded, plus it has some shade and a number of well-preserved relics. The notorious boathouses where those skeletons are is now off-limits, as crews construct a new gravel roadway in front (??).

On our most recent visit there a month ago, an incident occurred involving myself. Soon after we arrived at opening time, I could not get out of the Mens WC near the entry (the door jammed) and ended up climbing out of the window! A school group was passing just then. Classic.
"He came out through the bathroom window..."

Happy to advise further regarding the excellent rentals we used in Minori and Ischia--world-class views in each case.
I am done. the end

@gregglamarsh - will be on the Amalfi Coast in Oct, for 6 nights. We were thinking of staying in Sorrento (already booked a B&B, cancelable) and do day trips to Amalfi, Ravello and Capri. We won't have a car, so we'll need to hire a driver for visiting Ravello; Amalfi by bus and Capri via boat.
Reading your post, Minori sounds really good... however is it feasible without a car? And yes, if you have names, recommendations, etc. I'd love to hear them. You can send me a message directly, if possible. Thanks, Irina.

@OP: we visited Puglia last year and loved it - less crowded (except for the touristy Alberobello); our base was in Lecce, and travelled every day to a different location (Ostuni, Otranto, Gallipoli, etc). Prior to Lecce, our base was Taranto, a great (unknown) typical Italian town, without the crowds - highly recommend it.
We also stayed in Napoli (and hated it!) and visited Pompeii for 1/2 day, busy, but worth it.

In late February and early March I spent a week in Naples and four nights in Salerno. I visited Pompeii and Herculaneum from Naples; I day tripped to Paestum (much farther south) from Salerno. Although Pompeii's about midway between Naples and Salerno (Herculaneum is much closer to Naples), it's easier to visit from Naples because of the Circumvesuviana stop right near the excavations. If you visit from Salerno, you need to take a regular train that stops at the Pompei town station, about a 20-minute walk from the excavations. Rick says the walk is dull. Staying in Pompeii itself would also be an option for visiting those excavations (and probably not a bad one at all), as already mentioned.

Despite the sightseeing mentioned in the previous paragraph, I am not really a fan of ancient ruins. I'm a lot more interested in art and decorative art (but don't much care for frescoes) than in history. I preferred Pompeii to Herculaneum, primarily because of the mosaics in Pompeii--though it's easier to see a bunch of ancient mosaics in the museums in Naples and Rome. Pompeii was definitely busier than Herculaneum, but not to a problematic degree. Because of my very limited interest in the historical aspects of the two sites, I am not a good person to comment on which would be more interesting.

In addition to its sheer size, Pompeii presents more of a physical challenge than Herculaneum because of the very high sidewalks flanking the hard-to-walk-on cobblestone streets. Pompeii's just a bigger physical workout, though there's a longer walk to the Herculaneum excavations from the Circumvesuviana stop (and it will be uphill on the way back).

I like Puglia a lot. I've based twice in Lecce and find it a very attractive city. It has lots of Baroque architecture, a nice contrast to some of the small coastal towns, some of which reminded me of Greece (white cubic houses). Puglia isn't small, so it will probably work better to have two bases there if you want to cover a lot of the region.

(voice of 'Data' from Star Trek)
MB, both Becky and Irina have requested further clarification. Perhaps I may be of further assistance to them and at the same time. provide useful input for yourself plus others?

We've enjoyed Sorrento in the past but nowadays our suggestion would instead be to base somewhere right along the coast itself. That's just us. Minori was exactly as advertised, recommended by any number of famed Italians for its genuine small town feel. It is certainly feasible without a car. Minori is an excellent location to catch the constant SITA buses going either way. Amalfi is of course, the main bus hub for rides going further north-west. We allotted a fair amount of euros in our transit budget for taxis (cue Herculaneum. Alborni, Vettica Maggiore et al). Ravello will also be accessible by its annual red CITY Sightseeing open-top buses.

Please take my advice and look into the following pair of rentals---they were A+ excellent. What they had in common was incredible views plus the bonus of constant wave sounds.
The Minori rental is an apartment within a former episcopal palazzo called 'La Zinefra'. It has that rare thing: a lift/elevator to cut down on the total amount of stairs one is always always climbing along the coast. The lift is a 2-person wooden antique and I can still hear its door hinges make their distinctive squeak--loved it! The view from the larger of the two terraces will take your breath away--recco going up for the first sunrise when the entire west wall of Minori's colorful buildings become illuminated--a magic that is worth crossing an ocean for. The apartment is accurately advertised as having 360 views, coz the unique floor-to-ceiling kitchen window gives renters a spectacular view of not only the church (40 m away) but also the entire town as it spreads up and across the mountains with Ravello and Scala looking down from afar.
I pity the fool that does not contact its property manager Mario Arzano (+39 3924740407). He is also the manager for a dozen additional properties, including some on his own rustic property in the tiny village Torre *directly on the Sentieri di Limone/Path of Lemons hike. Mario is a wonderful person with a wide experience of making the Amalfi Coast special for travelers. He will solve all your transit and logistical concerns. He speaks English and French as well. Per favore, tell him that 'Gregorio y Elena di Toronto' sent you.

The Ischia apartment was an all-time splurge that we discovered years ago in a Moon guidebook and kept in our files. Worth every penny. It has simply the best view of that isle's iconic castle. And a hot tub. And a great location for every conceivable need: buses, restaurants, beaches, ATMs and more. The family that own it are experienced hosts and their 2 twenty-something children are a joy to deal with--going above and beyond was a norm for them. They will spoil you, I kid you not! *Fans of 'My Brilliant Friend' note that some scenes were filmed in the apartment's courtyard. Oh and DO NOT miss visiting nearby island (15 min ferry) Procida, a fantastic daytrip you may've seen in the movies 'Il Postino' plus 'Talented Mr. Ripley'.

Hope this helps. Will post a TR further down the road.
I am done. the end
(thank God---editors)

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/herculaneum-and-pompeii-questions

Greg from Toronto: thank you very much for taking the time to write all the pertinent information. Minori and/or Ischia sound more to our liking and I'll start researching them next week.

I am interested in visiting both Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as Puglia. Thank you to everyone who has given such great advice here! This is a post I have bookmarked for sure !

Kim, depending on what other sights you might be interested in, the Campania ArteCard might be a money-saver for you. It seems to cover all the excavations as well as the huge palace at Caserta and many sights in Naples (including the archeological museum). I bought the annual card (just 43 euros) to take advantage of all the entry fees it covers. You generally get one entry per sight, but I believe you're allowed two entries to at least some (maybe all) of the excavations. There's also a one-week card for a bit less that gives you fewer free entries but covers some transportation.

Gregglamarsh, could you please provide the name of the Ischia apartment or the owners? Thank you.

Lola, you got it--Exclusive Home Ischia. The family are the Contes. Dad Pietro seems to have designated lovely daughter Gabriella as the main contact, but we were also helped by her bro Pierre-Mario a number of times.
That is their sole property and it is divided into 2 attached uber-modern apartments, Turchese (turquoise) plus the one we rented Aquamarina.
The latter is the one with the hot tub and Sweet Mother of God---wait til you see the view!!!!!!! That iconic castle is perfectly set right off the patio. As was the case with our Minori rental, the view actually continued in the opposite direction as well, and is quite attractive.
Happy to advise further for any questions of any sort. Will do a TR foto essay as well, but will need time to properly prepare.
I am done. the peerless views

Greg from Toronto. Thanks for your info re the Amalfi coast. A girlfriend and I will be heading there late September and will definitely look into your recommendations!
Thanks again!
Marina from Vancouver

We are bigger fans of Puglia than the Amalfi Coast as we felt it had a more “real” feel to it. We based in Polignano a Mare for ten days and enjoyed this small city in the Adriatic Sea. I want to go back there.
I am glad I have been to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento but probably won’t return.

Hi MBlake,
Got your message. Yes I def recommend basing in Minori, a great place to experience in and of itself. Sal de Riso pastries (as seen on the associated Stanley Tucci episode) is actually a very attractive combo: superb assortment of pastries, gelato dispenser and excellent-if-a-tad-pricey glossy restaurant featuring local specialties (e.g. pizza with HUGE orange slices) and also items clearly aimed at tourists i.e. burgers. Their excellent salads drew us back every fourth day over an 18 day stay. Weird fact: Sal's brother Alesandro has his own similar cafe a mere 2 minute walk eastward along the same waterfront! That rental 'la Zinefra' is sandwiched by the two eateries.

Again, one could go through the property manager Mario Arzano (+39) 3924740407--tell him 'Gregorio y Elena di Toronto' sent you. I've held back on mentioning this following fact coz we don't want to put him on the spot and/or create possibilities for disappointment but...Mario and his wonderful wife Filomena (and their 7 impossibly-lively dogs) sometimes have enough space in their busy schedule to invite folks over for a lunch get-together at their home along the Path of the Lemons in tiny Torre village.
For us, that was a peak experience along with 4 other travelers, *including a pair of beautiful young Berliners who were just passing by! You. will. never. taste. fresher. OJ. and citrus. in your life. You can keep Capri. and Positano.

MBlake, you also ask about 'provided drivers': Mario's preferred driver is Patrizio Amato. I could supply his contact info where he lives in Maori but really, Mario can do all that (and more) for you. Mario's English is better.
Please don't hesitate to ask further questions.
I am done. the Amalfi base

One more detail about that Ischia Ponte rental Exclusive Home Ischia. For those of you who may've recently checked out that property online, just some clarification: the pictures there show the hot tub as being located within the terrace of their 'Turchese' (Turquoise) unit. Note please, that the hot tub has actually since been relocated instead onto the terrace their Aquamarina apartment, the one which we rented. In other words, there is no gap whatsoever between that wonderful latter terrace and the peerless direct view to the castle.

One may see that pair of apartments in the distance in a number of movies and TV series: 'Cleopatra' (Elizabeth Taylor), 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', 'Avanti' (Jack Lemmon), plus the recent 'My Brilliant Friend'. We were told that 'Man in Black 2' also features a brief peek as well.

Those seriously considering that apartment may also want to check out the isle's Negombo spa, as a potential daytrip.
I am done. the pleasant isle

For OP MBlake plus anyone else who does not plan to drive:
An additional driver in Minori= Antonio Nuschese
(+39) 335.524.3689

We missed hiring him but met on the waterfront a number of times and enjoyed each other's company.
As with Mario, plz tell him that we sent you. No doubt, some travelers do not keep their word regarding promised shout-outs.
I am done. the son of a beach