We will be flying into Rome mid September and want to spend a few days , 3-5 in Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, Positano,Amalfi Coast area, looking at recommendations on how many days to do it justice and best way to get around. I thought I read at this time road traffic is crazy and best way is to go by train and then ferry, or do you really need a rental car to see it all?
Love hotel suggestions for Sorrento w/ o a car, under $250 a night.
We were in Sorrento at the same time about 3 yrs ago and the traffic was very light, at least between Sorrento and Positano.
We spent 7 nights there in Dec 2011 and found it was about the right amount of time. The Day # below is just for enumerating. Personally I'd do "Day Four" first.
Day One - Pompeii with possible stop also at Ercolano although to me that's too many ruins in one day. Be the time you get a train, tour Pompeii, get a train back, it will be at least 5 hours, and that doesn't include lunch. Go early to beat the heat; arrive at 09:00 if possible.
Day Two - Amalfi Coast bus trip. Do not drive as you will want to enjoy the views! Stop if you like in Positano, too. There's a nice walk from AmalfiTown to Atrani outlined in Rick's guidebook. this is a full day.
Day Three - Capri
Day Four - Naples day tour. See the Archaeological Museum before you go to Pompeii and follow Rick Steves' self-guided day tour. Another long day - you will be tired but it's am interesting day!
You could spend another day just relaxing in Sorrento, doing laundry (there's a decent laundromat!) and enjoying what Sorrento has to offer as it's very cute with great views over teh bay.
You definitely do not need a car. In fact, that's one of the things I love about it... you can go anywhere by train, bus or boat. Sorrento is my favorite town in Italy and makes a great base. For me, I need 5 days (6 nights) minimum to do it justice, and 7 is even better.
We stayed in Sorrento for 4.5 days this past September and in my opinion, you definitely need a minimum of 5 days to do the area justice. We spent one day visiting Herculaneum & Pompeii, one day visiting Capri, one day in Sorrento itself and one day along the coast itself visiting Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, etc. You definitely do not need and should not rent a car; it will be a nuisance as parking is a pain! We used a private driver for our day along the coast and felt that we were able to maximize our sightseeing time and not worry about the logistics of getting from town to town. If it's within your budget, you might consider hiring a driver. Have a great trip.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful advice, any great hotel recommendations with great views w/o breaking the bank?
http://www.hotelmargherita.info/ I stayed here in 2009. Praiano is a beautiful non-toursity town. There's a shuttle right outside the hotels front door that takes you to Positano in 15 minutes. Owners are VERY helpful.... even picked us up from the bus stop and drove us down to the beach one day we took a boat to Capri. Definitely pay for an ocean view room! Views are breathtaking! Small swimming pool, lemon trees and two terraces.
Hi Monica, congratulations on your trip, you will love it there! ...We just were there two weeks ago and I'm already missing it! ... We stayed at "Villa Monica" b&b in Sorrento and we couldn't be happier, the views are wonderful among other great things it has to offer. We paid 85 euros per night paying cash. We loved everything about this place!! Enjoy the planning and have a wonderful trip!
Thank you all for the wonderful advice.
We stayed at Palazzo Montefusco Relais in Sorrento and I highly recommend it however it's right off Piazza Tasso so there are no views of the water. The location is perfect and the room was super clean, comfortable and modern. The rate includes breakfast and every morning they serve a homemade cake along with a fantastic spread of meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, cereal, etc. The staff was extremely attentive and helpful. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.
I really enjoyed Sorrento and was surprised at how much I liked it. I contemplated staying in Positano but I'm glad I chose Sorrento. It makes a nice base for seeing Pompeii &/or Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast. The Circumvesuviana train ends in Sorrento which makes it easy to get to Sorrento from Naples whereas if you stay in Positano or any of the other Amalfi Coast towns, you have to take a bus &/or taxi (expensive) or boat from Sorrento. Sorrento is a charming town to walk around and we loved walking down to Marina Grande at night for dinner or to watch the sunset. Delfino's is a great place for dinner in Marina Grande as well. Have a great trip!
The Amalfi Coast is stunningly beautiful. I've treated Sorrento-Pompeii-Naples-Herculaneum as a different segment of Italy. The Positano-Priano-Amalfi-Ravello segment is easily 7-10 days depending upon your interests. The Hotel Savoia*** in Positano has a lovely location and it is delightful. A week pass for the regional transportation would make travel easier. We spent time in Amalfi and then onward (upward) to the charming town of Ravello.
Monica.....My hubby and I spent 3 days in Sorrento in early June of 2012. We parked our rental car at the hotel in Sorrento and caught the bus to Amalfi and enjoyed watching the bus driver negotiate those crazy roads on the edge of the cliffs on the Amalfi coast. It was a delight. We got off of the bus in Positano but had to walk so far down from the bus stop to get to the actual town of Positano that we just caught the next bus to Amalfi and rested while waiting for our bus. We loved shopping and eating in Amalfi...it is a beautiful coastal city. We caught the one-way boat ride back to Sorrento.....a must and a gorgeous ride.
If I had to do it over again I would definitely spend a day in Capri. We were so tired and opted to stay by the beautiful pool that our Sorrento hotel had......very restful and relaxing....but being so close to Capri we should have bitten the bullet and pushed ourselves to see Capri. I heard that it is beautiful and now that is something I will have to do next time!
We did not have enough time to do Pompei....everyone we talked to at our Sorrento hotel said that to see it well you must give it at least a day....and we ran out of time.
Have fun! I LOVE Italy......
Hi again,thank you so much for all your suggestions, really appreciate it. I have tried to get reservations for several of the hotels Rick S has in his book, nothing available for a sat/ sun in mid sept, also tried Villa Monica B&B ,Hotel Mignonette, Hotel Minerva all booked. I have sent several mails to Villa Elisa as I can't find any way to make a reservation directly and I can't get a reply back, anyone have any idea how to get to them or have any more hotel suggestions for Sorrento, will not have a car, but it looks
Ike it's pretty easy to get around. (Like to stay away from the $300 plus a night hotel )
Thanks so much for the help..
Last October we stayed at the Hotel Antiche Mura in Sorrento ($$$). No ocean view, but in 2013 with the RS Italy book, cash, and direct booking we were given a 15% discount. Check the 2014 edition. Easy walk from train station. Wonderful champagne(!) breakfast. Have a great trip.
We've stayed at La Tonnarella 3 times and love it. Not the least expensive hotel but worth it imo. Amazing views, great buffet breakfast, outside dining, great restaurant, lots of flowers, private beach. Easy walk to or from center of town. If you can afford it, a room with your own private terrace overlooking Sorrento and the Bay of Naples is well worth it.
Monica, I have learned over extensive travels here that I don;t have to be too fussy about my hotel anymore. I do look at reviews for obvious problems, but I have opened myself up to making selection from what is available on a booking site instead of trying hotel after hotel only to be turned down. Thus I suggest you try Booking.com for your dates and select from the available facilities.
We did love Hotel Antiche Mura though....
Hi monica, I'm the one who recommnded you "Villa Monica " , too bad it has no rooms available. Pasquale the owner is a great guy, very attentive and helpful, I was thinking that it could be a good idea if you send a message to the b&b's facebook page (Villa Monica B&B Sorrento) asking him for his help and advice about hotels with similar quality and in the same price range, that he can recommend. You already tried to book at his place, so I think he would gladly help you if he can. Just an idea...
You might try Maison Tofani in Sorrento, just off Piazza Tasso. We loved it. If you check their website, there is a room or two that cost significantly less than the others. They include a very nice breakfast, and the service is excellent. Be sure to include Ravello in your visit. I second the suggestion for spending a day on Capri. Go up to Anacapri, but don't bother with the Blue Grotto.
Thank you all for your wonderful advice...
