HI! I love this forum and am already thankful for a lot of great advice! I will be traveling with my 17 year old daughter over spring break for an early graduation from high school mother/daughter celebration. I am sort of recreating a trip I took 25 years ago with a good friend but am looking for advice on the best order of towns and a few activity suggestions. We will be there April 10-19 flying in and out of Rome. We plan to stay three nights in Positano at Casa Buonocore with a planned day trip to Capri while there. We would like to stay two other nights somewhere else in the area and are thinking of Ravello for the hilltop views but are very open to suggestions. We are interested in hiking, shopping, exploring, etc. We'd also like to do cooking classes at some point and would love suggestions for those.. We would like to do two nights in Rome and I am debating about whether to do one at the start and one at the end or whether to do the two nights at the end. The only issue is that the end of the trip will be Holy Thursday and Good Friday and I am wondering if the city will be extra crowded? Does anyone have suggestions for a second town after our time in Positano and thoughts on our dates in Rome? Lastly, any recommendations for favorite small hotels in Rome in a good location would be helpful. I recognize that our two nights in Rome will be quick but hope to see a few of the main sites. We prefer the small towns to large cities.
Thank you!
Posted by
North Georgia, USA
1306 posts
Ordinarily, I would recommend immediately going to Positano (or wherever the furthest place you go ends up being) and end back in Rome, since you need to be there the day before you fly home anyway. However, 2025 is the year of the Jubilee. I would try to avoid scheduling my Rome days on Holy Days. It's already going to be very crowded and very expensive due to the many people who will travel there for the Jubilee events. Have you looked at availability and prices for accommodations during that week?
Edited: I just did a quick search on booking.com and there is availability and the prices don't look too nuts. Hotel Smeraldo is often recommended here and it's in a perfect location with an excellent breakfast. I'd book very soon!
Posted by
OP
Virginia
2 posts
Thank you! I have been warned about the crowds of the Jubilee year but we are restricted to our school's spring break so we will manage the crowds. We will likely avoid the Vatican on this trip. I grabbed a room at this hotel because it is more reasonable than others I have seen and looks to be nice - thank you! I have also been told that staying in the Trastevere area could be a nice option since it is a little out of the way of the crowds. I am going to evaluate there as well. If we had more time I'd opt for Rome during a different part of our trip but I think to maximize our time we really should hit the coast right away and end in Rome. We definitely want to stay in Positano. If you had five nights along the Amalfi coast how would you split your time? Three in Positano and two in either Ravello or Capri? We have rooms held at Casa Buonocore and I need to determine the other two nights. I know that I am late in the game but still hopeful! Appreciate your help!
Posted by
Los Angeles
5011 posts
I suggest you reach out to Elizabeth at Bluestar ferries in Positano, she has two daughters and would have good travel ideas.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7832 posts
Make sure you have your transportation to and from the AC worked out
Here is a recent discussion
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/travel-from-sorrento-train-station-to-positano
I suggest staying in Sorrento on arrival-visit Pompeii from there and Capri as well - you’ll have more transportation options and it’s not as horrid as traveling all the way to Positano from Rome
Then move on to Positano-you can visit Ravello easily from there