Amalfi last week of March

Southern Spain is likely to be much warmer, but the lead-up to Easter is a popular time to visit that area and I don't know what you'll find in terms of accommodations at this point.

Since you're an experienced European traveler, I assume your realize that pairing Paris and Positano/Amalfi consigns you to two nearly full days of travel back and forth. That's a huge percentage of the time you have available on this trip, and I would find an easier-to-reach warm-weather spot. Your proposed schedule gives you just two full days in Paris (plus the partial, jetlagged arrival day) and two full days in the Positano/Amalfi area. You may have a bit of time in Italy before you start your trek back to Paris on March 30, but probably not a great deal.

I would definitely not switch hotels while in Italy.

I also would not go to the expense of a trip to Europe for 4.5 days of sightseeing and 4 tiring travel days.

You can take a look at actual historical day-by-day weather data for potential destinations on wunderground.com. I've linked to data for Pontecagnano, which is what wunderground produces when you ask for Amalfi's historical data. There are statistics available for 16 years, so do look at more than just 2017.

Hello!

Thanks so much for your quick reply!

So we did Southern Spain last Spring which is why we wanted to switch it up this year. Our flight gets into Paris at 9am that Saturday morning and we planned then to have 3 full days in Paris (this will be our third trip to Paris so we don't have as heavy of an itinerary) most flights I find early the 27th to Naples and then we wanted to hire a car service to drive us into Positano arriving late afternoon 27th, flying back to Paris the afternoon of the 30th so another 2.5 days in Amalfi.

So you're suggesting just staying in Positano and moving about the coast while maintaining a homebase?

We aren't set on Amalfi, we just don't want to spend 8 days in Paris when we've been, wanted to try somewhere new that allows us to relax towards the end of the vacation as opposed to heavy sight-seeing.

I agree they do not seem the perfect combo trip locations and you are wasting some time to make it work.
If you have never been to Paris before 3 nights is not much.

Can offer nothing about how it will be at that time of year.
Though definitely feel staying in both Positano and Amalfi makes no sense at all, they are 2 very small towns very close to each other to move bases would make no sense.
Capri maybe you could justify since it is an island but staying the last night on Capri and then having to fly out that next day would be messy.
I imagine to get to Capri at that time of year the only option will be the Sorrento ferry.

I am planning a trip now that flies into Paris and flies out of Portugal (no cost 5 night stopover in Lisbon on flight back home)
Flying in one way on Norwegian direct flight to Paris and then on TAP Airlines who has the free stopovers on the way out.
Something like that (maybe Algarve Coast) for you would work out much better logistically giving you more time in Paris and be a warmer weather choice as well, water would still be cold though.

Go for it and just stay in one hotel during the Italy part. I am doing something similar ringing in the New Year in Amsterdam and then flying into Naples staying January 1-5 and then back to Paris and then back to Chicago on Wow Airlines

Hello!

This would be our third trip to Paris, so for us 3 nights will be plenty for what we want to do.

In regards to the Coast, we have no problem just staying in one spot the remainder of the week or adding a day or two on either end of the trip to make it easier travel-wise.

Did Lisbon and that area last year as well, basically Amalfi or Croatia, etc are the spots that are high on our list but unsure about the activity going on last week of March.

Would just stick to Italy but we've done all of the big Italian cities + Cinque Terre.

Again thanks for the replies, much appreciated

I wasn't thinking about the possibility of a private transfer between Naples and your base on/near the Amalfi Coast. That would save some time in both directions. I just hate the idea of two flights in the middle of a 7-day vacation, especially when there is substantial ground transportation required, in addition to the flights.

I think your plan can work then
For Amalfi Coast 1 base of Positano is perfectly fine for visiting Positano, Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravello, Capri, etc...
Definitely do a daytrip to Capri , it is breathtaking.
Pompeii is also a daytrip to consider but if you start adding multiple day trips you need more time and would then also benefit from staying in Sorrento as your base town ; so don't want my reply to get too complicated.

If you take a private car from Naples airport to Positano and back, you can from Positano get around very easy on the SITA local bus at that time of year to visit the other towns.
Capri will involve taking a bus to Sorrento and then a walk to the dock and then ferry to and back to get to Capri.
Not as bad as it sounds if you have no luggage in tow. (there is a ferry Positano to Capri just don't think it runs in late March)
Pompeii from Positano you might want too check with a tour operator for that option as it is an hour or so drive each way or would otherwise again involve getting back to Sorrento to get there via public transit and take much longer.

Thanks for that suggestion!

I think staying in Positano as home base and moving about the coast without luggage sounds like our best bet as the direct ferry from Positano to Capri opens the day we get back to Chicago (naturally) it would be easier to do Sorrento to Capri with no luggage so thanks for that!

We've done Pompeii about 3 years ago but did see a lot of tours including that online, if easier we may leave Chicago a day earlier to add more flexibility in regards to traveling about.

Last year we did Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona in 8 days (nuts I know) but checked off everything we wanted to see by flying in between later at night so this next time we wanted less sight-seeing more hiking/relaxing/outdoors

I know weather can be unpredictable/we're not looking to swim more just be outside in general, but anywhere will be warmer than Chicago at that time

I’m in agreement with Positano, just stay and day trip around from there if you feel inclined. I would highly recommend going up to Ravello. There’s not much to Amalfi, and I felt it was kind of worn-out. Stop there for a pastry and take the bus up to Ravello. Capri is also well worth the trip, sounds like you’ll miss out on much of the crowds there too. Otherwise, the overlooked delicacy here are the pastries! Make pastries part of your daily objectives.

Good to know! Capri and Ravello are at the top of our day trip list with Amalfi towards to the bottom so this helps!

Ravello is an awesome little town with excellent and different views than seen from any of the other lower towns in the area. To reach it you have to go to Amalfi anyway so easy to combine the 2 in 1 day.
You get off the SITA bus at Amalfi and then take a different SITA bus that runs from Amalfi to Ravello and back, buses come frequently so you really don't need a schedule to do the trip.
Amalfi the town was not overaly impressive to me, but the duomo there is great so plan on seeing that!

For staying in Positano since you will be taking the bus often and the ferries will not be running staying somewhere close to the bus stop is a good idea. Eden Roc and Hotel Merincanto are two nice options with fantastic views very close to the bus stop. Both are pricey but in lower season may not be bad, we stayed at Eden Roc ; every room there faces the sea.

Great thank you!

In positano most hotels are booked already so I believe our best option was Eden Roc, thank you!!

We were in Sorrento this March, around the 10th, and it was rainy/50's three out of the five days, after a week of beautiful 60's weather in Rome, 100 miles to the north--go figure. Didn't stop us, as we got around no problem. And yes, we did take a car service from Napoli Centrale train station to our Sorrento B&B, although knocking around the A.C. we always took the bus or the Circumvesuviana train.

Two years ago, we stayed in Salerno about the same time of year and visited Amalfi & Positano on an idyllic 60 degree day. So don't expect a lot warmer than that. But while we were there, the restaurants were just on the verge of opening up for the season, so by the end of the month you should be fine.

And yes, we've twice escaped the Chicago winters the same way. In fact we have friends in their late 60's, that are Italian, live in Chicago but winter in Rome as a base but travel all around Italy, mid January to April 1.

Sounds good to me!!

If you've already been to Pompei, how about Ercolano?

And get your pastry at Sal de Riso's in Minori.

Never heard of it but will check it out!

Thanks again for the replies, I think we will take the gamble on weather and head down to Amalfi towards the end of the week closer to Easter and hope most restaurants/shops are open