Amalfi or Positano

We stayed in both Amalfi and Positano and preferred Amalfi. Positano is constant steps which we found annoying even though our hotel had a great view. It was a lot of upscale shops which isn’t our thing. Amalfi has a wonderful Cathedral and much easier to walk around. It also is better located for public transportation. We visited Ravello from Amalfi (walking back) and did the Path of the Gods.

The most beautiful view is from the ferry that runs between the two.

Hi Danielle--

Know that the bottom line is that the entire Amalfi Coast will be overrun in high season, June through September. And because of the geographical makeup of the peninsula, when in gridlock there's really no place to go--basically one road in & out. I have traveled to the A.C. twice, both times in early March, when it was deserted & beautiful. Only downside was that few restaurants were open, more in Sorrento than anyplace else that time of year.

If you decide to still proceed with this plan, I think Positano is more picturesque than Amalfi, but more crowded. If you can find a villa overlooking the water and the main road, and have a way to get down & up the hills to your abode, you're better off. The trade-off from the drop-dead gorgeousness of the area are the throngs of tourists.

Sorrento is not technically on the Amalfi Coast--it's over on the other side of the peninsula--but that may be a pretty good option. And in my opinion, Sorrento has the best food around, although the entire A.C has wonderful cuisine, fish & lemon-based.

A final alternative would be to stay off the A.C and base in Salerno, which we did on one of the March trips and it was wonderful. There would be room to move & breathe in this charming small city of 110,000. The SITA bus or ferry can take you anywhere on the A.C. you'd want to go.

Enjoy your planning, and good luck, Danielle!

Good replies. I'd add the need for air conditioning, and the fact that these places book up 9 months in advance. You need to decide on local transfers from Naples (too many for a sedan and driver) and where to sleep the night before flying home.

I haven't slept in Positano but I wonder about nightlife noise and ferry port noise? I wouldn't count on olympic-size pools in Positano. It is high-end, but tightly packed.

Edit: I often point out that Sorrento is a post-war, purpose-built cliffside resort town, mostly made of reinforced concrete, and virtually without beaches. That said, we stayed there 5 nights, at the luxury Ambasciatori, and got what we needed, which was daytrip transport options. That is NOT what you asked for in your OP, but there are a vast number of hotels in Sorrento, and much of it is level. (The group-tour hotels are out of walking distance, up the hillside towards Sant' Agata.) Just to pick an extreme answer to your question, I like the sound of a top-end resort in Ravello, with a hotel shuttle to a beach club hundreds of feet lower, on the actual coast. But Ravello may not be right for teens. And you may have a top budget limit.

I feel the food is better in the north, but that's a matter of opinion. Sorrento, especially, has a huge lower-budget U.K. repeat clientele, among other loyal fans.

If the choice is between Amalfi and Positano, I'm all in for Amalfi. Positano has just become such an expensive cliché. Sorrento is also an excellent choice; has a lot to see as well as a "small town" feel and great moderately priced shopping. We stayed twice at the Settimo Cielo and couldn't have been happier - million dollar views, great breakfast and breakfast room, wonderful staff and even a pool. Excellent bus options if you want to experience the white knuckle thrill of driving the Amalfi coast without driving it yourself. June will find a Chicago native feeling totally in summer in this part of Italy.
From Naples to Sorrento, the local train called the Circumvesuviano is fantastic and easy from the main train station.
Salerno is apparently a good choice for a number of reasons though quite a bit further from places like Pompeii and Herculaneum that are great to visit while on the coast. Again, the Circumvesuviano is an easy connection from SORRENTO to those places.
Buon viaggio!

Salerno is apparently a good choice for a number of reasons though
quite a bit further from places like Pompeii and Herculaneum that are
great to visit while on the coast. Again, the Circumvesuviano is an
easy connection from SORRENTO to those places. Buon viaggio!

Right-o. This isn't really off-topic because where you stay has everything to do with what activities you can do easily, and what's a real P.I.T.A.

If Pompei or Herculaneum or Naples (pizza & Archeological Museum, maybe best in the world) are in your daytrip purview, probably Sorrento--on the other side of the peninsula--is your best bet, with the infamous Circumvesuviana as your chariot. Cheap as heck & gets the job done. Infamous in that some weird, unsavory but mostly harmless characters hop on and off the train, and it's a floor show. During the day it's fine--probably wouldn't want to ride it late at night. We thought it was funny & gave our trip good 'flavor'!

Positano, Amalfi, Ravello...and even the smaller seacoast burghs of Maiori, Minori, and then farther towards the mainland Vietri sul Mare, are where the beautiful vistas are. If that quality trumps space, then stay on the A.C.

It’s much faster to train from Roma to Salerno (1hr47m) than to Sorrento, if the Amalfi coast is your intended destination. Use Trenitalia.com for trains.

From Salerno train station a 10 minute walk to the ferry an hour to Amalfi town. Amalfi is the transportation hub of the coast.

https://www.travelmar.it/en/timetable-from-april-2023

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/ferry-schedule

Bus timetables

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/sorrento-to-positano-bus-schedule

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/sorrento-to-positano-bus-schedule?route=amalfi_maiori_salerno#section-schedule-result

While I love Santa Catarina, a Villa may give your family much more room than 2 Suites. These are moderately priced.

https://www.booking.com/Share-5WZXMo

https://www.booking.com/Share-dLlpm5

If Pompei is a destination, it’s short train ride from Salerno. The Pompeii Scavi site is a 5 min taxi ride from the station or a 25 minute walk.

Edited to add

Whether to stay in Sorrento or on the Amalfi coast is a matter of what day trips you will take. Amalfi vs Positan o is jus ta personal preference, as both have ferry access--so I would look at various options and decide based on the accommodation you like.

If you are choosing between Amalfi and Positano, I would choose Positano. The hotel Covo dei Saraceni in Positano is in a great location by the beach and near the ferry and not very many steps there. In Amalfi the Santa Caterina is not right in Amalfi town. I think you would have to drive to Amalfi center or do a longer walk to get there. In Amalfi there were a lot of buses and gas fumes which we did not like.

We stayed in Positano for 3 nights and Sorrento for 3 nights when we went to the Amalfi Coast area. Positano is very picturesque. We took the ferry from Positano to Amalfi one day and the views from the water are spectacular. Once in Amalfi we took the open air City Sightseeing bus up to Ravello which has lovely villas to tour and gardens and views.

The roads on the Amalfi coast are mountainous and curvy and can cause motion sickness. We preferred using the ferries and made reservations in advance.

I would recommend staying 3 nights in Positano and 2 nights in Sorrento or vice versa. We loved Sorrento. There are beautiful hotels along the cliffside with amazing views of the Bay of Naples and gorgeous sunsets. There is an elevator in the Villa Communale park down to the marina. The restaurants in the Centro Storico area of Sorrento were excellent. You could also take a ferry to Capri for a day from Sorrento if you wish.

Wow! Thank you all so much for your detailed and thoughtful replies-I have a lot to think about! I will reread your comments and begin planning!

Sharon M. - Thanks for the tip about the Hotel Settimo Cielo in Sorrento. It looks amazing, so I just booked it for 3 nights next May!