FOMO. Sorrento vs Amalfi coast/Positano home base hotels

You can't see or do everything in the world even with one whole human lifetime, so stop beating yourself up about small details. Life is short. Your trip to Italy is very short.

If you have four days in the area, then you have four days, and you need to pick and be selective, and deal with the fact that life involves making choices. Don't like it? Stay longer - problem solved. Of course, you could then agonize about other stuff you'll be missing out that's just down the road...

We stayed here--- https://ilnido.it/

The view is better than the photos or webcam show

Fantastic breakfast--- free parking--- free shuttle to town

Sorrento is a great base. 4 nights means 3 FULL days. One day for Pompeii, one for the Amalfi Coast including a stop in Positano, and one day for Capri. Arrival day and evenings wander Sorrento and start planning your return trip.

Right. You more accurately have Tuesday, Wed, and Thursday to work with, not 5 days, and Sorrento is going to be the best location for the things you want to do. Ferries to Capri are most frequent from there versus the Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii is most quickly/easily reached from there as well.

We stayed in town at a lovely hotel without a view of the sea but as we were out running around all day anyway - as you will be - we didn't miss it. The shops in Sorrento are fun to browse in the evening when they close some of the center to traffic, and Villa Comunale (a park) is a great spot to watch the sunset: bring gelato!

We stayed at the Hotel Bristol in Sorrento for 4 nights in March 2017 and didn't feel the least deprived of an Amalfi Coast experience. We had a room with a balcony that looked out over the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the distance. On several occasions, after a day of touring, we sat out on the small balcony and enjoyed the amazing view (along with a nice Chianti Classico) before heading out to dinner. The hotel was excellent - clean, comfortable, and great breakfast. It was about a 15-minute downhill walk on Via Capo into town. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We took a Mondo Shared Tour of the Amalfi Coast one day, stopping at Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. The tour offers a deep discount (only 50 Euros per person for the full day) based on an arrangement they made with Rick Steves. They drive you in a comfortable minivan and let you off in each town, where you are on your own for a few hours. You get to see a lot of the Amalfi Coast in one day and don't have to worry about driving or taking a crowded bus. I highly recommend the tour. On another day, we took the hydrofoil to Capri, grabbed a cab in Capri town to Anacapri, where we took a chair lift up to the top of Monte Solaro for an amazing view. Also in Anacapri, the beautiful tiled floor of the San Michele Church depicting Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden is not to be missed. Lastly, we took a boat ride around the island before catching the hydrofoil back to Sorrento. One our last full day, we just hung around Sorrento and visited the Museum Correale di Terranova, which was quite interesting. We incorporated a trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum on our "getaway day", hiring a driver to take us to each site, and then on to the main train station in Naples, where we caught our train to Florence. Lastly, in Sorrento, our favorite restaurant, which we ate at twice, was Taverna Azzurra, in the Marina Grande, which was fairly close (albeit a windy downhill walk) from the hotel. The seafood (especially the crab ravioli) and the desserts were outstanding.

Don't pick up the car until you are ready to leave. Month and year? Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast, but you have made the right decision.

I don't think you're missing out. I've stayed in Sorrento multiple times, and once in Positano, but I would not choose Positano as a base for myself in the future. (Hills, relatively expensive restaurants, fewer transport options.) Your best views of the Amalfi coastline will be by boat and bus.

Since you're there for a few days, I'll suggest this restaurant that I enjoyed - family run, extremely friendly, good value, and part of the Buon Ricordo (plate collector's) association. When you reserve ahead, they'll pick you up and return you to your hotel in Sorrento. https://www.ristorantelostuzzichino.it/, up the hill in the town of Sant' Agata sui Due Golfi.

Every trip requires making compromises.
Have stayed in both Sorrento and Positano before.

I prefer Positano but there are many reasons why folks prefer Sorrento. More restaurants (not only more choices but different cost options) ; more to do if it rains, more shopping, much better logistically ; Pomeii but also reaching car rentals, airports and the ferries in Positano don't run in medium to rough seas where the Sorrento ones almost always run.

If it were me, I would prefer to be in the cliffs above the water's edge above town in Sorrento rather than in--town.
Means a walk to and from town of course but then you are not compromising on great views.
We stayed at the Hotel Belair in Sorrento, incredible views over the Bay and of Vesuvius and a great pool, the SITA bus stopped just outside the door so getting the Amalfi Coast towns was very easy.

For you with 4 nights and your first time, I think Sorrento makes probably more sense. If you were staying longer the logistical advantages lessen to a degree.

As I mentioned though, I did prefer staying right in Positano (my wife and I like the village a great deal) and on a future trip I would rather stay there as well ; just have to budget more for food, logistics, etc... to do so.

Another vote here for Hotel Belair in Sorrento. We stayed there and loved it.

I agree that Sorrento makes a great base. We love Sorrento! Trust me--you will not miss out if you stay in Sorrento. Have visited the A.C. 4x now spending approx 17 nights total, most recently last Oct., and always make Sorrento our home base staying out on Via Capo. I know that technically Sorrento is not on the A.C. but who cares! From Sorrento the views of the Bay of Naples are spectacular. We love dining in Marina Grande, the small village below Sorrento--we have always had delicious meals at Delfino's (and the people that run it are so very nice) & the fisherman's co-op, O'Puledrone. There are also many nice places to dine in Sorrento too. We usually take the boat to Positano and/or Amalfi town and the bus back. If you have time you can take a bus from Amalfi town up to Ravello where the views from Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo are spectacular or sit and have a spritz at the place across the st. from where the bus drops you off! You can easily take a boat to Capri one day and the train to Pompeii on another day. Wise to not pick up your car until you leave Sorrento as you don't need a car here. Not sure what month you are going but last mid-Oct. my husband and I drove the A.C. to Sorrento as we were coming from Paestum & the Puglia region. There was no parking in Amalfi town and in Positano they were parked way out on the highway coming into and leaving town. Craazy! We got to Sorrento and got rid of our car as didn't need it any more as flying out of Naples 5 days later. Have a wonderful trp!!

With only a couple days, I think you’ve made the right choice with Sorrento. The Amalfi Coast towns themselves can be a mixed bag, almost best appreciated from the deck of a boat. And Sorrento has its own charms, a lovely view of the Bay of Naples, and better sunsets (at least when I was there. Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t trade Pompeii or Capri day trips for a day on the Amalfi Coast.

Vote for Sorrento. Hotel Tonerella. We had 5 nights in May 2018. Day 1 Mondo Tour of AC, Day 2 Mondo Tour to Capri, Day 3 Pompeii, Day 4 Vesuvius. Sorrento has plenty of shops and restaurants (Da Franco pizza one of the best pizzas in Italy IMHO)

AC is indeed beautiful and a must see. But after doing the tour, I did not have the desire to stay there. Insane traffic/drivers, small rocky beaches, seemingly more crowded than even CT, and no easy way to get between towns (like the CT express).

Finally, on your travel day, you could take the circumvesuviano to Naples and take a train to Chiusi in Tuscany to pick up your car. That would eliminate driving near Naples and Rome. I prefer the train whenever possible. Just an idea for you....

We stayed here in Sorrento. Some rooms have 2 balconies (see blogs for which rooms) that overlook the bay and the mountains. Very pleased. Good value and great, free, breakfast - https://www.hotelreginasorrento.com/

thanks everybody!!