Have you stayed in Ravello?

Some don't recommend Ravello as a base because of the transport issues--you'll have to take a bus down to Amalfi to get a ferry, etc. (If you are able, you can actually walk.) You would be far from Paestum either way, so if you are hiring a guide (assume driver) anyway, then I don't think it will make much difference.
I only visited Ravello, but I think I would like it in mornings and evenings when the day trippers are away.

We stayed in Ravello 2 nights because we were taking Mama Agata’s cooking class (which I highly recommend). Ravello was charming with some beautiful sites, but it is not convenient for Paestum. Why not stay near Salerno for the southern sites? But I do recommend at least visiting Ravello. We also stayed at Minori which is right on the coast.

As long as:

• you didn't miss all history classes during your second year of high school
• you can download either the Park's official app or a good podcast about the Greek colonies in southern Italy

imho a private guide only to see the Temples is a waste of money.

Regarding WWII sites, local guides are crucial. [email protected]

Ravello may be the most boring place on earth, but tastes are tastes.

It’s said that there is no accounting for taste, so I must disagree with Dario. I found Ravello to be absolutely gorgeous. There are two grand villas, one of which has a fabulous view of the coast from its gardens. If you are there at the right time, you can catch concerts at one of the villas. The cathedral is small, but interesting. We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants.
All that being said, I do not recommend using Ravello as a base, if you are going to do any independent traveling. I usually avoid 1-nighters, but it might, in this case, make sense to stay a night in Ravello. Then you could move to Salerno, itself worthy of some of your time.

I also disagree about the utility of having a guide at Paestum. We were there as part of a day trip. Without a guide, the ruins would have looked like some tumbledown buildings and big holes in the ground.

I didn't say Ravello is ugly, I said it's boring and they are thinking about 3 or 4 nights up there.

when I was at Paestum - very good trip - I had a good guidebook and was able to read the description boards for each building to my wife, no guide, and we had a good understanding of what we were looking at . The on-site museum is also excellent. The on-site pizza place was pretty good too.

We only spent a full day there, but an unexpected highlight was a performance during the Ravello Music Festival. If you are going to be there during the festival and that interests you, it would be great to spend the night after a concert. Ravello seemed interesting enough for a night or two, but perhaps doesn't fit with your focus on Paestum and Salerno.

We took a day trip to Ravello from Amalfi. I enjoyed our time there very much and can see spending a night or two there. But it is not a transportation hub and I think it would be inconvenient to stay there to go to Paestum and Salerno. When we were there the bus was very crowded from Amalfi and we elected to walk back to Amalfi rather than deal with it again. Amalfi is a much better transportation hub than Ravello.

Thanks for your feedsback. Now, I'm thinking about using Salerno as base for, well, Salerno, and Paestum. Then enjoy a couple of days of blissful boredom in Ravello before taking on Rome.

That may be best, but I'd be loathe to split up only three or four nights. Perhaps look at the mainland end of the peninsula, so you can more easily access Salerno but still have a village experience? Cetara lacks the drama of Ravello, but we loved our stay there.

Thanks Val. I am cobbling a 2 week or so round-trip from Rome, so I have a lot of nights to shuffle around. I will check out Cetara. My problem is that every video that I watch of Positano, Sorrento, or Amalfi turns me off - due to the crowds.

That's one reason we chose Cetara, definitely look at it and neighboring villages. It has great restaurants. Vietri is larger but has a train station.

We've stayed in Ravello on three different trips to Italy. My husband and I really love Ravello. At night, it is especially beautiful. We love sitting in the piazza in the evenings. We've taken some lovely walks in the area, including the one down to Amalfi on the three occasions we stayed there. And getting back to Ravello each time was frustrating and really time consuming. We didn't feel like walking uphill so we opted for the bus. We had to wait and wait for the bus. It never came according to the schedule. And when it finally arrived, there was a lot of pushing and shoving to get on it. Despite being near the front of the (somewhat) queue, we couldn't even get on the bus and had to wait for the next bus, which took forever. This happened each time we were there (all in late Sept.). I felt like we wasted way too much time waiting to get on a bus. So for a base to travel elsewhere, I wouldn't pick Ravello. As a lovely town to stay in and take walks and enjoy the views, Ravello is great.

We’re sorry we didn’t have the time to dedicate to seeing Paestum. I have not slept in Ravello, but would not stay there if my objective were daytrips. You didn’t give the month of travel, so don’t forget how crowded the AC is for six months a year. Ravello would be unbookable during the annual music festival. If I were sleeping there I might consider the fantastically expensive resort that has complimentary shuttles to their private beach club. Don’t know the name. Ravello is pretty, but I don’t consider it to provide enough non-tourist atmosphere to stay there every day, all day. But I’m a city boy.

Did you mean a guide with a car?

An additional option, though hardly a travel hub, would be to stay in Ravello's waterside strip known as 'Marmorata'. Walking distance to Minori. There seems to be a bus stop or two, but as aforementioned, they can be sardine-city packed, depending on season.
Hope your plans work out OP.
I am done. The end.