Italy itinerary-Amalfi Coast-Oct 2019

Posted by slmja.family on 09/01/19 05:03 PM

We are heading to the Amalfi Coast from Oct 5-Oct 15,2019 flying into Rome and then driving straight to Sorrento.
We are staying in Sorrento and will use it as our home base from 10/5 (Sat) to 10/9 (Wed) and do day trips (Capri, Vesuvius/Pompeii, Sorrento, Herculeum) and then head down the Amalfi coast to visit Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, and stay a few nights in either Positano or Ravello, before we drive to Paestum (day trip only) Does this itinerary sound doable or exhausting? Should we consider a stop in Salerno to break up the trip?

We will rent a car to get from Rome/to Sorrento and back to Rome at end of trip, and use the car for day trips only, but will likely hire a private driver to get from Sorrento to Positano/Ravello as we heeded Rick's warning about not fun to drive/park, and/or may do the small bus tour. We'll return to pick up our car at our hotel in Sorrento, and then head south or to drive into Ravello. After hours (and hours) of searching, I finally found a hotel in Sorrento, but would appreciate any tips for places (apts/b&B or hotels) clean/comfortable/quiet is key, and under $150 per night in Positano (if possible) and/or Ravello.

We will sleep in Rome Mon 10/14 due to my husband's early morning flight, though I leave later in the afternoon, and will have to make my way to airport by around 1 p.m. for a 3 pm flight. Thanks to this forum for the tip about the Hilton Garden at the Airport. Will I have time to take a quick morning stop in Rome maybe dumping my luggage at airport beforehand, or is it worth it to go from hotel to town and back to airport w/in this timeframe?

Thanks in advance!

Posted by ChristineH

Gettysburg PA

09/01/19 07:42 PM

7303 posts

Is there a reason you opted for the expense and hassle of a rental car when you don’t plan on actually using the vehicle for much?

Where are you flying in from? If a overnight flight please think hard about picking up car in Rome and driving to Sorrento right away- not usually a good idea.
Train from Rome to Naples is easy, purchase in advance for really nice savings. From there take the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento. Very cheap and no advance purchase needed. Or consider a driver here- pick up at Naples- drop in Sorrento. I believe there is also a shuttle bus from FCO direct to Sorrento- but I have no info or experience.
Visiting Pompeii, Capri etc is very easy by Circumvesuviana and ferry.

You will have a driver take you along Amalfi coat and visit Positano and Ravello then all the way back to Sorrento just to get your car and return to Ravello? Makes no sense to me. Perhaps a driver can simply leave you at your hotel in Ravello?
Finding a hotel in Positano in your budget at this late date is probably near impossible, same for Ravello. No idea why you would want to drive and park in those locations anyway. The ferries will still be running, the buses are running, so much easier.

We enjoyed our 2 nights in Salerno very much- that might be your best bet for lodgings now. Easy train to Paestum then direct trains to Rome.

We did this in May
Rome to Naples- fast train- driver to Sorrento (www.topexcursionsorrento.com 95 euros)
Sorrento 4 nights- visited Pompeii with Mondo guides- www.sharedtours.com- excellent
Visited Capri with same- excellent, really fun day
then we had a driver to Amalfi (100 euros) where we stayed for next 2 nights- took bus to Positano for the day. Took ferry back to Amalfi- very easy
Bus to Ravello-for 1 night- there are options other than the SITA bus if you are interested here is my post about this, scroll down to last post
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/ravello-amalfi-salerno-bus-to-ferry-logistics:

Then ferry to Salerno- 2 nights also super easy and really lovely ride- best views for Amalfi coast-
took local train Paestum for a few euros.
Fast train to Venice from Salerno (you go to Rome)

As for your departure day- I don't think you can leave luggage at airport unless it is checked in and not sure how early you can check in- I think maybe just 4 hours preflight? Are you flying international- if so and flight is at 3 you need to be there by 12/12:30- not seeing much time for a trip into Rome center that am. Too tight.

Posted by ponygirl813

Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome

09/01/19 09:52 PM

631 posts

I would not have wanted to have a car in Sorrento. There are many other much better ways to get there. And once you are there you are going to have to find a place to park it.

Posted by Chani

Tel Aviv

09/02/19 12:48 PM

15798 posts

Sorrento with a car - ugh. I took a taxi to/from the train station to my B&B a little ways from the central piazza. The street itself was off-limits to all but residents so the driver had to let me off and pick me up a block away. On each drive, I had a long scenic tour of the city, because of the system of one-way streets and streets off-limits to taxis (and presumably all non-residents). If you are staying somewhere farther uphill from the town center, you'll have a long trek to the ferries, and though the train/bus station may not be too far it's another 7 minutes or so downhill to the center (and the restaurants). Pompeii and Herculaneum are easily reached by the local Circumvesuviana (metro). If you drive there you may hit a lot of rush hour traffic in/out of Sorrento.

It makes much more sense to arrange a car and drive to take you to Sorrento from the airport and another to take you to back to the airport from the AC.

When choosing between Positano and Ravello, keep in mind that ferries and buses stop in Positano. To get either, you either have a long downhill walk from Ravello to Amalfi or the local bus, which can be very crowded unless you are leaving early and returning late, and thus missing the day trippers from the AC to Ravello. According to the schedule it's about a 25-30 minute bus ride