Itinerary help on Almafi Coast

Correct spelling is Amalfi which will take you to correct sources. I like the towns you are considering visiting there.

Thank you for the spelling check.

Well our flights and itinerary are set. We have 6 nights to experience ISCHIA beaches and thermal pools, bit of down time and Amalfi coast. I have booked 3 nights in Ischia and now thinking it's easier to stay the final 3 nights in Naples and do a couple of daily boat trips to Amalfi. I am not really keen on 3 nights Naples - My first choice would be to stay on Amalfi coast for the final 3 nights but we would need to spend the 3rd night in Naples for our 1130 am flight back to Canada the next morning. . Changing location for 1 or 2 nights is not something we enjoy but will do if we have to.

So do we spend 3 nights Ischia and 3 nights Naples.

OR 3 nights Ischia, 2 nights Amalfi, and 1 night Naples.

OR 4 nights Ischia, 2 nights Naples.

This is the final 6 nights of our 22 night trip to Croatia, Montenegro and this small part of Italy.

Your thoughts are always appreciated.

My husband and I have 6 nights to enjoy Ischia, Amalfi coast, and final night in Naples. Ischia from Oct 5-8. With the remaining 3 nights, we are considering 2 nights somewhere on Amalfi Coast (Oct 8-10) and 1 night pre flight in Naples (October 10). We depart for Canada on Oct 11.

1..I would appreciate help with the quickest way to get to Ischia from naples Airport on Oct 5. We arrive at 2 pm

1. Would Sorrento be the quickest Amalfi coast location from Ischia on October 8?
   We are open to 2 nights somewhere else but getting there quick is important with only 2 night available on Amalfi coast.

2. What is the quickest/most reliable/economical way to return to Naples from Sorrento on October 10?

Thank you so much for your expert information.

Colleen

The travel time from ischia to the coast is what it is, I can’t think of anywhere you could get “quickly.”
I like this website for ferry schedules: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/ferry-schedule

Would Sorrento be the quickest Amalfi coast location from Ischia on
October 8?

Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast, it just happens to be the best transportation hub to get to the AC, however with only 2 nights (2 nights = 1 full day), I would still stay there rather than attempt to waste a chunk of a day getting to Amalfi or Positano to sleep.

As for your 2nd question, the quickest is likely by car, but it won't be economical; likely €150+. I believe there is a bus that goes directly from Sorrento to the airport. The other choice is the Circumvesuviana train to Naples and then a bus or cab to the airport from the train station.

Note that Sorrento is built on a clifftop, that drops right down to the Gulf of Naples. So some of the luxury hotels have swimming platforms (not floating, but on pilings) there, connected to the hotel elevators, for salt water swimming. Otherwise, Sorrento is not a "beach destination". The main public beach is tiny, and placed between the two commercial marinas, so you can smell the diesel fumes.

This is not a slam, because our five nights at the Ambasciatori (extra cost for balcony and Vesuvius view ... ), were perfect, because we wanted to facilitate daytrips, including Capri, which Sorrento is closest to of the coastal towns.

I suggest that you do as much reading (here or in Lonely Planet) as you can to get a clearer idea of the area. It doesn't compare to "the Old Caribbean" (IF you know what that very specific tourism term means.) Rather, I'm saying that Positano may have been a favorite of people like Grace Kelley and Aga Khan (MADE THAT UP ... !!!), but it has moved a little towards the Spanish Ballearic islands in atmosphere. I was disappointed with Positano, because it had so many of the same overpriced designer boutiques that you can see in Rome, Milan, Paris, and wherever. We had a drink at La Sireneuse, a luxury hotel I wanted to see. We had to sit in the non-guest part of the bar (!), but all 8 of the people who could fit on their tiny pool deck looked like they had had "work done." We could barely see the Gulf of Amalfi from the pool deck and bar.

Some of the towns further east have sand beaches, but Positano has entirely pebble beaches, and they are quite small. But you can rent a chaise with 100 (not 1000) of your closest warm personal friends. I guess I'm warning that you may feel let down after a week on Ischia, if you have picked the right resort.

I notice that you did not mention Pompeii. Check your next destination travel, because it is hard to get anywhere quickly from the AC. You cannot wake up there and fly home from Rome, for example.

I did not see the place or stay there, but I noticed that there's a $1000 per night kind of hotel in Ravello (which is hundreds of feet above the water level, but a lovely place) that has a possibly private beach and a shuttle to take you here (15-20 minutes, probably). I mention that, because it's what I read between the lines of your posts. (Yes, I have paid near that for the best of the Carribean.)

Because our visit was very crowded in the last week of May, 8 years ago, I would expect September to be crowded.

The infrastructure in the Sorrento/Amalfi Coast area has been so neglected in the last several years, that there is no fast mode to get anywhere. Traffic congestion is legendary. Public transportation is very crowded, kind of runs on a schedule, and may not be too comfortable. We used Aldo Limos for the Sorrento-Naples and Sorrento-Rome routes, which was comfortable, but doesn't get one out of the congestion, and is expensive.

Expect crowds everywhere in the area, as there are no spring and fall shoulder seasons anymore. But if you plan for the realities on the ground, you can have a great adventure in this beautiful area. Safe travels!

Ps
Many folks here are recommending Salerno, which isn't as packed, and has great rail connections. We haven't stayed in Salerno, but I wish we had!

How about going straight to the Amalfi Coast after your arrival and then finishing your trip on Ischia? Then go to the Naples airport directly from Ischia. In October of last year, we took the train from Naples to Salerno and then the bus to Atrani - where we spent 3 nights. Atrani was fabulous - beautiful and a local feel without the tourists yet only a 10-15 minute walk to Amalfi town and all the action. Plus, ferries and busses run from Amalfi so you can get around the coast.

WE have now made time to stay 3-4 nights on Amalfi Coast-possibly in Salerno for the transportation options since we only have 3-4 days. Having said that, we typically enjoy smaller, less touristy, quaint places to stay.
1. If we stay in Atrani, how much time is spent getting to Salerno to take ferries to other locations?
2. Would Minori, Maiori, Vietri sur Mare be more or less convenient than Atrani?
Also your suggestions for moderately priced accommodation in any of those locations would be greatly appreciated. WE typically enjoy have breakfast included but some provisions for eating some meals in our room/suite - even if just wine and cheese. WE also typically book a room with a balcony and a seaview. I think E200/225 per night would be our max.
Thank you so very much for your suggestions and thoughts.

There is frequent, low cost bus service between Naples Central Station and the airport. €5 a person.

Starhotels Terminus Hotel is directly across the street from the train station and about 100 feet from the bus stop. The rooms are nice, breakfast good, and location excellent for transportation connections. Most of the day tours for Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, etc that leave from Naples meet in the plaza directly in front of the hotel.

The fact that you dislike crowds and touristy shopping areas seems to be a bit contradictory with the Amalfi Coast.

If we stay in Atrani, how much time is spent getting to Salerno to
take ferries to other locations?

If you stay in Atrani you only have to walk over to Amalfi to take a ferry- no need to go all the way to Salerno (which would take a bit over an hour by bus or taxi)

WE also typically book a room with a balcony and a seaview. I think
E200/225 per night would be our max.

You will probably have to up your budget for this sort of room (especially if you want a private beach or pool as indicated).
September is still high tourist season. You might find something at this price in Salerno.

You can edit the spelling in your subject line- would help others searching for info in the future.

We just stayed in Maiori at Hotel Club Due Torri and LOVED the huge private waterfront balcony and short walk to town. It was a bit of a splurge but worth it. Breakfast was great and the staff were five star. There are beach clubs (crowded on the weekends, empty during the week) and public beaches (which we ended up liking better) and great restaurant options within walking distance of the hotel. It seemed to mostly be Italian tourists. We chose Maiori based on an RS interview with a local about less crowded AC towns and are so happy we did. We took a ferry to Positano and regretted it - next time we would rent a boat to admire the coast but not dock to walk in the town. We are not shoppers and the mobs of people were awful.

Hi there, this looks very well thought through. We did a similar south Italy split and what helped us most was just checking ferryhopper first and picking the places that were easiest by boat. For 8 to 10 nights I’d keep it to 2 real bases plus Naples, roughly 4 nights Ischia, 4 nights on the Amalfi Coast, and 1 night in Naples, then put the extra night in Ischia if that is your bigger priority. If unpacking matters, I’d stay in one base on Ischia unless Il Monastero is the splurge you really want. Forio or Sant’Angelo fit your quieter beach and thermal pool kind of trip really well, while Ischia Ponte is better if the castle atmosphere matters most.
On the Amalfi Coast, Atrani is lovely, but for several nights I’d probably choose Minori, Maiori or Vietri sul Mare. I found this useful in general when planning