Lodging in Salerno suggestions. Daytripping.

You'll probably have better luck with lodging suggestions if you provide a per-night budget.

Also provide month so people can advise on ferries along the Amalfi coast. There is also the SITA bus.

For Pompeii, http://www.trenitalia.com/ (note the Pompei station is about a 15 minute walk from the archaeological site.)
If you have time, the Greek temples at Paestum are worth another excursion, by train.

Ok. $200 - $250 a night. Early May 2018

I don't know if you'll find anything at that price. Most places are well under $100/night. Also Salerno's pretty level so places near the bus/train and ferry pier won't have much of a view, places higher up won't be walking distance.

In May, you can take the SITA bus as far as Amalfi, then take another bus to Positano (it continues on to Sorrento). There's also a bus line from Amalfi to Ravello. There are various ferry lines from Salerno to all the towns that have ferry piers.

Take the train to Pompei (town) and then walk or short taxi ride to Scavi di Pompeii (archaeology site). You can also take the train or bus south to Paestum for the Greek temples and the archaeology museum. If you take a private driver, you could stop on the way at Tenuto Vannulo - buffalo farm, taste fresh mozzarello, great gelati and cannoli, and see the cows.

Thank you. Seems like many B and B's to pick from around $100 a night. We plan on ferries to the other coastal towns. The mozzarella farm sounds right up our alley. Will need to research it.

Use the buses as well as the ferry - you get different (but still very good) views .

Noted, thank you.
Looking at La TarTaruga B and B. Location trumps needing a view. We'll get plenty of that during our travels.

Maybe we should do Positano by ferry and Ravello/Amalfi using the buses on a different day. Do you have a link to the ferry schedules or do they travel so often that there is no need?

Hey Jack--

What time of year are you traveling?

La Tartaruga looks to be in a good spot, near the water/ferry, fairly near the train/bus station, a little bit of a walk from Old Town. We've stayed at Salerno Centro B&B but this might be a better choice for you.

If Naples is on your agenda only for pizza, there's Pizzeria Trianon just off the Old Town in Salerno that is just as good because their first store opened in Naples in 1929. But...Naples is worth a trip if only for the fabulous Archeological Museum.

Traveling in May. Great tip for the Pizza. Hoping to get to the museum when in Naples. How much time at a minimum would we need there?

Here's the thing. If you can, during your travels you want to do the Pompei ruins and the Arch Museum because all the art from Pompei is there, one kind of bookends into the other. But it's a stretch to do them both on the same day, maybe sensory overload as well. We only spent 2 hours at the Museum, almost all of that time at the Pompei exhibit. We never got to the Farnese Marbles, which are supposed to be great. I'd allow a good 2-3 hours for the whole place.

I would pick whatever is going to be the best weather day and do Pompei, 4 hours worth or however long your feet can stand it! If you're departing to and from Naples, you certainly can do the Museum either before Salerno or after, but even as part of a daytrip it's easy from Salerno.

You can inquire at your B&B, but my guess is that a private driver for the Amalfi Coast will be pricey. However, if you're saving money on the room, then maybe you can rationalize the cost. If not, though, I'd maybe do the ferry to Positano, then take the bus back to Salerno, changing buses at Amalfi-town (and see Ravello while there), then through all the little coastal towns of Cetara, Minori, Maiori, Vietri sul Mare. It's a fun ride, just gorgeous.

We'll have 3 full days in Salerno and all of an afternoon upon arrival to explore Salerno.
Is it possible to take an early ferry to Positano, not rush the visit there, and also take in either Amalfi or Ravello via a return bus and not feel rushed there either? I'm sure taking in all three in one day is not the best way to do it properly.
Not sure how many hours are required in each of these towns?
Our latest thoughts are to take most of a day in Positano, return via ferry to see more of Salerno. Next day ferry to Amalfi and bus back with a visit to Ravello returning for dinner. Third day train to Paestum or Pompeii, but not both. Next day train to Naples for flight home.
Thank you for you input and advice. Love this forum!

I'll let others chime in with their opinions, but I think your plan is doable.

To me, the A.C. towns are more about the spectacular views than interesting stuff in the actual towns. Frankly, it's a lot of the same thing--hand-made goods, limoncello, etc. But...if you can find a little cafe with a view of the water and the side-hill houses, the kind of venue that will give you one of those 'this is why we came' moments...sit, take your time & enjoy. Because of that, if you're doing most of a day in Positano, do some advance research and find something off the beaten path that might interest you, such as a cooking class or an artisan gallery. Positano is no doubt set up for tourists, but you can delve deeper online and ferret out some real neat stuff I would imagine.

And from the simple pleasures department...doing the 'passeggiata' along Salerno's lungomare (walkway along the water) is something you should not miss. It's loosely translated as a 'leisurely walk or stroll in the early evening, especially for the purpose of socializing'. This takes place every evening in Salerno, and along the main shop-laden streets of this small city as well. And then you can go to dinner. A perfectly wonderful evening, I would think.

Great advice. Truly indebted to you.

Could we do all the three I mentioned in a long day? Say 3-4 hrs in Positano, travel by ferry or bus for 3 hours in Amalfi. Continue by bus to Ravello for a couple of hours before sunset, have a nice dinner and return to Salerno at night by bus? I know its a long, great day but it will allow us to "check the boxes" for a possible future trip and free us up for another day to add to our itinerary.

You might be able to work all three in, but not sure how late the bus runs--I don't think it is late enough to accommodate later Italian dining hours. I did not make it to Positano, but I can't say I was overly charmed by Amalfi--I would rather leisurely enjoy one seaside town versus trying to explore both. You could give it short shrift en route to Ravello.
ETA: If you do feel the area calling you back, you can return the next day. If you have your fill, then go to Paestum the next day. I'd knock out Pompeii the first day.

Good advice from val. Start out your day with an early ferry to Positano, knock around there for awhile, then catch the bus to Amalfi, which you can say hello to but other than St. Andrew's Cathedral it's not that great. You're going to have to change buses there anyway, and I believe there's a separate bus to Ravello (check on that for sure), but I think you'll have to go back to Amalfi for the hour bus ride back to Salerno. I'd shoot to get back to Salerno no later than 6PM to be safe.

I agree with Jay. The scenery is outstanding, the towns are just "typical". I had a lousy lunch in Amalfi but some to-die-for pastries at Sal de Riso in Minori . . . so good, I stopped again a day later and took a small box of goodies back to my hotel as well. The lungomare is lovely at sunset. If you're there on the weekend, the locals are out all day too.

Yes, there is a separate bus between Amalfi and Ravello.

Bus schedule Salerno-Amalfi.
You need to change to Amalfi to Ravello, and Amalfi-Sorrento for the other schedules.

http://www.positano.com/en/bus-schedule?bus_route=salerno_maiori_amalfi

Ferrys from Salerno. Note Piazza Della Concordia is main port.

http://www.livesalerno.com/ferry-connections

Taking the ferry there and bus back will save you time.

The lungomare is lovely at sunset. If you're there on the weekend, the
locals are out all day too.

Right on, Chani. The passeggiata in Salerno is such a sweet scene, pretty much replicated daily by locals in most small-to-medium sized towns and cities all over Italy--not so much in touristy areas, however. Couples, families, friends walking slowly...hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm, kibbitzing to themselves and each other, a lot of well-wishing and salutations. Even the singles--doing the hands-clasped-behind-the-back 'Zoe' walk, are part of the scene. Kind of like 'scoop the loop' with cars in small-town America.

And it costs nothing to experience this.