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Naples and Amalfi coast in December?

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I will be in Italy from December 20-January 1 later this year and am thinking of spending some or all of the time in Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast. I'm flying in and out of Rome and will be relying on buses and trains (and maybe the occasional tour). I've already spent time in Rome, Venice, Florence, Siena, and a number of towns in the Veneto on past trips.

I have read a lot of conflicting reports online about the atmosphere and weather in Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast in the winter. Some reports indicate that Sorrento and the Amalfi coast are completely dead and are best avoided in winter and others indicate they are quiet but lovely to visit in the off-season. I don't care if lots of touristy places are closed as long as it's still possible to get around by bus, absorb the atmosphere, and enjoy some time outside exploring. I really like long walks so would hate to have rain all the time.

Am I better off spending my time in cities/towns north of Rome in December? I've also read wonderful things about Bologna, Lucca, Perugia, and Orvieto. Or I could just go back and spend all my time in Venice and Siena which I fell in love with on past trips. Too many wonderful places to choose among in Italy.

Posted by
3303 posts

I was in Naples for 4 days last December then drove to the town of Amalfi and then to Paestum after completing the Steves’ tour of Sicily. Very few tourists, one afternoon with rain, great time, many restaurants on the Coast closed for season (but some might reopen for the holidays). Naples has a great public transit system and it’s easy to get to Pompeii and Ercolano as well as Sorrento. If you want to visit the ruins in Paestum, take the 1 1/4 hour train journey from Naples Centrale.
If you base in Sorrento, easy to take the bus down the coast - Positano, Amalfi, Ravello - or visit Pompeii and Ercolano from there. I had spent some time in Sorrento on a previous trip so it was not on last year’s itinerary.

Posted by
15798 posts

Here's my experience driving the AC in February. And here's me writing from Naples just before then. At the end of the year, you'll have a little less daylight than I had. Pretty much everything was open in Naples, Salerno (and on a previous trip in February) in Sorrento, so I'd imagine it would be the same over the holidays - except, of course, for closures. If you want to rent a car to visit the AC, stay in Salerno. I picked up and dropped off the car there. There are fast trains to Naples, Rome and points north. Sorrento is not a good place to have a car and most of the drive from there (bus or car) to Positano is not scenic, but the whole coastline from Positano to Salerno sure is. If you want to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, you can do so by car from Salerno or by train from Naples. DO NOT DRIVE IN NAPLES.

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