We will be staying in Naples for 5 days in mid-March and our #1 item is to experience the Amalfi Coast area. (We have to room in Naples due to a hotel restriction.) Any tips / recommendations for doing day trips to AC out of Naples (even if we do it more than once)? Best places to see/go (especially that will be open at that time)?
Posted by
5107 posts
It depends on budget, but the no-frills way is to take train to Salerno, hop on bus to Amalfi. From there you can change buses to go to Ravello or Positano. Even in off season, there is usually at least one open restaurant in any given village. There is not much to "do" in these villages otherwise--it is all about the views. So, leave it up to chance and go if you have good weather. If it is cold or rainy,. you';ll have a million things to do in Naples, so it is really the wise choice in March.
Posted by
Oregon
14 posts
I have the same questions and am wondering if we should stay on the Amalfi Coast or in Naples. We fly out of Naples early on 3rd. We have 4 nights in the area. We'd like to see Capri, Pompei and Herculaneum, a lemon Grove- maybe a lunch or cooking class and the sights in Naples (I'm thinking a walking tour, archaeological museum and.... )
Any tours, places to stay and activity ideas are welcome. We don't mind spending money for a car or tour. We'd rather do this than miss something.
This is the end of a 3 week trip so we'll probably be a little tired.
Cynthia
Posted by
5107 posts
@Cynthia, I would start a new thread unless you are also traveling in March, but it is highly recommend to peruse the many posts on this area to focus your questions.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7943 posts
Note for responders: Same poster and similar topic, thread begun a few days ago.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-and-cinque-terre-in-march
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
1147 posts
Check the ferry schedules - they will be limited in March but I think Amalfi Coast is best seen from the ocean approach and you can experience the view of the various towns even if you don't get to experience each of them. You could ferry in and bus back or vice versa if the ferry schedule doesn't work for you both ways.
The Amalfi ferry doc is essentially a 10 minute walk heading straight out of the train station down to the water and out onto the harbor. The Amalfi buses leave/return from right in front of the train station. The trains from Salerno to Amalfi are mostly regionale and don't need to be booked until you need them so just book back to Naples when you get back. Get the Trenitalia app to check schedules and book tickets. For whatever reason a few of the trains take 3x longer than others so just pay attention to travel time when booking.
Your sunset is going to be around 6:00pm in March so plan accordingly. If you get back to Salerno early it's worth taking a right out of the train station down Corso Vittorio Emanuele. It's a wide, pedestrian only street of about 1km of shopping and cafes and when you hit the end and it dissolves into the old town there are a bunch of restaurants and bars to check out. It's lively but will seem super sedate after Naples.
Have a great trip,
=Tod