My husband and I are planning our third trip to Italy in Spring of 2020. We have never been south of Rome so hope to do seven days at least in the Naples and Amalfi coast area. We want to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum and hope to hike the Path of the Gods and maybe some other hikes. We want to have two bases. Should we base in Naples or Sorrento for the Pompeii, etc. visits? Should we base in Positano, Amalfi, or some other town for the coastal parts. We enjoy history, art, sitting in Piazzas, and scenery. Cost is not a huge concern. After our southern adventure we plan to head north to Umbria and the Marches. Thanks so much, this forum has always been so helpful for us.
Posted by
seattle
2147 posts
I would have 2 bases. We did such a trip in 2017 and stayed in the. Vomero neighborhood of Naples which we liked very much. We then rented a car from the Naples ferry dock area and easily drove south to Pompeii. From there we went to Sorrento. Many people make Sorento a base. After a night, we drove down the Amalfi coast and stayed in Minori. From there we visited Ravello and Amalfi. We found drivng on the coast not bad in mid March.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8017 posts
This old discussion will get you started:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-for-5-days-where-to-set-base-from
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Whether you're arriving by plane or train, use this shuttle service or a private driver to the Amalfi Coast. https://www.positanoshuttle.com
I suggest you start on the Coast first, spending
4-5 nights there. Then ferry or bus to Salerno and train to Naples for 2 nights. Visit both Pompeii and Herculaneum from Naples. This eleminates an extra hour Circumvesuvian train ride from Sorrento to connect to your Umbria location.
Posted by
1059 posts
Having two bases for this region is the right idea. Sorrento is a good base for everything on the bay of Naples. You could also stay in Naples, which I loved but it can be a bit intense. Retreating to relaxing Sorrento after a long day of sightseeing was something I appreciated. Be sure to set aside some time to see Naples itself. It seems many people blow right through without seeing the city. I found it’s negative reputation to be overblown. Naples is a gritty, authentic place.
Choosing a place to stay on the Amalfi Coast is the great debate. Everyplace has its pros and cons, and I don’t think you can go too wrong. If anything, if you’re planning on going around and doing/seeing a lot, I would choose Amalfi or Atrani. Amalfi has superior transportation options/connections. If you plan on being a little more relaxed/sedentary then I would choose Positano or an even smaller town. Plan a day in Ravello, I found that to be a true highlight.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
795 posts
I would lean towards a bit more of what Gerri is saying, I would pick one on the Naples side and one on the Amalfi side. It will be easier to do each side from those bases. I also like the idea of doing Pompeii and Ercolano from Naples. I think that to have two different “vibes” in a base is a good thing.