Party of 4. Travelling in early (maybe leave on 3rd or 4th) September 2025 for 2 weeks. We are all senior citizens but reasonably able. No driving, busses, trains, or hiking. Food and wine are important. Flying into Naples. Already bought Steve's book. We plan on hiring a driver to travel from Naples to either Sorrento or Amalfi. After 3-4 days at first destination, we will then transition to the other. Then back to Naples via Pompeii. Some questions and options.:
1. Sorrento or Amalfi first? Or does it matter? One consideration is after a long flight a day of rest may be in order..That is why we chose not to stop in Pompeii on the way south.
2.When in Sorrento, plan on a day trip to Capri. Could also do day trip to Pompeii???
3. When in Amalfi, will do day trip to Positano and Ravello?
4. Ferries to serranto/Amalfi, ferriy to Naples from Serrento?
Never been to this part of Italy, so any and all advice will be sincerely appreciated. Itinerary?? Guided tours info?
Favorite restaurants? Favorite lodging? Whatever. Thanks.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4425 posts
You'll likely do more walking on the Sorrento portion of the trip so I'd suggest that first. Pompeii is huge, we spent 12 hours over 2 days there, plus day trips to Herculaneum and finally to Naples to tie it all together. Loved our day trip to Capri, we enjoyed it significantly more than the Amalfi Coast. I found Positano overwhelmingly underwhelming and the hour we spent there was more than enough. I regret that we didn't have more time for Ravello.
Plan your transportation in advance. If you're using private drivers it will be expensive but still slow. Transportation along the Amalfi Coast is chaotic and frustrating. We did a 9 hour tour of the AC with a driver, saw Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, and 4.5 hours of the tour was in the car.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5409 posts
This area is rather chaotic and very congested due to the neglected infrastructure. There is no fast nor efficient way to get anywhere south of Naples, in/around Sorrento, and/or on the AC. Moving about takes time and patience. Places will still be very crowded in September.
That being said, once you understand the realities on the ground, it's a beautiful area, and you can have a wonderful trip.
We used Aldo Limos and were very happy with this company. Christine, in the office, is a Brit, so email communication was easy, no language issues. We had a package deal, as we used them on three different days. We were able to pay in USD, at a fair rate, and received a written receipt.
I would not recommend a driven tour of the AC, having done it. Even with a private driver, you are still sitting in the congestion, and it's a nine hour trip, with half that time in the vehicle. I wish we had toured the AC from the water.
I found Positano uncomfortably crowded and full of high-end shops that are in every tourist town, (Rolex, anyone?) And the beach is not sand, it's black pebbles, so looks like dirt.
Ravello is beautiful and was not crowded when we were there. It's high up in the hills, not on the beach.
Amalfi town was also packed, and this was in May, so we didn't enjoy that visit .
I did like Sorrento, found it comfortable, not too crowded , and pleasant to wander. I'd stay in town, in a hotel with a great view. We stayed in Hotel Tonnarello, on Via Capo, with a private ( stone) beach and a spectacular view of Vesuvius, but it was a 15 minute hill walk into/out of town. Again, I'd stay in the flat part of town.
We didn't go to Capri because of the weather. The ferries are canceled when the weather is bad.
Pompeii is fantastic. It will still be very hot is September. A driver from Sorrento to Pompeii will be about a 100 euros each way, just to give you and idea, but you'll have four people figured into that cost. The European cars are small, so for four people plus a driver, you'll need a bigger car.
Many folks here enjoy Salerno more than Amalfi town, because the crowds aren't there- yet, and report it to be charming.
I don't think it makes any difference from which direction you travel.
Check for holidays during your time period.
There is a massive amount of info here on the Forum. Review the posts under Italy, or do a Search here. I'll attach a few.
Have a great trip.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5409 posts
Posted by
1014 posts
Well, my big thing about this area is that it needs time more than anything. Not just “you need time to appreciate it” but that it takes more time than you might expect to go anywhere or do anything. Money also buys time. So, a private driver, if you can afford one, can usually get you a lot more places in a day than you could on your own. With a few days in Sorrento and Amalfi, you should be able to see what you want easily. Capri and Pompeii are best as day trips from Sorrento, so you may want to skew a day towards that Sorrento vs Amalfi, which is basically just enjoying the beauty.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15768 posts
First of all, expect big crowds for the entire time of your visit.
Pompeii is huge and some of the walking is very difficult in the main part - some sidewalks are only 1 or 1-1/2 feet wide, the streets are paved with rounded stones (the sizes are not uniform, maybe from small grapefruit to volleyballs?) and the filler between them that made them smooth was eroded away centuries ago. There's almost no shade anywhere, and it will be hot. It's best to go as early in the morning as possible. Visiting the inside rooms (where some of the "best stuff" is and a bit of respite from the sun) may mean waiting in line to get in - the spaces are small. It's possible as a stop on the way back to Naples with a private driver that will keep watch on your luggage. As a day trip, it's an expensive driver for the day, or taking the local train which is really a metro. Another option is to visit Herculaneum instead. It's much smaller, much easier to walk around, gives you a much better idea of what an ancient town was like, and has a bit of shade.
Ravello is a bus ride or taxi up from Amalfi town. Many walk down the scenic path back. I haven't done it so I don't know how difficult or crowded it might be. All the AC towns are pretty hilly, especially Positano. Keep in mind that the ferry takes you to the sea-level pier. Then it's uphill walking to the scenic parts.
You might consider staying in Salerno, which has a long seaside promenade, a high-speed train to Naples and points north, is mostly level, has a well-preserved medieval center, and excellent restaurants. It's the terminus for most of the ferries that ply the AC.
There are a few good restaurants in Sorrento, then there are some that cater more to tourists. Sorrento is hilly. The only way
Posted by
Portland
3635 posts
I’ll echo what Alan said about Positano. We were planning to stay for a day, but left after lunch. Ravello is stunning. There are two beautiful villas, one of which has an astonishing view of the coast from its garden. The small cathedral is pretty and interesting.
I recommend you stay on Capri for one night, if possible. The reason is that the last ferry back to the mainland leaves pretty early, 6ish when we were there. You need to plan time to get down to the harbor, so your time is quite curtailed. If an overnight isn’t possible, go as early in the morning as you can. Don’t overlook Anacapri, if you have time.
N.b. We visited Capri quite a few years ago, so my information may be out of date.
Posted by
Chicago
2046 posts
I'm in the middle of that dilemma, and I've already been there, twice, but in early March, when the A.C. itself was nearly deserted and not much was open. (I loved that, by the way.) This time, we'll be basing in Salerno for 3 nights in early April, with heightened tourism in most parts of the country possibly from Jubilee 2025 and the post-Covid effect.
How does one 'attack' the A.C.? First off, it's pretty much a public transportation nightmare, even without the auto gridlock much of the time. In early March--this was 2017--there was no problem getting on the SITA bus in Salerno, and getting to Amalfi-town in 55 minutes. Half-full bus, just like the Sorrento to Positano route, basically the same duration to get there. I think in April 2025 the SITA buses will be crowded as heck. And I'm not counting on the ferry being operational that early, but if it is, I might take it from the Salerno dock to either Amalfi-town or Positano.
What I think we're going to do is hire a driver and have him take us to knock around some ceramics shops in Vietri sul Mare, then up top of Ravello for a nice lunch, then down to Sal De Riso in Minori (Chani's favorite!) for pastries. This will not be cheap, but I have a feeling that all A.C. drivers are pricey. Don't want to plan any more than that in, say, 6 hours, because we could be in traffic for awhile.
I can handle Salerno, dining at their surprisingly good & reasonably-priced restaurants in the evening, besides walking their charming Old Town. If we want to do Pompei, it's a slight PITA from there, train to Naples Centrale, walk downstairs to the Circumvesuviana train, then 40 minutes to the Pompei Scavi entrance. But doable. Paestum is a straight train ride 40 minutes to the south.