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Naples, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast Advice

My husband and I are planning our second trip to Italy at the end of September/early October. We're thinking of flying in and out of Naples and spending the majority of our 7 nights in Sorrento as a base to see the Amalfi Coast. I was thinking of doing 2 nights in Naples, 4 nights in Sorrento and maybe 1 night in Capri. My questions include: would you suggest staying in Naples at the beginning or end of the trip? Is staying a night in Capri worth it or is a day trip sufficient? Is a bus the best way to see Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Pompeii, etc? Lastly, any hotel or restaurant recommendations are appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Posted by
11027 posts

To simplify the logistics for your departure flight I would do the Naples days at the end.

Do not overlook using ferries to move among/between the Coastal towns.

Based on our experience in Cinque Terre, going by boat and looking at the scenery and towns from the water was more of a treat than looking at the water from a road

Posted by
4209 posts

Yes, ferry over bus (except Ravello of course). For Pompeii, there is a commuter train.

Posted by
5953 posts

Take a look at what Mondo Guides offers
They have an affordable day trip that covers Amalfi, Positano and Ravello
We really enjoyed their Capri boat tour and Pompeii tour
A day trip to Capri was enough for us, we enjoyed the boat ride around the island the most
We spent a few short hours in Positano -that was enough

www.sharedtours.com

We spent 9 nights in the area
Sorrento 4 Amalfi 2 Ravello 1 Salerno 2

Posted by
460 posts

Sorrento is an excellent choice for a base. The Centro Storico area is walkable and lovely. There are great hotels overlooking the Bay of Naples near Villa Communale park which has an elevator down to the Marina. From there we took the ferry to Capri for a day. We also took the train from Sorrento to Pompeii. The ferry from Positano to Amalfi offers spectacular views. From Amalfi we took the open air City Sightseeing bus to Ravello. We stayed one night in Naples at the end of our trip and saw the Archaeology Museum which was nice to see after we had seen Pompeii earlier in our trip. You may wish to take a ferry from Sorrento to Naples. We hired a driver from Sorrento to Naples and the traffic was heavy. The curvy mountainous roads on the way to Positano can cause motion sickness also. Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are a beautiful part of Italy and you will fall in love with it.

Posted by
233 posts

Please don't overlook a visit to Herculaneum while there. I found that visiting both Pompeii and Herculaneum provided a wonderful overview of Roman architecture and city design. Both contribute to a greater understanding of the daily activities of the Romans and their culture. And, the best examples of murals, paintings, statues, mosaics, etc. from both locations are at the Archaeological Museum in Naples. If you think you will appreciate visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum, then the museum is also a must-see. Good luck on your trip. Also, Sorrento is well known for its limoncello, just saying.

~Darrel

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you everyone for the advice! These are all great tips, and we will definitely take them into consideration! We're now even more excited for our trip :)

Posted by
2922 posts

From Naples airport take a taxi to the port and a ferry to Sorrento and stay there all seven nights. Do pack light because you have to haul your luggage up quite a few steps to exit the port in Sorrento.

Posted by
460 posts

If you arrive by ferry in Sorrento take the Sorrento Lift up from Marina Piccolo. This elevator only has a small fee and takes you up to Villa Comunale Park which is near many lovely hotels.

Posted by
26 posts

I am doing a similar thing this coming September but splitting my time 3 days Sorrento , 3 days Amalfi town, I am also looking for hotel recommendations in Amalfi Town that would preferably have sea views, thanks!