Naples, Sorrento, or Salerno as base for three full days? Late September 2017

If you want to stay on the Amalfi Coast, stay there rather than Sorrento or Salerno; if you just want to visit the Amalfi Coast, either Sorrento or Salerno can get you there.

A 9:30 am flight from Napoli would be difficult if you are arriving from Salerno or Sorrento. The airport is very near Napoli, so I would spend your last night there. Public transportation may not work out - ferries are too slow and probably don't start early enough, and you would need one or two buses and possibly a commuter train.

Unfortunately, you are arriving late on your first day, so unless you get a private transfer to your hotel on the coast, you should stay in Napoli that night and get an early start the next morning. Your late-night public transportation options may be somewhat limited.

I would stay in Naples after arrivingl late on Saturday night and do a quick look around Sunday morning before heading on to Sorrento. You could probably get a shuttle return early enough on Wednesday to make a 930am flight. http://www.sorrentoshuttle.com/

Late arrival and early departure are major Naples transfer issues. I recommend you come up with 100 Euros for a car service on depature morning if in Sorrento. Traffic will still be a risk. Stop thinking about three full days, otherwise.

If the AC is most important to you, you can't stay in Naples. But even if you find a place you can afford in Positano, you can't sleep there on the last night. Do you understand that Sorrento and Salerno are not actually the AC? But maybe Sorrento, the best transit hub, is OK with you? It sounds like you want to sleep on tha AC. I hope it doesn't disappoint. In fairness, my controlling factor was Pompeii, and not the AC.

Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I'm aware of where Sorrento and Salerno are ... but want to experience the Amalfi Coast, not necessarily to sleep on it. I know the main draw is the views and I'll be happy to see by air, water, or road. I think the advice of others makes sense and is what my idea was, too: either a lot of euros for a driver to take us to Positano our first night, or get there the second day. Thanks again!

Check on room rates. My understanding is that Positano is the most expensive place in the south. Sorrento is pricey but manageable, Salerno and Naples cheaper. There is regular ferry and bus service from both Sorrento and Salerno.

It does make sense to spend your first and last nights in Naples. It's a little easier to get to/from Salerno than Sorrento. There are frequent Trenitalia trains to/from Salerno that take about 40-45 minutes. Sorrento means taking the slower Circumvesuviana (really a metro train), up to 1.25 hours, they run about every 1/2 hour. Or maybe a hydrofoil from Sorrento to Naples that's faster. Sorrento is closer to Positano.