Hello All! My husband and I are going to Italy in February 2024 and spending a few days on the Amalfi coast and Rome. We are hoping some of you are able to add you experience to help us plan. We have been to Rome and the Amalfi Coast several times before but always between May and October. Can anyone comment on whether or not Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi have shops and restaurants open and anything helpful to know about visiting at this time of year?
Thank you all in advance.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5407 posts
From a Search here on the Forum.
We were in the area last May with the unseasonably rainy weather, and there's not much do when the vistas are fogged in, and there are no views. And I do believe many businesses are closed. Research hotels on booking.com for availability. You may have a better time staying in Rome.
Have fun planning!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16364 posts
From Positano's tourism website:
https://www.positano.com/en/e/amalfi-coast-in-february
The ferries don't run between Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi in winter but do run to Capri unless the seas are choppy enough to be unsafe.
https://www.capri.com/en/e/bite-size-guide-to-the-island-in-winter
Without having been to the coast in winter, I'd choose Sorrento or Salerno for a base as they're apt to have more open, and you could hop a train to Pompeii, Herculaneum or Naples if needing more to do than you can find in town.
But from a couple other RS posters who HAVE visited the coast in February/winter...
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-in-february-67a2b440-5f1b-4fc1-8d17-ed9e4104f9ed
Posted by
Washington DC
27614 posts
I've never been to Sorrento, but I'd expect Salerno to be open pretty much as usual. It's not all that much of a tourist destination, at least not a foreign-tourist destination. I was there for four nights in early March this year, and I didn't get the feeling things were shut down.
Posted by
Chatham
68 posts
We just returned from Sorrento and were delighted we used that location as a base for our visits to Capri,Amalfi Coast,Naples, and Pompeii. The train and Sita bus were a five minute walk from our rental in the historic center. Sorrento is a lively area,sure to provide plenty of dining etc during your visit in the winter
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
795 posts
I agree with acraven, Salerno will be business as usual and its the start of the SITA bus line towards Amalfi so you should be able to get a seat at least compared to the summertime!
I am sure you can do the ferries from the commercial port to Capri if you want and it is possible to explore the coast in February but when I think back to my time in country in February all I can remember is being cold and it getting dark earlier than I would like. A place that warrants exploring like the Amalfi Coast would be made slightly miserable if the weather turned bad, compared to a museum and indoor attraction city....
but since you said you have been a lot, you probably know that!
I would say a larger city would be best to base in during that time, but the Amalfi Coast locals have to eat too! I know I took a bus from Salerno to Cetara for dinner once in February and it was just a lot of travel on a bus in the dark :)
Posted by
Los Angeles
4742 posts
You should try checking in with Elizabeth at Blue Star, she will know