One week Naples & Amalfi Coast- Sorrento

Sorrento has many fans, and if I wanted to see everything from one place (perhaps if traveling with children), then I would consider it, but to me the magic of the Amalfi Coast is staying ON the Amalfi Coast. I dislike long day trips and prefer staying in a small village. This is just to say to consider where you want to be at night as well as the day trips you want to do.
With Naples a given, I would try to pick one other base on the Amalfi Coast from which you could do everything else you want to do. Sorrento does not help much with Paestum, it's just too much of a slog from there, but you could visit Paestum from Naples--it's an hour on the train, but just one form of transport. Two night stays are too brief for this area.
Basically I'd keep Capri as a maybe, "nice to have" but skip if you can't make it work, and make it as easy on yourselves as possible.

We spent 2 weeks last year based in Sorrento and loved it. My thoughts are the less moving around you can do the better due the the chronic and chaotic traffic issues along the Amalfi Coast. For such a short trip you'll lose a lot of time moving hotels. One regret I have is not spending more time in Naples; we only made it there for 1 day trip and it was rushed. The highlight for us was a combination of Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Archaeological Museum in Naples. I think that a day at each really ties everything together for those that are truly interested.

We made two day trips to the Amalfi Coast and liked, but didn't love it; Ravello was definitely our favourite town on the AC. On the other hand we loooooved Capri. We didn't do a boat tour around the island but there was enough to fill a full day exploring the island. The views were just as spectacular as what we saw along the Amalfi Coast.

I would recommend you pick up a copy of the Rick Steves Snapshot of Naples and the Amalfi Coast for the practical information that will help you navigate the region. https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/amalfi-coast-guidebook

valadelphia- Do you have a favorite town you enjoy basing on the Amalfi coast? Capri is the one spot that I am flexible on as my husband isn’t fussed. It just looked beautiful and the thought of a boat day sounded enjoyable.

Hi Allan- Thank you for your feedback. You are seeing exactly what I was thinking in terms of two bases and less moving. I do have Rick’s Italy so using that at the moment. I wish we had more time but a week is all we can do at the moment as we will be flying to Switzerland after from Naples. Thank you for your feedback. Capri looks spectacular.

I am crowd-phobic and a seafood fanatic (all are great for this of course, but Cetara is known for its anchovy), so I chose tiny Cetara, and we visited Pompeii from there (could have visited Paestum from there, but we headed south next). I also liked tiny little Atrani, tucked away next to Amalfi. I gravitate toward the mainland end of the peninsula.
Anywhere on the ferry line operated by Travelmar is good, as is Atrani since it is a short walk from Amalfi.
It somewhat depends on how many day trips you can knock out from Naples, then find an idyllic spot from which you can do most on foot and chill. I see you'll be hiking in the Alps after, but the hiking is great on the coast also--if it is not too hot yet in late May. In that case, I'd look for a private boat trip to some of the coves for swimming.

valadelphia- Ahh see this is where I start to struggle. Normally we prefer the quieter spots that still have pretty good transport so we can do day trips. So Atrani, Minori, Maiori, and your Cetara do speak to me. I am just concerned about how easy it would be to get around. Ravello is a must for me. Capri would be nice but not a have to do. We must get to Poestum and Pompeii along with Naples. I think the region could really use two weeks to do it justice. We will have to see what we can do with the time we have. We chose Lake Garda several years ago rather than Lake Como to avoid some of the crowds. It was a good choice for us. We loved Riva for example much more than Semoine due to all the tourists.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-2-weeks-of-day-trips-from-sorrento

I question the time value of boating around Capri and not strolling several hilly miles to SEE the island. You can see a scenic cliffside when you ferry back to Sorrento, built on a cliff. We skipped the Blue Grotto.

Tim- If we do a day at Capri I had planned on getting the earliest morning ferry which this year is at 7am. This would allow us the morning to venture on the island. The afternoon would be spent on a boat, perhaps 3-4 hours. We have zero interest in the blue grotto.

If you want to see the Amalfi Coast, actually staying on it is invaluable. The crowds on the AC are mostly day-trippers coming from Sorrento, Salerno, Naples, et al. So, midday to evening is generally crushed and not the best sightseeing. By staying on the coast, you avoid a lot of this. When you’re traveling between towns, you’re generally moving in the opposite direction. Even a busy town like Amalfi is downright peaceful in the morning. As far as which town: Amalfi is THE transportation hub on the coast, and as such is very handy. Ravello is an easy 15min bus ride away. The smaller towns might have a little more romance and lighter crowds, but with just a few days I would go for the convenient transport option. I stayed in Atrani, a somewhat nervy but short walk up the road (literally on the road) from Amalfi. Had the convenience of Amalfi town, but the local town feeling. Atrani also has a public sand beach.

For all the Bay of Naples sights, you’ll want to base in either Sorrento or Naples. The sightseeing logistics are about the same, since in this scenario you’re not day tripping to the AC. There’s no advantage to splitting these up. For you, Naples seems the clear choice, especially if you’re planning on Paestum. Sorrento gets love for its logistical convenience and calm demeanor, but it’s not really a destination in of itself. Naples is gritty and wild and fun in that way. I think you’ll enjoy it.

So, I think 4 nights Naples, 3 nights Amalfi (whichever coast town) would be ideal.

Capri is a great day trip, and Naples or Amalfi would be decent places to fit it into your itinerary. Do your best to avoid the crowds by grabbing the earliest ferries, skip Capri Town for Anacapri. I found the boat ride around Capri to be fun and a decent value, didn’t do the grotto.

We spent 9 nights in the region 2019 like this:
Sorrento 4- visited Pompeii and Capri- Mondo Guides- the boat trip around Capri was the best
Amalfi 2- visited Positano
Ravello 1 1 night splurge
Salerno 2- visited Paestum

If you don't mind a 1 night stay and can skip Capri I'd suggest this for 7 nights
Sorrento 3 nights- visit Pompeii and Naples, ( OR Naples 3 nights- visit Pompeii and Capri)
Amalfi 3 nights- visit Ravello by bus, Positano by ferry
Salerno 1 night- visit Paestum

Get an early ferry to Salerno- drop your bags- there are several hotels walking distance from ferry/train then train to Paestum for the day- visit the museum and have lunch- there are some nice cafes in the shade with views of the magnificent temples
Return to Salerno and enjoy their wonderful passigiatta and waterfront. Good restaurants here

We enjoyed our time in Amalfi- the evenings were quiet, we sat at a cafe right in front of the Duomo and enjoyed the view while sipping our Aperol Spritz. The Duomo and cloister are worth a visit
Ravello is dead at night- I am glad we did that splurge but it's not necessary to stay the night. Just be sure you allow enough time to walk out to Villa Cimbrone. The view is to die for!

We loved Paestum and really enjoyed our time in Salerno- it's a real town, not touristy or crowded, less expensive
From Salerno you are set up for wherever you are going next- direct train to Rome?

Obviously we didn't get to Naples- we had a few very rainy days while in Sorrento- pouring rain on our Pompeii day so we just bagged our plans to go to Naples afterwards.
I regret that but we have plans to return to the area next spring so we will spend time in Naples then ( no need to return to AC).

OP, I did the standard 1 hour “Laser” tour around Capri, and it was plenty. I don’t think a longer one is necessary. The outer coast of Capri is exposed to rougher seas, so all the cool gentle grottos are about half the ride. They slow down for the interesting bits and blaze past the rest. Taking the chairlift up to Monte Solaro is the island’s highlight, don’t miss it. Anacapri was really nice and uncrowded until after lunch. On the whole, I liked Capri a lot more than I expected to.

ChristineH - I appreciate your suggestion. We have discussed the possibility of an overnight in Salerno but wasn’t sure I wanted that one over night which is really all we would need. Our flight into Naples arrives at 11:30am so I would either go to Salerno at the start or Amalfi and save Naples for the end as we will be flying from there on to Zurich. I really appreciate you taking the time to describe your trip and what you really enjoyed. It is helping me immensely. So many choices and so little time!

awrzesinski- Thank you for such a detailed response. It sounds like you also agree that time in an Amalfi town would be well spent. I will take a look and discuss with my husband the options. Your post on Amalfi having good transport is a consideration. I am still leaning towards a visit to Capri which we may end up doing from Amalfi if we go that route. Not sure with Pompeii and Paestum we would have time to do it from Naples. Thanks again!

Hi islandfam2008. We visited the area in 2017, also for 7 nights. The first part of the trip we were with friends who insisted on having a car, which would not have been our choice. They picked us up at the Rome airport and drove to Pompeii, where we spent one night. I'm usually not a fan of one-night stays, but this let us arrive at Pompeii as it opened and see a lot before the heat of the day built up.

Then we moved on to four nights in Positano, which worked fine for us--I don't think crowds then in early May were as bad as they are now. I'm glad to hear that Ravello is a must for you. Be sure to check out the Ravello music festival if you will be there at the right time--we discovered that there was a string quartet playing a concert when we were there, and it was fantastic. One of my best memories from the trip, and at least on that date at the beginning of the season, tickets were no problem. We spent our other two days in Amalfi and Capri (without the Blue Grotto). We must have been lucky, because again we had no problem with crowds except right near the port. We went to Anacapri, where we loved the Church of San Michele (read about the tiled floor) and the lift to Mount Solara. We also enjoyed the Gardens of Augustus in Capri.

We ended with two nights in Naples, and visited Herculaneum and the museum, as well as doing the RS Naples Walk--which has a few great sites.

Whether you stay in Sorrento or on the Amalfi Coast, I'm sure you will have a great visit.

Barbara- Thank you for your response. It was very helpful to see how you broke up your time especially your time on Capri. I will for sure look into the concerts in Ravello although without a car that might be difficult depending on the time of day. Taxis I have heard have started upping their rates considerably certain times of year so it is important to use public transportation when you can. I also read your trip report on Switzerland which I also found immensely helpful as we will be heading there after our week here. Thanks again!

Hi there! So after much discussion we are cutting Paestum. The logistics are tough and I am not crazy about the places I am looking at staying in Salerno. With that out of the way I am between a town on Amalfi for a few nights or Sorrento with Naples at the end. I know some aren’t crazy about Naples but there is something about it I find interesting plus we will be flying from Naples. Coming from Sorrento to catch a flight makes me jumpy. Any further thoughts? We will be for sure doing Pompeii & Herculaneum. I am between a day trip to Capri or Procida. Procida looks gorgeous and possibly less people. I did notice that are last day there will their national Republic day. Any thoughts on how nuts it might be in Naples? I had planned on Naples at the end of the trip so we had an easier trip to the airport.

We also cut Paestum, but we had five nights in Sorrento, a long way away. It seems naive to believe that Procida will not be crowded, but I've never read about it here. Capri is four times the size of Procida, and has quite a variety of things to see and do. It is hard to see all of Capri in one day, and has a lot of miles of pedestrian walkways to cover. We were hot and tired, if happy, after five miles (?) of walking on Capri.

Have you reckoned with how hard it is to do daytrips like Pompeii from the Amalfi Coast, rather than from Sorrento? Of course, if you have a few hundred Euros a day for taxis, it can be done. You can expect the line for the SITA bus to be more people than will fit on the next bus, in general. The Circumvesuviana is useful, if sweltering and jammed to the gills.

Republic Day sounds like it would be wise to be in Naples, in a real hotel, that knows some taxi drivers.

miuccia- Thank you for your insight. We really are trying for only two bases. We have seven nights, 6 days. That is all we can dedicate this time to this specific region. I had contemplated one night in paestum but at the end of the day something needs to go and with that being farther away we might need to save it for another trip. The only way to do it would be to cut something else.