Places to Stay on the Amalfi Coast

Yes, we made our own breakfast each morning. There was a small grocery nearby that sold breakfast pastries where we would go if we felt like pastries. We stocked up on coffee, juice, fruit, etc., at the grocery when we arrived (all of the grocery stores will deliver the groceries to you). I am not a huge breakfast eater, so it was usually fruit and yogurt. Yes, parking can be a big liability depending on your accomodations. There were 5 of us, so we hired a driver from the Rome airport to our apartment. When I go back next year, I will either fly into Naples and get a driver from there (around $100) or train to Salerno and then ferry to Positano. For all of our day trips, we used a combination of ferries and taxis. It worked out really well. Positano is gorgeous and a great base for touring the other towns on the A/C. I really can't recommend it highly enough.

We rented an apartment in Positano for a week in June and LOVED it! www.villalesirene.com. It was right near Hotel Poseidon, which also looked very nice.

Thanks for the prompt reply. I've a couple of questions. Since you rented this villa, I'm assuming you then had to find/provide your own breakfast. Can I ask what you did? Are there shops nearby with fruit, juice, and other breakfast items? I plan to rent a car. From what I've read it can be a real challenge trying to find parking or that the parking that is to be found can be pricey? How did you get to Positano and then what transportation did you use to make day trips along the coast? I was thinking of staying in the Sorrento region just so we'd not be as challenged with a car.

Sorrento is a great base. I have stayed in Settimo Cielo and the Minerva Hotel. Both rooms had balconies and amazing views across the water. We take boats to Positano, Capri and Naples. It's a quick train ride to Pompeii. We have also split our nights between Sorrento and Positano to experience both. In Positano we stayed at the Tartana which served lovely breakfasts.

This June we stayed at Il Roseto in Sorrento. It was a beautiful property with a garden to relax in and a pool. The Circumvesuviana is nearby and we easily made day trips to Capri and Positano.

About 5 years ago we stayed at a great hotel called Hotel la Certosa, south of Sorrento in a tiny fishing village called Marina del Cantone. The hotel is a converted monastery, literally just a few feet from the sea. We had a private balcony, and would sleep with the doors open at night to hear the waves. The town is tiny... maybe 3 hotels, 5 restaurants and a tobacco shop. Great restaurants, including one right in the hotel. We came here after 5 days in Rome and thought we had gone to heaven! No nightlife at all... I think the whole town was dark by 11 pm. One of the best things about the hotel is that there's a dock, maybe 50 feet away, where you can catch a boat for day trips to Capri or Amalfi/Positano. What a luxury to step out of your hotel and onto your boat! There are also hikes you can take nearby. And free sunbeds for the (rocky) beach. We didn't have a car; there are (twice daily?) buses to/from Sorrento which stop maybe 100 feet from the hotel. We were easily able to visit Pompeii ... bus to Sorrento, Circumvesuviana to Pompeii, and back. If you do have a car, I think they charge 10€ daily to park. It's admittedly a little out of the way, but if you're looking for a relaxing place to spend a week, this is hard to beat. We were planning to return here two years ago but had to cancel our trip. We were going to fly from the US into Naples, and had arranged with the hotel for a taxi to be waiting for us (cost around $100?) to take us to the hotel. If this is your first stop, that would be a great idea.

We stayed at Hotel Il Nido in Sorrento; read the TripAdvisor reviews and look over their website. You'll know if it's for you or not. It was as represented, if not better. We did not need a car. We are already planning our next visit ;-) What are you planning to do with your time there? That will help us with our recommendations. For Pompeii/Herculaneum, you definitely want to stay in Sorrento.

Thanks to all of you for your recommendations. Eileen, I've just started to plan this trip and haven't put together a full plan. However, as I see the trip now, we'll fly into Rome, pick up a rental, drive south, take in the Monastery at Monte Cassino, and then end up in Sorrento that afternoon or night. We'll likely spend 7-8 days/nights in the area. We'll then drive back to Rome and spend 3-4 days there before flying home. I was thinking of dividing the time between Positano and Sorrento. My wife loves the look of Positano and would be happy there sitting by a pool, or sunning on the beach, and then walking around shopping, exploring, and/or window shopping. We want to immerse in the culture. We're not gourmet eaters but we do want to enjoy whatever the locals cook. I've seen a number of properties in Sorrento that have great views. My wife is also big about chasing sunsets. It seems to me that the orientation of Positano doesn't provide the classic sunsets over the ocean. But Sorrento is positioned to meet that need. I want to stay in Sorrento as a base to go to Pompeii, take the ferry to Capri, and also to drive to Salerno/Vietri Sur Mare to shop for ceramics. I think we'd also enjoy wandering thru some of the small villages along the Amalfi Coast. I don't think we'll hike much but we do like to walk. (I'm still recovering from a bike/car accident). Thanks for helping me.

If you're looking for a view & a great sunset: Hotel Villa Franca in Positano. It sits right at the top of the westernmost hill. Rooms have terraces overlooking the Med. There's also a rooftop pool. Loved it there.

Having a car there can be hard. You start by signing a contact in Italian then you share the narrow roads with Italian drivers. If you are able to park your car you have to hope it will be in the same condition when you return. With the trains, ferries, buses so available you may want to reconsider the car.

If you want a most romantic sunset go to Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento for at least drinks. Beautiful

Mark, one of the best meals we had during our week in Positano was lunch at Laurito beach. We caught the Da Adolfo boat (be sure to use that one with the red fish, not the other one - you eat at the restaurant of the boat you catch to the beach) for the 10 minute ride to this small cove, where we laid in the sun for a couple of hours (there are lounge chairs on the beach), then walked 30 feet to have lunch on the deck at Da Adolfo. Amazing fresh seafood, mozzarella grilled on lemon leaves, fantastic salads, pitchers of white wine with peaches. Just wonderful. After lunch the boat goes back to Positano every so often - maybe every 45 minutes. Just a wonderful experience. Your wife will LOVE Positano.

I'd recommend you fly into Naples and have a driver pick you up versus renting a car.

I hope you don't mind my question added on to Mark's. I'm considering a trip to A.C. end of Aug/beginning of September or later Sept for about 10 days, thinking of basing in Sorrento or should I do Positano? I'm a 40y.o.+ female traveling solo, is this a good base? Are there accommodations that are "budget friendly" for someone like me that you can recommend ($100 US or less/night)? Is it better to go hotel route or rent an apartment? Would love to stay somewhere with water views and close to beach, but convenient to other amenities. I plan to do a combo of sightseeing, beach and vegging out. Has anyone done snorkeling there, is it an option? Thanks for any advice!

Tina, if you start your own thread you will likely get more responses. That being said, I would recommend renting an apartment in Positano for a week - saves on both the room cost and food cost. You could spend your remaining time in Sorrento and do day trips to Pompeii, etc. from there.