Positano/Sorrento or Amalfi?

Is it easy to get around these areas even if we choose not to stay in
Positano?

Meredith, I think Sorrento - while not technically the Amalfi Coast - is better from a transport perspective than Positano as it has very cheap commuter train service to Naples and points in between, such as Pompeii and Herculaneum. Reasonably quick, easy access to this stuff is an even bigger plus if needing rainy-day activities. Ferry service around the region is also a little more assured from Sorrento as the boats can't dock in Positano if the seas are too rough. If budget is a concern, I'd use the ferries sparingly, though, as they're not particularly inexpensive; as much as € 20 each way pp. between Sorrento>Capri, for one example. SITA buses are the least expensive option for exploring the mainland of the coast.

It's up to personal preference but I liked Sorrento better than Positano as it felt it felt less upscale resort-like to me, and the main part of town - above the marina - is flat and easy to walk. We spent most of our time out and about anyway, and found vantage points of the gulf that were plenty nice enough.

I like to encourage people to spend a night on Capri for the same reason as I do for the CT: it's at its best in the early mornings and evenings when the day-trippers aren't around. Still, we escaped the midday masses in both Capri and Anacapri towns by hiking to points further afield on the island. Expensive? Yes, if you want upper-level accommodations with a pool, a great view, etc. but explore the options on booking.com. I'll say the same for Sorrento: if you want higher-end amenities, you'll be paying for them but you'll probably have a greater selection/range to choose from there than in Positano.

Indeed Sorrento is an ideal base. Easy connections to Amalfi Coast, Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum.

Meredith--

I think when you go could very well determine where you stay, and how you get around.

June through September, getting around will be a royal pain from the standpoint that you can't drive because of the gridlock that often takes place on the one road on & off the peninsula. And there will be queues for the SITA buses and even the ferries. In that season either stay in Sorrento (technically not on the A.C.) or one of the coastal towns closer to Salerno like Cetara, Minori, Maiori, Vietri sul Mare, or even Salerno itself, and make the best of it.

To me, primo time to visit the Amalfi Coast will be April/May, or October/mid-November. Sorrento or any of the towns of Positano, Amalfi-town or Ravello will work well during those periods. And at those times you should be able to get around fairly well. Winter (Thanksgiving through March) is beautiful on the A.C. except when it rains & blows like heck, and Sorrento is really the only open town--meaning most hotel & restaurants--on the peninsula during that time. Most everything else is pretty buttoned up.

Enjoy your planning!

Jay, according to a previous post, the OP will be in Italy end of September/beginning of October.

I find Sorrento to be my destination for the past 10 or more years. From there day trips to the Amalfi Coast are very easy and I especially like taking the boat to Amalfi Town and the bus back to Sorrento. Best of both views! From Sorrento you also have easy access (if you call over crowded ferries 'easy') to Capri. The Circumvesuviana train takes you right to the entrance of Pompeii and within a short walk to the entrance of Ercolano. Sorrento has more to offer than just shopping. Views, food, sunsets, lazy piazzas, anything lemon, and shopping. For some reason I also find Sorrento relaxing. I spend a week there every June and come away refreshed. I'm assuming you will be coming from Naples either by plane or train. You might want to consider taking the hydrofoil from the port over to Sorrento. Great way to start the vacation!

I second the recommendation to stay a night on Capri. We didn’t and wished we had. There’s more than enough to do in the towns. Getting there and getting around eats up time. The ferries land at Marina Grande, but you then need to take the funicolare to Capri town. Anacapri, which shouldn’t be missed, is another ride up hill by bus or taxi. All in reverse when you leave. When we visited, the last boat back to Sorrento left at 6 pm.
Either Sorrento or Amalfi is a better base than Positano from the transportation connection standpoint. They both also have points of interest, which Positano does not. Unless, that is, you are interested in shopping for high end clothing and touristy trinkets (sort of goes with the expensive lodgings).

Arriving Naples, head to the port and ferry to Capri. Spend the night, and as many hours the next day as you wish. Then, ferry to either Sorrento, if you want to visit Naples and Pompeii. Or Amalfi, which provides less travel time to the southern villages of the Amalfi Coast. I too am not a fan of Positano, easily reached from Amalfi, while it's beautiful and has fabulous views plus some great restaurants it's way too touristy for me.

Some ferries to Amalfi stop in the middle of October. Amalfi does not have as much service Capri as do Sorrento or Salerno. And of course there are weather/wave cancellations at times. Since Positano can only accept smaller boats, those ferries would have less capacity. I'm not telling you to stay in perhaps less glamorous Sorrento, but that's what we did, to get the best daytrip options. You OP is short, so it's not clear if you understand that the actual Amalfi Coast is poorly served by public transportation. You need to determine how far your hotel is from the ferry (including how may hundreds of stairs), as well as whether you have enough time to get to your NEXT destination when you leave the Amalfi Coast (or Sorrento.)

Ferry timetables.

Capri
https://www.capri.net/en/ferry-schedule?from=capri&to=amalfi#

Southern coast
https://www.travelmar.it/downloads/orari_travelmar.pdf

Bus& Ferry AC
https://www.positano.com

This question is always a tough one, and to find the best fit you really need to drill down to what you want to experience there. Every place has its pros and cons. But if it puts your mind at ease, I feel like it’s a little bit splitting hairs.

Are you interested in exploring Naples and/or Pompeii? Then Sorrento is your ideal choice. It’s a very pleasant place with superb transport connections. However, I would not go out of my way to see Sorrento itself. Day tripping to Pompeii from AC is not ideal.

Are you mostly interested in relaxing in one place with a side trip or two? Then I’d say Positano. It’s definitely the most impactful, romantic of the choices. A smaller town like Priano/Maori would be good too, if you’re not planning on doing a whole lot.

Are you interested in exploring more of the Amalfi Coast (Ravello+smaller towns)? Then Amalfi might be the pick. It’s not as pretty as Positano, but is THE transport hub on the AC. You can get ferries everywhere here, and there is a big bus station that makes going to places like Ravello a snap (highly recommend Ravello.)

Capri is accessible from any of these places, and I think is fine as a day trip. Take the earliest ferry you can, and you’ll be hours ahead of most tourist groups. There were zero crowds in AnaCapri until lunchtime and the island was teeming.

awrzesinski's response is dead on.

Years ago we stayed in Ravello for 3 night's. Loved it. But we only spent time in Ravella and Amalfi since we were traveling with my elderly father-in-law. We had a car that trip.

We just went back last Oct and stayed in Positano for 4 nights--absolutely breathtaking. Yes it was a bit more expensive but the view off our patio was to die for. I will never forget the quiet in the mornings and evenings. For our next trip I would probably be willing to try one of the smaller towns---Praiano but the experience of staying in Positano was so worth it.

I had heard so many nightmares about driving I did not want to rent a car. We had a private driver pick us up at FCO and drive us to Positano---so worth the extra money.

We did a day trip with a private driver(there were 4 in our party so it was cost effective). We took the bus several times with out any problems. We also did a fabulous hike with a guide(That was the highlight of our whole trip)

Where ever you chose you will love it.

We had a private driver pick us up at FCO and drive us to
Positano---so worth the extra money.

That is a VERY expensive option for a poster who is already concerned about their budget. There are also only 2 of them versus the 4 you had to split the cost with. Just sayin'.