Rome & Amalfi, October Family of 5 w/ 3 Teens

the church bell is very close and rings on every hour and on the half and that it keeps you from sleeping well.

The bell tolls every 30 minutes, 24 hrs a day?

If staying on the Amalfi Coast, I suspect Sorrento and Salerno would be the options of where to get a rental car. Not sure how much 'fun' it would be get one for a day trip. Suspect you would as much of your day getting to/from the rental car agency as actually touring.

Have you considered the logistics of getting from Atrani ( or any Amalfi coast town) to Naples airport? Unless you plan an afternoon flight, it will be a grim early start to the day.

Haha, there were a few reviews that had the claim about the constant bell ringing...I haven't called the church for confirmation. I did find a "cool" looking site called mydaytrip.com there they offer a car service for 119 euros for the 5 of us in a van - they said it would take about 1.5 hours door to door. You can also make a stop at different local sites along the way - a place called villa di poppea or Pompeii...seems like they will drive all over and you can make a reservation. The flight out of Naples is around 4pm. You are probably right about the car especially just for a day.

Pretty sure there is no ferry in Atrani.
We were just there and stayed in Amalfi. Liked it a lot, transportation hub, things to see and do, good food.

Sorrento is also lovely and very practical.
Might split your nights 2 Amalfi, 2 Sorrento. You will need to be in Naples the night before your flight home - easier to get to Naples from Sorrento.

I would never consider renting a car and driving in that area.

Get RS Naples/Amalfi and Rome guide books if you don't already have.

I was in the Amalfi Coast the last third week of October last year because I wanted to experience the Amalfi coast off season. We had glorious weather at the beginning without the crowds and then at the end the weather turned and the ferry was not running anymore due to the huge waves and the rain/wind.

I am a huge fan of trying multiple towns in the Amalfi coast as opposed as just one base, but that is because I travel light and I love the mornings and evening exploring when the light is soft and the crowds are at a minimum.

My top three locations in the Amalfi Coast are: Capri (staying walking distance to the piazzetta), Ravello and Positano. Amalfi town is also pretty scenic.

In October, the ferry between Capri and Naples (check capri.net for schedules) could be affected by the weather. If you plan to go to Capri, go there first in case of delays and not being able to catch your return flight from Naples.

Last time I had a late morning flight from Naples. I had plenty of time to get to Naples from Positano without having to spend the night in Naples. Your flight leaves at 4pm, you will have plenty of time, just factor in traffic.

Do not spend your time renting a car on the Amalfi Coast; plan on hikes and boat tours and eating delicious food. There is tons of history as well from Pompeii to Villa San Michele on Capri to Villa Romana in Positano. Your teens might want to climb a volcano, Mount Vesuvius.

As you can se there is a lot to do on the Amalfi Coast; I have been there 4 times and every time, I find something else to do. And I never tire of the views. You are on the right path in looking for a balcony over the sea. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing is very nice. And waking up with a cup of coffee looking at the horizon where the bluer sea meets the blue ski is pretty exceptional.

Arya, thanks so much for your helpful reply! We won't be traveling that light since there are 5 of us, we are planning to have one carry on roller bag and a "personal item" each. Last night I was looking at Procida and Ischia, have you visited those areas too? What is that like? Do you think it would be worth staying there?. Also, I could book the flight to Naples first and then out of Rome. I was wondering if that might be better ( switching 9-13 Amalfi and 13-17 in Rome), but it costs slightly more and I would have to change my reservations in Rome but that should be pretty easy. The other thing is that if we changed the flight from Dublin to arrive in Naples and spend the first few days down there - the times don't line up well. We wouldn't arrive in Naples until after 8pm and then still have to travel to another destination that night. I'm afraid after that much travel my 13 year old might melt down. Would a few days earlier make sense for the extra headache on the way in? Oh, Is it still crowded there in October? Thanks to all!

Hi Kell,

A carry on and a personal bag is pretty good! I think you would be light enough :)

I have not been to Ischia or Procida yet because I can't tear myself away from the Amalfi Coast. Your four nights will fly!
In terms of the weather, if it were my trip I would reverse the order Amalfi Coast and then Rome, but you know weather so unpredictable.. It might not change anything... but the odds will be in your favor if you do put the Amalfi Coast first.

You have valid concerns regarding the flow of your travel days. God knows I spend more time studying transitions then planning the itinerary since I have a 3 and 6 years old. Last time I landed in Naples, I booked a car service to drive us to Ravello. Of course it was more expensive, but the convenience and the ease was just amazing. Plus during that time my husband had to stay home because of work, so as a single parent during that trip, I wanted everything to be easy. An hour and a half later, I was sipping prosecco at the Villa Cimbrone and the children were having pistachio gelato.

The Amalfi coast is not crowded in October (even at the beginning of October). In Ravello it was very quiet; Amalfi and Positabo were buzzing but without the crowds.

I posted a trip report on Fodor. It might interest you:

https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/quick-trip-to-italy-the-amalfi-coast-in-october-with-kids-1659820/

NAP is so awful for flights that lots of us who visit there a lot fly into Rome and take the train, 2 hours with a change downtown at the Termini station. The other DUB-NAP flight is at 7AM, making no sense either. You would want to stay in Naples last, probably hiring a driver to take you to your first destination from Napoli Centrale; Sorrentocars or other company [about€110]. . Here's the ferry schedule:

http://www.travelmar.it/downloads/orari_travelmar.pdf

Driving on the coast is definitely not recommended; this horror story is one example.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187779-i161-k11500341-Driving_the_Amalfi_Coast_advice-Amalfi_Coast_Province_of_Salerno_Campania.html#91428089

I loved reading your post on fodor's. Thanks for the link. After reading that post about the flights I am wondering about the NAP airport, what is so bad about it? Are the flights late, are the landings rougher? Curious what would cause someone to take a two hour train ride to avoid it. Thanks for the update.

I am surprise about the post on Naples airport. I never heard of problem with it and I would certainly not fly into Rome just to train into Naples, if I had a good flight into Naples.

My experience is that it is a smaller airport (which I like) and a very practical gateway to the Amalfi coast. Last time everything ran on time.

Thanks so much for the help!

Kell, we've flown home to MN out of Naples - with a change in Rome and another in Amsterdam - and didn't have any problems. I just never recommend staying in Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, etc the night before an early flight out of that one.