My husband and I are planning a January trip to Rome (maybe 1 week) and then we would like to travel south. We can rent a car, but would prefer to train. Are the coastal towns open during winter? What towns would you suggest? Right now this is a 2-3 week trip.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7568 posts
Of course the coastal towns on the AC are open - people do live there. However tourist services will be very limited. Some hotels, restaurants and shops may be closed. The ferries to the AC towns will not be running. The only train service is to Sorrento and Salerno. Public transportation to the AC towns will be by SITA bus. Expect daytime highs in the mid 50s F and nights in the mid 40s. Daylight hours will be short.
You may find more enjoyable vacationing by spending a few days exploring Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum, and then the remainder in Sicily
Posted by
Chicago
2362 posts
On the Amalfi Coast and its environs, you can only count on Sorrento on the other side of the peninsula to be up and running. At that time of year, might be best to base in Salerno, just off the A.C. In January, I think you could find Vietro sul Mare open, but once you get onto the tourist area, from Maiori, Minori, Cetara, Amalfi-town & Positano, slim pickings as to what's open as far as ristorantes or shops. Personally, it's a great time to visit (we've done it twice in late winter), few tourists and you get an awesome view of the A.C.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA area (USA)
298 posts
We did a similar trip in January 2025 - drove from Rome to Campania and then to Tuscany. We went to Positano and Sorrento for the day (we based in Pompeii). Traffic was delightfully light, so much so that the road down through Positano was open. Many hotels appeared to be open and some restaurants and shops. Sorrento was also easy to drive into and park in a garage. The Christmas decorations were all still up and there were lots of people on the pedestrian streets. The archaeological sites were also not crowded, even Pompeii on a nice Saturday afternoon, and the museum in Naples was so empty it was almost creepy.
Good luck with your trip!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
16094 posts
My visits, once based in Sorrento, once in Salerno, were both in mid-February. I would expect things are much the same in January. Sorrento's patron saint's day in Feb 14 so there was a large temporary market for several days and more than usual visitors. The Amalfi Coast drew more than usual visitors around St. Valentine's day.
In both cities most everything was open. I didn't see any open tourist shops in the AC villages, and found only a smattering of restaurants open. OTOH there was free or low-cost parking everywhere and driving was relatively easy because of light traffic, especially virtually no tourist buses. I chronicled my Salerno experiences (including driving) on this thread.
Salerno is mostly level and easy to drive in and out of. My B&B had an arrangement with a nearby parking garage for reduced rates. Salerno is best positioned for day trips to the AC villages. I also drove to Paestum with a stop at a buffalo farm. I recommend taking the fast train from Rome/Naples and renting a car just for the time you are there.
Sorrento is all up/downhill with a one-way road system. I would not want to attempt driving here and it's a mostly inland drive to the AC. It is well-positioned for Capri and the archaeological sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum.
If Capri isn't on your list, you could spend a few days in Naples instead of Sorrento. It's got to be the worst city in Italy to drive in. Take the train from Rome. Much of Naples is walkable and the metro is very good. You can visit the archaeological sites as easily from Naples as from Sorrento. And Naples has great restaurants (so does Salerno).
Both Naples and Salerno are cheaper than Sorrento for lodging - maybe for meals too.