Salerno in January

Posted by Trent (Auckland) on 06/04/22 09:06 PM

Hi Team,

First off, thank you to everyone who helped me with my last topic, helping me with my 4 week itinerary in Italy.

From that thread, I have decided to spend 4 nights in Solerno in the second week of Jan. I have researched the weather, and realise it will be cold, and most of Amalfi and Capri will be shut.

We are a family of four (2Adults 13y, 10y boys) We will be travelling by train and have no car.

We have three full days in Solerno. We plan on one day trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum. (We are happy to walk from the Trenitalia station. One day to Paestum (Thanks for the advice). We have one more day for a day trip. On the first night we will take the Christmas lights walk, and hope to visit the castle on a day.

1) Where is the best place to stay in January? We are looking at Airbnb either near the Cruise terminal - overlooking the water in the new Crescent building, or in the middle of the old town. Prices are almost identical. Staying at the waterfront gives amazing views, however probably 20 min walk to anywhere (We don't mind walking 2-4km). We would like access to some good simple restaurants (Pasta/Pizza)

2) What are your thoughts on Capri. I think probably no. We don't mind that most places will be closed, and we are happy with no crowds, however, it could be bad weather. We would take it day by day, however getting there would be a train to Naples, and a ferry. We could also consider Ischia. Again, I am comfortable that everything will be closed in most places. We can take a picnic if needed

3) We plan on visiting Amalfi by bus, and probably stopping at more than one town (Amalfi, Positano etc). I assume we would need a new bus ticket between each town, but cant imagine its expensive. No ferries run in winter from Solerno from what I can see

4) Related to this, we will be travelling down from Florence. My plan is to skip Cinque Terre in La Spezia, and visit the towns in Amalfi. Reasons is getting to and from Cinque Terre in a day from Florence seems a push, and I should get to see some beautiful towns in Amalfi anyway. And Cinque Terre walking trails will be shut.

Hoping some people experienced in the province of Solerno could be of some help.

Thanks in advance, Trent

Posted by Chani

Tel Aviv

06/05/22 07:25 AM

15798 posts

I stayed at Salerno Centro B&B and loved it. While they don't have rooms suitable for 4, 2 rooms are affordable and it means you'll have 2 bathrooms. There are only 3 rooms so it's quiet and homey. Francesco runs it and he's super helpful in making arrangments for any touring you want to do. When I arrived he and his father picked me up at the train station. Francesco's mother runs the kitchen and makes ample breakfast. It's on the edge of the historic center, a short walk to the seaside promenade (and great gelato at Nettuno. It's one kilometer to the train/bus station. There are very good restaurants at all price levels.

With 3 full days (any order you like) -

Paestum (if you arrange to go with a driver, you can stop at Tenuta Vannulo buffalo farm, see the animals and get the best fresh mozzarello, cannoli and gelati. The best time to visit the temples is near sunset, so you can see them in daylight, then watch the sunset behind them as they are slowly illuminated by floodlights. But if you go early, you'll have time to explore more of Salerno when you get back.
Pompeii and Herculaneum. That's a full day and without a driver, you'll probably want a taxi from Herculaneum back to the Pompeii train station.
Explore the Amalfi Coast by bus. You can walk from Maiori to Minori (don't miss a stop at Sal de Riso for pastries to die for and excellent gelato). You can even walk from there to Amalfi which is another 4 km per google maps. The beauty of the AC is the gorgeous views. You can take the bus to Amalfi, have a short walk around and take the bus up to Ravello, then walk down for more great views.

That doesn't leave time for Capri, which is the most inconvenient to get to since the only ferries are from Sorrento and it's 2 buses from Salerno to Sorrento, then a longish walk down to the harbor.