Sorrento or Positano

Sorrento. There are better and more frequent transportation connections. More options for lodging and more restaurants to choose from. It is a beautiful town as well. Staying in Sorrento may be the closest thing there is to a universal opinion on this message board.

After visiting Positano for a few hours, it is my goal to return to spend a couple of nights. I think it will be beautiful at night.

I also loved Sorrento. If it is your first visit, Sorrento would be your best place to stay - and take the ferry to Positano for lunch!

I've stayed in both Positano and Sorrento. If you want a nice place to relax and plan to limit your sightseeing to neighboring Amalfi coast towns, Positano could be a good choice. If you want a more vibrant locale or plan to visit Pompeii or Capri, then Sorrento would be the better bet. Personally, I prefer Sorrento.

We chose Sorrento to spend 4 nights vs. Positano because of the transportation connections. Very easy to hop on a train to Pompeii, etc. We also had a car but parked it at our hotel and used public transportation. We took the bus to Positano and the ferry back to Sorrento. Positano is beautiful (but extremely vertical!) but Sorrento is so vibrant (were here when Italy won World Cup in 2006) and has lots more restaurants and much better shopping imo.

Donna,

Given the transportation options to both locations, I'd also recommend Sorrento. I've stayed in both and while Positano IS beautiful at night, the same is true of Sorrento (especially when sitting in the restaurant at La Tonnarella having a fine hot meal and watching the lights of cruise ships sparkling in the harbour).

As the others mentioned, Sorrento also has the benefit of being larger so more restaurants, shops and other facilities. It's also a more convenient location for getting to Pompeii (if you were planning to visit there?).

Happy travels!

Thank you fellow travelers for all the good advice. You have been most helpful and I appreciate the time you took to write me!

We liked Sorrento a lot. We took the boat to Positano one day and left after about 2 hours, and opted for Herculaneum for the remainder of that day. Positano is lovely, but it struck us as just one huge collection of ladies' boutiques, shoe stores, and shops. Sorrento offers easy transportation options and access to Pompeii, as well as a charming and relaxing town. Plus, it's comparatively horizontal, But, different strokes....

If you want to tour the Amalfi Coast area then chose Sorrento. If you want to enjoy the beach and have a generally mellow/relaxing time then Positano.

We stayed a week in Positano in a rented flat and thought it was lovely. The crowds leave in the evening and you have the place to yourself. You can take tours to Capri as well as the bus to Ravello, Amalfi and Sorrento.