Southern Italy

I haven’t been to that area, but am planning a trip during which I plan to spend four nights in Salerno, use the Travelmar ferry to visit various parts of the Amalfi coast, and take the train to Paestum to see the Ancient Greek temples.

The Amalfi coast is wonderful, but do note that there are no trains on the Amalfi coast, so you're limited to buses and ferries once you're past Salerno or Sorrento. Travel can be slow. Buses and ferries can be crowded. Ferries can be cancelled in bad weather. Flexibility is key. To visit Pompeii and Capri, staying in Sorrento probably makes the most sense.

September will still be quite busy on the Amalfi Coast. It is beautiful, but quite touristy, no way around it. Staying in Salerno (1 hour by train from Napoli Centrale station) will give you the 'Italian experience' you speak of, and you'll be able to visit the A.C. by bus or ferry. At our B&B--Salerno Centro--the owners host a cooking class at their tiny apartment in town. My wife & I were the only ones there, and it was the real deal.

Also be aware that the wealthy have large estates here that cut off views in some spots on the Amalfi Coast.

Stay in Sorrento,Take Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii, ferry to Capri, bus or ferry to Amalfi Coast.

As others have stated it is a beautiful but crowded area. Traffic is terrible. So have patience and don't be in a rush to get anywhere. Give yourself plenty of time.

If you are intrested in Pompeii and Capri, then I agree it would be best to stay in Sorrento. You can take the bus or ferry down the coast to visit Positano, Amalfi and Salerno.

Please be aware that this is one of the most visited areas of Italy. If you want the "full Italian experience" this is not where I would go. It's very oriented towards foreign tourists.

If you want a more Italian experience with few non-Italian tourists then head for southern Puglia.

Thank you for all the suggestions. If we choose to go to southern Puglia, what is the best way to get there, how long would it take and do you think that is a lot for our 5 days there?
Thank You!

Jay, would you have the name of the B and B that you stayed at with the cooking class. Interested in doing this.

No, with just 5 days stay in the Amalfi area. You would need at least 5 days to explore Puglia as public transportation isn't as good as other parts of Italy.

okay, Thank you! I guess we will save that for another trip.

Jay did give you the name of the B&B, it's Salerno Centro. I stayed there at his recommendation and it was not as good as he told me - it was better. I booked the best room, the Positano.

Jay did give you the name of the B&B, it's Salerno Centro. I stayed
there at his recommendation and it was not as good as he told me - it
was better. I booked the best room, the Positano.

Thanks, Chani!

Kristine, Salerno Centro is no doubt the Italian experience, kind of warts and all, but in a good way. Apparently the small 2nd floor apartment (which is the B&B) is the girlhood home of the owner Lina Manzo. She & her husband Pasquale (both in their 70's) do not live there but as I said upthread if you take the cooking class it will be at their apartment a few km's away.

It is definitely like living with an Italian family. Mornings at the communal breakfast table (only 3 rented out rooms) are chaotic but Lina is a tremendous cook, and it makes the small kitchen quite cozy & fun. We met a couple also from Chicago and a husband/wife from Sydney, Australia that we still stay in touch with.

Thank you Jay,
After I sent that message I found out it was the name of the B and B. I thought it was at first the name of the town. I really appreciate the information on that as I hope that they have availability when we are there. The cooking class sounds wonderful as well. The last one I took we found out was owned by a travel company and it was not the experience we had hoped for.
You have all been so helpful. If you have any other tips or suggestions for that area I would love to hear them.
Thanks!