Southern Italy in mid-August - 2 days

Just answering one of your several questions:

"Is mid-August a good time to go as I imagine it will be very hot and crowded."

Yes, the beach/resort areas that you mention (the Amalfi Coast) will be crowded in August, that's probably their most crowded month since mid-July to end of August is when many Europeans take their long summer vacations and they, too, like to go to resort/beach areas.

And yes, it's likely to be hot in south-central Italy in
August, especially inland such as at Pompeii. While no one can predict the weather, you mention Naples so let's look at weather data there: in Naples between Aug 10 - 20 in the last 13 years, 99% of the days have been humid (defined as a dew point over 65) and 60% of the days have been sweltering (dew point over 70). That's hot.

Whether it's a good time to go, for you, depends on your other choices (other choices as to destinations and time of year).

We live in Naples and love it, but we didn't love it right off the bat. Naples should be all but deserted in August - everyone goes on holiday. (Last year we came back from our vacation to the north in mid-August and found Naples absolutly empty..we though maybe they'd evacuated the city!) Tourist spots, however, will be packed. I'd recommend staying in Sorrento, and going by train (skip the car) and then taking a boat (maybe the Metro del Mare) to Positano or Capri. I'd also skip Pompeii and go to Ercolano instead. It's smaller and less crowded, but most people who go think it's better. The train is very easy. Last time we were in Sorrento we stayed at the Hilton Sorrento Palace for only 154E per night. Usually we stay at smaller hotels but the price was good and the hotel had two amazing pools. Good luck and have fun!

I went to Amalfi in mid July, 8 years ago. It was great. The weather while warm, wasn't unbearable, and great for some swims in the sea. Instead of going to Positano and the other largely known towns, I opted for the smaller towns along the coast. There were crowds, but they were mostly Italian tourists & not Americans. Prices were actually more affordable than Rome also. Travel to the villages isn't accessible by train though. I'm not even sure tracks run there. I think I trained into Salerno then took a bus up the coast.

It has been a while, but hopefully things haven't changed too much.

Two days isn't much time though, I assume it's the end (or beginning) of a longer trip. It might be worthwhile to spend both days there just relaxing. There are plenty of towns along that stretch that you can easily spend your time on.

Hi Jasmine,

I can't speak for August weather. However I was just in Sorrento in May and it was approx 85 degrees everyday. It was hot but I did love it there. Since you would be going for a short time I would recommend staying in Sorrento. We stayed at the Ulisse Deluxe: http://www.ulissedeluxe.com/ . They call it a hostel...but really is more like a 4 start hotel (as quoted from the RS Italy 09 book). It was a very nice place and a bargain...only between 63-73 EUR a night when we were there. Plus it was right near the Marina Grande.

Pompeii is only a short train ride from Sorrento (approx. 30min). So very easy to get to. The buses are also very easy to figure out if you want to take the ride to Positano (I would say 45min-1hour each way).

Also, The train from Naples is very easy to figure out (watch out though on the train as they say there are a lot of pick-pocketers...we didn't see any but it get's crowded).

Have a great trip and if you want any other tips let me know! :-)

Thank you everyone for the wonderful tips.

I will look into making Sorrento the base.

I was thinking from Orvieto to Sorrento (stay 2 days), then spend the last leg of our trip in Rome.

Is there a convenient way of getting to Orvieto to Sorrento and do you know how long it will take?

Any good recommendations for hotels under 90 euros?

The Sorrento area is worth the visit, even for 2 days, though 3 would be best. We also stayed in Sorrento at the Ulisse Deluxe, and thought it was great for the price. In April rooms were 60 Euros a night. If you do have 2 full days, I'd try to set aside a day for Capri, and one day for the Amalfi coast towns, ( Positano, Amalfi & Ravello )using the Sita bus. On your way back to Rome, make the stop in Pompeii for visit. As for Orvieto - Sorrento by the train, travel times will be about 1:30 from Orvieto - Rome, then 1:30 from Rome - Naples, and finaly 1:00 from Naples to Sorrento. Most of the hotels in Sorrento are a 10-15 min walk of the train station. You will be glad you visited the Sorrento Area, we were.

Regarding the comment about seeing Pompeii on the way back from Sorrento to Rome: is both Ercolano & Pompeii both on the way by Train to Rome? Is it the same train?

This may be a hassle as we will have our backpacks with us. Alternatively, we could set out early, see Pompeii/Ercolano, then head back to Sorrento to pick up our bags and head back to Rome.
Any recommendations either way?

Alternatively, on our way to Sorrento from Orvieto (Orvieto => Rome => Naples => Sorrento) we could try to leave our bags at the Rome Train station (is it Termini??) for 2 days. Anyone have experience with doing this? Is it expensive or unsafe to do so?

I've read that Ercolano is better preserved and less vast to cover than Pompeii (given our limited time). Does anyone else share Lori's response than Ercolano is more worthwhile to see than Pompeii?

Pompeii Scavi and Ercolano are both stops on the Circumvesuviana, the private train that runs from Sorrento to Naples. However, they're a fair distance apart.....Pompeii Scavi several kilometers south of Vesuvius, while Ercolano is literally on the volcano's western slope. Personally, I prefer Ercolano....some decoration still left in the town (apparently a different kind of ash) than in Pompeii, which has been scoured clean.

We really loved Ercolano Scavi. It's the "bite-sized" version of Pompeii. It is indeed better preserved than Pompeii because it was instantly encased in volcanic mud (pyrotechnic flow, I think it's called) rather than crushed under falling ash over a longer period of time. It's also an amazing experience because you walk down a long ramp into a huge hole cut into the ground, surrounded by the modern town of Herculaneum. As you walk around, you'll occasionally look up the sheer wall of dried mud to see the modern apartments that surround the dig. Very cool. I also recall an audio tour that was well worth the money. And they've got quite a nice little cafe/souvenir shop on the grounds. Good sandwiches.

BTW, the site itself is a little walk down from where the train drops you off, but that walk takes you through a wonderful slice of the real Italy as Italians live it today.

Just to add...if you stop at Ercolano, and you have the time, you can take the bus and then hike up to the rim of the volcano.

Do the Amalfi coast if you have already seen Venice.

Pompeii is huge, barren, and will be hot, hot, hot. The cobble stones are killers, and it looks like a bombed out village. Ercolanto is wonderfuly preserved, you can wrap your hands around it; and there is actually something to see.

If you have time, go to the Museum in Naples. Everything that was in Pompeii in in the museum...awesome.

Skip Orvieto and spend more time in Sorrento. Capri is a tourist trap in the summer,,,skip it and focus on day trips from Sorrento(wonderful by small boat/ferry)to the Amalfi coast towns.)

Eat on the waterfront in Sorrento. Magical at nite. Some good little restaurants that are very farily priced.