Trying to decide on hotel for final night in Italy in July 2017. Villa Piedemonte Ravello village or Villa San Michele in Ravello at the seaside. Which is better?
We're spending 4 nts in Positano but our hotel is booked for the final night....hence changing hotels to Ravello for only 1 night. We'll have a car and its 1 night only....will check out in the morning and drive to airport in Rome to fly home
I have no clue about the departure times for flights from Italy to Australia. I hope they are very late in the afternoon. From Ravello to Fiumicino is about a 3-1/2 hour drive, according to ViaMichelin. An hour of that is non-freeway driving. I suspect that substantial delays would be possible if you were unlucky. You need time to gas up the car and go through the process of returning the car (which people say can take quite a bit of time in Italy). And you need to be at the airport 3 hours early, I think. I would be very stressed about getting to the airport in time for my flight.
I'm sorry that I can't help you with the specifics of where you might stay.
I'm with acraven. I would not want to be that far from the airport on the morning of the flight. Allowing sufficient time for all the possible problems mentioned could mean spending hours at the airport - if you don't encounter any delays. I'd spend the day in Positano, then drive to Rome for the night. If you have a late flight out, there are tons of things to see and do in Rome.
Flight is at 2pm from Rome. Planning to leave 7:30ish to airport ---estimate arrive at 11:00am. We have no issue getting up even earlier and leave at 5:30am if need be. I'd rather spend our last day on the coast than in the city. Or I suppose we could go north up the coast near Rome and find somewhere to stay overnight---happy to be in a small coastal non-touristy town too---aim of the last day is to RELAX before the 24+hr flight back to Oz.
A 7:30 AM departure would allow no time at all for road delays, a car problem or accident, buying gas, returning the car, or getting from the car-return point to the terminal. There's really no amount of extra time that would guarantee timely arrival at the airport on your departure day, because something could always go wrong on a drive of that distance.
Although a significant delay on the way to Fiumicino is probably unlikely, the penalty for missing your flight would be extremely high: having to buy last-minute one-way tickets for your entire party. There's no way I'd do it. I'd be so worried about getting to the airport on time that I wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy my final day on the Amalfi Coast.
As long as you wake up and leave early enough I don't see a problem with the morning drive.
Most travelers wouldn't want to end their trip with such a hectic day but on the other hand it maximizes your time in the AC.
As to your question, Villa Piedemonte Ravello Village, no question. Views are far superior up high and you will be closer to the restaurants in the village/town.
It will be a different view than from Positano as well so a nice chance of pace and think Ravello's small center of town and gardens would be really magical at blue hour after the visitors all leave.
I spent a couple of nights in the town of Ravello and loved it (I usually stay further down on the coast). And yes, it is magical after the daytrippers go home.
