I have searched but cannot find a good answer to this question. We ( myself, husband and two teens) will be traveling starting the first week of October to southern Italy and are spending two nights on Capri, then two in Positano. Our hotel in Positano is high up very close to the second Sita bus stop, however we would like to avoid the buses with luggage (just carry one, but still). I am wondering if it would be easier to take the ferry from Capri to Sorrento, then taxi to our hotel in Positano since it is just off the main road, vs taking the ferry from Capri to Positano and managing getting up to it. I am not sure what time we will be getting to Positano, so reserving porter service ahead of time difficult. Same for booking a private transport from Sorrento (I’m trying to stay a little flexible on early mornings, if anyone has teens you’ll understand). Are taxis easily obtained at the Sorrento port? Cost isn’t an issue as ferry tickets for 4 vs taxi is not much difference. Thanks!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5409 posts
Note that the dock in Positano is rather small, so can only handle the smaller ferries, which are much more weather-dependent, if a storm comes in. So you probably need a plan B, regardless. Good luck and hope it all goes smoothly.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6992 posts
Welcome!
There should be taxis at the Sorrento dock.
I'd actually want a driver booked ahead of time. No surprises that way. (Sorrento taxis are famously overpriced)
As Pat mentions the Positano dock is always iffy and I'm not sure if you can just grab a porter service on arrival.
I'm with you -I would not want to drag bags up all those steps! (wouldn't want to drag myself up either)
Can your lodging offer any advice?
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA
641 posts
The easiest solution is to take the ferry from Capri to Positano and get a hotel in the lower area.
Note there are no roads near the water, and you will have to walk up a fair amount just to get to a street with cars of any kind. Then you would have to get a taxi and go way up. It's so much nicer to have the hotel near the bottom so you can walk around the beach, the church, the shops, the arts and crafts walk, and visit the Roman ruins under the church.
I have taken the bus from Sorrento to Positano. I still recall it because I had to stand, and my back got wrenched by the drastic turns. Then we got off, and walked down - and that was an ordeal - about 50 stories of walking down steps - at times right in front of people's homes.
Sorrento does have a big harbor, but it's at the bottom of a big hill. It would not be fun to drag luggage up, but there may be a few taxis there.
Another option is to stay in Sorrento (and pay half the hotel prices and restaurant prices) and take ferry day trips to Capri and Positano. Capri especially is extremely ritzy and expensive.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7750 posts
No quarrel with the responses you have, but note that there is (pay, 2 Euros maybe) elevator from the Sorrento marinas to the upper, central part of town, which is level.
I realize that it is hard to get responses from hotels, even within the USA. But you are really working with incomplete information, and we have similarly incomplete information. You could post the address or GPS coordinates of the hotel, but that may not produce definitive information. Please at least post a link to a Google Maps with the "second SITA bus stop" marked - that does not expose much of your personal information.
My own guess is that taxis cost more per mile in Positano, but of course your journey is much shorter than the drive from Sorrento, which would probably be near 100 Euros, counting the empty return to Sorrento. (Not research, just a guess.) I've taken four ferries between Sorrento and Capri, but never to Positano. If cost is your main factor, I think ferry to Positano is best choice. I do tend to get seasick, in general. But some people report motion sickness on the only two lane road between Sorrento and Positano. That did not happen to me. (Car service for 8 hours visiting the AC from Sorrento hotel 5 nights.)
This link does not directly address your question, but at least it's something. Have you used the Search box here yet?:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/how-do-i-get-from-pompeii-to-positano-is-there-a-direct-route
Posted by
OP
2 posts
The hotel we are staying at is Hotel Marincanto, one of the Rick Steve’s recommended hotels in Positano, which is the closest hotel to the Sponda bus stop at the intersection of Cistoforo Colombo and Amalfi Drive. I guess to simplify my question I should have asked if taxis at Sorrento port or porters at Positano port are readily available on arrival. Our hotel can reserve a porter or private transfer but we must book an exact time several days ahead, and I was wanting a bit more flexibility. I think we will plan on the ferry to Positano, and the taxi from Sorrento as back up.