Traveling in late June. After a 2 night stay in Paestum, we’ll wake up and take either the bus or train to Salerno (it will be a Wednesday). Assuming we arrive in Salerno around 9:30AM. Drop off our bags at our hotel… let’s say conservatively we’re ready to tour by 10:30AM, maybe catch a boat at 11 or 11:30 or after lunch. Given a choice between two options:
Should we tour in Salerno or tour Ravello and eat dinner there or Amalfi and take a boat or bus back to Salerno for the evening?
Sorry for such a vague question but just curious what people who have been in those areas would choose between those 2 options.
We are doing a tour the next day which is Amari, Positano, and Pompeii… if that makes a difference to anyone.
Posted by
Chicago
2271 posts
We have traveled that area extensively over the last few years, but never in late June--we're off-season folks!
And late June will dictate what you choose, in that there most certainly will be lines whatever you want to do, transportation included. Are you staying at Hotel Plaza? If you choose Ravello, plan on it being very crowded on the A.C. If you decide to take the SITA bus from Salerno, looks like you take it to Amalfi-town, then switch to Ravello. Take my word for it, even in the offseason it's a PITA. https://www.ravello.com/sita-bus-schedule/
Or you can take the ferry from the port at Salerno--should be near your hotel-- to Amalfi, then bus to Ravello. Probable lines to get on at 10:30 AM. OR...you can hire a guide/driver, which will cost you, not cheap in season. In April of this year, using our guide--very good--per our specifications they took us to Vietri sul Mare, Ravello for lunch (Garden Ravello--OK, not great), then down for dessert to Minori (Sal De Riso--should not be missed!). For 4 people total it cost 400 Euro. 6 hours worth, and because even in April the A.C. was packed on the Friday afternoon, well worth the price. Money well spent.
OR...because you're taking a tour the next day, you could just hang out in Salerno. Wonderful small city. The lungomare along the sea is beautiful, they have a nice little beach. And the charming, walkable Old Town--complete with an 11-th century cathedral with relics--is spacious and fun to wander around there. For what it's worth, there are great restaurants that are probably 30% less costly than the same meal on the A.C. Pizzeria Trianon started in Naples in 1929, and its pizzeria in Salerno is gorgeous, tasty & cheap. Fantastic Napolitan-style.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
9097 posts
If your hotel in Salerno is refundable, I would switch it for something at Amalfi. Then you can take the first bus time available directly to Ravello in the morning. We stayed two nights at Salerno to take the train over to Paestum (excellent!), and then we took the ferry to move to Amalfi for three nights.
Yes, Amalfi is crowded, but you won’t waste time going back & forth to Salerno with each day trip & tour.
We arrived at Ravello before the gardens opened, so we had a coffee & cornetto at the cafe in the little piazza. We were the first people in the gardens and enjoyed it immensely. When we left to catch the bus back down to Amalfi, it was already a big line gathering behind us as we waited.
Another day we took the ferry from Amalfi to Positano, and those ferry lines were very crowded, also. This was in September 2022.