Trip to Sorrento

From Sorrento, you can visit Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius as day trips (2 different days), I wouldn't pack and move for one night when the train will get you there in half an hour.

I would spend a couple of nights on the Amalfi Coast.

Thanks, that makes sense. Would you stay in Positano, Amalfi, Praiano or Ravello?

I would prefer to "commute" from Sorrento, rather than have an extra hotel change and have to tote luggage around..

You can see Vesuvius from Pompeii and Sorrento. Not sure I would bother to 'go there'. If this is a summer trip you are planning, not sure I would want to climb up a dusting hot trail to look into a hole.

That''s my 2 cents

Seven days in Sorrento. Do Pompeii and Positano as day trips.

Positano or Amalfi have the easiest connections to other cities by bus and ferry.

You should choose just one location without having to change hotels. Which location is up to you.
Sorrento is bigger, Positano is, at least in my opinion, quainter and unique.
But research both and decide for yourself.
Pompeii, Herculaneum (Ercolano) and Mt. Vesuvius are easier to reach from Sorrento (40 min away by Circumvesuviana train), but Positano is not that much more. Just take the bus to Sorrento or Meta (40 min) then hop on the same Circumvesuviana train.
Amalfi and Ravello are easier to reach from Positano (by bus or boat). The island of Capri has boat connections to Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi, so it doesn't matter.
Beaches are better on the Amalfi Coast side (Positano-Amalfi side), than near Sorrento.

In 2010 we stayed in Sorrento at the Grand Hermitage. It is up the hill from Sorrento (they have a convenient shuttle service down to Sorrento) and in walking distance (up a path behind the hotel) to Sant'Agata. While Sant'Agata is nothing special really, it is a nice little walk up to get gelato or find a farmacia for sundries. And we had one of the best meals of our trip up there. We also ate twice in Sorrento at La Basilica...very good.

While in Sorrento we did a day trip to Capri by catching a boat at one of the charming marinas (Picolo or Grande).

We also hired a driver (Carmello Monetti) and did a day trip to the Amalfi Coast. His sons are probably running the business by now, but it was a very professionally run service. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

http://www.monettitaxi17.it/English.htm

lisa, I suggest that you learn more about the "character" of Sorrento and Positano before you make your decision. One way to do that is to use the search box at top center (desktop site) and read many past posts on the same general topic. You will learn (just for example) that "1 night in Pompeii" doesn't make any sense. First of all, it's ambiguous, because there is modern Pompeii and also Pompeii Scavi (... excavation), the historic site. Second, there isn't the slightest need to sleep there. The month of the year makes a HUGE difference, because of the popularity of this area. I guess September is ok, but you will still be taking your fifth choice of hotel, by now.

One of the reasons people like the Amalfi Coast (which does not "include" Sorrento) is that it's a bit hard to get to. I personally would never go to Pompeii from Positano-it's too cumbersome and time consuming. I also don't care about full stone and pebble beaches. But lots of very wealthy people (as well as regular folks) just love Positano and Amalfi (the town.) There are also less crowded, non-coastal villages that have been mentioned on this newsboard.

BTW, Sorrento also has poor beach prospects, but at least the main, overcrowded and tiny beach at the marina is on imported sand. Our luxury cliffside hotel had an elevator down to the base of the cliff, where there was a big wooden boardwalk over the gulf, with private lounge chairs and a small bar.

With seven nights it makes great sense to split your stay between Sorrento and the Amalfi coast side of the peninsula. All the heavy duty sightseeing is on the Bay of Naples side, Sorrento is pretty much the ideal base for this. The Circumvesuviana train is a straightforward connection to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius, and Sorrento has ferry connections everywhere in the region. It's also simply a safe, pretty, relaxing town with lots of nice views and restaurants. There is zero reason to stay specifically in the town of Pompeii itself, transportation to the ruins is easy from Sorrento and it is by all accounts not an interesting or attractive place. Where to stay on the Amalfi coast is the great debate. I'd say Positano, it is the most scenic and still has good transportation connections. Amalfi is the transport hub on the coast, but I found the town itself unattractive. Ravello was lovely and you should visit, but makes a poor homebase for exploring the coast. Can't speak for Priano, but ferry connection was less frequent for sure. I actually stayed in Atrani, a quiet little village a short walk from Amalfi (loved it.) I'd also recommend a day trip to Capri. You can do an easy day trip there as a stop between Sorrento and Positano. Leaving the coast, it can be easier to ferry to Salerno rather than backtrack to Sorrento. Salerno has frequent train connections to Naples, the station is a short walk from the port. Enjoy!