My wife and I will be in Italy April 20-27. Most of this time in the Campania region where we want to visit Paestrum, Pompeii, and the Amalfi coast, and other possible locations that we might serendipiyously come upon. We plan to use trains, buses and ferrys for transportation. We want to stay in one hotel so we're not packing and unpacking every-other-day. We are considering Salerno because it is less hectic than Naples and because it is not a tourist destination. We hope we have a better shot at finding a pleasant, small, relatively quiet hotel that is affordable (80-90 €) that is withing a short walk of the train station as well as bus and ferry departures for towns of the Amalfi coast. I posted an earlier inquiry about hotels in Salerno and received no responses. What's the story with Salerno?
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Sounds like a good idea. One hint on getting from Pompei to Paestum. The historic ruins of Pompei are served by a train station on the private Circumvesuviana train line. However, you can travel a mile or so into the town of Pompei and go to a Trenitalia train station that will take you to Naples, Paestum or Salerno.
Posted by
OP
Cincinnati, OH, USA
768 posts
Larry:
Thanks for the input. Is there a bus or shuttle between the Trenitalia train station in the town of Pompeii and the historic Pompeii excavation?
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Not that I am aware of. You might be able to get a taxi at the main entrance.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
Tripadvisor.com lists 33 hotels in Salerno, ranked according to travelers' reviews. That's where I'd look.
Posted by
St Petersburg, FL, USA
1 posts
I don't know a lot about Hotels in Salerno but I can tell you it is a great city. I have family there and have been many times. (I will be there in May 2011, sorry I'll miss u) It is a great, real, Italian city. The food is excellent everywhere and reasonably priced. Try Pizzeria Trianon in Piazza Flavio. Right next to a piece of the old city wall. Ask anyone the will know where it is. Get the 4 cheese w/ Gorgonzola. It is centrally located for sightseeing and after you can return to a city that has a real life not just a Disney facade. The old town is Medieval and well preserved, The Castle at the top is nice and offers great views but the best is just walking Vittorio Emmanuel Corso or Via Roma at night or along the Lungamare and enjoying the real life. For a real treat try to catch the Gelato guy in the park by downtown. Only serves Lemon but its great.
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
712 posts
If you get to spend some time in Salerno, go for it. We went through it on our way to Paestum and back, and it looked like a really great place to explore. It struck me as an Italian Miami (imo) not in size or anything but just because of it's situation on the bay. Wish I had spent more time there. Let us know how it turns out.
Posted by
Los Angeles
425 posts
Hotel Plaza in Salerno, across the square from the train station. 400 yards from the Concordia ferry dock (to Amalfi and Positano), 150 yards from Piazza della
Concordia (buses to Paestum). The Plaza is fine for one or two nights. Any longer than that, I'd prefer a more charming location in Salerno. Salerno is a great town.
Posted by
edmonton
91 posts
Using Salerno as a base to visit Paestum, Pompei, and the Amalfi coast is a great idea. It's a modest-size city (150,000+) but has everything a tourist may wish: decent hotels/B&Bs and restaurants - especially pizza places just ensure they have a forno a legna (wood oven.) Transportation such as buses, trains, taxis, ferries all goes from the train station square (where the tourist office also is) or steps from it. Not sure ferries to Amalfi, Positano Etc. will be available in April, but they may, since you'll be there for Easter. The hotel Plaza is also across from the station. No beach in Salerno proper, as its town beach was swallowed up by a harbor built after WW2, but there are some, easily reached by taxi or buses heading towards Paestum. Trenitalia service to Pompei is cheap and good, and you can walk to the Roman ruins (or taxi) from its Pompei station. Pompei also has an imposing church, for a Madonna famous for miracles and thus terminal point of pilgrimages by grateful devotees. Whatever you do, spend a day in Vietri sul Mare, a neat village where all the colorful ceramics you'll see everywhere on the Amalfi coast are made. Just a 20-minute city bus ride, with excellent restaurants.