Where to stay on Amalfi coast?

We chose Amalfi for its good transportation options
(after 4 nights in Sorrento)
Easy to visit Positano by bus or ferry, Ravello by bus, to Salerno by ferry for a visit to Paestum and direct trains north

Also not as steep and crowded with tourists as Positano

Enjoyed it very much

It ALL depends on what you are looking for and--equally important--any day trips you wish to take while there. Will you be visiting Pompeii from Naples or Sorrento, how about Capri? You may not need a stay in Sorrento, so flesh out what all you wish to do, and share how many days you have. The basic recommendation is anywhere with a ferry, but you can add Atrani since it is only 15 minutes by foot from Amalfi.

We do plan to see Pompeii and Capri from Sorrento. I'm not a high end shopper and I live historic towns.

We do plan to see Pompeii and Capri from Sorrento. I'm not a high end shopper and I love historic towns. Besides staying in Naples and Pompeii we have 2 -3 days on the coast.

Amalfi has history
Positano has shopping

In 2019 our RS tour stayed in Positano. However, the itinerary is more ambiguous these days. I think Salerno has been mentioned and I would have been fine had we stayed in Amalfi. Your mode of transportation as well as what you want to do/see will arrow your search.

So you will need two full days (three nights) to see Pompeii and Capri both from Sorrento, unless you plan on stopping at Pompeii en route from Naples. You could also see Pompeii from Naples, then go to Capri for a few days, then go straight to the Amalfi Coast from there if that sounds appealing and you have enough days for both. There is appeal in staying overnight on Capri versus a day trip.
Atrani is still my pick for most convenient/attractive village when transport is taken into consideration. If you won't need to move around much, any is really fine if you have no mobility concerns, I stayed in Cetara and liked the quiet (and restaurants) very much. If I was going in summer, I'd consider Maiori or Minori for the beach. For sheer beauty, I think Positano has an edge.

We stayed in Amalfi and in our hotel met a woman who came every year from UK and stayed there.

We moved to Positano after a few nights which was a mistake. Easy to visit on day trip and we liked Amalfi much better.

Do take the ferry between them. Beautiful.

We will be staying in Amalfi. I feel like there is more to do and we are going as a family group with a wide range of ages. Easy for the ferry, and I think we will take the train from Rome to Salerno instead of dealing with Sorrento/Naples. I also like the hotel options, my parents can stay in a grand hotel with an elevator, my 22 year old nephews can stay in a cheap inn, and we can stay with our kids in an apartment. Everyone is happy.

We are going directly from FCO to Pompeii, which is the main focus of this trip. From Pompeii, we will stay in Salerno as a base for the Amalfi Coast, Paestum, and, well, Salerno.

I had originally thought about staying in Ravello, but the hotels are just too expensive for my comfort level.

We do plan to see Pompeii and Capri from Sorrento. I'm not a high end
shopper....

OK, so it sounds like you should just stay in Sorrento? Sorry if I'm confused but I can't tell if you want to add MORE nights to this region, in ADDITION to Naples and Sorrento, or not? Yes, to do Pompeii and Capri you will need 3 nights in Sorrento (2 full days) and not just two.

Besides staying in Naples and Pompeii we have 2 -3 days on the coast.

Sorry but more confusion. You are staying in Pompei TOWN- a different thing than the archeological site - in addition to Sorrento?

If you want a home base in the Campania region, Sorrento would be the most convenient. You can take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii (30m) and Naples (1h 15) You can also take a fast ferry between Sorrento and Naples (45m).
You can take a ferry to Capri from Sorrento (30m). A bus to Positano (1h) and Amalfi is another 30m east from Positano. Ravello is a 30m bus ride from Amalfi. If you take a bus from Sorrento to Amalfi, wear motion sickness bracelets on each wrist because you are going up and down and curving around so you’ll need them.

We recommend Amalfi town. As noted elsewhere on this forum it is a transportation hub to other coastal and hillside towns. In 2018 we used this pocket size book, “Walking on the Amalfi Coast” (by Gillian Price) and took advantage of the bus up to Ravello, then walked down the beautiful trails back to Amalfi. Another day we bussed to Minori and walked up to Torello and down to Atrani… Did I mention occasional stops for delicious food and gelato?

We stayed at a wonderful hotel and are booked again for this coming September! Hotel Floridiana https://www.hotelfloridiana.it/en/nuovo-sito-presentazione/ is charming, family run with a variety of rooms, rooftop deck, and a glorious breakfast room that suites royalty (lots of photos on TripAdvisor.) While there we took advantage of one of their frequent excursions, a hike to local treasures guided by local people. On the way to the Valle delle Ferriere we stopped at a locally sourced restaurant and enjoyed delicious zucchini flowers and lemonade from football sized fruit. The hike peaked at a waterfall in a garden area reminiscent of Hawaii, really! The hotel just reopened post lockdown so their website has a few older dates. But they are open and ready for tourists.

We stayed in a small town called Praiano in 2019 - it was the perfect base. It’s about 30 min to Positano by bus and about same to Amalfi, Ravenna, etc. The hotel we stayed at was Hotel Margherita. It is so “Rick Steves”! … family run & delightful… with rooms facing the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, a restaurant and breakfast (included in rate). They can make arrangements for transport to Naples and anything else you would like them to do. Also there is a phenomenal little restaurant within walking distance called Kasai - mussel soup is out of this world. Please check it out. I think you will love it.

www.hotelmargherita.info/en