Where to stay in Italy to explore the Amalfi coast area

[Monr0e]

We are planning 10 days in Italy next year. We have never been and are hoping to do 3 nights in Rome followed by a week somewhere around the Amalfi coast.

We want to visit Pompeii and have a few days exploring the area nearby, but I am really struggling finding suitable accommodation! DS will be 17 and DD will be 14 and we always book an apartment or villa so they can have separate bedrooms. We would like a pool too, don't mind if it's shared, but I can't seem to find anything.

We last went to lanzarote for a week where there seems to be a million villas to choose from. We would be happy also with a eurocamp / centreparcs type place, but can't seem to find that either.

Can anyone advise the best area to stay and where to look for accommodation? Thank you 😊

Wherever you stay, forget driving. The narrow coastal road is not an easy drive and has many blind curves and heavy summer traffic. Parking is also a nightmare. Better to use public transport. Buses are a good, cheap option. Be warned though, travel sickness is a possibility! Ferries are better.
I’d recommend staying in Sorrento. I know it’s not technically on the Amalfi Coast but it makes a good base for exploring. It has a lovely historic center, views over to Vesuvius, and lots of hotels, shops and restaurants. Importantly it has good transport links - buses and summer ferries run to Positano and Amalfi, hydrofoils serve Capri and the Circumvesuviana train goes to Pompeii and Naples. It does, however, get very crowded in summer.

I agree the roads are a nightmare so a train from Sorrento is a good option. It's touristy which may or may not be your thing, at least there is plenty to do. It's still full of charm. You're up on a cliff above the sea and it's a bit of a climb, so a pool is definitely a good idea.

I'd recommend Sorrento too. We did some beautiful walks around there and visited Naples, Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Amalfi, Positano and Capri via public transport or tours. Look out for the subterranean caves in Naples, that was cool. The city is a bit 'edgy' though, so hold onto your wallets!
Stayed in a hotel with pool though, so can't advise on the availability of villas.

We stayed in the centre of Salerno, lovely city - less touristy than other more popular places and much more reasonable.

Quick train into Naples for the local line to Pompeii, Sorrento etc. and ferries from the marina go to Amalfi, Positano etc. There's also the Sita bus which takes you around the Amalfi coast, but this can be very crowded in summer.

A few years go we stayed in a place called Maori which is on the Amalfi coast - it's a short drive from Amalfi itself, very pretty with lots of bars and restaurants, and for some reason it was significantly cheaper than the surrounding areas.

There’s lots of accommodation in Sorrento if you book early enough or go lowish-season. The public transport links are great from there. It would be the Circumvesuviana train towards Naples (via Pompeii and Herculaneum) and local buses along the Amalfi coast. There are boats to Capri etc. I really wouldn’t consider renting a car, the driving around Naples is chaotic and the coastal roasts can feel perilous.

In Sorrento, most hotels have pools, the town centre ones on the rooftop, so you could rent interconnecting rooms. You won’t be using the pool much before June though. It’s a nice little town, not much there but lovely restaurants, shops, a few museums etc.

This is great advice, thank you

Sorrento sounds ideal location wise, will also check out Maori and Solerno, thank you.

"We did some beautiful walks around there and visited Naples, Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Amalfi, Positano and Capri via public transport or tours. Look out for the subterranean caves in Naples, that was cool" Sounds pretty much exactly what we want to do when we go, thanks for that!

Is public transport quite easy to navigate? I'm not a hugely confident traveller so like things to be as straight forward as possible.

Thank you

The public transport it very easy to use. There’s a frequent local train that goes from Sorrento to Naples and back. It’s shabby but reliable and the stops are close to sites like Pompeii. There are lots of local and tourist buses going the other way up the coast (Amalfi). People about there tend to speak good English and are very friendly and willing to help. There’ll be plenty of people about to ask and it’s a well trodden tourist route.

If you are a bit nervous, the two things I would suggest is that you pay the hundred euro or so for a cab from Naples airport to Sorrento as the transport options otherwise are pretty tricky. Also, if you feel unsure, avoid Naples altogether. It’s an amazing city with lots to offer but it’s all the good and bad of Southern Italy in a chaotic nutshell and there are so many other paces to see about there.

Public transport is easy, the train is a bit like an old rattly tube train, but it's convenient. The buses are regular, but the drive to Amalfi is hair raising - the road winds high above the coast on tiny crowded roads - I couldn't watch sometimes, but the views are incredible. There are lots of tours you can book in Naples or Sorrento for Vesuvius & Capri etc.
I enjoyed Naples, but the bit just outside the train/bus station is grotty, and pickpockets rife. The main tourist drag is fine, there are actually some lovely shops and about a billion churches. It's an odd mix of modern, very faded grandeur and downright seedy. The scooters are a liability!
We found a book on Amalfi coast walks which opened up some lovely countryside, though the directions were a bit hit and miss - we had to retrace our steps a few times. It was worth it though to be out in the peaceful olive and lemon groves, or finding deserted coves with blue waters. One of the best was on Capri to find the Arco Naturale. The only issue was the number of guard dogs that people have loose on their driveways. We took to carrying a stout stick and a couple of pebbles! This was the book sunflowerbooks.co.uk/product/walking-in-sorrento-the-amalfi-coast-and-capri/

We stayed in the Rota Suites in Sorrento, think there may be some 2 bed apartments. Has not got its own pool, but if you book through their own website you may get free access to a pool and bathing deck at a sister hotel nearby or pay per person to use it.

Sorrento is the handiest in terms of location to trains and a boat to Capri, but I found it a rather charmless place. You might find what you're looking for at Sant Agnello which is one stop out of Sorrento but still on main train route.

Thank you, this is all extremely helpful

Come to say Sorrento. One of the best holidays I have ever had. We travelled entirely by public transport which is easy to use, frequent and reliable. Trains, buses, ferries. We went to Pompeii, Herculaneum, up Vesuvius, Capri, and the Amalfi coast, Naples, etc.

There are still charming parts of Sorrento - down by the fishing harbour (as distinct from the ferry harbour) was as beautiful a place as anywhere in Italy and we have travelled extensively in the country.

I can't help with accommodation though, but maybe a town centre hotel might be a nice treat and give you easy access to the railway station/bus station/ ferry terminal.

I'd be inclined to reconsider going there at all. We went in April, and like you struggled to find accommodation, went with an Airbnb in the end, but it wasn't great. I've come to the conclusion that if I struggle to find the right type of accommodation in a particular place, then it's probably not the right place for us. And if you don't like public transport, that will put a downer on the holiday as well, because as PP have said, it's the only way to get around. Sorrento didn't do anything for me - too crowded and touristy, and a bit of a mess really, in the sense of buildings just chucked up anywhere with no thought to the aesthetics of the place. It clearly was lovely once, but wouldn't say it is now.

Your only accommodation option will be 3 rooms in a high end hotel with a pool, then public transport everywhere - if that doesn't fill you with excitement or is too expensive, then go somewhere else entirely.

It's a shame because it is a good jumping off point for Pompeii/Herculaneum/Vesuvius, although the first time we did Pompeii was off a cruise ship which started in Rome, and that was good.

Minori which is next to Maori worth a look too.

Try La Villa Franca Pompei. We've booked next year. Near the sites, also has a pool. Near public transport too. Not too expensive either!

I second this, Maori is lovely.

I've stayed in sorrento, positano and amalfi. For me I'd stay in positano again but with teenage kids and for transport to pompeii etc I'd also recommend sorrento. It's bigger and more lively.

I'd also recommend visiting herculaneum/ercolano as well as pompeii. But don't try to do that first then pompeii in the same day like we did. Either do pompeii then ercolano or on separate days.

I came on to recommend Maiori too. Much quieter and cheaper than the famous places like Sorrento etc.

I'd stay in a small place with a few good restaurants and a beach and get boat trips to all the other places.

Sorrento is very busy and touristy. It wore me down.

We stayed in sant agnello which is near to sorrento. Got the ferry to capri from sorrento also went for a day to sorrento. Restaurants in sant agnello were amazing but then we did drive to the other places. Boat trips from the nearby marina would have been better

Maiori is lovely. Cheaper than other places as it's where the Italians tend to go and there are people who live there year round too. We didn't bother much with buses because the ferries from there go anywhere you need to go on the coast and out to Capri as well. We did splash out on an excursion to Pompeii though - nice air conditioned coach - because it was a bit of a faff on public transport from there. It has a huge beach and promenade and there's a big central pedestrian bit with plenty of places to eat and drink. It's on the path of the lemons so good for walking.

We also came from Rome, and got the high speed train to Salerno then a ferry from there. Lovely way to arrive on the coast.

Thinking of travelling here soon so thanks for all the tips

www.marinapiccola73.com

Can fully recommend this gorgeous hotel is Sorrento if you need a place to stay. We stayed in a room overlooking the Marina and view of Mount Vesuvius. It's beautiful and the best breakfast we've had on holiday.

Also visit a little restaurant called Meating down one of the side streets. The best fillet steak you'll ever have! This is their page.

instagram.com/meatingsorrento?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Reginna Palace at Maiori is lovely, I kept falling asleep under the lemon trees round the pool!

REGINNA PALACE | ⋆⋆⋆⋆ | MAIORI, ITALY | SEASON DEALS FROM €251 (hotelsmaiori.com)