Amalfi coast 5 days - where would you go /stay

[Sundayagain27]

We will have 5 nights in amalfi arriving in Naples 3rd week of June.
where would you base yourself and could we get from the airport and visit other villages etc on public transport. Ideally don’t want a car as usually tricky to find parking !
any ideas on villages / locations / hotels etc welcome. We love Italy and have spent a lot of time there over the years but more in Tuscany / Umbria area so this is new to me and don’t want to miss anything
🙏

We based in Sorrento and it was perfect for us. We visited the usual amalfi villages as day trips, all of which were beautiful but insanely busy (in august) so we were pleased not to be staying. Sorrento is a lovely town and highly recommend. We stayed in hotel bristol which had the most amazing room views of the sea and Mt Vesuvius.

Sorrento is a great base. Lovely restaurants and shops. No beach so go for a hotel with a pool.
The Marina Grande is wonderful with a great restaurant on a pier - Ristorante O’Puledrone
We did a foodie walking tour that was great
Stayed at a hotel called La Badia. Up quite steep hill so a good 20 minutes into the town centre and hard working coming back
But wonderful views and lovely pool
We did a number of small group trips. The Amalfi cost including Positano and Ravello. We did a trip to Pompeii and one to the Herculanium - both very interesting. It was very hot. Take an umbrella/hat and lots of water
You can get a boat over to Capri. Walk up to the top or get the funicular railway and enjoy the views. Take a boat trip round Capri - don’t bother paying extra to see the blue grotto - a complete rip off
Look for tours on trip advisor. And arrange a pick up from the airport
It’s a great place! Enjoy!

Watch out for pickpockets on the coastal train (from Naples to Sorrento) - it’s beautiful but you literally have to sit on your bag
Get boats everywhere
We stayed in an Airbnb in Positano which was an ideal base. We then moved to Ravello for a night or two which was absolutely unforgettable.
I could take or leave Capri, though I know people rave about it - it just seemed very touristy (the whole Amalfi coast is of course very touristy, but even more so)

We stayed in Sorrento and caught the boat to Amalfi. Easy train ride from Naples to Sorrento. Amalfi will be heaving mind when you plan on going. It was boiling when we went in July, it was too hot!

@RubyFatball a friend mentioned Ravello do you think 2 nights ravello and 3 sorrento or positano a good call or would you stay all 5 in one place ? @BluePoet would 3 nights in Sorento work ? Sounds like none of you had a car ?

I go to the Amalfi coast several times a year. In June I’d definitely base myself in Sorrento rather than Positano or Ravello. Easy to travel to them from Sorrento and Sorrento is much cheaper and much less crazy busy. Boat absolutely the way to get around, car totally not needed.

I’ve been twice and based on Sorrento for the whole time on both occasions

Agree with Sorrento as a base, easy to go north to Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii or Vesuvius trips on the train. Ferries out to Ischia and Capri (Anacapri is lovely, wouldn't bother with Capri town unless you are into designer shopping and paying €20 for an Aperol) The Monte Solaro chair lift is a great experience if you are OK with heights. Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, you can do in one day. There is a bus that goes down the coast (don't sit on the cliff side!) or you can hire a driver to take you through them all, with a stop for lunch and will show you all the best photo spots. I also enjoyed Ravello

Sorrento

It totally depends what kind of break you want OP - I went on a romantic anniversary couple trip so lots of long wandering walks, poking about shops and cafes, beaches, la dolce vita. Absolutely went everywhere on boats - no car needed - apart from a bus Amalfi - Ravello which was cheap and easy. We actually didn’t bother with Pompeii - felt like a different trip to us.

For five nights I would personally just stay in the same place. Amalfi all relatively easy to get around mostly by boat or bus so car absolutely not needed. Have an amazing trip, it’s been one of my families favourites so far. If you do decide to base in Sorrento then I can also recommend booking on a walking tour on day one to help you get your bearings.

We stayed in st agnello a short walk from Sorrento and used trains)buses to get around

This sounds lovely @Sundayagain27, enjoy!

Sorrento is beautiful. Not a huge amount going on at night in Amalfi so I wouldn’t recommend staying there if you like a bit of nightlife. Positano stunning. Capri is nice but insanely expensive and busy with tourists. You have to pay to get onto many of the beaches there, something like €30 to rent a dinner on one for the day. One of our favourite places was Ischia. Stunning marina and it’s where the Italians go for their holidays so not as crazy prices as other parts of the Amalfi cost and just a gorgeous place. I hated Naples and couldn’t wait to leave! Full of pick pockets

I’ve provisionally booked somewhere in Amalfi for the 5 days, were a couple in our 50s romantic break, looking forward to walking and good food and some sightseeing is Amalfi a better base than sorrento? Plan on day trips ravello, capri maybe and positano.

As others have said, there is a very good train service from Naples round the south side of the bay. Sorrento is the terminus, which is why it is a better base than the Amalfi if you want to do Pompeii etc. However, if you only want to do the Amalfi coast then it makes sense to base yourself there..

You must must must visit the Villa Cimbrone. And do the Sentiero degli Dei, often ranked as one of the best walks in the world.

You go during high season and you will suffer more than you will enjoy if you take a car. Either train or ferries. We took the ferry to visit Positano and Salerno, much better option imo (we based our trip on ferry hopper's suggestions https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/destinations/italy/amalfi and https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Amalfi from the wiki voyage)

Driving on the Amalfi coast is scary. The roads are very narrow and twisty with lots of traffic. The parking is a nightmare and lots of places ban tourists from parking in the main town so I would agree don’t get a car.

We stayed in Sorrento and did a day trip down the Amalfi coast with a driver which was lovely but we were also interested in seeing Pompei, Vesuvius etc. and had the kids. We would have liked more time in Ravello particularly which looked gorgeous if we were just visiting the Amalfi coast on its own. Our driver did say to make sure you don’t stay somewhere that is outside one of the main towns with no transport as it will cost a fortune in taxis and there won’t be restaurants etc. I would just pick one base for 5 days and maybe make that Ravello which I thought looked nicer than Positano.

We also stayed on Ischia and it was amazing but would not add that in 5 days.

We stayed in Sorento at The Antiche Mura hotel which is a few minutes from Tasso Square. It has a small pool in a pretty garden full of lemon trees. From Sorrento we caught a bus to Amalfi, a boat to Capri and trains to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius. It's a great base and public transport is cheap and easy to navigate. We loved the atmosphere in Sorrento of an evening.

I stayed in sant agata du gofi I think is the name of a pretty town with good restaurants outside sorrento but if I went back we'd stay in a marina with some restaurants and explore by boat.

This hotel is located in an excellent marina. You'd need to book in boat trips in advance but you'd want to day trip to 1) Amalfi (possibly go inland to ravello) 2) positano 3) capri (go to anacapri and get the cable car up Monte salero or whatever its called.

There are other good towns to visit but those are the ones we saw

Possibly to sorrento (I wasn't too keen but that's because I was with dc, it's nice for lunch by the old harbour )

Possibly to a spa on Ischia

Personally wouldn't do pompei in such a short break but it depends if you want to "do" the area or relax at all.

maps.app.goo.gl/K4EfhibUjCJWNVGeA

We stayed in Ercolano just across from the Herculaneum site. We got the circumvesuviana daily to Naples and further. It was cheap and we didn't find any problems with pickpockets or hecklers.

For 5 days, Amalfi is perfect. Lots of restaurants, charming in itself, and great links. Go to ravello, walk the Sentiero degli Dei, take a boat trip to Positano. You’ll have a great time.

Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius is also nice - but it’s a whole other 5 days in itself.

Thanks everyone @BirthdeighParteigh that sounds like a nice little trip and an opportunity to go back another time !