Amalfi coast, Italy - please help me plan a trip

[ImNotReallyHere]

HI, as the title suggests.

We have return flights booked to Naples and only there 8 days not including travelling days.
Teens would like Versuvious and either Pompeii or Herculaneum. I’d like to go to Postiano. Any suggestions for an itinerary? Leaving in a week so need a plan soon.

Are you staying in Naples? We didn’t like it one bit. Run down and felt unloved. Head for the ferry to Sorrento, it gets there close to noon and it’s a great day trip. There are also ferries that do a Sorrento, Positano, Capri loop. Positano is on a steep incline so be prepared and wear comfortable shoes. It’s a gorgeous part of the world and the food is great. Lots of day trips would be my advice, but I’m not sure if it matters in which order.

Son stayed in Ravello. A bus and ferry ride from the airport in Naples. Very steep and hilly. Can't help re the trips, but it was a lovely setting and easy to get to and from airport

Do you have accommodation booked? I was there in May and used a hotel in Termini as a base, with a hire car picked up at the airport. Avoided Naples, but visited Pompeii (booked a 2hr express tour via Tripadvisor), Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano and Capri.

We did Capri with a tour operator called Cooperativa S.Antonio which we booked in advance through our hotel, which included pick up, drop off and they as offered for an extra fee a shuttle bus to the key locations in Capri.

Wrongtime of year, currently 40 degrees heatwave there. I'd get a private taxi to sorrento. From there, ferry day trips to,procida or ischia. Too hot for pompeii.
Naples is incredible, beautiful, but not in July.
Sorrento I recommend drinks in the Sirene Hotel.
Positano I recommend fornillo beach and hotel vittorio. Again, overpriced and full this time of year. Buona fortuna!

It will be boiling and very crowded - take things slowly and things are much quieter after 4 when the day trippers have gone.

We went there last year. We flew to Naples, jumped in a taxi to Naples train station and caught a train to Sorrento (it cost us 18 euros for a family of 4 on the train) we stayed there (had a hotel in Sorrento for a week) did lots of day trips - Pompeii, Amalfi coast by boat, etc - the tourist office upstairs at Sorrento train station were really helpful. We loved it. Wish we could go back now!

Naples isn't great..Herculeam is better than Pompeii as it's less crowded but both sites are very exposed with lots of walking in the heat.

Climb of Vesuvius is good experience.

Ravello (above Amalfi) is beautiful and has its feast day (San Pantaleon) on 27/7 quite a spectacular event. There are two beautiful gardens there that are worth visiting. Setting for many films including Star Wars.
Maiori has lots of beachfront restaurants and a public beach (though that may be rather hot).
A boat trip to Esmarelda - a beautiful emerald cave between Amalfi & Positano.
Amalfi cathedral is worth a visit.
When travelling between towns along the coast it’s faster and more pleasant to use the boats rather than the buses, although the ‘Amalfi drive’ is quite an experience.
Enjoy, I’ll see you there! 🇮🇹

I’m going on Saturday. Trip to Pompeii on Sunday morning early and then a ferry to Ischia for 6 nights on the island. Naples is amazing, chaotic, grubby, exciting - I love it. We’ve no plans for the Amalfi coast as we’ve been before and it’s very busy in summer. Last year we did a day trip from ischia to Capri and this year we hope to go to Prochida for a day and spend a day at the thermal pools and gardens in Forio, Ischia.

Take the locsl bus from Sorrento to Amalfi. Get there early so you can sit on the right hand side to get the full experience of the bus going along the coastal road. Take a boat trip back.

Much of the Amalfi isn't really beachy so if it's going to be ferociously hot I'd consider getting the Pompeii/Vesuvius tour out of the way, then heading to Ischia for the bulk of your stay.

The main coastal towns like Positano will be absolutely packed, so it would be nice to do ferry day trips and have a relatively calm island to retreat to.

Snap, @MrsArcher23 ! Didn't see your post. Have a lovely time.

The buses are insanely busy at this time of year and you might not get a seat. It’s also the only time my DS9 has been travel sick!

Naples was a bit edgy for me. Worth a visit for the museum with all the stuff from Pompeii and Herculaneum. We stayed at La Favorita in Sorrento which was wonderful. There is no real beach in Sorrento, though.

We are there next week. Staying in Sorrento. Very excited, never been to Italy. Will follow this thread.

Day trip to Capri from sorrento - take the chairlift to the top! Back down and see the Blue Grotto 👍

Keep an eye on the vesuvio ticket website - we went during October half term last year and nearly missed out as all the official tickets were sold out for a couple of days ahead. I had to buy more expensive Viator ones with minibus included and a guide - to be fair it was a v good tour and I’m speaking as a geologist so hadn’t planned to pay for a guide.

It’s basically one fairly confined path around the cone so I can see why they limit the number of people who can be there at any one time. So plan a little and watch for availability. It was brilliant. Good to go a day after visiting pompeii or Herculaneum as you can look down at where you were standing amongst ruins.

Also loved the little chairlift that goes from anacapri up to the very top of capri - the town at the bottom is heaving and dreadful but the bits higher up were lovely.

There are I think three Caravaggios in Naples - fabulous and not to be missed!

Naples is my favourite city,I absolutely love it,the food,the people.Heraculaneum I prefer to Pompei,smaller and well preserved.
I lived in Italy for many years,Sorrento is a tourist trap,people love it,but I don’t.

It is going to be very hot,which may affect how much you do.

I can help but I need some more information first..

Are you staying in Naples?

Are you planning on using public transport?

Thanks everyone. All really helpful. We don’t plan to stay in Naples. But where would we best to base ourselves for Versuvious? And Pompeii although swaying towards Heraculm (sp)now.
Would you hire a car or take train? We’ll probably only be able to stop 3 times in a week. So somewhere near the sights boy wants to see, Postiano for me and maybe one more?

Sorry. Don’t know how to reply to individual posts.
Feast day in Ravello sounds fab but can’t see anything on Google.
All really good info re Versuvious, Pompeii. Where would you base urselves?
we can hire a car or take public transport.

Sorrento is a good base for everything you want to see. It has transport links there too. Great memories. I hope to go back. You won't regret or forget it x

Sorrento is over touristed and mad busy but probably the best base for the 3 things you want to do.

You can catch a train there from Naples.
Vesuvius close - you will need a tour for that.
Both Pompeii and Herculaneum close and easily accessible by train.
Positano accessible by ferry (and bus but you would be mad to do that).

Don't rent a car - the roads are packed, the driving is insane and there's no parking anywhere.

Sorrento's beach is pretty minging and the town is high on the cliff above so if the weather forecast is troubling you I'd look at a hotel with a pool.

I cannot comment on places to stay outside Naples, but even if you don’t stay there, you must see the Caravaggios. Only Rome has similarly impressive, huge Caravaggios.

Regarding transport, Italy's railway system is very efficient and inexpensive. Look at a map of the region and check out the Trenitalia website.

https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

NB: I’ve not been to Pompeii, but Herculaneum is truly outstanding and impressive. Take a big sunhat and plenty of sunscreen. And beware of pickpockets on the train…

Ravello is not easily accessible and not a great place to stay

Sorrento is not on the Amalfi coast, is more touristy with lesser cuisine than elsewhere and actually really small- but it does have accessibility by public transport going for it. Jump on the fast circumsuviana from Naples. You can get a ferry from Naples but it’s much more expensive

Ischia is beautiful and loads to see and do. Great hotel choice. But Capri is extremely limited unless you’re very rich. It’s quite small really and yes it’s beautiful, but best appreciated on a boat trip with swimming stops. Procida is a nice day trip from Ischia but much smaller and not somewhere recommended to stay. Whereas ischia has lots of spas and caters to local tourists.

Minori, Maoiri are good affordable options with lots of choice of accommodation and restaurants. Authentic local cuisine and good prices. Positano great for day trip, it’s very impressive but crowded and expensive- I wouldn’t choose to stay there unless minted. Amalfi is similar. There are lots of villages along the coast, all very pretty but small and limited facilities. Salerno is the southern end of the Amalfi coast and a port city - it’s absolutely fine but you wouldn’t choose to stay there, but this is where the train comes from Naples to access the southern end of the Amalfi coast.

The bus gets very busy in summer. They do tend to be air conditioned now though. It’s a reliable and decent service- goes from Sorrento to Salerno. But the ferry service is much nicer although more expensive of course. There is a train station further along the coast at Vietri Sul mare so you don’t have to go all the way to Salerno from Naples or pompeii… but it’s still far from Positano/ Amalfi.

Naples is a fantastic city. Those slagging it off just haven’t got to know it yet. So much to see, do and eat. Easy day tripping to Herculaneum, Pompeii and Vesuvius. Don’t stay in places close to these 3 day trip destinations… you really don’t need to.

Any hotel or tourist office along the coast will be able to sort a day trip to these sights , a boat trip etc.

I think a lot of comments here are from people who have only been to parts of this area. So their experience is limited and they are not giving the full picture.

Expect a very expensive taxi transfer from Naples airport to the coast!