Amalfi Coast - hints, tips and hotels please...

[Blinglovin]

We are spending a long weekend with friends in Ravello next year but we are thinking maybe make it our summer hols and take an extra week or so seeing as we're there? It's just us but we're kind of hoping this is our last child free summer trip for a while as we will be ttc from early next year. So... we'd like somewhere fairly adult but aren't looking for lap of luxury. My sense is that it's so beautiful around there, as long as it's clean and comfortable you're fine. We would also definitely consider self catering as we enjoy that and will be in a nice hotel with our friends on the weekend...

It's amazing. We went for our honeymoon. Definitely stay. I'd say in Amalfi, which is a tourist town but has been for 3000 years so it takes it in its stride. Places like Capri (fabulously expensive) and Positano are purely for tourists.

We stayed at the Hotel Fontana. It's not luxurious - although they do have suites that were more luxurios than the room we had) but it is clean, the rooms are large, it does a good breakfast and you can see the Duomo from one side and the sea from the other. There are loads of boat trips and excursions from Amalfi. Pompei was incredible and I expected it to be tedious. Positano was beautiful but touristy. Capri is astonishingly lovely but when you get to the town at the top of the hill every shop is Amani, Missoni etc..

If you're in Ravello PLEASE go to the Casa Cimbrone. It's astonishing. If DH and I ever get maried again, we'll do it there.

And if you stay in Amalfi, go to the restaurant in the little tower. It is beautiful at night - you cna see the lights dwon both sides of the coast and the food is great.

hotel Fontana

It is the most wonderful place in the world and will become my retirement home - effusive enough for you ? We've been many times - stayed in Maori, Atrani and Amalfi. Maori larger and more touristy (mostly Italians on holiday) - Atrani is a lovely village, and if your calf muscles are up to the steps, walkable to Amalfi. Amalfi itself is beautiful - you must eat at a restaurant called Da Gemma while you're there (you need to book though). As you're looking at the cathedral it's on the road that goes off the square on your left, not far along and first floor level. The Terrace of the Infinities in Ravello is one of the most beautiful views in the world. Can't help re hotels as we've only done self-catering. Driving - a challenge, but sort of fun. Lots of narrow twisty roads with scary drops complicated by buses and people texting as they drive along on scooters. I'm very jealous - make the most of the Limoncello which tastes marvellous there but like dishwasher liquid in the UK.