Desperately seeking info on the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii???

[Lurontravel]

Can you combine it with a tour of Pompeii? We'd really like to go to Pompeii because we think that the kids love it, but I wonder what we're missing out on? What is on the Amalfi coast that is so wonderful (have to admit that we haven't looked into it or done ANY research on the Amalfi coast yet...), and can anyone give me a brief history of the area? We were thinking about going with the ship's shore excursion to Pompeii, can we combine this with it somehow? What are the logisitcs of time, etc ????

[mert461]

Lurontravel,

 

We're scheduled for a visit to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast via a private driver. There are a few to choose from. I booked with Salvatore Lucibello from DriveAmalfi. He doesn't have a website, but you can email him and he'll answer quickly with a summary of his services. (*****).

 

Others with websites are: http://www.limoinrome.com http://www.driveinrome.com and http://www.seesorento.com

 

A little bit about the Amalfi coast: I've read the road starts in Sorrento and ends in Salerno, about 50 km. It's a cliff-side drive on winding roads with beautiful scenery of the ocean and postcard perfect towns. I've been to Sorrento before and found it have beautiful views, lots of shopping and great food. Haven't been to the other towns yet, but will be there in Oct. this year.

 

Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast can be done in one day with a driver, or even by train if you are a seasoned traveller (or a brave traveller IMHO). I did it by train the first time, but I had a lot more time than one day. I've read on this board that some cruisers are doing it on their own and I highly respect them for it! Go to one or all of the above websites and you'll get more information.

 

Hope this has helped.

 

Donna

BOS - 10/15/05

[dbh62ark]

You will be kind of rushed, but you can do it. I strongly recommend a private driver since that is an ambitious itinerary for a day. It should be great. There are a lot of recommendations on these boards for private drivers out of Naples. Make sure that they will give you a guided tour of Pompeii too.

 

Ah, the Amalfi Coast. It's really spectacular scenery and filled with lovely villages. It's a wonderful area of Italy. Under the Tuscan Sun is a bit of a chick flick, but it has a wonderful overview of some of the scenery. IMHO, you'd be missing a lot if you did not venture out to see some of that area. It's wonderful.

 

Hope you have a great time,

Donna

[Aussie Gal]

If you do the Amalfi Coast just make sure you leave enough time to get back to the ship. If it is a Sunday it will be very difficult as most the people from Naples seem to go down the coast for the day and the traffic jams can be horrendous.

 

We spent a wonderful week in Positano 16 months ago and the views along the coast are fabulous. The road is very narrow and sometimes you have to back back as we did when we were on the public bus to let larger vehicles through.

 

There are also ferries from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi and they run regularly so that is another way of seeing the villages. Ravello is a lovely village above Amalfi and is very special if you can make it to there.

 

Jennie

[sondi 14]

We were in Naples on a cruise ship last year and we did both Pompeii and

the Amalfi Coast in one day. We used a company called Benvenuto Taxi

and Limos and they were fabulous. We had a private tour of Pompeii in

the morning and then for the balance of the day we drove down the Amalfi

Coast and went as far as Amalfi.

Their e-mail address is info@benvenutolimos.com and the person who runs

the company is Giovanni. He was the one who drove us and the tour was

wonderful.

Hope this helps.

[Francine]

Lurontravel

 

We were on Millennium last October and also used Benvenuto Limos. Giovani was our guide for the day. He arranged for our guide in Pompeii and he drove us along the Amalfi Coast. It was a wonderful day. We even had lunch on the beach in Positano.

 

Enjoy!

Fran

[RHayes8793]

We did both this past September with Marcello of http://www.seesorrento.com. Went to Sorrento first, then a several hour drive along the Amalfi Coast with a great lunch, and Pompeii in the late afternoon. We were impressed with the Amalfi and have booked a villa there for this September. Marcello was great.

[Lurontravel]

First, thanks for all of the great info, especially the little "tidbits" like Sunday traffic, etc. We are fairly well travelled, and always up for a little adventure if it will benefit us, use a lot of public transport on our own in cities all over (so far never had any real problems to speak of). However, I am wondering, would we be missing out on the "scenery" of the coast and perhaps have some trouble getting where we wanted to go if we took the train on our own? I don't have any trouble spending the $ on a driver if it would benefit us, but I do often find it is nicer to experience it as a "local" taking local transportation and by walking (you hear and see and smell things differently then you do by going on any group tour), but I guess that if you go privately, depending on the driver, this could also be nice, esp. if they speak English and are personable and knowledgable...

 

Can anyone give me recommendations of which town(s)(Positano and or Ravello?!?) would be perfect to stop at, for food (of course), maybe a place to stretch our legs (especially our kids legs), and a little shopping, and some breaththakingly beautiful scenery to look at (maybe after we stretch our legs...)? How long should we plan for the town(s), and should we just pick one to enjoy so we aren't too rushed (and how long should we plan to spend in that/each town to be relaxed, but not there tooo long for the kids?), or are there "must sees" in a couple that it would be worth it to spend less time in each town?

 

I think that the Amalfi coast sounds beautiful. I'm undecided, private driver or train. We will be in Naples on a Thursday from 7am to 7pm in May on the Millennium. Has anyone (Jennie, can you tell me if it'd be practical to go to Ravello by public transport in the amount of time we have after going to Pompeii?) ever done the Amalfi coast or the Amalfi coast and Pompeii by train? What was your experience like? Would you recommend doing it that way, or would you suggest doing it differently? Why?

 

Thank you again, for all of your input. I really appreciate your help with my research.:D

[Mike Andrews]

The Amalfi Coast is one place where the services of a Private Driver are invaluable especially if you want to get the maximum from your day and I really recommend that you include a visit both Positano and Ravello which are my favourite towns.If you want to include a visit to Pompei have your driver go straight there as soon as you get off the ship when it is quieter and cooler. We have used DriveAmalfi(*****) twice and it is an area where their local knowledge really came into its own. Make sure your driver takes you to the San Giovanni restaurant in the small village of Pontone for a real taste of the Amalfi Coast.

[Mike Andrews]

Just a further note that the local train service only operates from Naples to Sorrento via Pompei so if you wanted to visit Positano and Amalfi and Ravello,the only way you could attempt it is by the local bus which runs from Sorrento to Amalfi,to get to Ravello you have to get another bus from Amalfi.

[Lurontravel]

Thanks, Mike, that definitly answers the private driver/train question. I don't find the local bus service reliable enough to take when on such a time limit! Am I cramming too much in by doing both Positano and Ravella with Pompeii? They both sounded really great, but hate to over-do it on such a port intensive trip.

Laura

[Aussie Gal]

Mike has just answered what I was going to say. After Sorrento there is only the local bus or the ferry. If you are going to take public transport, do not go further than Positano as it is too risky getting back to the ship etc. and as Mike says to get to Ravello you need to take two buses.

 

I would also vote to go by private driver and do Pompei first up. Then you can get to Positano and have a look around before driving onto Amalfi and perhaps Ravello. There is a quicker road back that runs inland, but I have never been on it.

 

I would allow at least 30-40 minutes for Positano even an hour if you have the time. It is a town with lots of steps and interesting shops, especially the shop that sells all the products to do with lemons. There are some lovely souvenirs to buy there to take home and of course there is the pottery.

 

Amalfi wouldn't take as long as it is laid out in an easier way and the church and the harbour to me is the highlight of the town. Ravello is so lovely, you could spend a long time there.

 

I envy you going to that lovely coast. We had a week of glorious weather whilst there in September, 2002.

 

Jennie

[Leejnd4]

Just a comment -- I would be sure not to miss seeing Ravello, it is a true gem of loveliness on this exquisite coastline. Positano is gorgeous -- a town carved into the steep cliffside, terraced over the amazing coast -- but it's a little touristy with many high-end shops, whereas Ravello is more rustic and pure. So this is another vote to get a private driver. We did the entire Amalfi Coast twice, once by rental car and once by bus. The bus was a pain and unreliable, and driving ourselves along the coastal road was...well...quite exhilirating, although a real white-knuckle experience!

 

LeeAnne

[Francine]

We went to Pompeii immediately from the ship. It was not too crowded and our guide was wonderful.

 

Along the Amalfi Coast ride, Giovani stopped at a factory that makes inlaid pieces and furniture. We were given a demonstration as to how these items are made. It was the only place we saw inlaid pieces on our entire trip and we have a beautiful music box that plays Sorrento as a lovely memory of our trip. They even made entire bedroom sets and dining room furniture.

 

Fran

[DocfromATL]

Mike, thanks for all the great information. We are going on Brilliance of the Seas May 29 and will stop in Naples and we have booked Salvatore. Did he stop at both Pompeii and do the coast with you? I basically told Salvatore, we are in your hands. It is still a long way out, but should I contact him and tell him we want to see Pompeii?

 

Grazie mille,

 

Gary

aka DocfromAtl

[Lurontravel]

Okay, great info, really helpful. Sorry, but I have one more (for now) question for all of you. What is the driving time from the port in Naples to Pompeii, then to Positano, then Ravello and finally, back to Naples? I'm pretty set on getting a driver, just want a couple more details. I'm planning to look into drivers later tonight or tomorrow. Yes, I'll look into the ones you have all recommended as my first choice(s), I hope that they aren't all booked already.

[Leejnd4]

Once you talk to a private guide, they can give you specific distances and mileage, of course. I'm only going on memory here, and I don't know if the way I did it is the most effective or direct, but this is at least a rough guide. If you look at a map of the area, this will make more sense.

 

As I recall, Pompeii is less than 20 miles from Naples going down the A3, but that was from downtown, not where the ships dock. It only took us about a half hour to get there.

 

From Pompeii to Positano, you'd want to take the coastal road down past Sorrento to Positano (there's a shortcut from right above Sorrento to Positano, but I wouldn't want to miss the scenery along the tip of the peninsula, where Sorrento is). This will take you at least an hour or more. It's about another 1/2 hour to Ravello (depending on traffic, of course). Then from Ravello there are a couple routes to take back to Naples, which shouldn't take more than an hour. You can, of course, simply backtrack, but that will take longer. There is a shorter route that cuts across the peninsula that will connect back up with the coast road well above Sorrento, which will then connect you to the A3 near Pompeii. There's also an even shorter but really windy road that goes due north of Ravello and connects up to the A3 sooner, but we never tried that one, I don't now how viable that is.

 

Hope this helps!

 

LeeAnne

[Lurontravel]

You all are the BEST!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Don't know what I'd do without you (yes I do, lots more research on my own with tons of library books:eek: ). I'll still do some library book research on my own, as well as read the novel Pompeii by Robert Harris. My husband just read it in less then 2 days, and said that it was great (I have read the first two pages so far...). Thanks for the really speedy and very interesting information some of which I probably would not gleen from reading.

If anyone has anymore thoughts or info to share (including recommendations on guides), please let me know.:D

[AliceS]

How many did the car hold and what kind of costs are involved?

[Captain Canuck]

I normally don't take ships tours. I did for the Amalfi coast. The reason was traffic. I knew from my research and from being there in the 70's that traffic is a bear. I thought that the ship would stay if we were late because of traffic if we were on a ships tour. Our bus was almost an hour late and the ship did wait. It is also an amazing view from the elevated windows of a bus driving the twists and turns of the coast. Buses are only allowed to travel 1 way as two buses cannot get by each other on many turns. Lovely spot.

[4 cruisers]

I'm going to throw a wrench in here....We have taken ship's tours 3 times... private driver once and last August the train on our own. For first time visitors, I really would recommend the ship's tour. No worries.

 

If you are truly interested in Pompeii, a full day won't even "do it" for you. That's why we keep going back each trip!!! This last time, we finally decided to take the train to Herculaneum (Erculano) and it was SO amazing and vacant!!!! Another place you could spend a day!!! You walk through town and all of a sudden, there is a huge hole in the ground where a whole city exists! Herculaneum is only one or two train stops before Pompei (Scavi). Still, until you have been to Naples at least once, I'd go for a guided tour, for sure. Never seem to get enough of that area of Italy!!!

[Lurontravel]

Yes, 4 cruisers, just "one" more little thought you have put in my head (more like several;) ). Thanks for the information, please, everyone feel free to add your thoughts too! Guess I"ll have to think about this one even harder then I thought. I thought that since we just spent 5 days in Rome, I had taken care of the hardest port (as far as seeing a lot of the highlights), but am finding this one and also Florence to be challenging too. My husband and I are doing the research for my sister and her husband and my parents (they've been on this itinerary once, about two years ago), as well as our family. I suspect that this will be a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip for my sister and brother-in-law, and want to do my best by them, as they probably will not have the opportunity to go there again. It has convinced me that I want to go back to Italy for at least a few short trips again (in addition to a few more cruises). I hope to pick the best of the best for our brief stay this time. Thanks, you are all wonderful.

L-

[jhodg56010]

We used Salvatore of DriveAmalfi on our Westerdam cruise 9 weeks ago and it was fabulous. It cost 500 euros which we split among the 6 of us who went in his van. There is an entrance fee for Pompeii too, and for lunch, but we saw Pompeii with a guided tour (and fee) in the morning starting at 8 AM at the pier, then a beautiful drive on the picturesque winding Amalfi drive, and lunch near Ravello at a cute local restaurant with a lovely view and reasonable prices. We had several stops to walk about, take photos, and shop. Back to the ship by about 4:30 PM. We all loved it. Jim

[Andym]

I agree on Pompeii. We too have been 4 times and still have things to see. The place will just blow you away, it doesn't bear thinking about what happened there too much though as the Volcano is well overdue on it's next eruption. Your guide will tell you this too. They have a monitoring station on the top of Versuvius and an evacuation plan for the whole bay of Naples.

I found a site on the internet that outlines an old village they have found to the North of Versuvius that they think was hit and burried by a previous eruption to the one that burried Pompeii.

 

A private tour will drop you at the entrance to the city and you will pick up your guide, and probably get about 2 hours in the city itself. If you go independantly, you can join a guide group (probably the same guides) for 10 euros on top of the admission price. There is a free map and guide book at the admissions desk.

 

Herculaneum is more complete than Pompeii, but a lot less visited.

[Mike Andrews]

Laura,Pompei is only 20 minutes from the port of Naples by road so if you are interested in visiting have you driver take you directly from the ship,I think it opens at 08.30 which is the perfect time to visit.Doc,I am sure Salvatore of DriveAmalfi (*****) will offer you the option of visiting Pompei even if it is only for a couple of hours, it is a must for first time visitors and you will still have plenty of time to see Positano Ravello etc....The current entrance price for Pompei is 10 Euros and if you want to hire guide have your driver arrange it in advance. LeeAnne on our second visit using DriveAmalfi and we spent most of our time around Amalfi,Ravello and Positano and the views from Ravello are spectacular especially from the Villa Cimbrone.As Jim says the lunch stop is great in a small local restaurant perched on a hillside and it is touches like this that this that make DriveAmalfi stand out from the out of town operators.

 

Mike