Naples to Pompeii and Amalfi Coast

[marazul]

1 minute ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Enjoy your visit!

Why stay in Sorrento instead of along the AC?  Price?  That could certainly end up being a factor!  You say that is nicer than Naples? I’d much rather stay on the AC than do a day trip because I’ve heard it’s not at all the same experience. I will make the plan I want and see what dh says about the cost. 

Price, more choice and easier to get there. Also, from Sorrento you can go to Pompeii by train and to Capri by ferry. But if you find a good place to stay on the AC, go for it.  Make sure you are at a port with a ferry stop. Some of the AC ferries also go to Capri which is also spectacular. 

Google the ferry routes out of Salerno and out of Naples to give you an idea of where they intersect and the travel posibilities.

And for Pompeii, do it as cruisemom says on your way to where you are staying (AC or Sorrento) if on a road transfer. If you decide to stay in  Sorrento, you could go there from Naples by ferry, and then you can take the train from there to Pompeii and back.

Lots of possibilities 

 

[euro cruiser]

42 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Why stay in Sorrento instead of along the AC?  Price?  That could certainly end up being a factor!  You say that is nicer than Naples? I’d much rather stay on the AC than do a day trip because I’ve heard it’s not at all the same experience. I will make the plan I want and see what dh says about the cost. He may destroy my plans with his red pen. 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

Naples is great if you're looking for a city stay, but from everything you've said that's not what you want.

 

Sorrento is lovely and many people return again and again, to me it's too British.

 

If the Amalfi Coast is your dream, focus on that.  There are accommodations in every price range but they get snapped up fast, so book a year in advance to have the best choices.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

21 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

 

Naples is great if you're looking for a city stay, but from everything you've said that's not what you want.

 

Sorrento is lovely and many people return again and again, to me it's too British.

 

If the Amalfi Coast is your dream, focus on that.  There are accommodations in every price range but they get snapped up fast, so book a year in advance to have the best choices.

We’ve been driving home from Fl to Charlotte today (about 90 miles left) and I’ve been searching. Hotel prices in Positano are crazy!!  Not that I won’t put it on my list, but he may not go for it. Sometimes I’m having a hard time telling if it’s too early to book or if they are sold out. 

[euro cruiser]

Please read the thread I linked to about Positano, there are some real plusses and minuses as it has become so over-touristed.

 

There are many other beautiful spots along the Amalfi coast.

[euro cruiser]

Here's one, just as an example, in Minori.  It's just 50 meters/160 feet from the ferry dock, which means you can get around the coast easily.  I'm seeing prices for next summer in the 200 euro per night range.

 

Amalfi Coast Hotel | Hotel near Amalfi | Hotel Santa Lucia - Your hotel on the Amalfi Coast

[NCteacherlovescruising]

15 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

Please read the thread I linked to about Positano, there are some real plusses and minuses as it has become so over-touristed.

 

There are many other beautiful spots along the Amalfi coast.

I did read some of their comments. It’s still a bucket list thing, although staying there may be out of our budget. 

8 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

Here's one, just as an example, in Minori.  It's just 50 meters/160 feet from the ferry dock, which means you can get around the coast easily.  I'm seeing prices for next summer in the 200 euro per night range.

 

Amalfi Coast Hotel | Hotel near Amalfi | Hotel Santa Lucia - Your hotel on the Amalfi Coast

Thanks!  Checking it now. 

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Oh. I assumed we would travel by a taxi or bus. 

Taxis are not always a good option (there might not be any available).  But, there is a local/regional bus line (I call them Orange Buses) which are inexpensive and run routes along the Amalfi Drive and down into Positano.  One can get the bus from Praiano and not have to deal with driving/parking in Positano.  It has been a few years, but DW and I preferred to drive over to Positano late afternoon/early evening after most of the day trippers were gone.  At that time, it was usually possible to find a parking spot in town (parking on the Amalfi Drive is also possible but leaves you with a big hike).   There may (or may not) be some kind of boat service from Praiano to Positano...but I am not sure of the current situation.  We once did take a boat where we just walked from our hotel to a nearby pier, took a short boat ride from Praiano to Positano, and than transferred to a day-trip boat that took us all the way to Capri.

 

I am hedging on the various day trip options, because we have not been to this area post COVID and in much of the world, Covid has changed many things.  While most of Europe seems to have returned to normal, just like in our own country there seems to be a "new normal."  Folks really need to look for recent reviews (and posts) and do their internet homework.  Be careful of those who insist on relying on what existed 5 or 10 years ago in terms of tours/transportation.  There are also many restaurants and hotels that have changed hands in the past 5 years, which can also lead to some issues.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

The current schedule for the local bus between Positano and Praiano is here:  (13) Facebook

 

Alicost used to offer some ferry service from Praiano but it hasn't come back since Covid, so the local bus back and forth to Positano is probaby your best bet.  The SITA bus will almost always arrive full, in either direction, so that's not an option from Praiano.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

1 hour ago, euro cruiser said:

Here's one, just as an example, in Minori.  It's just 50 meters/160 feet from the ferry dock, which means you can get around the coast easily.  I'm seeing prices for next summer in the 200 euro per night range.

 

Amalfi Coast Hotel | Hotel near Amalfi | Hotel Santa Lucia - Your hotel on the Amalfi Coast

That looks much more affordable and a better fit for us than Sorrento. 

23 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Taxis are not always a good option (there might not be any available).  But, there is a local/regional bus line (I call them Orange Buses) which are inexpensive and run routes along the Amalfi Drive and down into Positano.  One can get the bus from Praiano and not have to deal with driving/parking in Positano.  It has been a few years, but DW and I preferred to drive over to Positano late afternoon/early evening after most of the day trippers were gone.  At that time, it was usually possible to find a parking spot in town (parking on the Amalfi Drive is also possible but leaves you with a big hike).   There may (or may not) be some kind of boat service from Praiano to Positano...but I am not sure of the current situation.  We once did take a boat where we just walked from our hotel to a nearby pier, took a short boat ride from Praiano to Positano, and than transferred to a day-trip boat that took us all the way to Capri.

 

I am hedging on the various day trip options, because we have not been to this area post COVID and in much of the world, Covid has changed many things.  While most of Europe seems to have returned to normal, just like in our own country there seems to be a "new normal."  Folks really need to look for recent reviews (and posts) and do their internet homework.  Be careful of those who insist on relying on what existed 5 or 10 years ago in terms of tours/transportation.  There are also many restaurants and hotels that have changed hands in the past 5 years, which can also lead to some issues.

 

Hank

Good to know. Thanks!  

9 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

The current schedule for the local bus between Positano and Praiano is here:  (13) Facebook

 

Alicost used to offer some ferry service from Praiano but it hasn't come back since Covid, so the local bus back and forth to Positano is probaby your best bet.  The SITA bus will almost always arrive full, in either direction, so that's not an option from Praiano.

Great!  Thank you!

[Hlitner]

15 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

The current schedule for the local bus between Positano and Praiano is here:  (13) Facebook

 

Alicost used to offer some ferry service from Praiano but it hasn't come back since Covid, so the local bus back and forth to Positano is probaby your best bet.  The SITA bus will almost always arrive full, in either direction, so that's not an option from Praiano.

Amazing that you find this stuff :).  When we recently met Cruisemom I told her we always found you an amazing fountain of DIY knowledge...and of course she agreed 🙂

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

Sometimes it's just years of experience looking things up, other times it's simply being able to google in Italian.

[bison2013]

18 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Enjoy your visit!

Why stay in Sorrento instead of along the AC?  Price?  That could certainly end up being a factor!  You say that is nicer than Naples? I’d much rather stay on the AC than do a day trip because I’ve heard it’s not at all the same experience. I will make the plan I want and see what dh says about the cost. He may destroy my plans with his red pen. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I think it depends what you want to see and experience on the Amalfi Coast.  In our brief experience (albeit off season), there was relatively inaccessible waterfront, quaint houses and lots of stores- same as Capri. If you have your own vehicle, you need to consider parking.

 

We based just outside Sorrento so were a (relatively) quick drive to the Amalfi Coast and to the ferry terminal in Sorrento- which we took to Naples as the drive through the tunnels even in off season was very slow.  We did drive to Ercolano as we found that site more compelling than Pompeii.