Capri or Amalfi Coast

[nora.wang]

I'm going on the May 15 Celebrity cruise and we'll be going to Naples.

 

Should I go to the Amalfi Coast on a tour? Or should I take the ferry to Capri and just take it easy? I want to do both!! Is that possible?

 

 

:confused::eek::confused::eek::confused::eek:

[hylasgirl]

I'm going on the May 15 Celebrity cruise and we'll be going to Naples.

 

Should I go to the Amalfi Coast on a tour? Or should I take the ferry to Capri and just take it easy? I want to do both!! Is that possible?

 

 

:confused::eek::confused::eek::confused::eek:

 

 

If this is your first time to Naples, I wouldn't miss Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. This is my favorite cruise stop. These sites are just so incredible. I wouldn't try to do Capri too, but that is just my opinion. I love Sorrento and Positano.

[mimisandy]

I don't think you can do both. I agree with the previous answer. By all means, go to Pompeii and then take the Amalfi Drive. It is absolutely gorgeous. We had a driver pick us up at the ship and arrange a guide for us at Pompeii. He was wonderful--entertaining as well as informative. Back into the car and down the coast. We made several stops to just take pictures of the coastline. We had a wonderful lunch in Ravello and wandered around a bit before it was time to head back.

I had been to Capri before and I think the totally rainy day colored my viewpoint of it all. We took a very rough ride over on the ferry and then wandered in the rain. Also because of the rain, we could not go to the grotto. The shops are all very pricey and in general, we were just very disappointed. This is just ONE person's opinion however.

[MMDown Under]

I'm going on the May 15 Celebrity cruise and we'll be going to Naples.

 

Should I go to the Amalfi Coast on a tour? Or should I take the ferry to Capri and just take it easy? I want to do both!! Is that possible?

 

 

:confused::eek::confused::eek::confused::eek:

 

It depends how long your ship is in port.

[Hlitner]

We know the area well and I would not recommend doing both the Amalfi Coast and Capri. The main problem is that getting to and from Capri takes time (50 min each way from Naples and about the same time from Positano) and the Amalfi Drive can take many hours if you decide to go all the way to Amalfi and up to Revello (plus visit Positano) I will keep my answer to your question and not go into all the other options in the region.

As to which to do, it is totally a personal preference. When we spend a week on the Amalfi Coast we always spend one day on Capri and the rest of the time doing various things along the coast from Sorrento to Salerno. You will win doing either trip.

 

Hank

[chipmaster]

I'm going on the May 15 Celebrity cruise and we'll be going to Naples.

 

Should I go to the Amalfi Coast on a tour? Or should I take the ferry to Capri and just take it easy? I want to do both!! Is that possible?

 

 

 

Everyone's opinion will be different. We did Pompeii, Amalfi with 3 stops. We didn't get to spend to much time except at any one place except in Pompeii and Ravello. But if I could do it again, I wouldn't change it, I'd do this same very long drive. The views on the quick stops and the lunch stop had views to die for. Relaxing, that is what the ship was for. :D

[lisalovlee33]

I'm going on the May 15 Celebrity cruise and we'll be going to Naples.

 

Should I go to the Amalfi Coast on a tour? Or should I take the ferry to Capri and just take it easy? I want to do both!! Is that possible?

 

 

:confused::eek::confused::eek::confused::eek:

 

Here's my thought. We took the expensive ferry to Capri and thought it was just ok. Actually a tad dissapointed. If this is your first time in Naples, why not check out Naples? It's such a vibrant amazing city in my opinion. Lots to see here. Check out my review a from a few months ago.

[hylasgirl]

Here's my thought. We took the expensive ferry to Capri and thought it was just ok. Actually a tad dissapointed. If this is your first time in Naples, why not check out Naples? It's such a vibrant amazing city in my opinion. Lots to see here. Check out my review a from a few months ago.

 

 

You know... we thought the same thing. We took the very next ferry over to Sorrento! We just love all those cities along the Amalfi Coast. It's just so adorable over there.

[NYC cruiser lady]

Everyone's opinion will be different. We did Pompeii, Amalfi with 3 stops. But if I could do it again, I wouldn't change it, I'd do this same very long drive. The views on the quick stops and the lunch stop had views to die for. Relaxing, that is what the ship was for. :D

 

Dear Chipmaster and all others: You are correct. Everyone's opinion is different. Everyone mentions the spectacular views. Is the road on the edge of cliffs? I can't handle trecherous car rides due to a catastrophic automobile accident several years ago. If I take the train to Sorrento can I see the views from a more protected vantage point or should I take the train to Pompeii and then just go back to the ship? I was very uncomfortable on the bus trip from Kusadasi to Ephesus. Should I skip Sorrento?

[nparmelee]

singlemom, that road can be scary for some and definitely can give the cliff edge impression. In your case you could take the train to Sorrento, you would not really see the Amalfi coast road from there though. From Sorrento you can take a ferry to Positano and see the road from out at sea. To get an idea of the drive, here's a link to a video tidbit (just a search on youtube for Amalfi drive)

[chipmaster]

Dear Chipmaster and all others: You are correct. Everyone's opinion is different. Everyone mentions the spectacular views. Is the road on the edge of cliffs? I can't handle trecherous car rides due to a catastrophic automobile accident several years ago. If I take the train to Sorrento can I see the views from a more protected vantage point or should I take the train to Pompeii and then just go back to the ship? I was very uncomfortable on the bus trip from Kusadasi to Ephesus. Should I skip Sorrento?

 

Skip Amalfi drive for sure as it will be too much. Pompeii and Naples has a lot to offer and will more then fill your day. I've heard there are also boat rides that sail up the coast and the views of the cliffs would be pretty too.

 

Good luck!

[Spygirl13]

Why is no one mentioning Capri? We planned on taking a hydrofoil there and just touring Capri and seeing the Blue Grotto. Isn't that worth it? At that point in our cruise, I think I will have had enough of seeing the sights! ;)

[Hlitner]

Why is no one mentioning Capri? We planned on taking a hydrofoil there and just touring Capri and seeing the Blue Grotto. Isn't that worth it? At that point in our cruise, I think I will have had enough of seeing the sights! ;)

 

As I previously mentoned, DW and I really like Capri and have been there 6 or 7 times (who can remember). I think it was our 4th or 5th trip to Capri (we spend a lot of time vacationing on the Amalfi coast) before we finally decided to bite our tongues, hold our breath, and go to that very famous touist trap called the Blue Grotto. It cost us about $70 for two (probably more money now) to take the boat from the marina, transfer to the small boat and go into the Grotto. To be honest, we have seen several better grottos while in the Ionian Islands, but, the Blue Grotto is famous. Would we go back to the Blue Grotto? Well, lets just say that not many folks do this more than once. If we were to rank the "must sees" on Capri, the chair lift from Anacapri to the top of Mt Solara (not for those afraid of heights) would be #1 by far. For those that have a need to spend every minute of every day running from site to site (I call this the "If its Tuesday it much be Belgium Syndrome"), Capri might not be the best choice. But for those of us who like to enjoy a relaxing day at a special and beautiful place, Capri is just fine. In all fairness, we have been to about every place in this region (Pompeii, Herculanium, Ishica, Procida, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravella, Positano, Saerno, etc) and love it all. This is why we like to spend 5 to 7 days vacationing on the coast. There is no right or wrong when planning your day, it is just a matter of personal preference. This is why Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi is a great port area and also a great place for vacations.

 

Hank

[Spygirl13]

Hank, thanks for the input! How would you spend a nice relaxing day in Capri? What sites and in what order would you do them?

Thanks in advance! ;)

[nparmelee]

Spygirl13, for some people Pompeii is a must see. If it isn't for you then definitely concentrate on Capri. It all comes down to what you want to do.

[eandj]

Could we do Herculeum and the Amalfi Coast drive as a compromise? We actually would really enjoy more time strolling Sorrento and Positano than walking thru 2 square miles of Pompeii in a 2 hour stop. Opinions?

[nparmelee]

eandj, that is certainly an option. Some people prefer Heruclaneum as it is more compact.

[cruisemom42]

In all fairness, we have been to about every place in this region (Pompeii, Herculanium, Ishica, Procida, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Ravella, Positano, Saerno, etc) and love it all. This is why we like to spend 5 to 7 days vacationing on the coast. There is no right or wrong when planning your day, it is just a matter of personal preference. This is why Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi is a great port area and also a great place for vacations.

 

Hank

 

 

Hank, have you been to Paestum? It's what I'm thinking of doing on my next Naples visit..... Any thoughts would be appreciated. (I would take the train, don't like to drive....)

[sallydh]

Hi, DH and self are going for the same cruise in october and was browsing the sites for some info. Which is the best way to do naples for a couple of hours and then the drive on to amalfi coast. Does anyone have numbers or names of reliable drives or companies. Can you take a van and car-pool with others? Thanks

[sallydh]

Hi Minisandy do you have any info on the driver that you used in naples. I would really appreciate it. Thanks

[Hlitner]

Gonna try and answer a couple of questions in one post. We have never driven to Paestum, even though we got pretty close one day when we drove over to Salerno from our hotel in Praiano. I think we were a bit "ruined" that day and did not want to drive that far, and our hotel owner was not real high on Paestum. It will be a stop for us the next time we vacation on the coast.

 

As to a "relaxing" day on Capri, our style would be too sedate for many folks. We would arrive on the island in mid-morning and take the funiuclar up to Capri Town. It would than be time to sit at a cafe and enjoy my morning cappucino. We would than stroll up the main street (Via Roma), browse in a couple of touristy shops and than get the local bus up to Anacapri. Once we arrive at Anacapri we would cross the street and take the chair lift up to the top of Mt Solaro. At the top of the mountain we would enjoy the view with our 2nd cup of Cappucino or a soda. We would than take the chair lift back down (if you love long hikes you can hike down) to Anacapri and spend a little time browsing the shops in that small town. We would than take the bus back down to Capri Town where we would look for a nice cafe or restaurant for a lengthy lunch and some people watching. After lunch we would browse the very expensive shops (we are talking Rodeo Drive quality and prices) along the Via Camerelle (I think that is the name of the street) and eventually stroll back to the opposite side of the island. If we were thristy, we might stop for a beer or glass of wine at one of the cafes along this street (this is several blocks from the main crowded touristy streets). And finally, by around 2 or 2:30 we would walk back to the funicular to head back down to Marina Grande. If we had time, we might browse the shops at the marina before catching the boat back to Naples (when we stay on the coast we catch a boat direct to Positano). For us, that is a perfect day of doing nothing.

[daring]

Hi, DH and self are going for the same cruise in october and was browsing the sites for some info. Which is the best way to do naples for a couple of hours and then the drive on to amalfi coast. Does anyone have numbers or names of reliable drives or companies. Can you take a van and car-pool with others? Thanks

 

I have been very pleased with www.amalfi-drive.com A friend of my used them first and had suggested them to me. Drop them a e-mail. They are very eager to answer any questions and make suggestions.

[mimisandy]

We used Francesco Marrapese. He has a great web site. It is simply his name plus dotcom. His email is on the web site along with some great pictures of the area. We were cruising with another couple so we went with private tours at all the stops. It was a wonderful way to go as it allowed us to see so much more. We could spend time seeing what we wanted to see and not waiting for the 'group'.