Just a week in Southern Italy mid October

[Pati]

My nephew is living in Rome for a semester this year, and my sister and I are flying in to take him traveling, but we only have a week. We have each enjoyed other areas of Italy, but the south, where several of our relative originated is new to us. We will be renting a car, but of course we also have a fairly tight budget for hotels, etc. I am thoroughly convinced that the slow travel concept, having spent a week in Montepulciano and visited so many lovely villages in the environs. Does anyone have suggestions for decent accommodations with perhaps one splurge? Flight attendent friends of my sister mentioned Sperlonga, but would that area provide access to the typical tourist sites such as Capri, Positano, etc?

 

[Pauline]

We spent a few days in Sperlonga once and I liked it, but you can't travel from there to the Amalfi Coast as a day trip. We spent two weeks in Positano last May and even though it is very busy with tourists, and people day tripping from cruise ships, I loved our stay there. You don't need a car, so could train down from Rome to Naples, then car service to the Amalfi Coast (or local train and bus). I posted notes from our trip on the Trip Reports forum.

Another option would be to stay on the less touristed Cilento Coast, south of the Amalfi Coast. From there you could do a day trip to the Amalfi Coast (drive to Salerno, take a ferry from there). The agency Summer in Italy has rentals on the Cilento Coast (and on the Amalfi Coast).

Or you could go further south to Puglia.

 

[Valerie]

Pati,

Where did your family come from in southern Italy? (My own experience going to my ancestral town was amazing, and now I live in that area of Basilicata! If you haven't been there, you might want to see the town(s) they came from. It's a rewarding experience!)

Sperlonga is pretty, but in October it will be less "active" and getting around from there, as Pauline mentioned, isn't really easy. Sorrento is a fun place and some beautiful coastline and getting around is pretty easy with trains, buses and ferries. Or the Cilento Coast is lovely, less crowded and less expensive.

But maybe coastal isn't your thing? Puglia can be nice, especially the Valle d'Itria.

 

[Pati]

I believe, from the information I've managed to find, that my Grandmother's family was from Bari or close by.

 

[Pati]

We spent a few days in Sperlonga once and I liked it, but you can't travel from there to the Amalfi Coast as a day trip. We spent two weeks in Positano last May and even though it is very busy with tourists, and people day tripping from cruise ships, I loved our stay there. You don't need a car, so could train down from Rome to Naples, then car service to the Amalfi Coast (or local train and bus). I posted notes from our trip on the Trip Reports forum.

Another option would be to stay on the less touristed Cilento Coast, south of the Amalfi Coast. From there you could do a day trip to the Amalfi Coast (drive to Salerno, take a ferry from there). The agency Summer in Italy has rentals on the Cilento Coast (and on the Amalfi Coast).

Or you could go further south to Puglia.

So I've been doing a lot of reading, of trip reports, reviews of rentals, etc. and have several questions. Pauline, I noticed that you enjoy hiking, so I'm directing this one to you...I've reached the age where climbing is becoming difficult and I don't want to slow down my sister, who is 10 years younger, or my nephew, who is....well, young. I thought that we should locate ourselves in either Sorrento or Positano, as they each have access to other sites, and we only have a week. I'm getting the impression that renting in Positano requires many steps to and from the town, to and from the apartments and villas. But I'm not seeing as much mention of this in Sorrento. Am I wrong? I know Sorrento is going to be much more populated and touristy, but we're from the Chicago area and used to lots of people and aggressive driving. Also, we're not sure whether or not to rent a car. We figure that we'll take the train from Rome to Naples, and then perhaps rent from there? These details I haven't researched yet. Recommendations on getting into Sorrento? Renting a car closer than Naples? Help, please. It's coming closer than I realized and I'm going to spend the next month at the gym on a stair climber and boning up on Italian. Thank you for your gracious and generous advice.

 

[Pauline]

Positano is built into a steep hillside and the pedestrian lanes are steps. If you stay further down in the town you can get about without too much climbing. The coast road goes along the top of the town, so if you want to take the bus to Amalfi or Sorrento, you have to take the town bus up to the road. Town bus runs every 30 mins. Coast road buses every hour. Do an image search on Google or Instagram for Positano and you will see what I mean. I posted photos in the Trip Reports forum.

Sorrento is flat. No steps in the town, except to go down to the water for ferries or swimming. The train from Naples ends in Sorrento and you can use that train to get to Pompeii and Herculaneum which are between Sorrento and Naples. Buses to Positano and Amalfi, ferry to Capri.

On our first visit to the area we stayed in Sorrento. This year I wanted to stay in Positano.

For hiking, there are more trails from Amalfi than Sorrento or Positano. Amalfi is also flat in the center, but then has lanes up the hillside. Not as steep as Positano.

I think your choice should be between Sorrento and Amalfi. Sorrento will be easier for Pompeii, but I think there is a bus from Amalfi to Pompeii. Ferry from Amalfi to Positano and Capri.

Maybe look for accommodation in both places and see which options you like better?

Don't rent a car. We did and I kind of regret it. The buses are not great - crowded - but driving is slow, crowded and parking is expensive and not easy. Your group might have fun on the buses and ferries.

Positano.

Sorrento. From the edge of town looking down to the water.

Amalfi.

 

[Pauline]

Train from Rome to Naples then you could take the local train to Sorrento but it might be better to arrange a car service. Car service for Amalfi.

There is a highway that goes over the hills from Naples to Amalfi, so driving they don't have to drive the slow Amalfi Coast road the whole way.

 

[Cameron]

We trained to Sorrento from Rome, I think changing in Naples.

Sorrento was a wonderful base and we stayed in the lovely Villa Oriana B&B -- two rooms for five nights. It's up on a hill and tucked away in a residential area, so there's the walk down the hill and back up again. The family, Pascale the son and Maria his mother, were wonderful to us! They treated us like family (my husband and my son). They cooked for us one evening, otherwise, it was breakfast only. When they cooked for us, we were all hanging out in the kitchen!

From Sorrento, we took the Circumvesuvius Train to Pompeii, where we spent at least six hours. We ferried to Positano. Another ferry trip was to Capri. We took a tour bus to Paestum (well worth it to not have to drive that highway).