r/amalficoast

Good afternoon:

We're looking at a day trip to Ravello from Sorrento and was wondering if anyone had recommendations on the best way to traverse? Bonus gratitude for any lunch suggestions in Ravello itself! Thanks.

Hey! I’m going to sorrento and was staying in ischia for a few days prior to heading to sorrento. I wanted to take a ferry there as that seemed the easiest way. When I go in ferry hopper it says I can bring one piece of luggage with me- but I will have two.

Can anyone recommend a ferry service from ischia/procida to sorrento that I can bring more then one piece of luggage? If I need to pay for it that’s fine.

Thank you!

My wife and I (two seniors) will be visiting the Italy Amalfi coast starting November 2 2026 We plan on leaving the area on November 6^(th) for Bari.  Need to there by 6:00pm.

We will have 2 large suitcases plus 2 carry-ons (4 bags total).

We noticed there are no direct flights, and given the volume of luggage we are carrying, navigating train transfers (or stairs at older stations) feels like a hassle we’d prefer to avoid.

We are trying to evaluate our best options for a smooth, low-stress transfer.

1. Private Van Transfer: Has anyone hired a private driver/van for this route (~3-hour drive)? Any reliable driver services or estimated costs we should expect for 2 passengers + 4 bags?
2. Long-Distance Coach/Bus: How manageable are buses like FlixBus, Itabus, or MarinoBus for older travelers with heavy luggage? (e.g., luggage storage under the bus, terminal access in Naples/Bari, seating comfort)
3. Car Rental: Is driving across the Apennines straightforward, or is hiring a driver significantly less stressful?
4. Ship Luggage: How easy and affordable is it to ship our large bags to the hotel in Bari. This option should allow us to take the train.

We'd love to hear recommendations or experiences from anyone who has done this trip with luggage! Thanks in advance!

Can someone recommend a hotel or villa that can help arrange and host very private wedding ceremony for 2-4 people. We both live in Canada and both don't want any large traditional venues. We do have some connection and relation to Barcelona so we started planning 10-15 people venue but that fell through because most people that we wanted to see won't be able to make it. So we decided to have a wedding just for 2 of us. We have been to Positano twice and absolutely love it. We are looking for a a hotel that has great views and can accommodate a small prep(makeup, dress)ceremony, photo shoot and perhaps private dinner. Most of all - we want to have a special day to ourselves and have great photos. I googled some options but 5k EURO per night for a hotel itself (Villa TreVille) is a bit wild. Any places you can recommend?

I’m considering renting a car and driving from Naples at 8 am to my hotel in Ravello. This will be first week of September. I want to take the scenic route, someone suggested that would be Naples → A3 → **Vietri sul Mare → Cetara → Maiori → Minori → Ravello.**

Would you all recommend this? How long do you think this trip would take with the occasional stop to stretch my legs? Is it worth it? I generally like to drive, and I’ve driven in countries like India and Pakistan which are known for lax enforcement of driving rules. But I’ve also heard this is an incredibly dangerous drive? Is it worse than highway 1 in California for those that can make a comparison?

My hotel in Ravello offers a shuttle from Naples but I thought it would be more fun to drive. Would love to hear your collective wisdom.

Hello everyone!

I'm getting really excited about my upcoming almalfi trip but am yet to book accommodation as I'm unsure of transport.

It's just going to be me and my spouse on the trip. Both 30s with international drivers licences.

The plan is to go to get the train from Rome to Naples. Then Naples to Capri for a night or two. Then based in either one or two places to travel around the coast.

The dream would be to visit, positano, praiano, altrani, ravello, almalfi, furore as well as doing the path of the gods, and visiting Pompeii. I appreciate this is a lot of places so we'll probably have to cut down.

We're planning to travel last week of September and first week of October ideally trying to make savings where we can.

-Are the busses and ferries decent/reliable at this time of year?

-Should we instead consider renting a car or vesper?

-Where should we be based for easiest transport links to visit lots of places and keep our options open?

-Can anyone recommend an airport transfer?

Any advice would be super useful thanks in advance!

Looking for a gut check about Positano for my family of five — me, my husband, and our three kids ages 10, 12 and 15. The kids love to travel, we are adventurous and we know Positano is breathtaking. We want to stay for 10 days and just live slow and enjoy the culture and beauty. I know it’s touristy but we are pretty good at forging our own path, and also it’s touristy for a reason (gorgeous).

BUT! I want opinions. Am I nuts to consider this? I’ve seen photos of the crowds and plan to steer clear of the lower areas of town when the day trippers/cruise shippers roll in. I booked a place to stay that’s higher up in the hopes of avoiding a lot of the congestion and enjoying the beaches/waterfronts before and after the big boats visit. Our trip would be in late June / early July 2027. Thank you for honest input!

Hello!

Me and my family (including children 4 & 5 yo) are visiting september 5-15. We booked two BYD seals from naples (Hope electrical car is okay on italy?) and will saty nesr sorrento.

My question:
Is capri worth a visit? Blue grotto will be a no go probably because I am quite claustrophobic..
Would like a days boat tour (not too expensive) but maybe instead of capri Should see positano, amalfi etc from boat?
We plaan on driving to positano and amalfi and salong the coast a lot so I would like a boat tour that Does not have a lot of time sightseeing..

Any good waterparks or something similar to do with childer? They are looking forward to beach visits but they are also used to hiking and sightseeing..

Is naples worth a days visit? Ive heard there is a lot of crime.

Are there any good shoppingu centers in naples? Is parking easy?

Will take any of your suggestions, Thank you!

Ciao a tutti. Sto viaggiando a Sorrento con mia mamma a settembre dal Canada. Mia mamma è italiana ma non ha mai visitato Sorrento. Vogliamo mangiare in posti autentici ed economici e stiamo cercando i vostri consigli. Grazie per aiutarmi! 😊

Il nostro albergo è vicino a Marina Piccola a Sorrento, ma mi piace camminare e sarò camminando per il migliore cibo. Scusa per il mio italiano, è la mia seconda lingua.

Hi!! I’m planning a day trip from Sorrento to visit Ravello, Amalfi, and Positano (3adukts and 1 baby), and I’m looking for a private drivers or company. If anyone has recommendations for a safe, trustworthy driver or service, I’d really appreciate it!

Any other tips on traveling with a baby to that area also welcome!

Thanks so much!

I am stuck choosing between the two. I definitely want to visit the 3.
1 day dedicated for capri ( Anacapri, chairlift , Blue grotto and Giardini di auguston )
2nd day to both amalfi and positano ( i still need to check the places i want to visit there )

Which one do you think is worth a boat tour and which one i can easiy do by myself ?

Hello!

I’ll start by saying that I’ve searched Reddit, Facebook, and elsewhere trying to find answers on my own. But because everyone’s trip is so unique, I’ve had a hard time finding information that really applies to our situation. Apologies if I missed something—I know it can be frustrating to see the same questions posted over and over when there are mountains of previous posts with all the information already available!

That said, I could really use some advice putting together the itinerary for our upcoming trip to Ischia and the Amalfi Coast. Here’s what I have so far:

Day 1 — Naples

• Arrive in Naples on 9/9 at 7:30 AM
• Check into Palazzo Doria Napoli for one night
• Explore Naples
• Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara
• Sansevero Chapel Museum

Day 2 — Ischia

• Ferry to Ischia
• Check into Villa Ravino Secret Retreat
• Walk around Forio and visit Chiesa del Soccorso
• Take the bus to Sant’Angelo for dinner

Day 3 — Ischia

• Negombo or Poseidon?
• Visit Giardini La Mortella in the afternoon

Day 4 — Ischia + Procida

• Visit Aragonese Castle
• Ferry to Procida

Day 5 — Capri

• Villa San Michele
• Spiaggia Bagni di Tiberio
• Gardens of Augustus

Day 6 — Ischia → Salerno

• Check out of Villa Ravino
• Ferry to Salerno
• Check into our Airbnb

Days 7 & 8 — Amalfi Coast
Take ferries/water taxis/boat tour to explore some of the towns along the coast. Our top contenders right now are Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.

Day 9 — Rome

• Train to Rome
• Flight departs at 3 PM

And now for the questions!

• Negombo vs. Poseidon: Any advice on choosing between the two? Is one a better fit for a first-time visit to Ischia?
• Capri: This is where I’m most in need of advice. We already have four nights booked at Villa Ravino in Ischia, but I’m starting to wonder if we’re missing out by not spending a night in Capri.
  • The ferries back to Ischia seem to depart fairly early, so it doesn’t seem like we’d have much time to experience Capri on a day trip. Would it be worth giving up the fourth night in Ischia (which we’ve already paid for) to spend one night in Capri instead?
  • It also looks like getting to Salerno from Capri the following morning might actually be easier, so I’m wondering if that makes the decision more obvious.
• Amalfi Coast itinerary: I haven’t had much time to wrap my head around a good itinerary for our two nights in Salerno. Which towns would you prioritize? Are there any boat tours or water-taxi options that you’d particularly recommend?

A little about us: We’re cousins in our late 30s who travel frequently. We love beaches, art, architecture, cocktails, wine, food, and culture. We’re both fairly active, but we also have pretty demanding jobs, so we’re not looking to completely exhaust ourselves on vacation. Budget isn't huge, but we also don't mind paying a bit to be comfortable.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice! For whatever reason, this is the trip I’ve had the hardest time making decisions about. 😂 I just can’t seem to wrap my head around all the logistics and details!

Hello,
My husband and I are traveling to Italy the last week of October. We will be flying in to Naples and staying in Sorrento for 4 days. I know it’s the “off-season” but is there any concern with places not being open or limits to what would be available to do. We’re pretty go-with-the-flow people but we’d love to do a boat day/evening to see the coast, have some prosecco, etc. Would this be available (and even worth it) that late in the year? Are there any unmissable things to do that time of year?

Hey everyone, first time posting here. My girlfriend and I (24M, 26F) are heading to Italy from August 23 to September 2 and we’re stuck on the second half of the trip.
What we already know we’re doing:
• Aug 23-24: Florence, sleeping there both nights
• Aug 24 during the day: vineyard tour somewhere in Tuscany
• Aug 25 to Sept 1: beach / coast mode, this is the part we can’t figure out
• Sept 1: back to Rome, flight home Sept 2
Basically we have a full week to spend by the sea and we’re going back and forth between two options:
1. Ligurian coast, thinking Camogli and Portofino mostly. We were also considering Cinque Terre but everything I read says it’s a zoo in late August, so we honestly don’t mind skipping it if people think there’s better nearby. Is it still worth squeezing in or should we let it go?
2. Amalfi coast. Looks stunning obviously but I’m a bit nervous about the distance from Florence and getting back to Rome for our flight.
One thing about us: we love beautiful places but we don’t need the super touristy hotspots to be happy. If there’s a smaller, quieter town nearby that’s just as pretty (or prettier), we’d honestly prefer that. Praiano over Positano type of thing.
A few other things:
• No rental car, we’d rather do it all by train
• Minimum 2 nights per place, we don’t want to be packing every morning
Has anyone done a similar route? Which coast would you pick and what towns would you actually base yourselves in? Also open to stuff we might be missing entirely.
Thanks!

I will be solo traveling for 3 days to the amalfi coast and yes just like you read in the title I can’t swim. As a 30 year, old this was always one of my top insecurities and cherry on top i am very short 1m57 🙃. But i still like the beach , tanning , chilling on beach clubs and boat tours ect. Now i am wondering are the beaches in Postitano , capri, amalfi , sorrento deep if i still want to enjoy water ? Are they calm ? Which ones are the best for me ? Either free beach or beach clubs in those towns mentioned.
Also i still want to do a boat tour to see the amalfi coast and nearly all of them have a stop for swimming. I don’t want to embarrass myself and be the only one not knowing how to swim or use a life jacket. Am I overthinking? Please i need your thoughts and if anyone is like me , how was your experience?

My wife and I are headed to the Amalfi Coast in mid-April. I’d appreciate any thoughts on this itinerary. I am very (very!) open to suggestions. In particular, I would love to hear feedback on whether it is better to split our base between Sorrento and Praiano or just base out of Sorrento or Praiano the entire time. I’d also appreciate any feedback on the hotel and activity choices (including any tour company or tour guide recommendations) We have a fairly healthy budget for the trip. We are middle aged but fairly active.

Day 1: arrive in Naples in evening and hire private driver to take us to Hotel Forum Pompeii.

Day 2: Pompeii private tour in morning and private transport to Praiano. The Hotel Margherita in Praiano is on our list based on Reddit recommendations, but happy to hear why we should stay elsewhere!

Day 3: Positano day trip (travel by bus from Praiano or is there a better option?). Is there a day guided tour or can we just wander around ourselves and see everything?

Day 4: Private tour of Amalfi and Ravello (pick up from hotel in Praiano)

Day 5: Guided Path of the Gods hike in the AM (any tour guide recommendations?) and private transfer to Sorrento in PM. The Grand Hotel Riviera is at the top of our hotel list for Sorrento, but would love to hear other recommendations.

Day 6: Private boat tour to Capri from Sorrento (any recommendations on a tour guide?)

Day 7: Sorrento lemon tour and cooking class (any recommendations for these activities, please?)

Day 8: Travel back to U.S. flying out of Naples.

So there is car and boat taxis but i couldn’t find any information about motorbike ones. I used to get them a lot in bali and they are very convenient. Plus i would love to have the experience as a passenger on amalfi coast without driving one myself. Any ideas ??