Discussion
Ok. I want to take herself away for her 30th
Any pointers on said location? Will I need a rental car ? Any hotel recommendations ?
I was going to drive but coming from Ireland it may just be as easy to fly. I'm looking to go maybe September or October this year, with work it's hard to take time off. Looking at maybe a Monday to Friday type. And ill assume it's all quite expensive
Any pointers on said location? Will I need a rental car ? Any hotel recommendations ?
I was going to drive but coming from Ireland it may just be as easy to fly. I'm looking to go maybe September or October this year, with work it's hard to take time off. Looking at maybe a Monday to Friday type. And ill assume it's all quite expensive
The Amalfi coast is beautiful, but it's surrounded by some properly horrible bits of Italy, and the drivers in that part are insane. I wouldn't recommend hiring a car, especially as most of the places you'd want to go have ZTLs to prevent you driving in.
I stayed in Sorrento when I was there, which is beautiful, with good food, and convenient for buses to Positano, boats to Capri and the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and Herculaneum
If you choose to do the same pre-book a taxi to drive you straight from Naples airport to Sorrento. Naples itself is a total dump and not worth spending any time in, unless you want to see the statue of the Veiled Christ or queue up for pizza there.
The Circumvesuviana has stops at both Pompeii and Herculaneum. The modern town of Ercolano isn't very nice but the Herculaneum itself is stunning. Some of the other areas the train goes through are horrible dodgy estates and it's high risk for pickpockets, but if you don't stand out as a tourist then you'll be fine.
I stayed in Sorrento when I was there, which is beautiful, with good food, and convenient for buses to Positano, boats to Capri and the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and Herculaneum
If you choose to do the same pre-book a taxi to drive you straight from Naples airport to Sorrento. Naples itself is a total dump and not worth spending any time in, unless you want to see the statue of the Veiled Christ or queue up for pizza there.
The Circumvesuviana has stops at both Pompeii and Herculaneum. The modern town of Ercolano isn't very nice but the Herculaneum itself is stunning. Some of the other areas the train goes through are horrible dodgy estates and it's high risk for pickpockets, but if you don't stand out as a tourist then you'll be fine.
Yes the parts of Italy that people live in are total dumps, like London council estate awful. The train was awful too.
I stayed in Sorrento which is a lovely town but you’ll find even a week is quite a long time to stay, most of the places sell pizza and pasta, you have to go off the beaten track to find anything else, although they are there and are very good, I had some fanstatic food in a resuturant that resembled a green house.
All the hotels I looked at online where very dated. The one we ended up in wasn’t updated since the 60s and you could tell
Most hotels aren’t any where near the centre but they do offer shuttle buses into town, I wanted to stay in the hotel contental right in the centre but it was booked up. We went there for a meal though, on the roof top terrace over looking the volcano.
We did a tour trip to see popmepi and the volcano which was about €49 each, good day out.
We went to Herculaneum via the train which I preferred to Pompeii, Pompeii is massive but quite samey, you can cut time by just seeing he good bits like the centre and the brothels.
We went with Thomas cook and it was about £800 each for the week.
I stayed in Sorrento which is a lovely town but you’ll find even a week is quite a long time to stay, most of the places sell pizza and pasta, you have to go off the beaten track to find anything else, although they are there and are very good, I had some fanstatic food in a resuturant that resembled a green house.
All the hotels I looked at online where very dated. The one we ended up in wasn’t updated since the 60s and you could tell
Most hotels aren’t any where near the centre but they do offer shuttle buses into town, I wanted to stay in the hotel contental right in the centre but it was booked up. We went there for a meal though, on the roof top terrace over looking the volcano.
We did a tour trip to see popmepi and the volcano which was about €49 each, good day out.
We went to Herculaneum via the train which I preferred to Pompeii, Pompeii is massive but quite samey, you can cut time by just seeing he good bits like the centre and the brothels.
We went with Thomas cook and it was about £800 each for the week.
Recently done this part of the coast.
Pompei is awesome (join a guided group) you could easily spend a day there.
Herculaneum is just as good, just much smaller, maybe 1/2 day.
Naples is a dump
Go Italian and get a Fiat 500, it has the benefit of being cheap
Didn't really rate Sorento but 30 mins round the coast, Positano was beautiful.
Pompei is awesome (join a guided group) you could easily spend a day there.
Herculaneum is just as good, just much smaller, maybe 1/2 day.
Naples is a dump
Go Italian and get a Fiat 500, it has the benefit of being cheap
Didn't really rate Sorento but 30 mins round the coast, Positano was beautiful.
I agree with almost all of the above. Wife and I have frequently stayed in the Sorrento/Amalfi area and I've never hired a car. The driving in Naples and the Amalfi area is just amazing: far better to let someone else do the driving and sit back and watch!
Pompeii and Herculaneum are easy to do from Sorrento on the local train. Pompeii will need a day to do it well, and do get a guide. You can also do an organised day trip to Paestum, south of Salerno. It's huge, and different as it's Greek, and has an excellent museum too.
If you stay in Sorrento a good day trip is an organised one to the island of Ischia. 45 minutes by fast ferry, get coached around the island, have lunch, visit the Walton Gardens, all excellent.
Can recommend the Tramontano Hotel in Sorrento. It's very well located on the cliff top and near the main square. If you decide to stay there book a top floor sea view room for spectacular views and sunsets over the Bay of Naples. The hotel will organise transfer from/to Naples Airport if desired, but it is not cheap. I think it was around €250 last time we did this. You could save on this by fixing your own transfer by public services via the Airport-Naples Ferry Terminal-Ferry to Sorrento- bus to town centre then walk.
Bear in mind Sorrento has up to three cruise ships a day visiting there, which is not good in my opinion; far too busy and inflates the prices.
You can get ferries to Positano and Amalfi, as well as Capri, and if you go to Amalfi you can also get the bus to Ravello. The bus journey up to Ravello is pretty exciting too. This is one of our favourite places and we have had three holidays based there and maybe will go again later this year: we just love Ravello!
Positano is excellent to go to on a ferry for lunch, followed by a meander around the alley ways. Does get busy though.
Hope this helps.
R.
Pompeii and Herculaneum are easy to do from Sorrento on the local train. Pompeii will need a day to do it well, and do get a guide. You can also do an organised day trip to Paestum, south of Salerno. It's huge, and different as it's Greek, and has an excellent museum too.
If you stay in Sorrento a good day trip is an organised one to the island of Ischia. 45 minutes by fast ferry, get coached around the island, have lunch, visit the Walton Gardens, all excellent.
Can recommend the Tramontano Hotel in Sorrento. It's very well located on the cliff top and near the main square. If you decide to stay there book a top floor sea view room for spectacular views and sunsets over the Bay of Naples. The hotel will organise transfer from/to Naples Airport if desired, but it is not cheap. I think it was around €250 last time we did this. You could save on this by fixing your own transfer by public services via the Airport-Naples Ferry Terminal-Ferry to Sorrento- bus to town centre then walk.
Bear in mind Sorrento has up to three cruise ships a day visiting there, which is not good in my opinion; far too busy and inflates the prices.
You can get ferries to Positano and Amalfi, as well as Capri, and if you go to Amalfi you can also get the bus to Ravello. The bus journey up to Ravello is pretty exciting too. This is one of our favourite places and we have had three holidays based there and maybe will go again later this year: we just love Ravello!
Positano is excellent to go to on a ferry for lunch, followed by a meander around the alley ways. Does get busy though.
Hope this helps.
R.
Check the train times - was in the bay of Naples somewhere (another s
t hole of a town) this June/July. I told my skipper that he must go and see Pompeii and sent him off to the train station.
Saw him quite soon later on -
Me - 'Whats up ?'
Him - 'I asked when the next train to Pompeii was '
Me -'And ?'
Him - 'They said August !'
Me - 'Oh'
t hole of a town) this June/July. I told my skipper that he must go and see Pompeii and sent him off to the train station.Saw him quite soon later on -
Me - 'Whats up ?'
Him - 'I asked when the next train to Pompeii was '
Me -'And ?'
Him - 'They said August !'
Me - 'Oh'
A couple of recommendations from me:
Make sure you get £0 Excess when renting a car in Naples - every car has a bump on it in the area. I don't usually do £0 excess, this is one place I regretted - I felt very lucky I got away without damage.
Halfway up Vesuvius is Restaurante Kona - looks simple touristy from the outside, but food was really quite good.
I stayed in a very nice hotel called La Medusa Boutique Hotel - Its just outside Castellammare di Stabia. The bedroom and the breakfast room had the most Amazing view of Vesuvius. Its well positioned for Naples, Pompeii, Herculanium and Amalfi... However, the nearby town was pretty terrifying.
I am not sure if that Hotel was the right decision, but I and the wife loved it - and there was another nice restaurant 'la brace' across the road.
Make sure you get £0 Excess when renting a car in Naples - every car has a bump on it in the area. I don't usually do £0 excess, this is one place I regretted - I felt very lucky I got away without damage.
Halfway up Vesuvius is Restaurante Kona - looks simple touristy from the outside, but food was really quite good.
I stayed in a very nice hotel called La Medusa Boutique Hotel - Its just outside Castellammare di Stabia. The bedroom and the breakfast room had the most Amazing view of Vesuvius. Its well positioned for Naples, Pompeii, Herculanium and Amalfi... However, the nearby town was pretty terrifying.
I am not sure if that Hotel was the right decision, but I and the wife loved it - and there was another nice restaurant 'la brace' across the road.
We did it from Sorrento a few years back. As above, hire a crappy little car and join in the madness. You've not lived until you've gone round a corner to be faced by a car overtaking another car while a scooter overtakes both of them. And the hilarious 5 way cross-roads with no road markings or traffic lights. 
. It's quite liberating once you get used to it. Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum. Get an early start and do the amalfi drive, if you miss the traffic it's one of the best drives anywhere.
. It's quite liberating once you get used to it. Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum. Get an early start and do the amalfi drive, if you miss the traffic it's one of the best drives anywhere.Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff