We want to spend two weeks in Campania in April. Is Ravello a good place to base for visiting the Amalfi coast, Naples, Pompeii, etc.? Suggestions for apt. rentals and resturants would be appreciated.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

I don't think Ravello would be the best choice. It is a slow drive up a narrow, winding road and parking (assumiing you have a car) is difficult. If you do not have a car, you will need to rely on the bus service which is not all that quick either. Taxis down to Amalfi are prohibitly expensive. If you want to visit Naples and Pompeii, a better base would be Sorrento, or even Positano. From Sorrento, you can take the Circumvensiana train right to the Pompeii scavi and into Naples. You can take a bus to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, or better yet, a hydrofoil. Hydrofoils run on a limited schedule in April but are the best way to get to the towns along the Amalfi coast. Positano would also be a better base although you would have to take a bus or hydrofoil to Sorrento to get the train.

As neapolitan I suggest to "use" Sorrento, because is more central.

You can take buses for other cities or "Circumvesuviana" (it's like a subway, so, make attention your money, don't forget!).

By night it's wonderful and it's *more* little than Neaples (of course ), so you can visit it better.

In Neaples make attention at Central Station, it's not a touristic area . Don't stay there too much minutes there. And take only regular taxi, they don't give surprises ...

Casa:

I suggest you use the message board's search feature to look at some previous discussions (there are quite a number of them) regarding accomodations, activities, transportation, etc. around the Amalfi coast. Start by clicking on "Search" towards the top of the page. Then just enter something like "Amalfi" or "Positano" or "Ravello" and you'll be connected with lots of info.

David, usually in NYC

Naples is a frenetic, dirty, noisy plus it has the reputation of being dangerous and loaded with thieves.

That being said, why not consider Naples for your base city? Naples is full of marvels--the people are friendly, the museums are outstanding, there is no end to the excellent restaurants, and it is easy for day trips to all the tourist places.Visiting Pompeii one day and then the next day spending a day at the great archeological museum in Naples really a great leaning, interesting experience.

Ferries/hydrofoils/the circumvesuviana from Naples make it very easy to arrange memorable day trips. There are bus services from Naples which have routes to the Amalfi Coast towns.

I always find it interesting that Naples is eschewed while the tourist laden city of Sorrento is favored.

I might add. with all due respect, that there is a whole lot more to Campania than the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Capri.

Peter

Peter

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (I know, it's already too late!!), I've got to suggest the Cilento area as a great base for a holiday in Campania! Just to the south of Salerno, very beautiful, quiet, and within easy reach of all the stuff you want to see and then some. (Got to get Paestum onto that must-see list!)

Ravello definitely wouldn't be my first choice, anyway--as others have mentioned, it's not exactly the most accessible option. And so heavily touristed.

Take a look at Summer In Italy--they represent quite a few properties in the Cilento National Park, as well as the Amalfi coast and Sorrento. Luca Trotta ("Summer in Italy" is his family's business) sometimes drops into this board--and I know he is always glad to answer questions about the area & the properties he represents if people email him directly! He really helped us to make the most of our stay in the area.

Happy planning!
Sonia

Web site administrator,
Hotel Il Bargellino, Florence
and
Mulino dell'Opera, near Lucca

We stayed in Sorrento and loved it. But the next time we go we are renting a house in Massa Lubrense. Just a little beyond Sorrento and still close to the transit points therein. But Massa looks like a very beautiful spot, a series of small villages set amongst the lemon groves. My firends from Naples all rave about it.

If you're lost, you're just having an adventure.......

Thanks to all of you for your replies. Sonia, I would be interested to know about time you've spent in Cilento area; my husband is keen to spend a few days there while visiting Paestum, but I'm not so sure. You obviously like the area; where did you stay and what did you do?

vfccasa wrote:

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Sonia, I would be interested to know about time you've spent in Cilento area; my husband is keen to spend a few days there while visiting Paestum, but I'm not so sure. You obviously like the area; where did you stay and what did you do?

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We spent a week in a small village near Agropoli called Perdifumo--my (extremely positive!) review of the place we stayed, Villa Trotta, is on the Vacation Rental Reviews list. It's a big house, but the same agency (Summer in Italy)rents many smaller places in the Cilento area as well.

What did we do... well, we LOVED Paestum. It was wonderful, and very quiet when we were there. We ate lots of mozzarella di bufala. We enjoyed wandering around Agropoli, up to the castle, through the old medieval streets and along the shore, though the more modern part of town isn't much to look at. The beach at Acciaroli was simply beautiful. We took a long, meandering drive down to Palinuro, stopping at only some of the interesting-looking places along the way. We sat on the terrace at the villa and watched the lizards sunning themselves among the roses and geraniums...

We even rather liked Salerno, though it's not a "tourist destination" as such--the old cathedral is beautiful, and there's a nice walk along the waterfront quite near the train station. Much of the old city was destroyed during WWII, of course, but parts of it still remain, and are interesting to explore.

For us, it was great to get away from the "tourist hustle"--when we did take day-trips up to the Amalfi coast and Pompeii, we got kind of overwhelmed by the busy-ness of it all in comparison! The Cilento area is a national park, so there's lots of untouched space, lots of winding country roads--if that's the kind of thing you enjoy, it's amazing.

Just email me if you want more!
Sonia