Hi All, Its time to start the adventure back to Italy. We would like to base in a small non tourist town on the Amalfi coast and take day trips from there along the coast.
Does anyone have a favorite town that would fit the bill as a good home base area. I am planning one week in this area.............thanks for the help.................Bill

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

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Brannigan:
a small non tourist town on the Amalfi coast

Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Ellens, how about new and improved non tourist city....GGGGGEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Give me an Oxymoron with a bit of help.

We enjoyed Praiano. It's small and is located between Positano and Amalfi. It has several nice hotels but is not "touristy".

Check out my web page on our trip to the Amalfi coast:

http://www.travel.stv77.com/amalfi.html

Atrani might be worth considering. It's right next to Amalfi but without the tourists and was charming. Not sure about accomadations there.

Try Naples as a base. There are so many excursions you can make in both directions from Naples. Pompeii and Herculeneum (highlights of my recent trip). Cumae was recommended recently by DorothyK.

We loved Naples. It's a wonderful city, but not too big. Great transportation. We stayed in a hotel near the Piazza Amadeo subway stop and we could go anywhere. We tried to find a small apartment to rent, but didn't find one. Mimi, on another enthusiastic discussion about Napoli, said they stayed in an apartment.

Charity

Vietri sul Mare, down next to Salerno. Close to Salerno's train and ferry stations; close to the highway across the peninsula so reasonable striking distance to both Pompeii/Vesuvius and Paestum by car. Trained to Naples for a day there; ferried to Positano for a day. Heard no English in the little piazza overlooking the yellow and blue tiled dome of the church, and the sea, where the folks and their kids gathered every night. Just cute as a bug. Worked for us.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Charity B.:
Try Naples as a base.

Hi Charity, I read a lot of posts and most people always recommend other cities on the Amalfi Coast. I would think Naples would be a good base with easy access to just about anything and anyplace............Thanks for the help..............Bill

We loved Maiori. You can find my trip report.

Ciao Bill,

Our due centissimi... If you intend to spend a week on the Amalfi Coast stay on the Coast. Naples is a great base for visitng... Naples. Not a bad thing at all. We're amongst the most ardent Naples partisans round these parts. However, if sounds as if you're looking for a village. The centro storico of Napoli around Spaccanapoli, Via Tribunali, Via Duomo, via Gregorio Armeno could be considered a village but really it's altogether an altra cosa.

Where on the coast not too touristy? Of course, tourism is the main industry of the coast and you are a tourist yourself so it can't be avoided altogether. However, there certainly are villages that avoid the candy coated gloss of Positano or to hop over to the Sorrentine Penisula the British package tour land of Sorrento.

Maiori... wide, flat, lots of post flood 60's midrise apartment buildings. Consequently it lacks in feel. The upside is that's it is relatively flat. Minori next door is similiar if naturally just a bit smaller. Slightly down at the heel feeling and better for it. Also many 60's midrise apartments, hotels.

Cetara down the coast right before the ceramics town of Vietri still has a commerical fishing fleet and is known for its' salted anchovies and colatura d'alici- modern day garum and cousin to the fish sauces of southeast asia. It's also a nice, little laid back town.

Other villages that you may want to google include Pogerola, Pontone, and Scala -all perched above Amalfi and all quite laid back and beautiful. Between Amalfi and Positano there is Vettica Minore and Conca dei Marini and up above there is Furore and a bit further up the agricultural village of Agerola.

Before Positano and accessed from Sant' Agata sui due Golfi is small, isolated Marina del Cantone.

There are charming, not too touristy hideways on the Amalfi Coast. You just have to search a little harder to find them. That's exactly why they are not overrun. Our hideaway was the frazione of Pastena di Amalfi, essentially a scattering of houses perched on the cliffside between the famous hotel Santa Caterina and Pogerola above. Nice, real nice.

Anthony and Jennifer

Ciao Anthony and Jennifer, I hope all is going well for you both in New Orleans.
I was trying to find info on the frazione of Pastena di Amalfi.........Thanks for the help Chef

No, No very few references to Pastena out there. Really not suprising considering it quite literally is just a sprinkling of mountain hugging houses amongst the lemons and olives and grapes. However, from our perch on the cliff we would always admire this particular house across the way. It turns out the house is actually a vacation rental calledVilla Dimane and is reviewed on Slow Travel here. Of course it is ourageously expensive but would certainly work nicely for a larger group. It seems outrageous to me anyway. Regardless the descriptions and photos will give you a feel for the area. Also note that the same Amalfi Coast Rental has much more modest and affordable rentals in the same area. For instance, intriguing sounding apartments called Lone and Vettica (found naturally enough in the Amalfi franzioni Lone and Vettica respectively) are also listed. These are the one's I'd be thinking about.

What about our rental in Pastena? Not practical for a short stay or some would argue for any stay.
Four hundred steps between the apartment and the road guaranteed our tranquility and made us real slow travellers but I'd be hesistant to recommend the apartment to anyone other than a mountain goat. Not suprisingly, I miss the place terribly. Think of it daily.

Thanks for asking about New Orleans. Jennifer and I are amongst the fortunate. Apartment fine. Work fine ( for now ). First child to arrive in the next few weeks. On the other hand much of my family is still living out of the area. Some won't be returning. Others don't know. And that's pretty much the city in a nutshell. Small number of lucky folks and some folks rebuilding and some folks starting over elsewhere but perhaps the largest percentage of folks still in limbo, uncertain. Just like the future of our battered city.

Anthony and Jennifer

Hi Anthony & Jennifer. I am happy to see that your family came out of the flooding without a scratch. Good luck with the new baby coming in the near future.
If it only took heart and soul to rebuild a city, New Orleans would have it done in a heart beat.
Let us know if your family needs any help in the future, we would be happy to help.............Take care.....Bill