Anyone been to Naples and Amalfi Coast ? Travel advice.

[Gypsy]

DH and I are researching vacation options for next year. At this time we're in the research phase trying to see where we should go. We're trying to decide between a beach vacation to Mexico or Jamaica or Aruba and a European vacation.

Dh has never been to Italy. I have been but to Northern Italy only. Our idea was to hit Florence, Rome and Naples. I wanted Florence, Rome and Naples were his choices. Naples particularly because that's where his family is from.

BUT-- when I went on Tripadvisor and started researching hotel options and things the hotel prices were really low (and the reviews generally discouraging) and so I started digging deeper and am now wondering if I should talk DH into something else because it looks like the city is dangerous and the hotels are well-- a bit dodgy either old and not updated, dirty, or have really poor service and upcharge for every little thing.

I'm happy to do just Rome for 2 days (that all we want anyway, and only because we'd fly in there). And with the hotel prices in Rome, the crowds and the touristy vibe of it I honestly couldn't do more than that.

Then I wanted to take the train North to Florence for 4 nights and then rent a car and do 2 nights in Lake Bolsena. After that I figured we'd catch another train down South to Naples for 4 nights. But... not loving the accommodations and the city reputation.

I can scratch Florence and the lake altogether and just do all our time in Southern Italy. Go straight from Rome to Naples for 3 nights (notice I keep shaving time off the Naples trip) and then go to Sorrento and Positano and stay in that area, or even go down farther the coast (if someone can recommend where I'd appreciate it). I'm a water person, so for me staying by the coast is no hardship. But I do want DH to see some of the history, age and greatness of italy-- some medieval ruins, a museum.

I need a very clean place to stay with nice room and amenities. DH needs a little luxury and his own bathroom (non-negotiable). We both need air conditioning if at all possible. DH isn't interested in renting a home base and traveling outward. He wants to stay at a hotel. I'm okay with renting a car and so is he. I'd be willing to stay someplace outside of Naples and just do a couple day trips there if it's convenient.

We're food and accommodations and comfort people. We will spend time in our rooms. And we aren't the type to leave in the morning and kill ourselves sightseeing till night and then go to a club. Not our speed. We're sleep in people, then spend time looking at the sights, break for a nice lunch, look around a bit more then head back to the hotel for a nap. Go out for a nice dinner, sit and enjoy some wine and go back to the hotel kind of people.

Any advice would be appreciated. Also-- is 1200 a person about what I can expect to pay for airfare from the West Coast of the US? Or can I get better priced airfare (and how).

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

What time of year? We paid more than $1200 for airfare from Western Canada.

We were in Italy in May of this year. I would have skipped Florence altogether--but we went to Tuscany....no choice....I found it grimy compared to past trips there......we drove to Pisa...and would have gone to Rome but I was tired of driving everywhere. Driving is a big challenge.....

We did not take a train b/c we could not get schedules several months in advance--and I really did not want to spent days travelling on trains. We flew from Paris to Florence and it was VERY expensive booking it in advance--and the flights were almost full 4 months in advance....but if you go in low or shoulder season you might get better rates...

Went to Naples decades ago--and loved it...but no current frame of reference. Sorry.

Friends are off shortly to the Amafli Coast......

cheers--Sharon

 

[decodelighted]

Have you considered a (gasp) Med Cruise? I know, I know -- cruises aren't Klassy etc but I felt the same way and ended up really enjoying our Med Cruise we took a couple of years ago. It included Barcelona, Nice/Monaco/Monte Carlo, Rome, Naples (but we did the Amalfi Coast that day instead: Positano/Sorrento), Florence, Taoromina (Sicily), Ephesus (Turkey), Athens &, our fave, Mykonos! -- then back to Barcelona. Shorter cruises leave out of Rome & Venice though.

Eliminates the "where do we stay/seedy hotel" sitch ... and the boredom from being any one place too long ... and the having to get around by train or car etc. You can save money on excursions by hooking up with other Cruise Critic board members to pool for private tours at lower prices ... or just wing it when you get to the port (we did that in Florence & Rome -- trained it into town & wandered.)

I've also done some of Italy before via train by myself. Really enjoyed Positano & Venice & Santa Margarita -- also walking the Cinque Terra ... but not sure how much of that has been washed away recently.

 

[MsP]

I just traveled around all these places... I can answer more specific questions but general impressions:
-I loved Rome but I like the history/touristy stuff
-would have skipped Florence. Kind of "meh" compared to other cities
-would do Pisa if it's on the way... but skip if it isn't. Just not that much to do there.
-Pompeii was fabulously interesting
-Ravello was a cute little place to visit

...in the end, if I were to have another month to visit, I would probably rent a house on the Amalfi coast and just take in the beauty.

Any reason no mention of Venice?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Deco's got a good point--Cruising can be great or awful. Have you seen Celebrity or Seabourne or Crystel--some have two for one in the summer and the itineraries High end small ships = yum.

cheers--Sharon

 

[decodelighted]

HI:

Deco's got a good point--Cruising can be great or awful. Have you seen Celebrity or Seabourne or Crystel--some have two for one in the summer and the itineraries High end small ships = yum.

cheers--Sharon

We've done Celebrity cruises twice now & been very pleased with the accommodations & service & food ... especially for the price. They have AHmazing sales several times a year. Cruise Critic is great for finding them. As is Travelzoo. European cruise seemed much more chill to me than the Caribbean one. Fewer "ugly Americans" HA! But both were way more Luxe-ish & enjoyable than I ever imagined.

 

[TravelingGal]

People usually do Pisa the "wrong" way. I did it as a day trip from Lucca, and picked a better train stop right near the leaning tower. Yes, it's a tourist trap, but it's still stinking cool to see.

I loved Florence. I mean, hello, David! I really wanted to see Rome but it was Easter weekend, so no dice.

Naples? Yes, 9 years ago it didn't have a great reputation and felt seedy, but some people swear by it. I don't know if this is the still the case, but the train from Naples to Sorrento was painful. Even more painful is there IS no train from Sorrento to places further down the coast. There are buses, and let me tell you, people don't queue. Well, they do. Until the bus gets there and then you'll be standing there in the aftermath with the Brits and Americans looking dazed. So if this is still the way it works, get a private car (driver, whatever) if you stay anywhere past Sorrento.

Positano is lovely (but keep in mind ALL of it is highly touristed in season). Le Sirenuse was the "it" hotel back when I went.

http://www.sirenuse.it/

Positano has a beach (but you won't find much white sandy stuff in the area), lots of cute shops, some great restaurants and a view to die for. If Dona Rosa is still there and getting good reviews, I highly recommend the restaurant. If you want to build up an appetite, you can hike up 1000 steps to it.

TGuy and I rented a scooter (I would NOT recommend this unless the rider/driver is a skilled motorcyclist, plus I think you need a motorcyclist license to rent) and darted the buses down the coast. Amalfi is amalfi and you should probably see it. Ravello is cute and a great little place to stop for coffee and a walk.

One more thing about the buses when it's busy...I never had motion sickness until I got on one of those buses. They pack them so full that I could not see out the window to the see, and only the hills to my left. It was awful.

 

[TravelingGal]

Oh, and as far as ruins go, Pompeii was cool, but a lot of people recommend Ercolano too. We did both, but we did Pompeii first, which made Ercolano seem anticlimactic. If you are into that kind of stuff, it's fascinating.

ETA, if you haven't already, go over to the fodors forums. I was a member for many years until I decided Pricescope was my main forum stop (plus I got married and wasn't traveling as much) and the information there is invaluable.

Also, I'd highly recommend Siena if you are going to Florence.

For a smaller, less hectic version of the Amalfi Coast, TGuy swears by Cinque Terre. I have not been there but it's on the list!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I've only been to Pisa on a side trip when I went to France, and I could totally skip that!

Sna77 and his wife went on what looked like a fabulous 3 week honeymoon trip to Italy, and I hope he sees your thread! I'd just copy their itinerary if I were going! (Go through all pages of the thread because there are more pictures and some hotels are named.)

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/hangout/just-back-from-italy-some-honeymoon-pics-t93050.html']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/hangout/just-back-from-italy-some-honeymoon-pics-t93050.html[/URL]

 

[TravelingGal]

OK, I looked at your post a bit more. How many days are we talking about? And you're flying in and out of rome, so no open jaw here.

If you don't have a ton of days, I would fly in and out of rome, spend some time there. Then do EITHER Florence/Tuscany/Pisa etc OR head down to the Amalfi Coast. Skip Naples. Stay in Positano IF you are cool with spending money on transport. You can do day trips to Pompeii and do stuff further down the coast.

It really depends on what you want to do. Amalfi Coast is pretty and relaxing (sorta) but there is so MUCH to do, see, walk around in Florence and the surrounding areas. I mean, Tuscan wine, right? I'm not sure how easy it is to get to Cinque Terre from Florence, but if you have extra days, that's a possiblilty too.

Florence has some fun shopping. Gold. Leather. A market, if I remember correctly.

You gotta narrow if down if you don't have a lot of days, otherwise it will just be a frustrating and tiring experience.

 

[Gypsy]

Sharon, I'm kinda worried about the grimy thing. When I was in northern Italy I was actually staying in Lugano and it was SO much cleaner over the border in Switzerland and when I went to Milan and other areas it all struck me as grimy.

Deco I did consider a cruise, but I've never done one before and I get very sea sick and dramamine knocks me out (even the stuff that isn't supposed to) , so before I spend a lot of money on a Med. Cruise I would want to try a short one to make sure I don't end up sick as a dog or sedated for the whole trip. Deco, I've been to Venice and DH has never been drawn to it.

Sharon, I don't think we can afford Crystal for the Med, and I understand the sea sick thing can be worse with the smaller boats.

T-gal I've bookmarked some of your suggestions for follow up. If we go south we would rent a car. I was planning on taking the train to Naples then renting a car there. I do okay with trains as long as I can sleep the Dramamine off, buses are not something I can do at all though, so it's not even an option. I was planning on hitting Frodor's I've found them helpful in the past. We have pretty much crossed off Aruba/Mexico/etc. off the table. But I did just suggest that with all we're thinking about spending Australia should be on the table. I would adore to go back there.

We're thinking of 14 days. I'm pushing for 12 so we can have a couple days rest and re-adjustment of time zones. We don't have to fly in and out of Rome. I was thinking we could fly in Milan and out of Rome. But I really wasn't impressed with Milan.

DH really wants to do two days in Rome, go to Florence for 3 days, spend the 6th day on the train to Naples stay the night there, sight see the next day and leave the following morning (day driving the coast down to Sorrento, stopping in Pompei. Then spend the rest of the time on the coast, and take the train from Solerno to Rome for our flight out.

I'm not sure that's doable. So I'm pushing for either North (Florence, Cinque Terre, Sienna) or South (Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast). So we have time to relax and enjoy and aren't running about too much (which I detest).

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Gypsy:

My Husband and I just got back from Europe we did the 12 day Mediterranean cruise and we had 5 stops in Italy: Livorno, Sicily, Rome, Naples, and Venice. Our airfare with one connection in Heathrow ( and then to Barcelona where the cruise started) was $1700 round trip with British Airways per person.

Florence: Go to the Republic square... AMAZING deals to be had there in the bazaar. I bought a knee length leather trench coat (fit and then flare) with a hood for 140 Euros aka 175 american! Amazing silk and cashmere scarves are to be had there as well as other amazingly soft leather goods. This is where most of our shopping occurred. You can bargain with the vendors there, don't be afraid to walk away.. they will give you the price you want if you walk away.

In Rome: It was boiling and using public transportation was a PITA. It was around 41 or 42 degrees C when we went and there is no A/C on the train or the subway... UGH and we were packed like sardines in the train. Lots of interesting things to see there... Go on guided tours... too much traffic with tourists to just do things on your own and guided tours make the most of the trip.

Naples: We didn't actually go anywhere in Naples, we ended up going to Capri with a 40 minute boat ride there and it was gorgeous! The sea levels were too high to go to the blue grotto.. but it would have been a sight to see for sure! I also recommend a guided tour there.

Venice: Amazing food. Amazing shopping. St. Mark's square was beautiful, it's just expensive to use the waterbus there because everything is by boat. I think it was 27 Euros for a 24 hour pass... and the Gondola rides are about 100 euros before 6pm and 150-300 euros after 6pm and that's a 30 minute ride. Overrated!

 

[TravelingGal]

OK, I know cruises are definitely great for some, but I am glad you aren't considering it. Because to me, the magic of many places is at NIGHT. When day trippers are long gone. Siena is one such place for me.

I think already the calculations are faulty. 2 days in rome is quite different from 2 nights. So you land, spend the night, have one full day, then have one other night, then off to Florence? That day is a travel day, so you get at best part day in Florence. Then how many full days from there? With only 12 days (are we talking full or does that include land and depart day?), I wouldn't want to spend any ONE full day traveling, much less to Naples.

 

[Gypsy]

T-gal, like I said DH's family is from Naples so.. it's more than just the city for him. And I'm good with it if that's what we decide because it's important to him. And I get the rest of the time on the coast there.

I do think the math is wrong. I'm not good at multi-destination trip planning. I usually go someplace, stay there and use it as a base for day trips.

So okay 12 days for the Italy time. One day each way for travel brings us to 14.

RofL-- thanks so much for your post-- what did you like about Capri? We're not big shoppers (DH detests shopping but I would need to do a small amount) but I did make a note Republic Square. It sounds like you had a great trip!

 

[aljdewey]

I'm paying attention to this in earnest because I'm also trying to plan a trip for late Sept/early October, and my wants are incredibly similar. Private bath, A/C, good food, and time to noodle around.

 

[TravelingGal]

T-gal, like I said DH's family is from Naples so.. it's more than just the city for him. And I'm good with it if that's what we decide because it's important to him. And I get the rest of the time on the coast there.

I do think the math is wrong. I'm not good at multi-destination trip planning. I usually go someplace, stay there and use it as a base for day trips.

So okay 12 days for the Italy time. One day each way for travel brings us to 14.

RofL-- thanks so much for your post-- what did you like about Capri? We're not big shoppers (DH detests shopping but I would need to do a small amount) but I did make a note Republic Square. It sounds like you had a great trip!

Ah got it...sorry, I'm too much of a speed reader for my own good. In that case, I guess Naples is a must stop!

How about this:

Day 1, fly into Rome.
Day 2-3, Rome.
Day 4 travel to Naples.
Day 5, Naples.
Day 6, train to Sorrento, explore Sorrento.
Day 7, Day trip to Ruins from Sorrento.
Day 8, Bus to Positano. Explore Positano.
Day 9, Positano.
Day 10, Full coast Drive. Amalfi, Ravello, etc.
Day 11, relax Positano, or area.
Day 12, travel back to Rome.
Day 13, Rome.
Day 14, depart.

OR

Day 1, fly into Rome.
Day 2-3, Rome.
Day 4 travel to Florence
Day 5, Florence
Day 6, Florence
Day 7, Train to Siena
Day 8, Siena
Day 9, Other hill towns (San Gimignano, Lucca etc.).
Day 10, Depart to Cinque Terre (you'd need to check if this is even possible, logistically, meaning train schedules! I don't believe there are many direct trains from even Florence, so you may be transferring.) Stop in Pisa is possible, I believe.
Day 11, Cinque Terre
Day 12, Cinque Terre
Day 13, Travel to Rome
Day 14, depart Rome

 

[TravelingGal]

btw, the above is not how I'd do it. I'd park my butt in Rome for a week then somewhere else for a week. I'm a slow traveler if I can help it. Usually with 14 days, I'd try to do 5, 5, and 4 if I really want to move a little faster.

But some people get bored traveling that way!

 

[decodelighted]

I *think* I had to transfer in Milan to go from Florence to the Cinque Terra -- that's my 15 year old recollection LOL! Haven't consulted a map for sanity check: BEWARE! I do recall it was a longish train ride though ....


ETA: I just didn't dig Rome so much. Would go CRAZY being there three days much less a week. I think I like hill towns & little nibbly nooks better than big cities. (Paris being the exception HA!)

 

[neatfreak]

Naples is also a very easy day trip from Rome via train. I would NOT recommend renting a car and driving in Southern Italy...insanity IMO!

 

[TravelingGal]

Naples is also a very easy day trip from Rome via train. I would NOT recommend renting a car and driving in Southern Italy...insanity IMO!

I'd have to agree with that, since Ireland and Italy are the two countries when I went that most credit cards wouldn't cover for collision.

 

[TravelingGal]

I *think* I had to transfer in Milan to go from Florence to the Cinque Terra -- that's my 15 year old recollection LOL! Haven't consulted a map for sanity check: BEWARE! I do recall it was a longish train ride though ....


ETA: I just didn't dig Rome so much. Would go CRAZY being there three days much less a week. I think I like hill towns & little nibbly nooks better than big cities. (Paris being the exception HA!)

Ditto. I like smaller places. But truly, I can't imagine there wouldn't be enough to fill my plate for a week if I found I liked it. Again, I have never been to Rome, but I like to just hang out and explore. Sometimes that means spending hours sitting somewhere and people watching. That's how generally TGuy and I like to travel. Like I said, that would kill some people.

Just keep in mind jet lag if you are prone to it. You could easily land, and have a completely wasteful day 2 as well if you are suffering badly.

 

[Gypsy]

I'm leaning toward South. I really am a water lover and nothing relaxes me like a coast line or the sound of waves and views of blue waters. Plus it looks like we can get some lovely history items out there.

I really love your idea about going from Naples to Sorrento with the train, but I do want to see Capri. And I'd rather spend only 3 nights max on hotels in Rome, as it is REALLY flipping expensive to get a decent place (or I would have to book it now!) Beyond that you itinerary looks much better than anything I could have come up with. I am concerned about the hotel hopping we'd have to do.

I am thinking of
Rome hotel
Naples Hotel with day trip to Capri (or stay in Capri and day trip to Naples-- I like that better)
Positano hotel and day trips
Back to Rome one night leave the next day.

Looks like I have a lot of research to do. Which is kind of tiring and makes me think Aruba might not be such a bad idea.

 

[TravelingGal]

I haven't been to Capri. It was a running debate when I was active on the forums whether it was a tourist trap or not. People either hate it or love it.

Really, the train schedules decide a lot for me. I normally want to spend the least amount of time getting from point A to B with the least amount of hassle. The timetables will help a lot to make you realize what is actually feasible without losing your sanity.

Another reason why I love trains in Europe vs driving: The travel time is relaxing for everyone. Drive in the south of Italy and I'd kill TGuy or vice versa.

 

[rainwood]

Gypsy -

Italy is one of our favorite places to visit. We've rented a car, taken trains and been all over, mostly the north. Although I'm not a big Rick Steves fan, he has one piece of advice that I've found very helpful. Spend your first few days in a smaller, less hectic place to help you get over jet lag and to get in sync with the country you're visiting. Neither Rome nor Naples is that place. They both take a lot of energy to navigate. I'd recommend you fly into Rome, head for some lovely place either on the outskirts of the city or in the hills for a couple of days, then head into Rome for however long you want, then head south to Naples/Positano/Capri for the rest of the trip. Don't even think about heading north because you don't have time.

If you thought Milan was grimy, Naples will definitely not be the place for you. It's Italy at its most intense, and the worsening economy probably isn't helping. Given that your husband has family there, you need to go but make it all about family for a couple of days then get the heck out of Dodge and go somewhere more beautiful and restful, like Capri, Positano, etc.

Don't even think about driving in any of those places. Rome is nuts, Naples in nuts, and the Amalfi Coast is a heart-stoppingly twisty game of chicken best left to the pros. We've driven all over, including the center of Milan and Florence without batting an eye, we've hit the autostrada at high speed, and even we wouldn't dream of driving in any of the places you're thinking of visiting.

 

[JuneRose]

I just spent 10 days in Positano for my honeymoon -it was bliss... I would really recommend it! We flew into Naples and I'm really glad we didn't spend any more time there- felt very dirty and rough.

During the stay we also visited Pompeii (must see), Capri and Ravello.
Ravello is BEAUTIFUL! It felt like heaven... and was very easy to get there by bus from Positano. We took a boat from Positano to get to Capri and went around the island by boat first which was nice -but I found Capri itself very boring -lots of expensive shops with HORRIFIC jewellery i.e 5 carat ring with a huge snotty black inclusion right in the middle

I wouldn't bother renting a car -the roads and the drivers are crazy... The train are cheap and easy to use and the buses (for shorter journeys) are also fine.

We had heard Le Sirenuse in Positano was the "it-hotel" but having read reviews on trip advisor we decided to stay in Palazzo Murat (http://www.palazzomurat.it/) which was SO SO nice... We went for dinner at Le Sirenuse one evening and although it was nice, we much preferred the general atmosphere of Palazzo Murat -you have breakfast on a beautiful terrace and the food at the restaurant is all grown in the garden and is delicious. It's family owned and felt very special and luxurious but was nowhere near as self-conscious as Le Sirenuse.

Positano also has a great tourist information bureau with lovely people who helped us with train and bus timetables etc. Our hotel was also very helpful with this.

Sorrento for me was just a less nice version of Positano so I wouldn't bother staying there.

 

[MqLove]

I was in Italy in May/June last year, and I would definitely steer clear of Naples- we went for a day trip from Rome, to go to Pompeii (which was amazing and Mt Versuvius was absolutely awesome), but the evening wandering around Naples was frankly disgusting- as in garbage on the street, and filthy, and couldn't find a nice place for dinner within 15 min walk of the train station, it was all seedy clothes stores. Apparently there had been an election the week before and the streets had been cleaned then, so it was only a weeks worth of rubbish, but it was so bad that I'll never spend any time in that city ever agin.

I really liked Rome, it had so much amazing history and was one of one places you can just wander and and keep amused. Florence wasn't my thing, but we were only there on a Sunday when most things were closed, and we were a little museumed out by that stage.

 

[Kismet]

We went to Italy on our honeymoon (14 year ago) and loved it. We spent 4 nights in Rome, 3 in Florence, 2 in Gardone Riviera and 3 in Venice. Looking back on it, we wished we had stayed longer in Gardone Riviera as it was so gorgeous and peaceful (we stayed at the Grand Hotel right on Lake Garda). Our hotel in Florence was nice but was right on the main drag so it was *noisy* at night... all those scooters zipping by right under your window. The hotel in Rome was really nice although we did have to ask for a double bed as the room they first gave us had twin beds. It was also pretty central but not right on a main street so it was nice and quiet.

Driving in the northern part of Italy was fine although I did insist on picking up the car at the airport and not right in Rome (we didn't get the car until we left Rome.)

 

[Skippy123]

I have done most of those places you posted about! I love Florence, Rome, the Amalfi Coast and Como (near Milan)! Whatever you decide you will love it!!!

 

[Gypsy]

Neatfreak, I plan to pick your brain if we do this. Of course, Dh being Dh is all... we don't have to plan or research now. We wouldn't be going till May! We can start planning in February and then play it by ear as to where we'll go.

T-gal, I was thinking of Capri by boat (I can handle a short boat trip usually with enough Dramamine). I'm not at all a shopping person but I do love the pictures of the shoreline and water of Capri and the blue grotto if possible. I wouldn't need to spend much time there. Just a nice day excursion. But I guess I could skip it too. I will check the train schedules .

Naples, he has no EXISTING family. His family is from there and he wants to see it. But UGH! It sounds awful. I think I will see about flying into there though, that might be a great fix. And then flying out of Rome.

Day 1 Fly to Naples
Day 2 Naples
Day 3 Capri, with train in evening to Positano
Day 4 Positano
Day 5-10 Explore Amalfi Coast while staying in Positano
Day 11 train to Rome.
Day 12-13 Rome.
Day 14 fly Home


Rainwood, fabulous post and advice. Okay. No driving in Southern Italy. Got it. I would LOVE to spend a couple days in a slower pace place after we fly in. Especially with DH's back problems. I'm honestly thinking we will need to fly NY. Spend the night. Then fly out to Italy. I know that he'll be able to do CA to Italy. I'll see what I can manage on that front.

Junerose, thank you for that great post. I will definitely check out the hotel suggestion, and thank you for putting the thought of flying into Naples in my head. That might be a great solution for us. Great information on Sorrento.

Mqlove-- that's in line what everything I'm hearing about Naples. Thank you for your post.

Kismet: Gardone Riviera -- will have to look that up! Thanks!

Thank you Skippy. What were your favorite places from your visit? I've done Milan and Como and Venice. I liked Como and I enjoyed Venice but didn't care for Milan.

 

[TravelingGal]

Gypsy, how do you plan to explore the coast? Bus?

I like the coast, but 5 days exploring the coast might too much. Those roads are seriously windy. Do you plan to do Pompeii or Ercolano?