We just got home from an epic week exploring the Amalfi coast for our 10th anniversary. I wanted to document what I learned from planning and experiencing the trip, in the form of an informative blog for those planning a similar trip.
When to Go - What it was like in March
Weather
We were there March 12-18, 2022. I had looked up average March temperatures beforehand, and was hoping for 70's. It was mostly 50-60's, with a few cooler nights in the 40's, though gorgeous and sunny the whole week. We dressed in layers and had packable coats in our backpack.
On the warmer days in the sun, it felt very warm - warm enough that we braved swimming at the beach! But the water was freezing, so it was more of a run in and out then lay in the sun than a swim.
Crowds
There were none. March is before tourist season, so there were very few extra people anywhere we went.
This was great in some ways. The location of our trip was a surprise to Weston until we were en route, and I wanted to plan our itinerary together, so I booked nothing bot flights and hotels in advance. Because it's the slow season, we were easily able to get tickets to everything we were interested in doing without any advance planning. Most days we planned what we would do the night before, then got tickets the morning of. Also, who loves crowds?
But there were some drawbacks to going in slow season as well. Many restaurants and shops close for the slow season, which we noticed especially in Positano, Capri, and Ischia.
Where to Stay
Towns
From my understanding, the main towns tourists stay in on the Amalfi coast are Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi. All of them are gorgeous and have charming architecture, shops, restaurants, and beaches. They all also have buses and ferries between each other. We stayed in Sorrento and visited the other two, but from my observations, here are a few pros/cons for each:
SORRENTO
We mostly used public transport to get around, and Sorrento is super easy to get to from the airport, as there's a train, Circumvesuvia (named for Mt. Vesuvius), that starts in Naples and ends in Sorrento, so it's super easy to get to. It's location is also nice if you want to do things closer to Naples, like Pompeii.
Cons: It's a bigger town than the others, so it could be easy to accidentally choose accommodations far from the center of town with most of the shops and restaurants. It's beaches are small and a bit far from the center of town (idk - a 10 minute walk?), and were a bit hard to find by just wandering. We thought if we walked toward the sea we'd find the beach - not so. Use Google Maps.
POSITANO
Positano is probably what people are most likely to imagine when they think of the Amalfi coast - pastel homes climbing up cliffsides. It has a big main beach, with other beaches nearby, and the main road leads right to the beach, so it's easy to find. It's a smaller town, so you can easily find whatever you're looking for and not worry about getting lost.
Cons: More so than other towns, it is all a giant hill, so you will be walking up and down a big hill to do anything in town. No train.
AMALFI
Amalfi's town square was incredibly charming. It had a few restaurants with outdoor seating, a fountain that locals drink from, a big gorgeous church, and like 8 gelato shops. It was our favorite town to visit, and we'll heavily consider staying there next time we go. Another major pro: It's pretty flat!
Cons: No train.
Rooms/Hotels
In my searching for places to stay, I had the best luck with Booking.com, and ended up using them for all our stays in Italy - 4 nights in Sorrento, 1 night in Ischia, and 1 night in Naples. All included breakfast as well (pastry and a drink).
In both Sorrento and Naples, the places we stayed were apartments renovated into hotel suites. Like one large apartment that was renovated to include 4 or so hotel suites. This made it very charming, as we were living right next to locals. It did also make check-in confusing, as there wasn't a street sign or a main lobby. Both hosts used WhatsApp so we figured it out pretty quick. Both of those places partnered with cafes nearby for their breakfast.
How to Get Around
Public Transport
We opted mostly for public transport. I like using public transport when I travel for a few reasons:
1. A more local/authentic experience.
2. Cheaper than Uber/Lyft/Taxi
3. As a matter of principle, I like how public transport brings community members together physically.
4. Smaller Carbon Footprint.
It was pretty easy to get to the bus stop outside the Naples Airport. Apparently there's a spot to buy tickets right outside the airport, but we didn't know that and luckily could purchase tickets directly from the driver. There are 2 trainlines that run through the station, so it was a bit confusing to find the right place to buy tickets and board the train, but people were very friendly.
Taxi
Miscellaneous - What to Expect
Sore Feet
Obviously, anytime you're travelling and exploring, there will be a lot of walking. One thing I was somewhat prepared for, but exceeded my expectations, was the inclines and the surface variation. The coastal towns and islands, at least in this area of Italy, are built on cliffsides, so every day we were walking up and down steep roads and lots of stairs. Also, many of the roads and sidewalks are made of stone, which I love and is so charming! But it took my feet and ankles some getting used to walking on such varied surfaces.
Late Meals
Italians take long lunch breaks in the afternoon, so it's common for shops and restaurants to be closed for the middle of the afternoon. And Italians eat late dinners, so authentic restaurants typically open at 7pm at the earliest.
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