Need advice on Almafi Coast trip - lodging, sights, (?)trains, dining, and more

Heading on a celebratory pleasure trip to the Almafi coast in early May 2023, party of two. Arrive 5/3 and leave to fly back to the states on 5/9. Will be flying into Naples. Budget is not excessive but somewhat liberal at least by my standards; let’s say $10000 for everything aside from the flights.

Looking for a good home base to stay at from which to head to enjoyable food, wine, and cultural destinations. I am almost certain I will go to Capri on one day of the trip for the day. Otherwise, schedule is wide open. Some questions…

Lodging: I hear that it is not really desirable to stay in Naples generally. Is this true? What nearby towns would be neat places to stay? For reference, stayed in Beaune, Avignon, and Antwerp in the past and all were absolutely perfect. Does not need to be a town with a lot of destinations necessarily, but a charming village or city would be a plus. Would entertain either hotel or an Airbnb etc. Capri looks nice but no way that the view or lodgings would justify the excessive cost, from what I can gather doing my own online research (tell me if this is incorrect too!).

Food: Anywhere in the region that would come highly recommended would be welcomed. I will of course seek out at least one amazing pizza meal while there. Would consider anything from a hidden bistro to a Michelin starred restaurant.

Cultural destinations/sights: This could be cool ancient Roman sites, art museums, beautiful beaches, natural wonders, anything and everything along those lines. Is Pompeii worth seeing? What other spots? In Capri itself, any advice?

Wine: I love Falanghina, Anglicano, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and would absolutely be open to other interesting wines. A good tour and/or tasting is most important, with food and a view being secondary but nice perks if present. The catch here is that it would be limited to 1 day of the trip only, unless one of the tastings included a nice lunch or dinner. Any thoughts?

Trains: I have looked online and it seems hard to find good info on trains in Italy (schedule, fares, how to book, etc.). I would not mind going to Rome for a day and there is a vintner out of Pietraia who I know that I would be interested in potentially seeing, so long as I am not spending half of my day on a train. Advice on finding reliable train schedules and websites to book tickets? If it would not be practical to pursue train trips during the trip, then I simply would not go. As a side question; if I will be hopping between towns to some degree, should I rent a car? If so, how to go about doing this?

Other considerations: Anything else that I as someone who rarely does foreign travel should be considering? One question I am unclear on is whether or not I should be packing cool weather clothing for early May in the region.

Looking to make this an incredible voyage. I appreciate anything you can contribute insofar as advice or inroads to locales or destinations.

EDIT: Side note, if it matters… I have about 500,000 Aadvantage miles to play with if it would help with lodgings, etc. Not looking to burn it, but it is available if needed.

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Find a way to stay in Capri overnight. It’s magic is when the day trippers leave,

We like Naples but I was born in Brooklyn, both gritty. Naples is great for food and art and history (Herculenium). But don’t use it as a base for anything beyond Pompeii.

Positano is awesome, but many, many, many, many stairs. Amalfi is also great (but I’ve just day tripped there).

I am splitting my week between Naples and Capri. It will be my third overnight to Capri after daytripping once.

I think you need to be clearer about what you like. Asking if Pompeii is worth seeing is like asking if the Roman Forum is worth seeing. Sort of implies it isn’t something you care about and need to be talked into into. For us, it’s a primary reason to revisit.

The actual Pompeii artifacts are in the museum in Naples. If you like Roman and Greek art, it’s world class. Plus the ancient Roman pornography room is fun.

However, you could go Herculenium if that stuff isn’t a passion if yours - Easier to get to and more compact. Unless you are keen archaeology buff, don’t go both if all you have is a week.

Rome as a day trip is too far. It will be 2 hours each way. Just land in Rome and leave from Naples if you want to see Rome.

I prefer to travel by ferry from town to town.

The website for Italian trains is Trenitalia.

I found Sorrento too oriented to mass tourism vs the rest of the Amalfi coast, but there are good hotels there.

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Hi Ross- A lot to unpack here. We’ve only done the area once as part of a longer trip. We stayed in Positano and had a fantastic time. I think the decision on where to stay is somewhat driven by how you want to travel the coast and how much your budget is. I’ve driven in many parts of Italy but driving on the coast is very different than driving through less crowded areas and towns. It certainly can be done. I didn’t want to deal with it though since I expected to be drinking with each meal and we wanted to travel the coast by ferry instead of bus or car. Positano was perfect for us. You have 6 days if you include the day you land. You may want to do Naples on the first day and part of the next. This would minimize some of your travel time. After Naples I would look at the following:

Hotel Don Alfonso- https://www.donalfonso.com/
We ate at the 2 star restaurant but would definitely consider staying here. If you do a search you see others on the board have and highly recommend it. The area has a bunch of things to do as well as the hotel. The village is beautiful and not as crowded as the rest of the coast. It’s literally directly on the mainland across from Capri. Your also a short taxi down to the water. One of our favorite restaurants was Ristorante Lo Scoglio. It’s been featured on both the Stanly Tucci Searching for Italy and Bobby Flay talks about it all the time. He was there when we had lunch during our visit. Hotel Lo Scoglio | Lo Scoglio da Tommaso | Restaurant You could easily do 2 days in this area and have plenty to do.

I would then move to Positano and explore the rest of the area by Ferry. If you don’t mind walking or looking for good hiking spots Positano is terrific. You can stay in town away from the water in a hotel or air bnb but we stayed here and loved it https://www.covodeisaraceni.it/
We liked being right at the beach and next to the ferry pick up and didn’t mind walking up into town for dinner or to catch a taxi or car. We skipped the places by the beach for meals and had 2 terrific dinners at Home - Ristorante Positano - Pizzeria - La Taverna del Leone It’s one of our favorite restaurants in Italy, Outstanding food and service and a wonderful family that runs it. We also had a great meal at Zass at the beautiful Il San Pietro Hotel. You’d blow your whole budget if you stay there but dinner was excellent and reasonable for the experience. The view from the hotel is amazing.

We did one full day taking the ferry to Amalfi. We explored the village then caught a taxi to Ravello and spent a few hours exploring the village and had a fantastic lunch at Hotel Villa Maria on the patio. We then walked the 1500 steps down to Minori for dessert (lemon delight) and caught the ferry back to Positano. One of our favorite days but took a toll on the knees.

We did a private water tour of Capri. We did not visit the island but hit all the grotto’s for great swimming and sightseeing. This was the day we ate at Lo Scoglio on our trip. Absolutely awesome day. Our favorite way of seeing the coast was by boat so Positano really worked for us.

Here’s a really good article on the wines of Campania. We didn’t work in any tastings but you may want to seek out some of the producers: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomhyland/2018/10/09/the-remarkable-white-wines-of-campania/?sh=1b4307414200

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Hi Ross

  • The budget sounds very good indeed.

  • Napoli. A good discussion about it ongoing here. In short, you probably need to appreciate the intimacy/intensity and not mind a good dollop of grittiness. For some it’s life-affirming, for others it feels life-threatening! Naples..love it/ hate it | Slow Europe Travel Forums

  • Staying on the Amalfi coast itself is probably ideal (and for this you might want to exclude Sorrento, which is technically outside the AC, but also feels different (busier and more touristy)

  • We’ve used the local travel agency l’altracostiera before and would recommend them. They’re based in Amalfi (on the main street going inland), so what you’ve got is ‘local apartments’ supported by ‘local agents’. These are very much in the airbnb style, but they’ve been doing it long before airbnb existed.

  • Capri is interesting, and I’m told even more enjoyable as a base, but that makes it incredibly limiting for exploring the rest of the coast, so I’d suggest limiting it to a day trip. If wanting a little splurge, the old taxis with colourful awnings will do a set price for a guided tour. We did this in 1990 (!) and had 6 of us, so the overall cost was remarkably reasonable. It might still feel acceptable for 2, and feel like a little pampering / allows you to get away from the crowds.

  • Where to stay?

    • Amalfi for convenience if wanting to visit loads of places
    • Ravello for the most peaceful / romantic / scenic place on the coast
    • Atrani for something a little unusual, yet still convenient for exploring (but without the views that make the coast)
    • Positano didn’t win us over, but its buildings are charming especially from the coast. It’s got a ‘stopped in time’ feel to the clothes shops with summer dresses outside, steep slopes and it used to have a little pong from the struggling sewer system. I will recommend the walk down from Montepertuso / Nocelle which is surprisingly fast and gives you views that feel ‘suspended above’ Positano. Don’t be a fool, on the way up though, as there’s a bus service!
    • Minori surprised me, as I always (incorrectly) grouped it with the beach resort Maiori. It’s more charming than that, and also reasonably convenient for travel
    • Pogerola won’t get mentioned by many guidebooks, but we enjoyed staying there. It’s got good views (not quite to Ravello’s standards) but is much more ‘local’ than touristy. Probably too humdrum for many, but we enjoyed it (staying in an apartment building where we were probably the only tourists)
    • Scala. Also somewhat under the radar, but it’s also high up and usefully shares the bus route with Ravello. Both Scala and Ravello will be the most inconvenient for travelling around, but far from impossible to do so.
    • Praiano. We’ve not stayed here, but I note it’s been popular with the Slowtrav group. On the coastal road makes it convenient for travel
  • In terms of travel, use the excellent local SITA buses (schedule should be online), and the ferries (the latter especially for visiting Positano, as it shows wonderfully from the sea). Whilst it’s possible to drive, it’s often incredibly inconvenient and requires a degree of skill and gregariousness that we lack (oh and a good head for heights). Train is only an option between Sorrento / Napoli / Pompeii (Circumvesuviana) and BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT PICKPOCKETS as unlike the Amalfi coast, the problem is usually endemic on this line. I don’t know who runs the ferries these days, but they should have online listings. As a small splurge, also consider hiring a small outboard boat for a few hours. It might be too cold to swim off the boat in May, but it still allows an ‘up close’ way to see the coast.

  • Restaurants: Assuming they’re still going, A’Paranza (for their seafood degustazione menu) in Atrani and Cumpa Cosimo (for an excellent trattoria that Netta Bottone used to run wonderfully) in Ravello. In addition, it used to be the case that one of the fancy hotel restaurants in Ravello used to do a very fairly priced lunch menu, so worth checking them out to see what it’s like these days. Not a restaurant, but leave room for the wonderful cakes at Andrea Pansa in Amalfi. Likewise if it’s a bit warm and you want to cool down, grab a Granita (limone is the classic one and the lemons here are very special indeed).

  • Sites / Sights. Follow your interests, but I’ll mention the following

    • Pompeii is remarkable, as much for its size. There is so much to see, but by going in May, you’ll hopefully avoid the punishing heat reflecting off the stone. Herculaneum is much more concentrated and thus a nice option if you want less walking. There’s also a Roman villa in Minori that’s worth a detour if you’re there
    • The Arsenale in Amalfi is moderately interesting in itself, but also holds exhibitions, so see if there is anything interesting there
    • The paper museum in Amalfi is modest and perhaps not worth a detour for it specifically, but combine it with the wonderful Valley of the Mills walk (see Tippett guide later) and I reckon that gives wonderful context for the latter part of that walk
    • Atrani has some properly weird architecture with houses built into the huge viaduct. It’s also the perfect place to be on a stinking hot day, as the viaduct blots out the sun. There’s a short but surprisingly strenuous 20-30 minute walk from Amalfi (see Tippett guide)
  • Walking is very much one of the joys of the area, and unlike the tourist conveyor belts of the Cinque Terre, these are still shockingly underused. We can easily go 30 minutes without encountering anyone else. There are immense amounts of steps, so your calves might ache a little, and a small few sections need a little more care than we gave them on one trip (we were speed walking down and my partner twisted her ankle) There is a wonderful book in the Sunflower series by Julian Tippett. It’s a tall thin light blue book, so sort of pocket sized, but I recall it also became available online. Directions are occasionally a little vague, but we always made it there and rarely went off track. It’s got an excellent ‘route map’ near the back for planning to mix and match segments (and there are far more paths than in the book - it’s a wonderful criss-cross of routes). Along the way, you’ll stop to take in the stunning views. I’d recommend buying the book, as it’s convenient, but also a nice thing to retain from the holiday (and encourage a return trip)
  • Cetara (near Salerno) reputed to be ‘the’ place to get seafood, on a coast that does exemplary seafood. Just a little further on is Vietri Sul Mare for ceramics.
  • Ravello has two public gardens. I found the formal one as Rufulo exceptionally boring, but love the slightly unkempt / rambling gardens at Cimbrone much more to my taste, and it also has one of the classic photogenic views of the coast.
  • Wineries. Not many along here, but Marisa Cuomo / Gran Furor stands out as the AC star. They’re based in Furore (with the incessant switchback roads). Buses from Amalfi, or taxi for convenience. Appointments I presume are required. There are a couple of others on the coast itself, and I recall one had a drop in tasting room way back on my 1st visit. Also worth being aware of are the wines of nearby Tramonti, Montevetrano outside of Salerno, but also an opportunity to try bottles from semi local e.g, Ischia, Cilento, Taurasi etc.

  • Scrap the thought of Rome for a day. The coast is so peaceful and charming that you’ll hate the noise, hassle, people, wasted time etc. At most, a day trip to Napoli, Capri or Salerno / Paestum should represent the limits of your travel whilst there

  • Clothing. Layers are your friend. It’s likely to be warm, possibly hot, probably with some rain and maybe even a thunderstorm (which are great to watch from high up on the coast). The sea will still be cold, and the pools often opened from May, and likely to be bracingly cold until June. On the upside, it’s often the ‘right’ temperature for walking and being out and about, plus the spring flowers light up the walks.

  • Other stuff.

  • The pace is slower and this can mean cutting ambition down, as it’s not a region to have a big itinerary for. Don’t forget to stop and take in the views, and don’t assume they’ve forgotten you if the primi isn’t 2 minutes after you finish the antipasti
  • Language. It’s not essential on the AC to have any Italian, but even a little helps e.g. Buongiorno (good day), Salve (Sal_veh/vey - Hi), Prego (Pray_go - you’re welcome), Scusi (Scoo_zee - escuse me in the sense of I want to get past you or I need your attention)
  • We think of Italy as Pizza and Pasta, but despite proximity to Napoli, the fish/seafood and fruit and veg are the absolute stars on the coast.
  • Train/bus/ferry travel tickets. Whilst there are occasional exceptions, you need to buy the ticket before boarding (e,g, in tabaccherie for bus tickets) and then use the stamping machine (at the exit of the ticket office in train stations, onboard the bus for that travel) to validate it. This is part of a historic demarcation in Italy, that you might also see in bars/cafes, where you are expected to pay at the cash desk, and take the receipt to the counter to order the actual drink. On our recent trips we’ve booked a local taxi to pick us up from Napoli airport and I’d recommend this. Otherwise check to see if they added an airport to AC bus service, as the alternative is shuttle bus to Napoli, then walk to the Circumvesuviana station (below the main station if going to Sorrento, or the SITA bus stop for the 2hr journey to Amalfi. NOT fun with luggage.
  • It used to be expected that when eating out, you’d have antipasti, primo, secondo AND dolce. That’s no longer the case, so order what you like, and if you want e.g. a primo for one of you and a secondo for the other (to eat at the same time) ask for them ‘insieme’ (in_sih_yeh_meh/may - together). It also used to be the case that veggies (contorni) and salads (insalate) used to arrive separately from the meat/fish (secondi) p.s. the meh/may thing is because that bit always sounds a little like it’s between the two in pronunciation.
  • Tipping in Italy is much rarer, and usually only a few little coins in a bar, or a modest rounding up in a restaurant… but as this is a tourist destination, they will generally not be surprised if an American tips with American standards. In short, they’re paid appropriately for the job, not expected to turn a breadline wage into a liveable wage via tips.

That’s probably way too much info for you to wade through, but hopefully some is of help. It’s quite likely some might prompt further questions, so feel free to ask!

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I’ve been twice: we stayed once in Ravello and once in Positano. Both trips were magical. The posts above include superb recommendations, and I don’t have much to add. The only things I’d say are (1) Ravello is definitely the loveliest, (2) Positano is definitely the craziest, and (3) I’d strongly consider Amalfi as a home base. If you’re looking for a driver, we used Fulvio Amabile twice, and he’s exceptional (https://en.tripadvisor.com.hk/ShowUserReviews-g187785-d2257651-r143924187-Napoli_Private_Taxi-Naples_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html).

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We went end of September/beginning of October to Positano/Capri/Naples. Naples is the craziest :cheers:
Bathing season was already over but the weather was decent. We liked Positano and Capri is nice to stay overnight (we had a room with a view of the Tre Faraglioni. One tourist described Naples as NYC on acid.

p.s. if you do indeed need to book a train, for this trip or in the future, then we can talk you through it. As @Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n says trenitalia.com is the national rail site and although you can use other aggregators, I’ve always been happy with that site (though some in the US have struggled to pay by card on occasions). The only likely train journey here would be on the Napolo-Ercolano (for nearby Herculaneum)-Pompeii-Sorrento private train route ‘Circumvesuviana’ which I don’t think is on trenitalia site.

You’ve gotten some really good advice. Everyone is a little different so just my two cents:

  • I love Naples and have been several times. It is gritty and real. Lots of people pop in and out and miss a lot. If you are up for adventure, you can easily spent 4-5 nights in Naples. We’ve stayed at both Grand Hotel Parkers and Grand Hotel Vesuvio. Both are excellent - but very different vibes being up on the hill vs the harbor.
  • Lots to see - great churches, museums, opera, shopping, harbor, day trips to Ischia and Herculaneum, etc. Our favorites including hanging out in a square eating pizza and drinking beer with friends from Naples, dancing in the street at night with gypsies, driving through the streets on a motor scooter with a case of wine in the back, renting a dinghy and exploring the harbor with lunch in Ischia, and stumbling upon a small monument with the family name. Don’t go to Naples without eating fresh anchovies at the harbor - simple and amazing.
  • once you get on the Amalfi coast, it’s not the easiest place from which to do day trips. It’s a great place to hang out, eat, shop, and spa. But highly recommend Palazzo Avino in Ravello and the gardens in Ravello over Positano. Driving in Ravello is for the brave - the hubby had to back down the tight road for quite awhile when we encountered a bus coming the other way.
  • if you are into ancient culture, Herculaneum is worth a trip. I enjoyed it more than Pompeii, but I was lucky to have a special tour with a curator from the British Museum. It’s much smaller than Pompeii and easy from Naples for the afternoon.
  • I wasn’t impressed with Sorrento and it’s an easy pass for me. Very touristy and lots of Americans.
  • I also wasn’t impressed with Don Alfonso. It’s so easy to have an amazing meal in Italy without the fuss.
  • you can also take a ferry or helicopter to the Aeolian islands - each island has a different character - they are breathtaking.
  • also not far is the Palace of Caserta (one of the Star Wars was filmed here) and Monte Cassino (rebuilt after the WWII bombing) - we enjoyed visits to both.
  • for wine tasting, we stayed in Terracina - north of Naples and on the coast. Easy to reach wineries like Villa Mathilda and Terra di Lavoro.
  • we also get a car when we leave Naples, so will defer to others on the trains.
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Super recommendation in the above posts. Second spending the night in Capri

If you decided to stay in Napoli then the street Via Chiaia is a great location. It’s a pedestrian road, with lots of nice BnB, that is a popular location for “La Passeggiata”. That’s their evening stroll and they stroll in Naples. You can walk to the major attractions from there.

You are not going to want a car in Naples. It is by far and away the worse place to drive and I drive everywhere. They are insane behind the wheel. I saw a guy driving on railroad tracks to avoid traffic.

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Glad to hear you liked the Grand Hotel Parkers, Lori! Reviews are a little mixed, when did you stay?

It’s one of the few options on points.

Two little incidents amongst a constant stream of them on a journey from airport to AC.

  • An intersection, a moment’s hesitation and in an instant a car is an impromptu traffic island (roundabout) unable to move for the traffic swirling round it.
  • We’re on the autostrada (motorway), hear a siren and the driver edges over to allow an ambulance driving at a good speed with lights flashing to go through. Behind it, with maybe 6 feet max between bumpers, is a chain of about 5 cars tail-gating the ambulance to beat the heavy traffic

Hi Barry,

I’ve stayed at Grand Hotel Parker twice, pre-Covid, at the recommendation of a colleague who lives in Naples. We had a car one of the times, and they have/had a private garage that was helpful. I understand that they’ve embarked on some recent renovations - but not sure if they are complete.

The rooftop terrace was lovely for breakfast with amazing views over the bay and Mt Vesuvius. We did not have dinner or lunch at the hotel.

The hotel is on a curving road on the hillside so at certain times of the day there is a lot of traffic out front. It wasn’t a bother to us. The rooms were spacious - one time we had a two story room with the bedroom upstairs and the main seating area down.

It’s a short walk downhill to some shopping and restaurants - but it’s not in the main tourist section.

I hope you love Naples - it’s one of my favorite cities!

Lori

Thanks Lori. Good to know, I’ve been looking at the rates. Did you book through SLH or Hyatt?

We love Naples too, this will be our third time.

I particularly enjoyed the three-point turn the municipal bus made on the road to Ravello from Amalfi. At a blind corner…

I was once part of that tailgating group of cars behind the ambulance after being stuck not moving for 20 minutes on the autostrada.

Another typical Naples maneuver – nothing quite like being passed on the right and the driver then making an immediate left turn in front of you.

I mentioned this story in another thread, but in Sicily, when I slowed down in a residential neighborhood for a boy crossing the street, he flipped me the double bird. Obviously, only an emasculated man unworthy of respect would slow down for a child crossing the street.

Ferry is the way to go.

By the way, if I had five more days for my trip, I’d go back to Salerno, just south of the Amalfi Coast, connected by ferry. Prices are 30% of the fancy places (no great hotels though), and the food is just as good. Paestum is the mother of all Greek ruins on the Italian mainland and a destination by itself, it’s just outside of Salerno.

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We spent three nights in Amalfi last May, taking a train in from Florence, having a quick meal in Naples, a stop in Pompeii, and then onto Amalfi. We stayed at the Santa Caterina Hotel, which was a short walk (well, quite uphill of course) from the town of Amalfi. Our conclusions:

  • Naples is, yep, gritty. I can revel in gritty, but there is so much else in Italy, it felt ok for the visit there to be quick.
  • The thrill of a hotel essentially built into the cliff was low. You feel a bit trapped on a ledge.
  • Positano is great for a half-day visit. That’s all that was necessary.
  • Had a very nice dinner in Amalfi at Ristorante La Caravella
  • We visited Ravello for dinner one evening and said “We need to return to the Amalfi Coast and we need to stay here.” Ravello did it for us … mid-50s couple, recent empty-nesters. A town you could stroll in that was not continuous steps and human centipedes, and also have an amazing view.
  • Rome is worth at least 2 days and you should either invest the time or skip it and save it for next time. I don’t think you can visit for a half day and kinda-get-the-gist (my words, not yours)

Hope you don’t mind the quick, low-context reactions :-). Have a great trip!

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We booked directly with the hotel. I always check prices through various sources, but if it’s close I book with the hotel directly so they don’t have to pay any affinity fees. It usually comes back to me with a nice welcome gift, room upgrade, etc.

Interesting! I remember looking at that place for our 2nd or 3rd trip to the region. We ended up elsewhere, and not long after we figured we much preferred apartments to hotels. The thought of feeling trapped on a ledge never occurred to me, and given I’m scared of heights, it probably should have!

Staying in Ravello for us was every bit as good as you think it will be for you. On that first visit, I stood for about an hour, just watching the movement of boats in the bay as the light faded. It felt magical. On top of that, the main square is a joy first thing in the morning and especially in the evening, where the usual Italian passeggiata is replaced by ‘hanging out in the square’. It is something of a pain to explore elsewhere, as the guided tours won’t pick up there (walk or bus down to Amalfi instead) and elsewhere typically requires 2 bus journeys, connecting at Amalfi… and the Ravello bus is often crowded, though they tended to be good at adding an extra bus if any were too full to take everyone. There’s also a really good walk, not in the tippett guide, heading inland high up in the valley, through cool woodland with a good path… and no steps!! It makes a nice change to the rest of the (lovely) walks

p.s. back in 1990 the square in Ravello was open to traffic, and the buses used to pass through it, as well as picking up / dropping off passengers in the square. The drivers also used to pop into the bar/tabaccheria, perhaps to drop off tickets to sell, perhaps to grab a quick coffee (or maybe something stronger to keep their nerve on those roads!)

I usually check that too, but SLH member rate is cheaper than the hotels direct rate by 10%.

So great to hear all this, Ian … thank you!!

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