Recommendations for Capri & Amalfi Coast Trip

[briancl]

I have a trip to Italy next week with my girlfriend, and while I have many details sorted out already, I wanted to solicit advice to hear what others have enjoyed while in the area.

I am arriving in Capri and Tuesday and will be leaving the following Sunday. We are staying at the Tiberio Palace and hope to have a few spa appointments booked (if we can reach someone who speaks English at the hotel!). We would like to do the Blue Grotto boat trip, but we haven't pre-booked, assuming it would be easy to sort out once we arrive. We have a few recommendations on food, but beyond that, our trip is wide open.

For day trips, I was considering Sorrento, Positano, Pompeii, and Naples. Now, I might not do all of them, but I was curious if anyone had any particular activities while in those areas they'd recommend. I also thought that if I were to do two day trips, I could break it down like so: (1) half day Naples + half day Pompeii, and (2) half day Sorrento + half day Positano. The late ferry back to Capri leaves around 9pm, so I figure I have a lot of time to split.

We also have 2 nights in Rome, but that is already fully booked.

Thanks..

 

[bryce330]

It will be difficult to do both Pompeii and Naples in one day, but Pompeii is definitely a must. I would also replace Sorrento with Ravello if possible, although I'm not sure about the availability of public transportation to Ravello. 1/2 day each should be enough for Positano, Ravello, and/or Sorrento.

 

[Mike]

My mother took a 2 1/2 week trip with a tour group there last year. I'll ask her about what she thought was the best stuff later and post back. She had a great time, took hundreds of pictures, and pretty much needed a whole suitcase to bring back stuff.

 

[briancl]

I could afford more time in Naples if I can figure out a way to store our luggage for a day. We can check out of Capri and head to Naples early on Sunday and then spend a day in Naples before taking the train to Rome. If I were in the States, I'd tip a bellhop at any nearby hotel and ask him to hold my bags for a few hours. In Italy, I do not know if this is standard practice. I looked into hiring a private car for the day in order to get around this, but it is prohibitively expensive.

 

[briancl]

Here's one direct question: Where should we go in the evenings? When we travel we generally like to find some nice hotel bars or lounges. Will we be successful in Capri with this tactic, or should we look elsewhere?