I am just back from my very first Italian adventure and I have so much to share with you. This is gonna be a long post so pop the kettle and make your self a cuppa. My friend and I explored the Amalfi coast and based ourselves in Sorrento. We spent five nights in Italy and managed to squeeze in so much, which I will share today. I also had some popular questions in my DMs on Instagram when I was away and I hope this post will answer them for you. We explored Sorrento, Positano and Capri on our recent trip. I also have a Youtube video sharing the highlights which you can catch at the end of this post.
Where we flew into and where we stayed
We flew in and out of Naples airport. Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly direct from Dublin to Naples airport. We actually flew out with Aer Lingus and home with Ryanair as it worked out much cheaper. I haven’t used a travel agent in years and I book all my flights and accommodation myself online but I did notice from chatting to people that there was a lot of people on package holidays to explore the Amalfi coast. You could check out a local travel agent as you might get a good package. When I was researching I found it cheaper to book it myself. The flight time from Dublin to Naples was roughly 3.5hrs. When we arrived at Naples airport we got a transfer to our accommodation. The drive from Naples to Sorrento was long and took over an hour. The traffic can be heavy so allow plenty of time to travel to the airport. You can get a train, bus, rent a car, taxi or transfer to get to Sorrento. As I had a travel buddy we split the cost of a transfer. Normally when solo travelling I just hop on the train or whichever way is cheaper.
When exploring the Amalfi coast there are so many places to choose as your base. We settled on Sorrento as there are lots of daily ferries to the other islands. It also seemed to be one of the cheaper options compared to Positano and Capri. We really liked Sorrento, the people were so lovely, the food was delicious and we were able to easily walk to and from our accommodation. We stayed in an apartment in Casa Carolina, this was on a lemon farm a short stroll from the centre of Sorrento. The family who runs this BnB are so lovely. We had a lovely “Mama” who looked after us while we stayed there. The hotels in Sorrento where pricier but I think this was because I booked this relatively last minute. I booked our accommodation through booking.com. A lot of the hotels were booked out so leave plenty of time to get some hotel deals. June – Aug is a really popular time but if you were to travel May or Sept you could get a better deal.
Sorrento
Sorrento is a picturesque small town with lots of pretty side streets to explore and beautiful views of the surrounding coast. There isn’t a massive amount to do in Sorrento but it is a really nice place to make as your base. We loved it down by the port as you can go to the beaches to relax and sunbathe when the weather gets too warm. You can walk down the main street which is called Corsa Italia, there are loads of shops, bars and restaurants to wander into. We loved Italian food, every day we had pasta or pizza and a few cheeky limoncellos too. I don’t really share food places as I feel everyone’s taste is so different but I will say that we didn’t have one bad meal in the town. The quality of the food and service was excellent.
As our accommodation had no swimming pool we would wander down to the port to relax by the sea. There is a small public section but all of the other piers you have to pay to stay there for the day. You can rent a bed for the day for roughly €10-€15. When we were in Italy there was a heatwave in Europe and the temperatures were quite high so in the afternoons after we had explored we would dip in the sea and relax before heading out in the evening.
Positano
You might have seen the pretty pictures of Positano all over Instagram. Well, I can honestly say that it is as pretty as the pictures you see. We got up early and got the 08:35 ferry from Sorrento to Positano. It was great to sail to Positano as we sailed along the coast and got great views of Capri as well. You could also get a bus to Positano but the weather was so nice it seemed a shame not to sail. When we arrived in Positano we headed up to find somewhere for breakfast. The views are simply stunning. There are narrow cobbled streets to wander with loads of independent shops and boutiques with lots of Italian charm. You can also lounge on the beaches of Positano and spend the day in this town. There only seemed to be three daily ferries from Positano to Sorrento but I did see some tours offering an evening tour where you could have your dinner and enjoy the sunset, it would be a fab place to spend an evening. We spent the morning in Positano before hopping on a ferry from Positano to Capri.
Capri and Anacapri
When the ferry sails over to Capri you can start to see the luxury yachts and boats that are dotted all around the coastline. It really is a sight to see. Of all of the places we explored Capri was possibly my least fave, however, it was a really beautiful and picturesque island. I much preferred Anacapri. When you get off the boat the port can be a bit hectic. We decided to hop on a bus that brought us right up to Anacapri where we stopped for a late lunch. Anacapri is beautiful. I found the most adorable shop there that had the cutest shabby chic trinkets. Some shops do close for lunchtime but the restaurants all seemed to stay open. When we finished exploring Anacapri we got the bus back down to Capri and hopped on the funicular which brings you up to the shopping area. Capri is stunning to look at. Every building is spotless and all of the designer shops are styled to perfection. I personally didn’t like the vibe but then again designer shops and fancy restaurants aren’t really my thing. If you do visit Capri then you can also get a boat to the blue grotto. Just be mindful that in peak season the queue or the blue grotto can be 1-2 hrs long.
Pompeii
Sorrento is also a great base if you want to do a day trip to Pompeii. We were going to go visit Pompeii but because of the heatwave, we had felt sick from the heat and sun when we were out exploring. When researching Pompeii it does say that there is little shade and to drink lots of water and pack suncream. We knew we wouldn’t enjoy it in the blistering heat so we decided to leave it for another time. Pompeii is definitely somewhere I would visit when the temp is cooler as it is somewhere I would love to properly explore and take in. As the flights can be cheap to fly to Napoli you could possibly fly in for the weekend and go explore Pompeii and Napoli in a weekend.
There are loads of other towns to explore along the Amalfi coast. What I will say is to pick the ones you feel you will enjoy instead of burning yourself out trying to explore them all. Amalfi and Ravello are two other places that are really popular to visit. You can also get ferries and buses from Sorrento to these towns and they are easy to explore. There are tonnes of blog posts online and Youtube videos where you can decide which towns along the Amalfi coast you want to visit.
I hope you got a feel for Italy and the Amalfi coast in today’s post. I can honestly say that I will definitely be back to visit Italy again. I found the people to be hospitable and overall the places we visited just had a lovely vibe. I can’t believe I had never been to Italy until now. Definitely, a place to add to the bucket list If you enjoyed this post then you might enjoy some of the other places I have visited. You can catch my other travel posts here. You can check out my Youtube video below and please give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you enjoy the video. I also have a travel playlist where you can catch my other travel videos.
Thanks for reading,
Chat soon,
Catherine.
Hi Catherine,
I LOVE your video, photos & blog on Sorrento. I loved how you recorded your video. It has taught me a lesson on recording & encouraged me to start using my video camera again which I haven’t done since my husband passed away over ten years ago. Your photos are superb. I too love taking photos. What make & model of camera & video are you using if you don’t mind me asking please? I was in Sorrento last May and just loved it. I am returning there in April for a week. Can’t wait!! Now that I have found your site etc I intend to watch all your videos & read your blogs. I love your accent. You remind me of home which was Co. Kerry. I left Ireland 55years ago!! I love traveling. I wish you all the very best for the future. Enjoy your travels & recordings which will bring much pleasure to so many people like myself. Stay safe & be happy.
Best wishes always,
Mary.
I just subscribed to your YouTube channel. I wanted to see if I could find your video about your radio show on 92.5 Phoenix? Is that right? Love your content. You are one talented young lady. Shabby Cinque and cottage are my all time fav decor. Just found this video about your trip to Italy, I dream of going someday. Thanks for posting, you’re awesome.
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I would love to stay in Positano, have an amazing trip! X
great post I cant wait to visit here. Next may I am going to Italy for a month. I am splurging and staying in Positano , hey you only live once right?
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Thanks so much for reading! X
So I am now living through you and your world travels! You seem to do all the things I enjoy when traveling! That little shop in AnaCapri looked like a fine place to buy more tea cups and saucers! Thanks for sharing!!
Beautiful pictures and great details in the blog – and also the vlog. I have not been for years but this makes me want to go back. We went to Pompeii in mid/late October and it was pretty hot then!!
Omg I LOVED all your pictures!! So stunning and clear!! You take them with your phone?? I’ve been DYING to go to the Amalfi Coast and your pictures just fan the flame more!!! Thank you for your insight as well!!
These photos are beautiful
Candice x
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Thanks so much for reading! x
Lovely photos thank you for sharing your experience in Italy with us…so pretty!