Where Ya Been?

El_Jefe said:

Buona sera from Paterno Way in Sicilia. Joe says hi.

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• Sicily has 2 international airports, Palermo (NW) and Catania (E). Much smaller airports at Trapani (NW) and Comiso (SE) are generally limited to flights within Italy.
• UA flies nonstop Newark to Palermo, and is adding nonstop Newark to Catania.
• Catania Airport is excellent, except it’s near the base of Mt Etna. Flights get canceled or diverted for visibility when Etna is moody.
• You can take a train from the Italian mainland to Sicily, if you’re an idiot or desperate. It’s an overnighter, notoriously rickety on the mainland, and with a transfer in Messina (5 am for inbound trains). Cool that the train actually loads onto a ferry to cross over to Messina. Otherwise, ugh.
• Except for the narrow strait at Messina, Sicily is too far away from mainland ports for a ferry. Just fly in.

• Sicily has countless towns worth visiting. The main stops are Palermo, Siracusa (SE), Cefalu (N), Trapani (NW), Agrigento (SW), Catania, and Taormina (NE). Palermo and Catania are bigger cities. Agrigento is home to Valley of the Temples. Taormina is a posh resort town popular with tour groups.
• Most people choose to base themselves either in Palermo or Siracusa. We chose Siracusa for its Greek (not Roman) ruins and small-town feel.
• Palermo day trips: Cefalu (1 hr train), Monreale (a major cathedral, 30 min bus), and Borgo Pirrini (a mini Barcelona, 45 min bus). Trapani and Erice are worth day trips, but are near each other and 1:30 from Palermo – probably worth relocating to Trapani for a couple days.
• The easiest Siracusa day trips are Noto (1 hr bus) and Catania (1:15 bus). Mt Etna can be done as a day trip, depending on your activity there. Taormina can be as well, though it’s a longer bus. Modica, Ragusa, Scicli, and Marzamemi are worth consideration, but are close to each other and probably worth a relocation from Siracusa.
• Renting a car is not necessary unless visiting more obscure towns, esp. in the interior. Some convenience if traveling along the western coast. The freeways are good, but surface streets are slow and not in great shape. Plus virtually every town in Italy has a ZTL (limited traffic zone) = massive fines on unsuspecting tourists. Avoid ZTL fines by parking way outside town, or better yet by not driving. Unless you're along the coast, the roadside scenery doesn't justify it. There are background mountains everywhere, like California. But a lot of the foreground looks more like rural Arkansas than Napa Valley.
• Buses and trains between towns are good and cheap – another reason to not bother driving. Do check station locations – the main bus station and train station aren't always nearby. Even if the bus company lists multiple stops within a town, assume you’re only stopping at the main station.

• Tap water is legally potable, but disgusting thanks to ancient pipes. Salty, off-tasting, and sometimes discolored. It’s fine for brushing teeth, washing hands, and bathing. Bottled water is relatively cheap.
• Avoid public toilets in Sicily if at all possible – expect no toilet seats, toilet paper, or soap. Bring tissues and hand sanitizer when away from your room.
• Did I mention ancient pipes? Don't flush toilet paper anywhere in Sicily. Use the trash bin.
• That rule about not wearing shorts in Europe ... lol. We saw more people wearing shorts + flip-flops than wearing jeans or slacks.

• Excellent. Note, the “no cheese with seafood” rule does not exist is Sicily.
• Sicily has a number of “challenge” foods. They’re primarily in the Palermo street food stalls and in the interior. We found none of them on our trip.
• What we ate: Calamari stuffed with shrimp, lemon zest, pine nuts, raisins, bread crumbs, and almonds (get this at Alfeo!); linguine with clams; spaghetti with sardines; cacio e pepe; pistachio pesto with shrimp; swordfish with mint; orange/fennel salad; caponata; wild boar with pear, fig, and thyme; tuna with peppers/onions; brasceola sandwich with olive oil, lemon juice, arugula, and aged Parmesan; capocollo sandwich with artichokes, artichoke cream, provolone, sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon zest; black pork pancetta sandwich with goat cheese, mixed salad, grilled onion, and fennel pesto; lots of cannoli (which are far superior to US cannoli).

• Wonderful place, a highlight of the trip. The old town on the island of Ortigia is picturesque with lots of narrow alleys.
• Where to stay: somewhere on Ortigia. We rented an apartment behind Ortigia Market and were very happy with the location. (Bonus: we stocked the fridge.) Other good locations: Giudecca (Jewish Quarter), near the Duomo, and the Lungomare (coastal ring road).
• Arriving: Interbus runs directly from Catania Airport to Siracusa Stazione Centrale. From there, take the local 110 bus (E1.50/person) – can bring luggage onboard. Taxis cost E15 just to cross the bridge, more if your lodging is away from the bridge, and typically cannot take you all the way to your room anyway due to the pedestrian nature of Ortigia.
• Getting around: Ortigia is small and completely walkable. The 110 bus goes from Ortigia to Stazione Centrale. The 105 bus and the Hop On/Off bus both go from Ortigia to the Neapolis (Greek ruins) on the mainland.
• Plan to spend minimum 3 days here. 2d to wander around Ortigia, and 1d to see the mainland attractions (Neapolis, Paolo Orsi Archaeology Museum, Catacombs, and the brutalist commie spaceship Madonna of the Tears Basilica).
• On Ortigia, you only need to plan for Castello Maniace at the tip of the island (limited hours) and island boat tours. Be sure to see: Ortigia Market, Temple of Apollo (a city block of Greek ruins near the market), Fountain of Diana (best at night), Duomo (be sure to see the original Greek structure outside), and Arethusa Fountain. Consider a tuk-tuk ride around the island. But mostly just walk around semi-aimlessly.
• All of the attractions above are within 1/2 mi of each other. Go to the Neapolis first, when it opens. Beat the crowds; also, it’s very hilly and the sun is intense. And it’s up a steep hill from the other mainland attractions. Otherwise, there is little reason to go more than a few blocks past the bridges to Ortigia. One benefit of the Hop On/Off bus is it has a 5-min stop at a great waterfront viewpoint of the old town; and it’s not much more expensive than 2 rides on the 105 bus.
• Where we ate (ALL of it excellent): the 2 sandwich shops at the market (Fratelli Burgio Salumeria, Caseficio Borderi) both serve massive sandwiches; staying nearby allowed us to keep leftovers for breakfast and for the departure bus to CTA Airport. Trattoria Da Michelone (at the market). Kantunera, Trattoria Zammitti, Levante Gelato (near the bridges). Seby (near Temple of Apollo). Tinkite (Giudecca). Alfeo (Lungomare, next to Arethusa Fountain).
• Lower-priority restaurants: the places on Via Cavour were packed and mostly not worth waiting (esp. with good alternatives so near). Eat one meal on Lungomare near Arethusa Fountain, but only when you can get into Alfeo or Yacht (the other restaurants are poorly rated and quite overpriced).
• Levante Gelato serves cannoli filled with gelato instead of ricotta. Delicious but became a big mess as the gelato melted. Glad I tried it once.

• Gorgeous inland Baroque town about 1 hr from Siracusa. Worth about a half-day, easy day trip. Everything to see is within 3/4 mi of the main bus stop.
• Corso Emanuele and the parallel streets are mostly flat or gradual incline. The cross streets are San Francisco steep. The best way to go uphill is to take the side exit from a church.
• Getting here: be sure to arrive by bus, as the main bus stop is at a town park at the start of Corso Emanuele. Can depart by bus or train depending on timing, but the train station is about 3/4 mi downhill from the old town (so you don’t want to arrive by train and hike up that).
• Sights: whatever strikes you on Corso Emanuele, plus Chiesa di Montevergine (on Cavour, 1 block uphill). The old town’s palaces were closed when we visited.
• Food: Cannoliamo (near the arch on Corso Emanuele) was excellent. Caffe Sicilia is a famous café, step inside but eat elsewhere. Don’t be like us, my wife wanted arancini really bad so we got some really bad arancini at MammArancini – should’ve gotten sandwiches at the next-door Panivicio Vinci instead. (Seriously, those arancini were awful, and the only food in Sicily I didn’t love. Even the arancini at CTA Airport were really good … but not here.)

• A bigger city, and feels like it. OK for a day trip but lacks the small towns’ charm, and I wouldn’t spend a night there, even as a base for day trips.
• Arriving/getting around: the train and bus stations are inconvenient to the tourist areas, but are both near the metro. The metro's only stop in the tourist zone (Stesicoro) is very convenient. Most of the attractions are close enough to not bother with local buses.
• Sights: the underground Roman Amphitheater at Piazza Stesicoro is a must. Skip the church facing the square – you have to buy a combined ticket with 2 other nearby churches, and none of the 3 are that great. Instead walk down Via Crociferi to the Greco-Roman Theater ruins, then to the Fish Market (optional), then to the Catania Duomo, Elephant Fountain, and Chiesa Badia di Sant’Agata (has terrace views of Mt Etna). Then walk up Via Etnea back to Piazza Stesicoro – this is a little over 1 mi roundtrip. Optional: continue past Stesicoro about 1/2 mi to Bellini Gardens. Also, there is a WW2 museum near Stazione Centrale.
• Food: lunch at Sfizy, awesome sandwich shop 1/2 block from Piazza Stesicoro. It has almost no seating, but you can eat on the square, totally worth it. Had we had stayed for dinner, it would’ve been at Puti (at Bellini Gardens).
• Caution: Catania has some rough stretches, but the tourist areas are safe. Use the train if departing after dark, as the main bus station is sketchy. Take the metro from Stesicoro to Stazione Centrale, don’t walk.

• Arriving/departing: AA has nonstops from PHL to NAP. Great! Except this dump of an airport makes PHL seem awesome. It’s far too small for its passenger volume, and no planes arrive at gates – all passengers must take buses to/from the terminal. OTOH: ground transportation is easy and relatively cheap. NAP is 4 mi from Centro Storico – E24 fixed-fare taxis, or cheap shuttle buses to Stazione Centrale or the port. Centrale connects indoors to the Garibaldi metro station.
• Getting around: your hotel choice matters a lot here. The Dante, Toledo, and Museo metro stops are very convenient; and Garibaldi connects to the regional trains. The other metro stations are inconvenient for location and/or operating hours. Buses are good but subject to traffic. The main tourist areas (Centro Storico, Spanish Quarter, and San Ferdinando) are adjacent to each other and walkable.
• Where to stay: we were very happy with our Via Toledo apartment near Dante metro – great location, secure buildings, safe area with a lot of people, etc. Louder part of town, but we didn’t hear much of it. Some people prefer to stay in the upscale Chiaia district, but Metro Line 6 does not operate after 3:30 pm on weekends. Others stay in the hilltop Vomero district, but there’s not much to do there. The area between Via Duomo and Corso Garibaldi is generally OK but requires more attention at night. Avoid staying near or east of Garibaldi, Centrale, and Porta Nolana train stations.
• Note: Naples lodging can pose challenges for people with mobility issues. Viable solutions exist, but take a lot of planning effort.
• Sights: Allow 3-4 full days to see Naples, and more if visiting the ruins. The 2 can’t-miss attractions in the city are the MANN archaeology museum and the Spaccanapoli district within Centro Storico.
• CENTRO STORICO – Spaccanapoli is bounded by 2 parallel streets between Piazza Dante and Via Duomo containing a lot of churches, shops, and restaurants. Sansevero Chapel is famous for the veiled Christ, but requires advance reservations. Don’t miss the famous San Gennaro Mural at Via Vecchia and Via Duomo, that looks remarkably like a 4-story Marco Rubio dressed like a Catholic bishop. Also walk thru Christmas Alley and rub the gnome statue at Purgatorio alley. Naples Underground catacombs if you’re into that kind of thing. SPANISH QUARTER – the 2 main attractions are the Pignasecca Market and the Diego Maradona mural. Otherwise, just wander around here. SAN FERDINANDO – Galleria Umberto is a posh, covered, open-air shopping center like the famous galleria in Milan. Across the street is Piazza Plebescito containing Palazzo Reale + Teatro San Carlo. CHIAIA – Galleria Borbonica is an underground tunnel connecting Palazzo Reale to military barracks; advance tickets recommended (same day OK). See Castel dell’Ovo if it’s re-opened. Otherwise stroll around a pleasant upscale district. RIONE SANITA – this is worth a half-day of light walking. Take the bus up Via Toledo to the elevator at Piazza Sanita; visit the Sanita Basilica. Then walk to the modernist Blue Church on Via Cristallini; continue on Via Cristallini downhill to Palazzo Spagnuolo, see its outdoor staircase. Optional, see the Jago art museum. Then walk along Cavour 1/4 mi or take the metro 1 stop to the MANN archeology museum, which is worth as much time as you can give it.
• Pizza: Naples is the birthplace of pizza. The most famous places are in Spaccanapoli. The best we found was Antonio Sorbillo, also has the shortest/fastest moving lines due to its location (the last pizzeria on Via Tribunale). Caution: there are a lot of Sorbillo pizzerias in Spaccanapoli with varying quality/service – look specifically for Antonio Sorbillo.
• Other food: Pasta Genovese – excellent Naples dish with no ties to Genoa; it tastes like French onion soup with chunks of meat. Ragu Napoletano – a lot like Sunday gravy. Frittatina – fried pasta, basically pasta version of arancina. Pizza Portofoglio – pizza folded up as takeout street food (and extremely cheap). Cuoppo – a cup of fried food. Tarallo – like ring-shaped breadsticks. Sfogliatella Riccia – a puff pastry cone filled with vanilla pastry cream, good but can be too rich and too sweet. Sfogliatella frolla – shortcrust pastry typically filled with lemon pastry cream.
• Where we ate: SPACCANAPOLI – Pizzeria Antonio Sorbillo, Cucina di Nonna Luisa, Bencott, Corno Gelato all highly recommended. Zia Esterina Sorbillo was decent pizza but atrocious service, go elsewhere. Trattoria dell’Olio is ok but you can do better. Blanco Pasticceria (across from Dante metro) was good but most cafes on Via Napoli are just meh. SAN FERDINANDO – definitely stop at the landmark Gran Caffe Gambrinus and get a pastry at the counter (but the regular food and service aren’t good). RIONE SANITA – Crostone (sandwiches).
• Naples menus don’t vary much, so you’re mostly just after a well-regarded place near your location.
• Tap water is drinkable here, and you can flush toilet paper. OTOH, still no toilet seats other than at lodging.

• Not required but absolutely must do this in a tour group (or with a private guide) – otherwise it’s just a pile of rocks. Also certain sections get bottled up if you’re not with a group.
• Allow 2+ hrs for the tour, plus any additional time on your own afterward.
• Unfortunately the mosquitoes survived Vesuvius. Apply repellant before leaving your room. Also apply sunscreen – the sun is very intense here with lots of reflection and almost no shade.
• Arriving: take the Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi or Sorrento to the Pompeii Scavi station, at the Porta Marina main entrance. Note: (1) take the express train if possible; the local train has pickpockets and no a/c. (2) The train fills up quickly and can be sardine-level crowded for an hour – go early. (3) Avoid Naples Porta Nolana despite it being the first station and having an elevator to the platform – it’s in a terrible part of town.
• Food: Bring snacks or lunch – food near the Porta Marina gate is bad and overpriced by tourist trap standards, and food inside the park is very limited. Also bring water.
• Optional: exit near the Amphitheater and go into the town of Pompei. The belltower at Our Lady of the Rosary Sanctuary has 360 views of the region including Vesuvius (and an elevator), and is about 500 ft from the Pompei Santuario station (note, different train/bus line back to Naples and Sorrento).

• Unfortunately we missed this, because of rain on the days we could go. It’s a less famous but arguably better ruins site, better preserved and closer to Naples. Allow 2-4 hrs.
• Arriving: take the train to Ercolano Scavi, then walk 10-15 min downhill to the park. Note, you may need to take a regional train – the Circumvesuviana typically skips Ercolano Scavi.
• Recommend visiting from Naples – it’s about an hour closer to Naples than to Sorrento.
• Optional: the National Railway Museum is about a 15-min taxi from Ercolano Scavi (or maybe you can get a bus).

• We stayed here as a gateway to Pompeii, Positano, and Capri; and for its easy arrival from Naples.
• Arriving: direct shuttle or private driver from NAP Airport, Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi, or ferry.
• Where to stay: anything near the old town is expensive. The 5 of us rented a 3BR apartment on Corso Italia, about 3 bus stops from the train station. Good call.
• Sorrento can be seen in a half-day. The main sights are all within 1/2 mi of Piazza Tasso. It’s mainly a pleasant town to walk around in.
• Food: anything lemon-flavored. Baked gnocchi.
• Where we ate: La Pummarola (excellent pizza next to our apartment); Nalu Trattoria (recommended); Raki Gelato (decent but you can find better)

• We only visited for dinner since the teenage nieces picked the restaurant. Positano is beautiful from the marina and from various lookout points, but mega-expensive and completely vertical. The restaurant was about halfway uphill, and 300+ steps up from the marina.
• Where to stay: Somewhere else. Sorrento was a good call. Alternately, Amalfi or Ravello.
• Arriving/departing: strongly recommend arriving by ground transportation and departing by ferry. The bus route is at the top of the hill. Uber to Sorrento was about $200 one-way, worth it for 5 people. Either way, take motion sickness pills before riding on that road.
• Things to do: other than shop and gawk at the view, the only thing to do in Positano is the Hike of the Gods. As if you didn’t hike enough up the stairs in town.
• We did not visit the rest of the Amalfi Coast. If I were to return (unlikely), I’d visit Amalfi and Ravello, which are adjacent towns down the coast.

• Beautiful resort island, but mega expensive, very hilly, tons of stairs, and overrun with tourists. Glad we went … once.
• Arriving: your only choice is by ferry. From Marina Grande, you can take a taxi or the Funicular up to Piazetta in Capri Town – but your bags can’t. You have to ship your luggage by porter service from Marina Grande to your lodging (expect E30/bag each way, oof).
• Getting around: Funicular to/from Marina Grande. 3-mi bus to Anacapri (or taxi if you want to light money on fire). Capri Town and Anacapri are both tiny and walkable.
• Where to stay: most people stay in Capri Town; nearly all lodging is within easy walking distance of Piazetta. BUT: people with mobility issues need not apply. The only lodging without steps is the Grand Hotel Quisisana, $650/night and at the bottom of a steep hill. Our “ground floor” apartment had a street-level facility entrance, and then 3 flights of external steps to the building itself. My BIL’s hotel ($450/night) had an elevator – but not until after 2 flights of steps up to the lobby. Perhaps the neighboring town of Anacapri would’ve been better …
• Sights: Capri’s 2 most famous attractions are the Blue Lagoon (hard pass) and the Monte Solaro chair lift. Surprisingly, the 2 teenaged nieces didn’t want to do either. Blue Lagoon is a $20/person add-on to any other boat tour, for less than 5 minutes after waiting over an hour to transfer boats, and then they hard sell you for tips. The chair lift is exactly that – it’s a non-stop ski lift but without skiing at the top. You need to do these ASAP In the morning, before the Naples mega-cruise ship passengers ferry in.
• Other sights: CAPRI TOWN – shopping district, Clock Tower, a couple churches, Garden of Augustus + Certosa di San Giacomo. ANACAPRI: everything is within 1/4 mi of the bus stop. Villa San Michele + Villa Rossa. Museo Casa Rossa, Chiesa San Michele, Chiesa Santa Maria, Chiesa San Sofia.
• Note: we got caught in a heavy storm in Anacapri, and ran to Chiesa San Michele for cover. Joke was on us – this church, while beautiful and I’m glad we visited, has no pews; visitations are by perimeter boardwalk only. So we had to wait out the storm along with lots of other tourists, all standing in the cramped lobby. The next church was only about 100 ft further from Casa Rossa, but 500 ft away from San Michele in a t-storm.
• Where we ate: Al Chiaro di Luna (at Hotel La Vega in Capri) was well worth the splurge – but it was down a lot of stairs from town, which meant back up a lot of unlit stairs afterward at night. Gran Caffe Vuotto (Capri Piazetta) – we ate here twice purely out of convenience, total tourist trap. Pullali (Capri Piazetta) was excellent, also worth a splurge. Sciue Sciue (Anacapri) was very good; had we not been caught in a t-storm and not watching the nieces, we might have instead eaten at the deli at the Anacapri bus stop, but no regrets.

El_Jefe said:

Sorrento:

• We stayed here as a gateway to Pompeii, Positano, and Capri; and for its easy arrival from Naples.
• Arriving: direct shuttle or private driver from NAP Airport, Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi, or ferry.
• Where to stay: anything near the old town is expensive. The 5 of us rented a 3BR apartment on Corso Italia, about 3 bus stops from the train station. Good call.
• Sorrento can be seen in a half-day. The main sights are all within 1/2 mi of Piazza Tasso. It’s mainly a pleasant town to walk around in.
• Food: anything lemon-flavored. Baked gnocchi.
• Where we ate: La Pummarola (excellent pizza next to our apartment); Nalu Trattoria (recommended); Raki Gelato (decent but you can find better)

Positano:

• We only visited for dinner since the teenage nieces picked the restaurant. Positano is beautiful from the marina and from various lookout points, but mega-expensive and completely vertical. The restaurant was about halfway uphill, and 300+ steps up from the marina.
• Where to stay: Somewhere else. Sorrento was a good call. Alternately, Amalfi or Ravello.
• Arriving/departing: strongly recommend arriving by ground transportation and departing by ferry. The bus route is at the top of the hill. Uber to Sorrento was about $200 one-way, worth it for 5 people. Either way, take motion sickness pills before riding on that road.
• Things to do: other than shop and gawk at the view, the only thing to do in Positano is the Hike of the Gods. As if you didn’t hike enough up the stairs in town.
• We did not visit the rest of the Amalfi Coast. If I were to return (unlikely), I’d visit Amalfi and Ravello, which are adjacent towns down the coast.

Capri:

• Beautiful resort island, but mega expensive, very hilly, tons of stairs, and overrun with tourists. Glad we went … once.
• Arriving: your only choice is by ferry. From Marina Grande, you can take a taxi or the Funicular up to Piazetta in Capri Town – but your bags can’t. You have to ship your luggage by porter service from Marina Grande to your lodging (expect E30/bag each way, oof).
• Getting around: Funicular to/from Marina Grande. 3-mi bus to Anacapri (or taxi if you want to light money on fire). Capri Town and Anacapri are both tiny and walkable.
• Where to stay: most people stay in Capri Town; nearly all lodging is within easy walking distance of Piazetta. BUT: people with mobility issues need not apply. The only lodging without steps is the Grand Hotel Quisisana, $650/night and at the bottom of a steep hill. Our “ground floor” apartment had a street-level facility entrance, and then 3 flights of external steps to the building itself. My BIL’s hotel ($450/night) had an elevator – but not until after 2 flights of steps up to the lobby. Perhaps the neighboring town of Anacapri would’ve been better …
• Sights: Capri’s 2 most famous attractions are the Blue Lagoon (hard pass) and the Monte Solaro chair lift. Surprisingly, the 2 teenaged nieces didn’t want to do either. Blue Lagoon is a $20/person add-on to any other boat tour, for less than 5 minutes after waiting over an hour to transfer boats, and then they hard sell you for tips. The chair lift is exactly that – it’s a non-stop ski lift but without skiing at the top. You need to do these ASAP In the morning, before the Naples mega-cruise ship passengers ferry in.
• Other sights: CAPRI TOWN – shopping district, Clock Tower, a couple churches, Garden of Augustus + Certosa di San Giacomo. ANACAPRI: everything is within 1/4 mi of the bus stop. Villa San Michele + Villa Rossa. Museo Casa Rossa, Chiesa San Michele, Chiesa Santa Maria, Chiesa San Sofia.
• Note: we got caught in a heavy storm in Anacapri, and ran to Chiesa San Michele for cover. Joke was on us – this church, while beautiful and I’m glad we visited, has no pews; visitations are by perimeter boardwalk only. So we had to wait out the storm along with lots of other tourists, all standing in the cramped lobby. The next church was only about 100 ft further from Casa Rossa, but 500 ft away from San Michele in a t-storm.
• Where we ate: Al Chiaro di Luna (at Hotel La Vega in Capri) was well worth the splurge – but it was down a lot of stairs from town, which meant back up a lot of unlit stairs afterward at night. Gran Caffe Vuotto (Capri Piazetta) – we ate here twice purely out of convenience, total tourist trap. Pullali (Capri Piazetta) was excellent, also worth a splurge. Sciue Sciue (Anacapri) was very good; had we not been caught in a t-storm and not watching the nieces, we might have instead eaten at the deli at the Anacapri bus stop, but no regrets.

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El_Jefe said:

Sorrento:

• We stayed here as a gateway to Pompeii, Positano, and Capri; and for its easy arrival from Naples.
• Arriving: direct shuttle or private driver from NAP Airport, Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi, or ferry.
• Where to stay: anything near the old town is expensive. The 5 of us rented a 3BR apartment on Corso Italia, about 3 bus stops from the train station. Good call.
• Sorrento can be seen in a half-day. The main sights are all within 1/2 mi of Piazza Tasso. It’s mainly a pleasant town to walk around in.
• Food: anything lemon-flavored. Baked gnocchi.
• Where we ate: La Pummarola (excellent pizza next to our apartment); Nalu Trattoria (recommended); Raki Gelato (decent but you can find better)

Positano:

• We only visited for dinner since the teenage nieces picked the restaurant. Positano is beautiful from the marina and from various lookout points, but mega-expensive and completely vertical. The restaurant was about halfway uphill, and 300+ steps up from the marina.
• Where to stay: Somewhere else. Sorrento was a good call. Alternately, Amalfi or Ravello.
• Arriving/departing: strongly recommend arriving by ground transportation and departing by ferry. The bus route is at the top of the hill. Uber to Sorrento was about $200 one-way, worth it for 5 people. Either way, take motion sickness pills before riding on that road.
• Things to do: other than shop and gawk at the view, the only thing to do in Positano is the Hike of the Gods. As if you didn’t hike enough up the stairs in town.
• We did not visit the rest of the Amalfi Coast. If I were to return (unlikely), I’d visit Amalfi and Ravello, which are adjacent towns down the coast.

Capri:

• Beautiful resort island, but mega expensive, very hilly, tons of stairs, and overrun with tourists. Glad we went … once.
• Arriving: your only choice is by ferry. From Marina Grande, you can take a taxi or the Funicular up to Piazetta in Capri Town – but your bags can’t. You have to ship your luggage by porter service from Marina Grande to your lodging (expect E30/bag each way, oof).
• Getting around: Funicular to/from Marina Grande. 3-mi bus to Anacapri (or taxi if you want to light money on fire). Capri Town and Anacapri are both tiny and walkable.
• Where to stay: most people stay in Capri Town; nearly all lodging is within easy walking distance of Piazetta. BUT: people with mobility issues need not apply. The only lodging without steps is the Grand Hotel Quisisana, $650/night and at the bottom of a steep hill. Our “ground floor” apartment had a street-level facility entrance, and then 3 flights of external steps to the building itself. My BIL’s hotel ($450/night) had an elevator – but not until after 2 flights of steps up to the lobby. Perhaps the neighboring town of Anacapri would’ve been better …
• Sights: Capri’s 2 most famous attractions are the Blue Lagoon (hard pass) and the Monte Solaro chair lift. Surprisingly, the 2 teenaged nieces didn’t want to do either. Blue Lagoon is a $20/person add-on to any other boat tour, for less than 5 minutes after waiting over an hour to transfer boats, and then they hard sell you for tips. The chair lift is exactly that – it’s a non-stop ski lift but without skiing at the top. You need to do these ASAP In the morning, before the Naples mega-cruise ship passengers ferry in.
• Other sights: CAPRI TOWN – shopping district, Clock Tower, a couple churches, Garden of Augustus + Certosa di San Giacomo. ANACAPRI: everything is within 1/4 mi of the bus stop. Villa San Michele + Villa Rossa. Museo Casa Rossa, Chiesa San Michele, Chiesa Santa Maria, Chiesa San Sofia.
• Note: we got caught in a heavy storm in Anacapri, and ran to Chiesa San Michele for cover. Joke was on us – this church, while beautiful and I’m glad we visited, has no pews; visitations are by perimeter boardwalk only. So we had to wait out the storm along with lots of other tourists, all standing in the cramped lobby. The next church was only about 100 ft further from Casa Rossa, but 500 ft away from San Michele in a t-storm.
• Where we ate: Al Chiaro di Luna (at Hotel La Vega in Capri) was well worth the splurge – but it was down a lot of stairs from town, which meant back up a lot of unlit stairs afterward at night. Gran Caffe Vuotto (Capri Piazetta) – we ate here twice purely out of convenience, total tourist trap. Pullali (Capri Piazetta) was excellent, also worth a splurge. Sciue Sciue (Anacapri) was very good; had we not been caught in a t-storm and not watching the nieces, we might have instead eaten at the deli at the Anacapri bus stop, but no regrets.

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