Amalfi, besides RIL tours?

[BeachBum1007]

We are looking to do the Amalfi coast from Naples in July 2013. I have been looking through boards and I see that RIL is highly recommended. We are most likely going to use them in Rome and Livorno, but would maybe like to use somebody else that is cheaper for Naples.

 

I have came across Simply Amalfi, All Around Italy, and Sorrento Limo. Does anybody have good experience with these guides? If so, can you recommend a driver and about how much it costs?

 

We want to do Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, & Ravello and take the ferry back to see the sea view of the coast. Also, it looks like RIL does not allow for a trip to Sorrento, which is where we would take ferry from. Any input?

 

Thanks in advance, everybody! :)

[fabnfortysomething]

we,ve just returned from a Med cruise where we used Rome car tours for all 3 Italy ports naples rome and livorno-similar prices to RIL but a smaller company and I found a more personal service pre trip

 

Our Naples tour was pick up from pier then trips to Sorrento Positano then on to Pompeii

 

would suggest contact several companies with your wish list and see which oneticks most boxes

[kazu]

We used Drive Amalfi and were very pleased - but we didn't do the ferry:o

 

We had a full day with great scenery, Pompeii, etc.

 

Sometimes there is not enough time to do everything;)

[Hlitner]

One needs to be careful with the ferry thing. The norm for most of these one-way tours is to take the tourists back to Sorrento where they can get a jetboat/hydrofoil back to Naples. However, if you take a boat from Sorrento you will not see any of the Amalfi Coast (when you get to Sorrento you have already left the Amalfi Coast) and the boats go far enough out to sea that you really will not have much of a view of the coast between Sorrento and Naples (nothing special once you get out of the Sorrento area). The ideal boat would be from either Amalfi or Positano back to Naples, but most of the time this does work with a tour schedule.

 

Hank

[maidncruze]

We were there last August and used "Private tour in Italy".

 

We used him for Naples, Livorno and Rome. The amalfi tour was fantastic and it included Sorrento, Positano (lunch on the hill-top), Amalfi and Ravello.

 

I have since sent other CC members to him.

 

If you want any further info let me know.

 

http://www.privatetourinitaly.com/

[pete_coach]

We used Aldo tours http://www.aldolimos.com/cruise_port.htm last Fall and it was a great tour. We had previously used RIL but felt that Aldo offered as good a tour but a bit cheaper.

Our driver Tony (what else LOL) was from Sorrento and as passionate about a region as anyone could be. we emailed bck and forth for a few months and he worked out a very good tour for us. Everything he showed us and everywhere he took us seemed like it was a privileged for us to be there and see it. We really enjoyed it. We had a Mercedes van for the 6 of us and it was very comfortable. I believe we paid 500 Euros.

I would highly recommend them, as least as much as RIL.

[rickdent]

We were there last August and used "Private tour in Italy".

 

We used him for Naples, Livorno and Rome. The amalfi tour was fantastic and it included Sorrento, Positano (lunch on the hill-top), Amalfi and Ravello.

 

I have since sent other CC members to him.

 

If you want any further info let me know.

 

http://www.privatetourinitaly.com/

 

Sorry if I'm being impertinent or rude, but what was your cost for the Amalfi tour?

[vancouvergirl2010]

We just got back and went with Simply Amalfi. I would recommend them and use them again. I can't remember the cost, I think it's on their website.

 

FYI - We went to Positano and Amalfi. We planned to go to Ravello, but felt we were rushed and chose to slow down and spend more time in these towns. If you plan to see all 4 places, you may find it a whirlwind. Although we were there peak season and it was very busy.

[texancruzer]

You really need to check out APTours.

 

Reviews here are also great and we have used them twice now...... and their prices are quite a bit cheaper than RIL. I have posted many times that I don't understand why RIL charges so much when other co's don't. We also used an alternate co. in Sicily since RIL was over 100 euros meow for the same tour :confused:

 

http://www.aptours.it/en/Shore_Trips_from_Naples

 

Here is the website for tours from Naples.......if you have any questions - just ask !

[Pushka]

We used Shareashoreexcursioninitaly and had a fabulous day. It was our best private tour.

[SweetSummertime]

You really need to check out APTours.

 

Reviews here are also great and we have used them twice now...... and their prices are quite a bit cheaper than RIL. I have posted many times that I don't understand why RIL charges so much when other co's don't. We also used an alternate co. in Sicily since RIL was over 100 euros meow for the same tour :confused:

 

http://www.aptours.it/en/Shore_Trips_from_Naples

 

Here is the website for tours from Naples.......if you have any questions - just ask !

 

May I ask who you used in Sicily and what you saw?

[texancruzer]

May I ask who you used in Sicily and what you saw?

 

Sure, we used Sicily Limousines. This port was getting close to the end of our trip and we wanted a nice leisure day. We headed straight for Castelmola and had the place all to ourselves right up until we were getting ready to leave.....then we went down to Taormina. Our driver left us off at one end of the main street and picked us up at the other end at a set time. We strolled, shopped and had a wonderful lunch at Granduca Restaurant. Wowza, some views! :D

[Chloe1500]

We used Aldo tours http://www.aldolimos.com/cruise_port.htm last Fall and it was a great tour. We had previously used RIL but felt that Aldo offered as good a tour but a bit cheaper.

Our driver Tony (what else LOL) was from Sorrento and as passionate about a region as anyone could be. we emailed bck and forth for a few months and he worked out a very good tour for us. Everything he showed us and everywhere he took us seemed like it was a privileged for us to be there and see it. We really enjoyed it. We had a Mercedes van for the 6 of us and it was very comfortable. I believe we paid 500 Euros.

I would highly recommend them, as least as much as RIL.

 

Thanks for the info. We have booked Aldo Limos for the Classic Amalfi Coast in early Oct. Just wondering what your final itinerary was and where you were for lunch, if you care to share more. Thanks!

[pete_coach]

Thanks for the info. We have booked Aldo Limos for the Classic Amalfi Coast in early Oct. Just wondering what your final itinerary was and where you were for lunch, if you care to share more. Thanks!

We went directly to Sorrento (with a photo stop at Bikini Beach resort...really LOL). along the way also look for a tiny rock out in the water with a lone palm tree on it, makes for a great photo too. We did a walkabout in Sorrento, a bit of shopping and time for fantastic cappuccino and pastry.

We then slowly made our way to Positano. We had lunch there. Thing is that you can spend way too much time there just sitting and eating an drinking great wine and your day is done so, be careful LOL.

Then we meandered down to Amalfi which is a beautiful village. You could opt for lunch there instead of Positano. We slowly drove to Vietri sul Mare and connected with the highway to get back to the ship. we did quite a few photo stops.

The day of the week can make a difference on your trip. Sundays is busy with not only tourists but with locals out for a Sunday drive as well. The road can be very slow going, depending on how many tour buses are on it. Taking a private tour and going there first normally beats the traffic. We had one person (a good friend of ours) who came to the realization she had of a fear of heights and along with the very winding road, she was quite uncomfortable about the driving part but hey,the rest of us had a fabulous time and she enjoyed the towns and villages.

[Hlitner]

We went directly to Sorrento (with a photo stop at Bikini Beach resort...really LOL). ...... We did a walkabout in Sorrento, a bit of shopping and time for fantastic cappuccino and pastry. We then slowly made our way to Positano. We had lunch there. Thing is that you can spend way too much time there just sitting and eating an drinking great wine and your day is done so, be careful LOL.

.

 

Luv it because you hit on why we love to go to Europe (sometimes a few times a year). In many places we are content to just sit there, drink good wine, eat great food, and watch the tour groups rush by as they hustle to keep up with their group and keep to their schedule. You might have hit on the best reason why DW and I prefer to avoid groups and tours and simply go off on our own. We can do exactly what we want, when we want, with who (or is it whom) we want. And one of the nice side benefits is we often save hundreds of dollars a day over tours. Is independent travel for everyone? No way! There are those that prefer to have their hand held, follow a guide, not have to think and plan, etc. But for those with what we call the spirit of adventure....the idea of sitting and eating for a long part of the day is just fine.

 

Hank

[anniversay/grad trip]

Sorry if I'm being impertinent or rude, but what was your cost for the Amalfi tour?

 

We used a small family run company called TOUROFITALY. It is a father/son/nephew trio (size of your party will depend on who you get). We went with my family of 6 first time around and had the father Giovanni, and 2nd time it was myself, dh and our best friends (so 4 people) and had the nephew. We will be using them again next month, again for a party of 6...so we will see. It was an awesome tour. We had an unforgettable lunch in Positano for 25e pp all in, that included an antipasta, 3 different kinds of pasta and dessert, wine, coffee and lemoncello. One of the best meals we had the entire trip. The cost for our party of 6 was 450euros for the day. Hope that helps.

[Pushka]

If you can organise the numbers the the private tours offer much more than group tours and even total DIY. There is no way I could adsorb local knowledge to get the best experiences in a multi port cruise. But the large groups are funny to watch as they skim through somewhere in 30 minutes that must include a bathroom and drink stop. All tagging behind a leader with an umbrella or similar.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[1steveharn]

We had a group of eight friends, and used Joe Banana Limos for three tours in Italy, including Amalfi Coast. The cost was 420€ for the group. It was my favorite stop on the cruise. Our driver, Mario, was fantastic..lunch above Positano at La Tagliata, stops in Sorrento, Amalfi, Priano, etc. I highly recommend them. Can't say about the ferry, tho. I've heard that if you try to do it all in one day, you'll miss something, not to mention possible problems getting back to the ship on time. We were docked in Salerno.

[mrobstad]

If one person books several RIL tours, or at least two, there is a 10% (I believe) discount for every member of the group. I think we paid 88 Euro pp including tip for seven people! A bargain! Our Rome guide bought us all gelato, and every driver provided a bottle of cold water. Just nice extra touches!

[KNOTTGOOFY]

I also vouch for AP Tours out of Naples. We used AP Tours for a tour of Pompeii, Ravello, Amalfi and Positano on June 27 from the Ruby. We were supposed to take the ferry from Sorrento but the previous day they had mechanical trouble and our driver recommended driving us back to Naples. We used RIL for tours of Pisa/Florence and Rome and although we had no complaints we liked AP Tours even better. They were less expensive and we had the use of a van for lessr than RIL charges for a sedan for four adults. Our driver was also more friendly and informative than the RIL drivers. Although quite good, I think RIL tends to dominate these boards when there are other options that are just as good or better. We also used Private Greek Tours for Athens and would also rate them ahead of RIL.

[texancruzer]

I also vouch for AP Tours out of Naples. We used AP Tours for a tour of Pompeii, Ravello, Amalfi and Positano on June 27 from the Ruby. We were supposed to take the ferry from Sorrento but the previous day they had mechanical trouble and our driver recommended driving us back to Naples. We used RIL for tours of Pisa/Florence and Rome and although we had no complaints we liked AP Tours even better. They were less expensive and we had the use of a van for lessr than RIL charges for a sedan for four adults. Our driver was also more friendly and informative than the RIL drivers. Although quite good, I think RIL tends to dominate these boards when there are other options that are just as good or better. We also used Private Greek Tours for Athens and would also rate them ahead of RIL.

 

I know, I don't get why people want to pay more for the same or better ? I have been saying that here for some time now..... glad to see I have some company :D

[Nebr.cruiser]

You really need to check out APTours.

 

Reviews here are also great and we have used them twice now...... and their prices are quite a bit cheaper than RIL. I have posted many times that I don't understand why RIL charges so much when other co's don't. We also used an alternate co. in Sicily since RIL was over 100 euros meow for the same tour :confused:

 

http://www.aptours.it/en/Shore_Trips_from_Naples

 

Here is the website for tours from Naples.......if you have any questions - just ask !

 

We used APTours also in May; they were excellent and very easy to work with. I'd certainly recommend them.

[Love the beach]

Last Sept we used Simply Amalfi for a tour of the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. There were 8 in our group (from our roll call) and the cost was 68.75 euros per person. We had a great day---don't remember our drivers name though.

[Hlitner]

We will be using "Hertz" for our upcoming self-drive Amalfi Coast tour. Total cost will be 57 Euros for the car and about another 15 Euros for gas for a total cost of less then $100 for the long day. The car could hold 4 (for a big cost of $25 per person for a full day tour) but we will limit the number on our "tour" to 2.

 

Hank

P.S. We only mention this to show that there are alternatives.

[zazou]

We had a wonderful time with Mario from Joe Banana limos. The price was very good compared to RIL and all of us loved the tour. We went to Positano, eat and visit Sorrento and finished our day at Pompeii. I told Mario that I love to take pictures and he found me great spot to do it. Mario asked us what kind of diner we wanted and we opted for a quick meal. We asked him recommendation as he live in Sorrento. we went to a authentic pizza restaurant and the price was very affordable (56E for 7 people).

 

 

If you want to see my pictures of the tour, look here:

 

http://IsabelleCyr.zenfolio.com/p708934229/slideshow