Seeking Advice for a Day Trip to the Amalfi Coast from Naples Port

[FriendlyContributor]

Hey everyone!

 

My wife and I are planning for an upcoming cruise that includes a stop at the Naples port. We're eager to explore the towns on the Amalfi Coast, including Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, and Ravello. However, we're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the multitude of options for day trips and tour agencies.

 

We want to maximize our time and visit the must-see spots, but we're struggling to prioritize among the various itineraries available. Some include Sorrento but skip Ravello, while others focus solely on Amalfi and Positano. Given our limited time, which towns would you recommend as absolute must-sees?

 

Additionally, we're seeking a reliable tour group or agency to guide us through this adventure. While browsing through Viator, we've come across mixed reviews that raise concerns about bait-and-switch tactics and lackluster experiences. Some reviews mention little time spent at each spot, overcrowded minivans, and a lack of guided tours. We're specifically looking for a genuine small group tour with knowledgeable guides and ample time at each stop.

Do you have any recommendations for a reputable tour group or agency that meets our criteria? We would greatly appreciate any insights or personal experiences you can share to help us make the most of our day trip to the Amalfi Coast.

 

Thanks in advance for your help and recommendations!

[CruiserBruce]

Just down the board is a huge thread on Rome in Limo, a wonderful company that operates in Naples, as well as other Italian ports. There are tons of recommendations there.

 

Viator is a broker...they don't provide the actual tour. It is commonly discussed here that it is better for everyone to deal direct with local vendors to provide your desired tour.

 

One of the benefits of working directly with a local vendor is that a vendor can build custom tours. Viator (and the several other brokers commonly mentioned here) will provide an out of the box, cookie cutter tour.  If it is possible to visit the locations you desire, considering time and local conditions, the vendor, like Rome in Limo, will make it happen.

[euro cruiser]

Part of the problem you are running into is the wide gap between expectations and reality on the ground.  The Amalfi Coast has become overcrowded nearly to the point of breaking, which means that getting around by land is slow, slow, slow.  As a result, overly ambitious agendas are often cut en route, disappointing travelers who arrived without a realistic set of expectations.

 

Within the confines of a port day it simply is not possible to visit Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento (which is not on the Amalfi Coast) and have any amount of time in each place.  Even the vaunted RIL cannot change the facts on the ground, but as CruiserBruce notes, they know this and won't agree to a day they cannot provide.

Edited April 25 by euro cruiser

[John Bull]

Sorrento is merely pleasant and unworthy of time, but it's en-route to the Amalfi coast whether by road or a ferry+road or train+road combination.

 

Ravello is as high a view as you'll find of the Amalfi coast - it's only ten minutes off the high coast road and no problems.

 

Positano is the village / harbour that everyone wants to visit - but the most problematic.

- Buses aren't permitted off the high coast road and down into Positano. So ignore "Positano" offered on bus tours, including ships' bus tours - for them "Positano" means a photo-stop on the main road.🙄

- parking is difficult, usually impossible, without guaranteed parking somewhere vaguely near the harbour. Without that guarantee - offered by some van or taxi operators with connections to a Positano property - "Positano" means a rather pointless drive-through or even skipping a promised visit "due to time constraints" - of which there are many.

 

At Amalfi the high coast road comes down to sea-level. Much bigger and nowhere near as atmospheric as Positano or Ravello, and quite crowded but no great problems and worthy of a refreshments breaks. And a busy ferry-port between ports to Salerno and to Positano & on to Capri.

 

Simplest & most-achievable tour would be via Sorrento to the Amalfi coast road (views from the road are very much part of the attraction) with stops at Amalfi & Ravello then little winding roads across the spine of the peninsular (missing a return on the coast road & Sorrento but also missing the traffic mentioned by Eurocruiser) & back to Naples. Something like this  https://maps.app.goo.gl/rZ3Fh7dJXcfNJfhd8

 

Positano is best-visited by ferry - if it's possible in the limited hours of a port-of-call day that probably means a road+ferry combination tour.

But we've only visited the Amalfi coast as a 3 - 4 day stop at Ravello on a road trip so can't help with tour operators. 

 

Bruce mentioned Rome in Limo. Despite the name they cover much of Italy's west coast etc and have an excellent reputation https://www.romeinlimo.com/naples/

 

JB 🙂

[schmoopie17]

We were also torn about what to do for our day in Naples and the Amalfi Coast this September.

Then we stumbled upon this and we ended up booking it.

Great reviews and prices less than cruise ship tours, or other tour companies.

You can contact the owner directly on his very active Facebook page to reserve if you don't want to go through TripAdvisor/Viator.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187785-d12275711-Reviews-or10-Taxi_Mister_Cab_Driver_Napoli-Naples_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

 

Edited April 28 by schmoopie17

[CruiserBruce]

@schmoopie17, have you actually used this vendor?

[schmoopie17]

39 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

@schmoopie17, have you actually used this vendor?

Not yet. We booked them for this coming September. But all the contacts I have had with them thus far have been great...and their reviews are top-notch. Plus, no payment due until after the tour.

[CruiserBruce]

Just now, schmoopie17 said:

Not yet. We booked them for this coming September. But all the contacts I have had with them thus far have been great...and their reviews are top-notch. Plus, no payment due until after the tour.

You might want to check the thread pinned to the top of the Italy board about not recommending something you haven't done.

[mapleleaves]

On 4/25/2024 at 5:13 AM, FriendlyContributor said:

 

 

 

 

Additionally, we're seeking a reliable tour group or agency to guide us through this adventure. While browsing through Viator, we've come across mixed reviews that raise concerns about bait-and-switch tactics and lackluster experiences. Some reviews mention little time spent at each spot, overcrowded minivans, and a lack of guided tours. We're specifically looking for a genuine small group tour with knowledgeable guides and ample time at each stop.

Do you have any recommendations for a reputable tour group or agency that meets our criteria? We would greatly appreciate any insights or personal experiences you can share to help us make the most of our day trip to the Amalfi Coast.

 

 

Our cruise stopped in Naples (Sept 2019, 7am-7pm) and we chose a private tour/driver for a day on the Amalfi Coast.  IIRC it cost 400E but we were a party of 4 so quite affordable.  If you want another couple to share the cost, post on your Roll Call or facebook.  It was a Mercedes minivan so 4 pax was great. 6 would be ok but nothing more.

I used past and present trip reports as a resource.  There are many options available for the Amalfi Coast tours, incl RomeInLimo, ItalyTourSharing, JoeBanana,TaxiMisterCabDriver, AldoLimo, CarminesAmalfiCoast, italytours.   I specifically wanted to see Positano, Amalfi, Ravello ( my favorite) and also wanted to take the ferry from Positano to Amalfi, so a private tour was the way to go.  Not all companies will cooperate.  The driver suggested we start a bit early to get ahead of traffic so we met at 7:30am, and this worked very well. The ferry provided outstanding views of the villages from the sea.  After Ravello we took a back way thru the mountains to Naples and avoided the AC traffic. 

As previously stated you have to look closely at tour details.  Many of them say they stop in Positano but really they only stop at an overlook for a photo opp of the village.  So be very mindful of the details. And often times the driver will encourage a stop at a shop, factory or restaurant since they get a kickback so another caution.  We had a fabulous day! 

I don't know what your port times are but you might look at doing this trip DIY using the ferry from Naples (NLG is one)  and then a smaller ferry (travelmar)  from Amalfi.  Then you can void the road traffic altogether except for a taxi to reach Ravello.

Good luck with your research.

[schmoopie17]

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

You might want to check the thread pinned to the top of the Italy board about not recommending something you haven't done.

Well, then I guess the admins can delete it. Just trying to help. 

[StreakedBlonde]

On 4/25/2024 at 7:13 AM, FriendlyContributor said:

Hey everyone!

 

My wife and I are planning for an upcoming cruise that includes a stop at the Naples port. We're eager to explore the towns on the Amalfi Coast, including Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, and Ravello. However, we're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the multitude of options for day trips and tour agencies.

 

We want to maximize our time and visit the must-see spots, but we're struggling to prioritize among the various itineraries available. Some include Sorrento but skip Ravello, while others focus solely on Amalfi and Positano. Given our limited time, which towns would you recommend as absolute must-sees?

 

Additionally, we're seeking a reliable tour group or agency to guide us through this adventure. While browsing through Viator, we've come across mixed reviews that raise concerns about bait-and-switch tactics and lackluster experiences. Some reviews mention little time spent at each spot, overcrowded minivans, and a lack of guided tours. We're specifically looking for a genuine small group tour with knowledgeable guides and ample time at each stop.

Do you have any recommendations for a reputable tour group or agency that meets our criteria? We would greatly appreciate any insights or personal experiences you can share to help us make the most of our day trip to the Amalfi Coast.

 

Thanks in advance for your help and recommendations!

We did a private car tour through Rome in Limo on our first Mediterranean cruise out of Naples port.  It was fantastic!  You will be pleased with them if they package something for you!  StreakedBlonde aka Karen

[shiner6]

Would all of this advice pertain to traveling from Naples in November, or does the weather impact the ferries?  We have 3 nights scheduled free after flying into Naples before heading to Rome.  Herculaneum is on my must do list as well as the Veiled Christ. Everything else is open as this is my first trip to the area.

[euro cruiser]

There are some ferries in November, but the schedule is drastically scaled back and they do cancel in the case of bad weather and/or high seas.  Many of the stops are not docks, but simple landing platforms, you would not want to try that on a high weather day.

 

If you happen to have a nice day during your stay, go for it.  There's no need to book anything in advance so you can make a game-day call.