Port of Salerno - Path of the Gods hike?

[sushraya]

We will be in Salerno later this fall.  Some folks in the group want to go to Pompeii, some have been to Pompeii and would like to hike the Path of the Gods instead,

 

It is a feasible option to consider dropping the folks off to hike, then the rest continuing onto Pompeii?  Meet in the afternoon in Positano?  I'd have to get a private driver/car for this - any recommendations?

[euro cruiser]

It would be faster and a lot less expensive for the group going to Pompei to simply take the train there, while the group wanting to hike could use the ferry + bus combination ticket offered by Travelmar:  Visit Path of Gods - Travelmar, fast ferries to Path of Gods

 

Trying to do this with a car service will take much longer, because the folks going on to Pompei will have to drive over the mountain pass.  Travel along the Amalfi Coast is so slow that the Pompei group would be in the ruins well before the hiking group even gets to the start of the path in Bomerano.

Edited May 16 by euro cruiser

[sushraya]

@euro cruiser - that is interesting.  I didn't know there was shuttle bus to the Path of the Gods.  Do you know if this runs all the time?  We will be there in early October.

 

The only problem seems to be the return from Positano to the ship.   The 3.30pm ferry cuts it too close to the 5pm departure time for the ship.  We'd have to take the 1.30pm ferry instead.

 

There are two Salerno stops listed on that site - how do I find out which one will be the closest to the ship?

[euro cruiser]

The ship docks at Molo Manfredi in Salerno, so that's the one that is closer.  Unfortunately, there are very few ferries to the Molo Manfredi dock.  Fortunately, the Concordia dock is only a mile and a half up the coast, it's a lovely walk along a waterfront promenade.

 

You are correct about the return ferries.

 

Would you consider backtracking on the Path of the Gods and returning to Bomerano, rather than continuing on to Positano? That would allow you to take a bus back to Amalfi and the ferry back from there.

 

Are you able to make the 8:40 morning departure from Concordia?  If so, and if you hike at about the average pace, you would be in Nocelle around 1 PM, so it's questionable if you could even make the 1:30 ferry.

[sushraya]

With the walk, the ferry/bus and then having to take an early afternoon ferry to get back to the ship in time, this is not looking very promising for a day excursion.   I'd be too stressed about us making it back in time.

 

Might have to look at alternatives.   I did see that we go to Paestum instead of Pompeii.  Maybe if I found a good mozzarella tasting farm/lunch near there, I could convince the whole group to do this instead.

[euro cruiser]

I was thinking that the hike was a risky move for a port day, for several reasons.

 

Have a look at this one:  Tenuta Vannulo

 

If you go to the farm, do it first because they sell out of mozzarella by noontime in the summer.

[sushraya]

That is one of the places that popped up when I did a search.  Another was Barlotti?   It looks like both are relatively close to the Paestum train station and we could maybe look at the ruins and then get lunch before getting back to the ship.  Direct train to Paestum.

 

How far is the train station in Salerno?  And when we get to Paestum, do you know if taxis will be easily available to get to the ruins and/or lunch?

[euro cruiser]

I've only been to Vannulo so can't compare it to others.

 

The train station in Salerno is near the Concordia dock, about a mile and a half on foot from the cruise port.  Again, you can walk along the waterfront promenade to Concordia, then turn left and it's right in front of you, about two blocks.

 

I have limited experience with the Paestum train station, the two times I was there I did not see a taxi.  It's a very small, provincial station.  On the upside, it's only six-tenths of a mile from the train station to the archeology museum at Paestum, which is right in the middle of the ruins.  A few steps further on there are restaurants and shops and I have seen taxis there.  If you don't see one, someone at the museum or the shops will be happy to call one for you.

 

Vanullo isn't far, but too far to walk (about two and a quarter miles).

[sushraya]

Thanks so much for all then information @euro cruiser.  Very much appreciated.

 

Vannulo can't do lunch for us the day we are there - maybe because it is a Sunday?   We'll have to find an alternative.  Back to the drawing board...

[euro cruiser]

Sundays do make things more difficult, unfortunately.

 

You could visit Vannulo in the morning and have lunch elsewhere, I suppose.  We ate at a place near the ruins, I'll have to check my files to see if I have the name of it.

Edited May 21 by euro cruiser

[euro cruiser]

I found it, we ate at Ristorante Nettuno:  Ristorante (ristorantenettuno.com)

[sushraya]

Thanks again.   I'll have to check with my friends to see if they are willing to forego Pompeii for Paestum and lunch.

 

Do you have a recommendation for a lunch place (perhaps with a view) in Amalfi? 

[MindyJohn]

We used public bus to Bomerano from Amalfi and hiked to Positano.  Took the better part of the day.  Are you sure you have time?

[sushraya]

Paestum didn't go over very well with our group.  They want to visit the "amalfi" coast and this didn't quite fit.   They were ok skipping Pompeii and just taking a ferry over to one of the towns.

 

I really do not want to go to Positano or Amalfi again and have been considering the smaller, less known towns/villages.

 

Minori?  Maiori?   Or perhaps take the ferry to one of these towns, walk to the other along the Path of the Lemons and take the ferry back?   Would that be doable?  If yes, which of the two towns would you recommend getting lunch at?

 

Also, is it the same ferry that stops in Maiori first and then goes on to Minori?   If yes, only the folks interested in walking the path could get off at Maiori while the rest just continue onto Minori.

 

Thanks !

 

[euro cruiser]

Yes, it's the same ferry.   Travelmar ferry timetables - Fast ferries on the Amalfi Coast

 

Info on Path of the Lemons:  The Path of the Lemons: complete guide to the panoramic trail on the Amalfi Coast (positano.com)

 

Another option would be Vietri sul Mare, know for ceramics.  They have a ceramics museum you might find interesting:  Ceramics Museum - Pro Loco Vietri sul Mare

Edited August 28 by euro cruiser

[marazul]

16 hours ago, sushraya said:

I really do not want to go to Positano or Amalfi again and have been considering the smaller, less known towns/villages.

Have the rest of your group been to Amalfi or Positano?  If they are hoping to visit the Amalfi coast, they might be underwhelmed by Minori and Maiori which are nice, but don't pack the pop of the others.  Consider at least going to Amalfi.  If you want to add a stop you might not have visited before, go to Praiano which is more picturesque than Minori or Maiori. 

Another option could be taking the ferry to Positano, getting out to look around and take the next ferry back to any of the other ports.  That will let the group see the most scenic part of the Amalfi coast from the ferry.  The part from Salerno to Minori is not as scenic as Amalfi to Positano (or farther).

 

Isn't this a port where your group might want to split up according to their interests?

[sushraya]

@euro cruiser - thanks for the info.

@marazul - we've all been to amalfi, positano, ravello.  I was initially considering going over to positano , spending a few hours there and coming back.  I'll take a look at Praiano.

 

As to splitting up the group, that's an option.  Since it is the last day of the cruise, some don't want to split up!