Amalfi coast private tour

[easy spirit]

Touring the Amalfi coast, the tour operator offers two options.

 

One includes Sorrento and the other Ravello. Should I be concern with that?? Any major differences between the two towns ?? Or with either option I will be OK.

[maidncruze]

Easy Spirit,

 

Ravello is more picturesque and Sorrento has more shops. Both are unique in their own way. We also have booked a private tour. I have asked him to start in Ravello, then Amalfi, over to Positano for a nice lunch and then whatever time permitting over too Sorrento. Worst case I may ask him to leave us in Sorrento and then take the train back to the port.

[texancruzer]

Touring the Amalfi coast, the tour operator offers two options.

 

One includes Sorrento and the other Ravello. Should I be concern with that?? Any major differences between the two towns ?? Or with either option I will be OK.

 

If this is a PRIVATE tour you know that you can pretty much tell them what you want to do and they will customize a day for you. Sometimes time does not allow you to do everything and they will let you know what can and can't be done.....

 

just ask them. It is your money and your day so be sure and get what you want.

[Seabreeze8]

It depends on what you like and comfortable with. Ravello is further away from the ship than Sorrento so you will spend more time on the road but the scenery is great along the way. Like others mentioned you can customized it to what you want. You can even do both, but spend less tiime in each place. Personally I like Ravello for the small town feel and less commercialized.

[bobalink]

We just returned from our 12-day Greek Isles cruise. We did the Amalfi Coast tour and visited Ravello, Amalfi town, Positano and Sorrento.

 

Ravello, Amalfi town, and Positano were beautiful. We had lunch at a wonderful restaurant in Positano with the most amazing view. We enjoyed it so much, and used the time to take pictures of the incredible views, that we ran short of time for Sorrento.

 

Our guide said we would only have time to visit Sorrento for 15 minutes before we would need to board the ferry to take us back to Naples. No big loss! 15 minutes was plenty, IMO.

 

Unless I totally missed something, I am not sure what the big hype is over Sorrento. It did not compare to the other places we visited. But, like I said, perhaps because we only had a few minutes, I did not see that much.

 

I hope you enjoy your time on the Amalfi Coast. It is STUNNING.

 

Tip: If you are prone to car sickness, be prepared. There are LOTS of hairpin turns.

 

Enjoy!

[cordi]

I completly agree with the last poster.

Skip Sorrento. It is a large commercial center away from the water. Not particularly scenic. It is a frequent stop for the large bus tours that usually don't stop in the more charming smaller towns.

Positano is my favorite. I also love Ravello, it is the least comercial. It is a bit out of the way though. You will enjoy them all!

[paul929207]

Touring the Amalfi coast, the tour operator offers two options.

 

One includes Sorrento and the other Ravello. Should I be concern with that?? Any major differences between the two towns ?? Or with either option I will be OK.

Where is the ship docking? We anchored off Sorrento. Our private tour took us to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. We went thru Sorrento in each direction.

[chipmaster]

Every day in Port is a compromise, IMHO I'd pick Ravello over Sorrento.

 

Everyone's interest is different, you could/can google to find what each town offers and views. you can search the pictures at various travel sharing sites and see which one strikes your fancy.

 

If you are doing a private tour you can "tell" them what you want and see if the time and conditions of the day allow it maybe both. If you are on a big bus cruiseline turnkey operation, than maybe you are screwed.

 

Touring the Amalfi coast, the tour operator offers two options.

 

One includes Sorrento and the other Ravello. Should I be concern with that?? Any major differences between the two towns ?? Or with either option I will be OK.

[easy spirit]

The ship anchors in Naples.

 

I did visit Sorrento 38 years ago (on my honeymoon) BUT really was gearing towards Ravello instead.

 

Thanks so much for the input.

[maidncruze]

Agreed.

 

We decided to tour Ravello first, then Amalfi and Positano. If time pemits we"ll see Sorrento and if not I'll be happy with what we saw.

[floridasun lover]

Can someone please advise me who the tour is or was with and how much it costs. Getting ready to put a group together.

 

Always like to contact someone who has good reviews.

 

Thanks

[texancruzer]

Not sure which tour operator the OP was looking at....... that was not their question, rather the towns they should visit.

 

That said, for a wonderful private group tour - try APTours.

 

We had a group of 8 and had an awesome day. Their prices are some of the best around too. We are using them again this November.

[bobalink]

Can someone please advise me who the tour is or was with and how much it costs. Getting ready to put a group together.

 

Always like to contact someone who has good reviews.

 

Thanks

 

We used APTours, and they were excellent. Great prices, too, compared to some others that I looked at that offered similar tours. Our driver, Alberto, was knowledgeable, professional, punctual, flexible, and handsome :).

 

You won't be disappointed! If you are interested in lunch, ask them to take you to Trattoria la Tagliata. AMAZING view and delicious food!

[texancruzer]

We had Alberto too..... very handsome !

[CruisingEh]

We were very happy with APTours as well.

[tty206]

another recommendation for AP Tours!

 

Our driver was Vittorio and we had a wonderful experience with him! We actually formed our group through a roll call and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. We did Pompeii in the morning followed by stops in Ravello and Amalfi and a drive by Positano (ran out of time because of traffic)... we had some free time in Sorrento prior to taking the hydrofoil back to Naples port. They were very good about managing time and making sure we wouldn't miss the ship at the end of the long day.

 

To answer OP's question, Sorrento and Ravello are very different - it depends what you are looking for. Ravello is a small, quaint town perched high up on a hill with beautiful views. Sorrento is much larger and while it is still a beautiful place, doesn't have the same charm as Ravello.. but that is just my opinion.

 

Here are a couple of photos we took from our tour that day:

 

View from Ravello

 

Ravello town center

 

view of Positano

 

[texancruzer]

MMMMMM nice pics !!!! Reminds me of our time there..... it is just so incredibly beautiful...... We had beautiful fall colors last time we were there...... trees all gold, red, orange and green.......

 

can't wait till we go back again in November !!!!!!!!!!!!

[floridasun lover]

Is this an extra charge on top of the tour charge? I want to know what is customary before I ask about having that option.

 

Thanks

[bobalink]

Is this an extra charge on top of the tour charge? I want to know what is customary before I ask about having that option.

 

Thanks

 

Yes, the cost of the hydrofoil is extra. We were just there, and if I remember correctly, it is 11 euros per person from Sorrento to Naples. It took about 30 minutes, very easy.

APTours driver will purchase your tickets for you and make sure you get on the right ferry.

 

Have fun!

[Paul Eisen]

Call "Bob's Tours & Travel" in Rome, he has a US 800 #, and reserve a car for the day. Pick you up @ the ship and take you ANYWHERE you want to go. I did it & saw everything from Napoli thru Amalfi Coast.;)

[Seabreeze8]

Try Sorrento Silver Star, their website is sorrentosilverstar dot com. We had a great time with them to the Amalfi coast, Ravello and Positano. The driver and guide were excellent. No deposit required and they were very responsive and patient with my questions. You won't forget your time with them. They had made our trip very special.

[easy spirit]

Can someone please advise me who the tour is or was with and how much it costs. Getting ready to put a group together.

 

Always like to contact someone who has good reviews.

 

Thanks

There are MANY tours operators in Naples. I contacted 3 of them & AP tours got my vote. Their prices were very reasonable, somewhat less pricey that others. We are doing with them a private tour to the Full Amalfi coast.

 

To me it's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT get responses to my inquiries ASAP. I did several of them & AP tours delivered. Their responses were quick & very imformative. On their web page APtours.com you can get all the info needed.

 

Hope this helps in making your decision.

[tty206]

Is this an extra charge on top of the tour charge? I want to know what is customary before I ask about having that option.

 

Thanks

 

The hydrofoil does cost extra - I think it may have been 12 euro pp when we were there a few weeks ago but the total cost of the tour cost less than if we opted to have the driver drop us off back at Naples port. We chose the hydrofoil option because we did not want to worry about traffic on the way back.

[TLCOhio]

Ravello is more picturesque and Sorrento has more shops. Both are unique in their own way. We also have booked a private tour. I have asked him to start in Ravello, then Amalfi, over to Positano for a nice lunch and then whatever time permitting over too Sorrento. Worst case I may ask him to leave us in Sorrento and then take the train back to the port.

 

cordi: Skip Sorrento. It is a large commercial center away from the water. Not particularly scenic. It is a frequent stop for the large bus tours that usually don't stop in the more charming smaller towns. Positano is my favorite. I also love Ravello' date=' it is the least comercial. It is a bit out of the way though. You will enjoy them all! [/quote']

 

Agree with the above two posts that Ravello is better than Sorrento. Sorrento is larger and has a wider selection of shops, dining places, etc.. Many of the shops, especially for inlaid wood, are unique in Sorrento. BUT, for great view, charm, unique style, etc., Ravello is the clear winner!!!

Below are some of my pictures from Ravello and traveling along that super Amalfi coast towards Positano last month with Carmine from RomeInLimo. From my postings noted below, you can see more about this area, other parts of Italy, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. These postings are now at 25,451 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

For Ravello overlooking the Gulf of Solerno, this is the town church tower with flowers in the foreground:

 

 

 

Ravello has many nice ceramics shops with locally-made pieces of many sizes. Here is the owner making a welcoming toast to come in and shop.:

 

 

 

From Ravello’s main square, here is the view to its neighboring village.:

 

 

 

Here is the view of Positano from the east of this spectacular town stacked along the coast.:

 

 

 

Near the town of Amalfi on this coast, here is one of the “fjords” as they are called coming off of the water and allowing for a small beach and area to keep boats. Very scenic!!:

 

 

 

Along the Amalfi coast, here is the luxury hotel where Hillary Clinton stayed as First Lady when visiting this scenic area.:

 

[bobalink]

Ravello is the clear winner!!!

 

Hi Terry,

I was just at all of these places! Your pictures are so AMAZING. I took many of the same pictures and mine pale in comparison to yours. You are quite the photographer!

 

I noticed on another of your posts your pictures at Trattoria La Taggliata.We ate there, too. It was so good and the views were breathtaking.

Thanks for sharing your OUTSTANDING pictures. The Amalfi Coast was a highlight for us.

 

As I was planning our excursions, we were deciding between Pompeii and Amalfi Coast. We did the full Amalfi Coast tour and I am so glad we chose to spend the last day of our cruise there. The sights were gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and our lunch was "over the top."

 

We had seen so many ruins at the other ports, and it was extremely hot in Ephesus and Athens, so touring Ravello, Positano, and Amalfi was a wonderful way to end our vacation.

 

Your pictures help me relive those happy memories.