Amalfi Coast from Naples

[Davie1953]

Looking for a boat tour from Naples to Amalfi Coast.  Do not want to use excursion from cruise line as they offer bus as well. Does anyone have any suggestions for this boat tour.  In port on the 24th May on Oasis of the Seas.  Thanks in Advance. 

[euro cruiser]

I'm not aware of any regular boat tours that leave from Naples to the Amalfi Coast, I think if you want to do this you'd need to arrange a private tour.

 

Note that if you look on sites like Viator and go into the details that all the boat tours they recommend start with a bus or car ride from Naples to Sorrento, or other port.

 

Private boat excursions usually start from Mergellina, about two and a quarter miles west of the cruise port.

Edited March 10, 2019 by euro cruiser

[erby2283]

On 3/10/2019 at 2:39 PM, Davie1953 said:

Looking for a boat tour from Naples to Amalfi Coast.  Do not want to use excursion from cruise line as they offer bus as well. Does anyone have any suggestions for this boat tour.  In port on the 24th May on Oasis of the Seas.  Thanks in Advance. 

Try Italytours.eu.com.   They have shared tours although they can be somewhat hard to find on their website.  There should be a link with contact information. Send them an email with the date you are arriving, ship,  port, etc and they'll get back to you about whether you can join a tour already planned or whether you want to be point of contact to start a shared tour yourself.  If you start a shared tour, try to get others on your roll call to join! 

[Hlitner]

Like Euro Cruiser, we are not aware of any regular boat tours.  It is certainly possible to take a boat from Naples to Sorrento (and/or Positano depending on the schedule and your time).  But the only part of the boat that passes any of the Amalfi Coast would be between Sorrento and Naples...and its not overly impressive from a few miles out at sea.  We think the best way to enjoy the Amalfi Coast is by driving, be it in a bus or car, along the so-called Amalfi Drive.  Our favorite destinations are Positano and Ravello (not actually along the coast) with the small town of Amalfi being a distant third in our desired places to visit.  For a cruiser on a Port day (with limited time) the best way to visit the coast would be via a private tour in a car or van.  Buses are not permitted to enter into Positano....so those who take the large bus tours will usually have to settle on seeing Positano from the road above...and wondering what it would be like to really explore the streets.   The best tourist section of Positano is the area closest to the bottom (near the beach/sea).   It is actually an area worthy of a multi-night stay (we like to stay in nearby Praiano and our DD prefers Ravello).

 

Hank

[Tranquility Base]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Our favorite destinations are Positano and Ravello (not actually along the coast) with the small town of Amalfi being a distant third in our desired places to visit.

I always appreciate your inputs.

 

Our cruise schedule shows tendering to Amalfi / Positano.

My understanding is it is shown this way to give more flexibility with weather due to tender, and (assuming tendering is in fact possible) we could arrive at either location.

 

We wish to visit Ravello by bus.

From my reading  this is real easy from Amalfi, but a lot more time consuming from Positano.

Any advise please ?

 

Also any lunch restaurant thoughts when in Ravello ?

Thanks. 

[euro cruiser]

16 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Our cruise schedule shows tendering to Amalfi / Positano.

My understanding is it is shown this way to give more flexibility with weather due to tender, and (assuming tendering is in fact possible) we could arrive at either location.

 

I suspect that it is stated that way to broaden the appeal, not to indicate that you might arrive at either one.  It's highly unlikely that a cruise ship would tender hundreds (or more) passengers into Positano, which has only one small floating dock and no actual port.

 

That said, if you want to get to Ravello from Positano the fastest way would be ferry to Amalfi and bus or taxi from there.  The public bus from Positano to Amalfi starts at Sorrento and often (always in the summer months) arrives to Positano full, therefore they can only allow on as many people as get off in Positano.  You can never count on getting on the bus without waiting an hour or more.

Edited March 14, 2019 by euro cruiser

[Hlitner]

20 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

I always appreciate your inputs.

 

Our cruise schedule shows tendering to Amalfi / Positano.

My understanding is it is shown this way to give more flexibility with weather due to tender, and (assuming tendering is in fact possible) we could arrive at either location.

 

We wish to visit Ravello by bus.

From my reading  this is real easy from Amalfi, but a lot more time consuming from Positano.

Any advise please ?

 

Also any lunch restaurant thoughts when in Ravello ?

Thanks. 

Can you post your actual ship/date information?  It would be helpful to see your exact itinerary (with times and day of the week info).  There is a local bus that goes from the square, right in front of the main entrance to Amalfi, that will take you directly to Ravello.  In the past the problem with that bus has been the frequency (only about once every 45 min with a break at lunch) and I do not know if the bus line has changed the schedule.  A back-up plan would be to grab a taxi (assuming there is one available) from Amalfi up to Ravello.  You are correct that getting to Ravello from Positano would be a lot more time consuming and also not very practical.  

 

As to lunch in Ravello, we do not have a specific recommendation.  There are numerous places for lunch varying from some simple snack bars (where you eat on a nearby bench) to elegant restaurants where lunch could take 2 hours.  Much depends on how much time you want to devote to eating.  Many cruisers prefer to grab a quick bite to eat and spend more time walking/exploring...while others will make an elegant lunch the highlight of their day.  No right or wrong...but simply personal preference.  There are even some Michelin rated restaurants in town although I believe they are generally only open in the evenings.   The last time we had lunch in Ravello we actually drove (had a rental car) to the nearby village of Pantone and ate at San Giovanni.....to get away from  the crowds in Ravello (it was a strange day with many bus tours crowding Ravello).

 

If you do have a reasonable amount of time in Amalfi, I would suggest heading right up to Ravello where you can enjoy the views, browse (taste Lemoncello), eat, etc.  When you return to Amalfi, if you have some time, you can then walk explore this small town knowing that your tender is only a short walk (assuming you are truly tendering into Amalfi).  This follows my basic independent travel routine (when on cruise ships) of going to our most distant places early....and saving the close places until later in the port day (this helps guarantee that you do not miss the last tender).  While this sounds like common sense we have seen many spend their early hours near the ship or tender, then go afar...and quickly worry themselves crazy about missing the ship.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

59 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

There is a local bus that goes from the square, right in front of the main entrance to Amalfi, that will take you directly to Ravello.  In the past the problem with that bus has been the frequency (only about once every 45 min with a break at lunch) and I do not know if the bus line has changed the schedule.

 

The current schedule is here:  https://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archivio/Download/corse/sitasud/Campania/Salerno/ad7ff5fc-7332-4b75-9a56-453cb37c4a6d_5120_5110_5070_INV_2018.pdf/0

 

If you look at the bottom half of the page you'll find the Scala-Ravello-Amalfi timetable.  This is the winter schedule (started Nov. 5th) and I would expect a seasonal adjustment in April or May, you'll need to check back.

[Tranquility Base]

Thanks everyone.

 

Yes, I think the comment about the only tender option being into Amalfi is likely correct.

This would suit us fine, especially as we have been to Positano previously.

 

Unfortunately we are there on a Sunday which will make Ravello a bit more difficult I guess; but we have plenty of time (8am - 6pm).

So even with tendering issues it's not too rushed.

 

Bus up to Ravello from Amalfi as early as possible, and then I understand there is a walking path back down.

Will do some reading on that option.

[euro cruiser]

I've done the walk down from Ravello to Amalfi, it's really more climbing down stairs than walking, but the views are amazing.