Travel_Nerd

I am just about ready to book my flights for my Southern Italy trip and wanted to get thoughts before doing so - please be gentle! I had planned on going in September, but am having to opt for October due to my fall skating competition season. I will have 17 - 18 days on the ground; and, can add another night. I do realize there are points that are a bit more rushed than others. Travel likely to be on/around Oct 8th through October 26th/27th.

For general background, I will be traveling solo (45f) and by public transport only. My focus tends to be more on historical sights and art of any time period. And because I am solo, I find I am able to cover a lot of ground fairly quickly. I love food but do not consider myself to be a foodie. And tend not to plan much in way of restaurants in advance. But I love wine and am more likely to sit at a bar/pub sipping wine than to visit a winery.

Itinerary:
Multi-city flights from SFO to Bari, Naples to SFO

Arrive Bari, immediately onto to Lecce (4 nights)
Lecce
Otranto d/t
Ostuni d/t (this was the only way I was able to work Ostuni in without a lot of backtracking or having to leave luggage somewhere on way to Monopoli. Any suggestions?

Monopoli (3 nights)
Monopoli city
Polignano a Mare d/t

Matera (2 nights)
Tour Matera

Salerno (1 night)
Transit day, Matera to Salerno (best way seems to be via Miccolis bus - any other options? Train seems rather difficult but I might be missing something. Busses appear to run daily, arrival around 11:30am.
Paestum in morning

Yes, I know this is rushed! But it was the only way I could work in Paestum with also a transit day from Matera, without having to backtrack from Minori

Amalfi - Minori base (3 nights)
Ravello
Path of Lemons (weather permitting)
Positano
Sorrento (actually considering stopping in Sorrento on way to Naples - just for a quick stop) - yes, I know this would be rushed

Naples (3 - 4 nights)
Pompeii (1 day)
Herculaneum (separate day)
Naples Archeological Museum (can combine this with one of the above days, if applicable - probably after Herculaneum)
Caserta Palace (IF time allows, and can swing an extra day)

I can probably remove a night from Monopoli and add it to either Naples or Minori if needed. You will notice that Alberobello is absent from the plan. TBH, it does not have any interest to me although it seems to be quite popular for many that travel in this region.

Rookie question: is there a good spot/market/store to get authentic limoncello? Not wanting to just pick up something from a tourist gift shop - though those might be authentic?

I have never traveled out of Naples airport before and the flights seem to be absurdly early (6am!). How early do I need to be - 2 hours? Airport seems to be rather central to the city and will need to arrange in advance. How early for pick up? 3:30 am (ugh!)?

Thanks in advance!

kja

Should be a great trip, Travel_Nerd! Just some minor tweaks:

As you note, your time in Paestum is quite rushed. Maybe you can add a night in Salerno, which (IMO) is sorely underrated? I think you could take it from Naples by visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum on the same day -- I did that, and while I admit it was a LONG day, it was also very rewarding. But then it might not be so enjoyable in October (I was there in May). Too, I hate taking time from Naples, which is one of my favorite cities. Do not skip roaming Spaccanopoli or the views from Castel Sant'Elmo!

Do give yourself plenty of time in glorious Ravello. I didn't visit Sorrento, so I'm in no position to say; nonetheless, you might consider making time for Amalfi instead.

FWIW, I thought Alberobello worth an hour or two, no more -- and that was before it became as overrun by tourists as it now is. You should see some trulli as you move from place to place.

Enjoy!

Leely2

Random feedback:

I fly out of SFO too. I'm early 50s and your interests are similar to mine, except I do research and book restaurants in advance. It was a longer trip and didn't include the AC, but this past May I flew into Naples and out of Bari. You might want to check to see if the flights work better for you in that order.

Personally, I would want at least one more night in Naples and ideally another in Matera, which has some good hiking opportunities and galleries in addition to the Sassi and historical sights.

You don't need three nights in Monopoli, although it's lovely. And it's no crime to miss Alberobello. I loved the Valle d'Itria, but what did I love about it? Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ceglie Messapica, Locorotondo, other little tiny towns, and the countryside dotted with trulli. (Note, I did have rental car for this part of my journey.)

Also, prepare yourself: the Amalfi Coast will seem very touristy after Puglia, and it's not as if Puglia is undiscovered.

It only takes 10-20 minutes to reach NAP from the center.

Travel_Nerd

Thanks, Leely and kja. I had looked at the reverse and the flight schedule just was not working for me both for costs and scheduling on the reverse (requiring 2 connecting flights and only one with one connection - and a hotel stay). The 6 am departure is horrible, but perhaps it's almost a 6 to one, half a dozen to another-like situation of weighing pros and cons. But it is something to consider, thank you!

I will consider another night in Naples or possibly Salerno as kja suggested, perhaps taking one of the nights from Monopoli. And, kja, also the thought of combining Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day is an option that has not yet left my mind if I need to. I do want to kind of pace it out - I expect Pompeii to exhaust me both with crowds and the sheer size of the place; and, want to take my time. Also, want to enjoy Herculaneum without feeling weary from Pompeii. At least that is what I am thinking at this juncture.

I do figure the AC will be very touristy. I expect it to be, actually. I can take that in stride and try to plan around it as much as possible. And, expecting the crowds to be quite present, but hoping it will be slightly better compared to how it is in July/August, for instance.

I am not much of a hiker, to be honest. I like a nice walk and may consider one day returning for Path of the Gods. Not quite sure I want to do any hiking around Matera this time around. Mostly interested in the Sassi and some of the Rupestrian churches. I know I probably won't scratch the surface of what the city offers.

You guys have given me lots to think about, thank you again!

kja

Pompeii can be exhausting, so seeing Herculaneum on a different day might be the best solution. And maybe then you can see the Archeological Museum between the two, answering the perennial question of whether it's best to see the museum before or after seeing the sites. I'm sure you already know your priorities for Pompeii -- something that can help tremendously with a site that large! -- but I'll still encourage you to make sure to include the magnificent Villa dei Misteri.

FWIW, I thought the hike from Ravello to Amalfi quite wonderful.

SusanP

It would be easy to spend more time in Naples. There is a lot to see there. A must is San Severo to see The Veiled Christ sculpture. Absolutely amazing! Plus the rest of the small church has a lot of other sculpture.

For the best pizza of your life, go to Pizzeria Port'Alba on the street of the same name, at the southwestern corner of Piazza Bellini. Believed to be the oldest pizzeria in Naples. To die for! I want to go back to Naples just for their pizza.

You will be able to easily find good limoncello (which I love!). The main thing is that it should only have three ingredients: Grain alcohol, lemon peels and sugar.😁

kja

And so the pizza wars begin! Like SusanP, I'd love to return t Naples for the pizza ... at da Michele! Now THAT was tasty pizza!

Travel_Nerd

I have zero issue trying as many pizza spots as possible to settle this debate

SusanP

Halfway through my second piece at Port'Alba, I realized that I was shoveling it in as though I hadn't eaten in a week! 😄😋

Travel_Nerd

I am hoping for opinions on a slight conundrum I am having with my itinerary, specifically the Amalfi Coast region/area. My original plan, above in post remains mostly the same, except I added a night.

I decided to keep one night in Salerno and thought I would add a night to Minori. However, the detail I am struggling with is Sorrento. I really want to stop there at some point and was originally thinking that stopping on the way via Naples. While this is still viable, just makes things like luggage a hassle.

Since I really only want to maybe have lunch (or dinner, see below) and some light sightseeing in Sorrento, either plan “works,” but sort of wondering if the one night in Sorrento really sort of makes the most sense given what I want to do/see and avoids backtracking in the region.

I normally like to avoid one-night stays, but I am wondering if it might make better sense to:

Option 1
Keep three nights in Minori
Add the extra night to Sorrento. And instead add the “ lunch” trip stop (luggage storage drama) to Positano instead on the way
From Sorrento, move onto Naples

Option 2:
Four nights in Minori, keep the day trip to Positano
Keep the Sorrento stop on the way to Naples as originally planned.

ArteCard:
And separately, any thoughts on the Campania ArteCard? I prefer to book most sights in advance, especially if they might at all be super busy (such as the Naples Archaeological Museum) but this makes me wonder if it *might* be worth it for some of the sights I am considering (Caserta palace, for instance) as well as the transport options. It only lasts 3 days, so I’d have to plan accordingly. Not quite sure what I might be dealing with in terms of admission lines and such with such an option.

SusanP

Note that this first observation is based on my research for my trip next month, not on personal experience, but I would take a day from Monopoli and add it to Lecce. With the day trips you have planned from Lecce, it only leaves you 1-1/2 days in Lecce, not much. If your interest in Baroque architecture is limited, you can ignore this idea.

For the second part, I have been to these places. I wonder about the stop in Sorrento and what draws you there. I stayed there for five nights but mainly used it for connections to the Amalfi Coast because I had free hotel in Sorrento. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy Sorrento, I did (one evening in particular with an outdoor concert), but I'm wondering what makes you want to stop there when it is so inconvenient with your luggage, etc.

I would add the extra night to Naples, because again with the day trips you have planned, it only gives you 1-1/2 days in Naples, and as I noted above, there is a lot to see there.
Anyway, just my opinion.

Travel_Nerd

Thanks for your thoughts, Susan. I'll continue to mold and ponder. My intention for Naples, mostly, is to see the Archeological Museum. While I know there are (many) other sites in the city, the museum is my primary goal and may instead eliminate other spots in favor of seeing more. Theoretically, I know I can also base in Sorrento for Pompeii/Herculaneum, too.

My (step) great grandfather was born in Sorrento. We were not related per se by blood but my Dad will never get to visit and sort has mentioned that was a regret of his, especially in how close he was to Milo and his grandmother. I want to stop and "pay my respects" so to speak. Sounds silly, don't it? We do not have any current connections to the town, really, hence my stop-by.

SusanP

That is not at all silly! In that case, maybe you want to add the extra night to Sorrento. It's the best place to buy inlaid wood designs, like music boxes or jewelry boxes, if that interests you, which it may due to the family connection to the city. Good food there, too.

raincitygirl

Upthread you asked about Limoncello. In Naples we were taken to this little artisan shop called Limone', Piazza S. Gaetano, 72. The most delicious Limoncello and I regretted not buying more. Stupidly I thought oh we are going to Sorrento we will find some equally as good....not.
Also in Naples we used Marina de Martino one day for a guided tour, she took us to all kinds of interesting places, it was a day to be remembered.
www.napolinostressitinerari.com

rosetravels

The trip sounds wonderful. I'd join others who say time in Monopoli can be reduced in favor of other places. And Alberobella has been taken over by TikTok/Instagram photo and video takers and we were shocked by how mobbed it was. We walked in and ... walked back out. Had a lovely lunch in Martina Franca instead. I think Positano as a lunch stop only makes sense. Your option 1 makes some sense given the family connection in Sorrento. I'd do that.

You mentioned art and I think the Capodimonte Museum in Naples is remarkable and usually overlooked by visitors. There are extraordinary works by Titian, Brueghal, Raphael, Caravaggio and on and on and on. The building and grounds are beautiful and the paintings are in good condition. It's one of my favorite museums (I'm an artist, I love museums.)

Please report back on your favorite pizza, after trying the top contenders!

kja

I wonder -- would stopping en route in Positano be any easier, logistically, than stopping en route in Sorrento? I honestly don't know, but it sounds like a stop in Sorrento has a strong emotional significance for you, so prioritizing it would seem to make sense.

While it really depends on what you want to see and experience, I think staying in Minori for the extra night might give you more options. For me, Ravello and Amalfi were the highlights of my time on the coast; the extra time in Minori might give you a better chance of exploring them in addition to enjoying Salerno and Naples. (And BTW, another vote for the Capodimonte.)

I used the Campania ArteCard when I was there, but that was long ago (2007) when lines weren't quite the issue they are today. As you suggest, I think it really depends on how you weigh flexibility and cost. You probably wouldn't fall into this trap, but I find I need to remind myself that having a card like that one doesn't mean I have to use it or limit myself to it's savings.

Sorry I can't be more useful!

Travel_Nerd

Rosetravels, thank you for this suggestion. I was unaware of the Capodimonte Museum and appreciate the suggestion. Do you recommend advance tickets? So many things in Naples are closed on Tuesday (which happens to be my day of arrival), but this museum happens to be open on that day. Time permitting, I may try to duck in there for some art. This trip is very archeological site heavy and it would be nice to have a slight reprieve from that!

Dining Question: To those of you who have traveled in Amalfi as solo travelers. What was your dining experience like? I have heard horror stories of single people not able to secure dining because they are solo and I admit I am worried about that. I know that it is suggested to make reservations, and I plan to. Is this necessary for lunch as well?

SusanP

I agree that the Capodimonte is great, but it's not exactly something you can just pop into. It's not near the center, you need to take a bus to get up there. Or, of course, you could take a taxi. I think I took the tourist bus they had that went up there and stopped right by the museum.

I travel solo, and in 13 trips to Italy, I have never had a problem getting a seat at a restaurant. Where have you heard such horror stories? I don't think I ever made a reservation in Naples, but that was before Covid, and it seems from what I've read about a lot of places, it's more necessary now. I know it is in Rome. But, I have never received poor service anywhere because I was alone, in fact, I have had great service all over Italy. I have never made a reservation for lunch, because I can't be sure exactly where I will be when I want to have lunch.