Sorrento & Capri

Having visited Sorrento for my sisters wedding six years ago, I was always desperate to return! The short 2 ½ hour flight from Heathrow to Naples with British Airways took us over the Swiss Alps and down over Italy. Be sure to sit on the left hand side of the aircraft to enjoy the view of Mount Vesuvius as you approach Naples Airport. We were met by our transfer driver who took us to our hotel in Sorrento. The journey took about an hour, which was shorter than expected but I think we were lucky the traffic wasn’t bad. An alternative way to Sorrento is to catch a ferry from Naples Port. The Port is a good twenty minute taxi ride from the Airport. Imperial Hotel Tramontano was our home for four nights. The entrance to the hotel was very pretty and quite grand looking. We had a Superior Triple Room with Garden View. It was a good size and had amenities such as hair dryer, tv, toiletries but unfortunately no tea and coffee making facilities. At breakfast, we were always greeted by very welcoming and friendly staff. There was a good choice of hot and cold buffet food and unlimited fresh coffee. We spent a couple of days lazing by the pool. It was always a warm enough temperature to get straight in. This isn’t something I do often but Italy and the rest of Europe (except for the UK) were experiencing a heat wave! My only gripe with the pool area was that people reserved sunbeds. I didn’t expect this in Italy, not sure why! Sorrento is a beautiful town and quite flat so good if you have mobility issues. You are spoilt for choice with the many bars and restaurants and can literally shop till you drop! If you love shoes, Sorrento is definitely the place for you as there are loads of little shops where you can have Italian Leather sandals made and they don’t cost the earth! It is the perfect hub for exploring the Amalfi Coast. There are numerous ferries to Capri, Positano, Amalfi, Naples and more. There are plenty of ticket offices down at the port so it’s really easy to book. My only advise would be not to leave it to the last minute to buy tickets in peak season as they can sell out. We took the ferry to Amalfi and Positano. As Amalfi is further than Positano, we went there first and then went to Positano on the way back to Sorrento. It took about 90 minutes to get to Amalfi from Sorrento. Amalfi and Positano are beautiful coastal towns. They are quite small and very steep so definitely wouldn’t recommend for anyone with mobility issues. Like Sorrento, there are many shops all selling similar goods. When approaching by ferry, the views are breath taking. On a previous trip to Amalfi, I went by coach. The road down to the town is extremely bendy and not great if you suffer from motion sickness. The views are stunning though. Capri was our next stop for three nights. On arrival by ferry, we found the taxi queue and waited about an hour in the scorching heat. I really underestimated how busy it was going to be! If you are staying in Capri anywhere other than the port, I would arrange a transfer to meet you off the ferry. There is a Funicular to take you up to Capri Town but the queue was also very busy. Our taxi up to Capri town cost 27 Euros, so not cheap! The ride was very scenic although hairy at times. We checked into Hotel Della Piccola Marina and were shown to our room straight away. It was very tranquil and just what we needed after the hustle and bustle of the port. Our room was large and we had the most beautiful sea view. The pool area was a good size and didn’t struggle too much to get sun beds. Our only issue with the room was it had really bad wifi and again, no tea and coffee making facilities! The staff at the hotel were extremely friendly and helpful, giving us lots of advise on restaurants and where to visit on the island. On the advise of a lovely member of staff, we took a bus to Anacapri, which only took about ten to fifteen minutes. The town was very pretty. We were told that goods would be cheaper in Anacapri compared to Capri Town but I disagree as it seemed the same to me. Our main reason for visiting Anacapri was the Mount Solaro Chair Lift. My initial thoughts were how can I go on that when I’m scared of heights. It was literally a metal chair taking you up the mountain! I could see hundreds of people all embarking on the journey up the mountain so told myself to stop being silly and just do it. I’m so glad I had that word with myself as I’ve never felt so at peace than I did on that 13 minute ride. The peace of no one talking (apart from a few people who felt the need to shout from one chair to another) and the views can only be described as breath taking. Once at the top, you are surrounded by more stunning views and there is a restaurant where you can get a drink and something to eat. The journey down was even better than the journey up and I really didn’t want to get off! Getting back to Capri Town took a while. The bus queue was very long and the buses are on the small side. We must have waited about an hour in the scorching heat and when we did get on, we were crammed in like Sardines! We could have took a taxi but the prices in Capri are extortionate! Capri Town is beautiful and full of high end shops. There are also lots of linen clothes shops and the usual shoe shops you find in Sorrento. We did struggle a bit with finding restaurants and ended up dining in the same one twice. Will definitely research more next time! At the end of our stay in Capri, we caught the ferry over to Naples for our flight home. Luckily, we gave ourselves enough time and caught the 09.50 ferry (our flight was at 14.40) as there was a very long taxi queue when we arrived at Naples Port. Taxi’s constantly came along and ended up waiting about half an hour. The drive to the airport took about twenty to thirty minutes. It was further than I thought. We had an amazing time visiting Sorrento and Capri and will definitely go back one day.