My best friend and I spent three weeks in Europe, which was research for what we do here at Dream Makers Vacation Services. Of all of the places we traveled, the Amalfi Coast was by far our favorite.
Transportation:
From Rome we took a train to Naples where we then hopped in a taxi to the ferry to go from Naples-Positano. Getting to the Amalfi coast can be a real pain, especially when you are trying to do it on a budget. Once you get off the ferry in Positano you then have to get to the top of the hundreds and hundreds of steep stairs with your bags to where you then get a taxi. Since it was our first time we didn’t get a porter and we definitely regretted it. After a long hike with our suitcases, we had to call numerous taxi companies who only spoke broken English to try and pick us up for a car ride that would only be 10 mins. We eventually got a driver who drove us to our hotel in Praiano, 10 minutes away for 70 euro.
Accommodation’s:
Once we arrived at Hotel Tramonto D’Oro it was all worth it. This hotel is so beautiful and even better than we could have ever expected. We stayed in the Mediterranean room and had stunning views of the water and the sunset every night was unreal. The hotel has a rooftop area where you can order food, drinks, and lounge by the wrap-around pool which has insanely beautiful views of the ocean. The food at this hotel was 10/10. Breakfast was included every morning and was not your typical included breakfast. Everything was so fresh, the staff was so friendly, and the views at breakfast were the best way to start your day!
Food:
The food there was AMAZING. Our two favorite restaurants were Saghir Ristorante Wine Bar
and Tramonto D’Oro. Saghir is a one man show, the owner is the host, server, and chef all in one. It is pretty small and you should make reservations ahead of time but it was so good. Tramonto D’Oro was the restaurant in our hotel and had amazing food I would recommend it to anyone.
Things To Do:
When going to the beach on the Amalfi Coast you need to reserve beach chairs. There are a lot of different beach clubs, all ranging in prices, but we found the best two in the Positano/Praiano area.
Arienzo Beach Club:
This is a very well known beach club and the prices reflect that. We chose the “Basic Experience” package which was the least expensive and it was 375$ for two people. This package included a bottle of champagne, 1 umbrella, 2 sunbeds, 2 towels, 2 water bottles, and 2 meals (2 course pp that you chose from a menu). We were also picked up from the Positano beach and taken on a boat to the private beach club and the ride there was beautiful. When we got there our chairs had 2 complimentary aveeno face sprays and 2 very nice face lotions. The service there was really great and the water was nice. We were able to swim to a ledge where you then go up some stairs and there is an area where you can jump off and that was very fun. At one point in the afternoon they had a guy walking around playing the saxophone and free limoncello shots for everyone which was very fun. It was definitely a very nice and luxurious experience however, the sand was different from the other beaches and was black and very fine and hot and was pretty annoying. The price was also much higher than any other beach clubs so the amenities that you receive are definitely well deserved.
Il Pirata Beach Club:
Il Pirata is in Praiano and was one of our favorite experiences during our time on the coast. It costs about $37 per person to reserve a sunbed and umbrella, towels are extra. The views are beautiful and it is much smaller than other beach clubs so the chairs are in single rows which was really nice and felt much more spaced out. Food and drinks were reasonably priced and we received olives and other little snacks complimentary with our drinks. They have a ledge where you can jump in the water and little steps to go in and that was really fun. The vibes there were much more relaxing and laid back than the other beach clubs but definitely still fun. We made friends with the people around us and everyone was great. They have a beach right next to them and there’s a little walkway to get over there however we didn’t feel the need to go, we just dove in off the ledge.
While Il Pirata was much smaller and laid back, I would choose to go there over Arienzo. Arienzo was nice to experience and get some cute pictures but in all honesty it felt superficial and seemed like most of the guests were there just to get a picture for Instagram. I am excited to go to Il Pirata again next time I’m on the coast.
When staying on the Amalfi Coast a lot of people chose to spend a day doing a boat tour of the blue grottos or going to visit Capri. When we were there we didn’t have enough time to do this but I have heard so many great things about these book tours and your travel agent can help you book one!
Overall:
We had the most amazing time on the Amalfi Coast. Due to our experiences and connections, we can create the European vacation of your dreams. Contact us today to start planning.
