Amalfi Coast – Travelettes

A Budget Guide to the Amalfi Coast – Mediterranean Glam on a Shoestring

guest — Tue, 16 May 2017 07:06:37 +0000

Looking for a fun, yet relatively affordable seaside location for a mini-break in Italy this summer? It may come as a surprise, considering the reputation of the area as a luxury holiday hotspot, but a visit to the Amalfi coast can actually be done on a budget, if you have the right tips for saving money!

Why visit the Amalfi Coast, instead of other cheaper Italian coastal towns?

This rugged, beautiful stretch of coastline has a lot to offer. With tiny hotels perched atop steep cliffs, dramatic views of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius, and plenty of southern Italian culture and cuisine to discover, this slice of Mediterranean paradise is stunning. As you might expect, with unparalleled beauty comes exclusivity, and unfortunately that can often mean soaring accommodation prices and expensive tourist traps.

However, you can still swim in the azure Mediterranean ocean, eat authentic Italian food, and enjoy a glass of wine in Positano, without getting yourself into debt. I was able to have my own Amalfi adventure on the cheap by discovering some money-saving tips along the way! Here’s what I learned, including where to go, how to get there, and general budget-friendly tips for a memorable holiday.

Sleepy Sorrento

Sorrento is the perfect Amalfi coast “base camp” as it is fairly affordable, and you can reach the other towns easily by SITA bus, a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus service that runs along the coast. Accommodation tends to be a bit cheaper here than in Positano, as the scenery is less dramatic, but it is still special and has a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The town centre is fairly busy, and caters to the every need of its guests without losing its rustic charm. There are several fantastic restaurants at the harbour if you want to splurge on a seafood dinner as a treat, and bars that offer affordable happy-hour sundowners and snacks.

Picturesque Positano

Positano is the gleaming jewel in the crown that is the Amalfi Coast. A first impression is one of a kaleidoscope of colour – fuchsia bougainvillea bushes and yellow, orange, and pink houses clustered together like pastel-hued bricks of Lego. Positano has several very popular beaches, but these orange-umbrella luxury zones require payment for renting the beach, umbrellas, and loungers. There is one lovely free spot to the right of the main beach – simply take the path up the cliff, and then down along the path through the small forest to a little pebble beach.

Positano is a great place to try Limoncello, an intensely lemon-infused liqueur that is the perfect end to an Italian feast. There are also many lovely shops in Positano, which are fun to browse even if you can’t go on a huge shopping spree. Some souvenirs to look out for are printed dishcloths, ceramic ware and tiles, and cotton clothing.

Amalfi – The City That Fell Into the Sea

Although this town is the namesake of the Amalfi Coast, it is smaller and more rustic than its glamorous sisters. Amalfi has a fascinating history stretching back to ancient times, and a massive tsunami destroyed the lower part of the town in 1343. The town never regained its former glory as a trading hotspot, but today’s Amalfi is steeped in history and a quiet, peaceful mystery. The Amalfi Cathedral is a must-see for architecture and art enthusiasts, and the main beach is informal and family-friendly.

Getting Around

The nearest major city is Naples, and the easiest way to get to Sorrento is by taking a ferry or hydrofoil from the Port of Naples. You can also take a train or bus. I’d personally recommend the ferry journey, as the views of Vesuvius from the bay are breath-taking. It also takes around 30 minutes, as opposed to the 1.5+ hours via SITA bus!

You can take a SITA bus between the towns along the coastline – simply buy a day pass at a Tabaccheria or on the bus (which is a bit more expensive). Travel sickness medication is recommended for the bus trips, if you suffer from motion sickness. The route is winding, with sharp turns.

If you have a bigger budget, you can obviously plan a much longer trip, with excursions to Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii, the island of Capri, and Herculaneum!

Tips for Saving Money on Accommodation & Food

Cut costs by choosing a B&B that is situated slightly further away from the town centre, and a budget room without a balcony and with a fan instead of air conditioning.
Instead of eating out every night, enjoy a picnic dinner with a bottle of wine at your accommodation. You can buy food from a market or deli to save costs, and Italian supermarket wine is usually very good.
When exploring towns during the day, look for lunch specials – often restaurants have set menus for lunch (such as a plate of pasta and a salad) that are more affordable than ordering separate meals!
Look for pizza al taglio, or pizza sold by the slice. You can choose your pizza from a selection behind a deli counter, and enjoy a slice or two on the go.

Visiting the Amalfi coast on a budget takes planning and a bit more effort, but it is more than worth it when you’re having your morning espresso with a view of the ocean and Mount Vesuvius!

This is a guest post by Carmen Rabbiosi.

Carmen is a Capetonian living in Frankfurt am Main, Germany working as a writer and travel blogger. Soon she will be relocating to London to explore the UK. She shares her adventures at www.anincurablecaseofwanderlust.com and her photos on Instagram @carmen_sylvia_travels.

See the Amalfi Coast: A Short Story

guest — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:45:40 +0000

Anybody who doesn’t believe travel changes you – mostly and hopefully for the better – is probably reading the wrong website. I know that travel changes you. I think you do too.

Here’s one interesting way that travel changed me.

Back in 1999, a family holiday to Naples, Italy, when I was an often moody, always day-dreaming seventeen year old changed the course of my life. It persuaded me to start studying Italian at University just over a year later and it began a love affair with a country, culture and cuisine that will never die no matter how many other countries come on the scene.

Little did I know, however, that nearly fifteen years later, those memories of poignant Pompeii, the astonishingly stunning Amalfi Coast and the beautiful, edgy chaos of Naples would provide the backdrop for another very special story; my first self-published short story. After writing fiction for an audience of one (me) for most of my life I decided to make 2013 the year I self-publish a collection of fictional short stories inspired by travel. I felt maybe the places, people and journeys I wrote about would speak to and entertain others; if I loved writing the stories so much, maybe you would enjoy reading them in equal measure. I also owed it to that day-dreaming teenager that I was (and still am) to try and put my writing out there. So I did and I am.

See the Amalfi Coast is one of these short stories to be released in a full collection this summer. The main characters in the story are Martin and his wife, a couple in their mid-50s from a town near Leeds, Yorkshire who travel to Naples on a rare holiday abroad. It draws from many memories of my own holiday in the area, but the underlying plot and themes make the journey in See the Amalfi Coast about so much more than just a holiday…

I’d love for you wonderful Travelettes readers to share in Martin’s story so here it is for you. You can download the ebook for free as a mobi (for Kindle), a ePub (for Nook or Sony e-Reader) or you can read it as a pdf on your desktop, smartphone or tablet. You can get download it straight to your Kindle from Amazon for less than $1.20 and all profits from the book are going to a charity close to my heart.

Below is an extract from the book. We join Martin and his wife as they disembark the plane on a baking hot July afternoon at Naples airport…

*****

The heat smacks us in the face as we descend from the plane on rickety, plastic steps. In front of me Martin raises his face to the sun as though he’s never seen it before, or perhaps, as though he’ll never see it again. I poke him in the back to keep him moving.

A man stands at the bottom, his chin lifted up and away from us. I sense that he thinks he’s taller than he really is. He’s wearing tailored black trousers and a short-sleeved white shirt over which a fluorescent yellow vest flaps open in a warm breeze. The gold rims of his oversized aviator sunglasses sparkle in the sun. Every now and again he raises his left arm and slowly points to the terminal building with a slim, tanned index finger. I have never seen somebody so stylish doing such an unglamorous job.

“Bloody poser,” Martin sniffs

*****

A woman with big brown eyes greets us with a fake smile and a perfect manicure. She is beautiful. In Leeds she would be a film star. Martin melts in her presence, over-pronouncing his words and grinning at every opportunity. I indulge him, knowing it will perk him up for the rest of the day.

“Have you ever been to England? I wouldn’t bother, if I were you. Bloody cold most of the time, even in summer. Though this feels pretty bloody hot. Is it always like this?” The back of his hand wipes his brow. Seeing the sun reflect off his balding head, I wonder if we packed enough sunscreen. It’s another silly thought.

As we leave the terminal, I hold back so Martin can walk side by side with his film star. I pretend not to notice when he struggles to lift our suitcases into the boot of the mini bus.

*****

Naples’ roads are terrifying. There is no order on the motorways other than a common tendency by cars to drive with the white lines of the road directly underneath them. Once on older, narrower streets our pace slows to a crowded crawl. It’s impossible to determine how many lanes of traffic the road is supposed to have or how many people would like it to have. I hear more horns than I see vehicles and though it is deafening, it is also a little exciting. I know it’s not the case, but it feels as though the noise is announcing our arrival, welcoming us.

As we sit in traffic, once grand buildings shade us from the sun. I look up and see walls crumbling,shutters missing panels and small balconies weighed down with flowerpots, chairs, bikes, even washing machines. Mopeds creep up on either side of us, one after the other. They are like ants, coming out of nowhere and unquestioningly following the one in front, trusting that they can and must go where he before him goes. Down alleyways I see rows of washing stretching across, high in the air. I always thought it looked romantic and neighbourly in films, but in reality it’s a little sad to see peoples’ clothes drying in the exhaust fumes on a shared washing line. Yet that doesn’t make it any less of a treat to see.

On the ground there is dirt. Rubbish bags are stacked on street corners and beside shop doors. I remember Martin telling me about the rubbish problem in Naples. He showed me some frightening photos once, a few years ago. Apparently it’s much improved now. People sit outside their homes on chairs; some perch alone and stare sternly ahead, others lean into small groups and talk intently. Most are men and all seem old, with the lines of many stories carved into their faces. All appear undisturbed by the noise, the traffic and the black bags of rubbish that lie close by.

I look up again and see an elderly woman with unruly hair stare out of a window, her face peering over a pot of purple orchids. Three young men wearing suits walk by my window. They talk over each other, with their hands and shoulders as much as their mouths. As the mini bus finally begins to move forward, we pass a policeman sitting on a motorbike on the pavement. Smoking a cigarette, he watches the chaos unfold around him. He seems content. I have counted seven stray dogs on our journey so far, one with three legs.

Martin suddenly covers my hand with his,squeezing my knuckles together. “It’s bloody brilliant, isn’t it?”

Download and read the rest of the story from here or get it on your Kindle…

Illustrations by Laura Hickman.

Photos: 1 by Lucy Dodsworth, 2, 3 & 4 by Lisa R Bond & 5 by Amber Bridges.

Thank you to everyone who’s already downloaded See the Amalfi Coast. If you liked the story I’d be incredibly grateful if you could leave a quick review on Amazon.

This post was written by Frankie Thompson who was a Travelette from 2012 – 2015. Originally from London, UK, Frankie was nomadic for several years before settling in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where she lives with her Australian partner and baby boy. She spends her time buying vintage dresses, riding a rusty old bike around the canals and writing books inspired by her travels. Frankie blogs about travel, writing and motherhood at As the Bird flies blog.