Amalfi Coast & Bay Of Naples, Italy

Our Clients’ Reviews

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Average Review Rating: from 38 reviews.

Kai Aylward

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written May 2013
A fun week, with a mix of walking, sightseeing, and food. Lots of food! Although I work for Exodus, I paid to do this tour and felt it was great value considering how much we saw and did. The hotel you stay at really felt like a home away from home too.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Walk of The Gods is a lovely walk, taking you from the doorstep of your hotel along winding paths overlooking a beautiful stretch of coast. The highlight for me, however, was the city of Herculaneum. Whilst smaller than Pompeii, I found it easier to imagine it as a bustling city before the mudslides brought about by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius covered it for centuries. The guide there really brought the city to life.
What did you think of your group leader?
Eduardo was a funny, knowledgable local leader who knows the area inside out. He's understandably proud of the region and takes great pride in showing people around. He's travelled the world too, so his dinner time stories of his days as a boat captain were as fascinating as his insights into local culture and food. His willingness to try and ensure everyone got what they were looking for out of the holiday meant a couple of unscheduled stops too!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Bring trousers/shorts with a bit of room. You will expand over the course of the week! My wife and I are big eaters but weren't prepared for the sheer amount of food (several courses every night) at the hotel. It was all delicious and we'd feel ready to burst as we waddled back to our rooms each night. If you have a food allergy or just have something you fancy, don't be scared to let the staff at the hotel as well as your tour leader know, as they're prepared to go "off menu" to ensure you're catered for and happy. Another review talks about getting better food at a local restaurant but I found the food at the hotel fantastic and we even chose to eat there on our free day to sample some of the dishes from previou nights again. On hearing that my wife had never had squid ink spaghetti, the chef even made the effort to order it in and prepare it for us during one of the group dinners. I just wish I'd recorded some of the kitchen demostrations so that I could make some of the food now that I'm home.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
On the free day, the majority of people opt to go to Pompeii and then onto Sorrento. There's a fair amount of driving to fit both in, and at about 40 Euros per person (depending ont he group size) for the drive, as well as entry fees at Pompeii - it can initially seem rather expensive day once you add in meals etc. However, having looked into it a bit - you'd be paying a lot more to organise a taxi just to head to Pompeii and back, let alone being out from 8am to gone 6pm with a private mini bus. So, on reflection, it was good value and Eduardo did well to organise something that matched what most people hoped to do and see. It's a tiring day, so I'm glad we didn't stay on in Sorrento for dinner too, which a few people had hoped to do. Your time at Pompeii can feel a bit rushed too - but that's done in order to ensure you have time to get to Sorrento and have a few hours there. If you want to see more of Pompeii, don't bother joining the long queues to see the inside of the brothel, as that really isn't worth the time it takes (it's a really small building and once you're in you get herded through very quickly). A lot of the most impressive buildings at Pompeii are near the exit where you'll meet the bus, so don't be afraid to tell the guide you're going to go off and explore that for yourself.
In the sales team, the questions we get most prior to people going away are about things like wi-fi availability or hair dryers! On this tour, there's wi-fi at the hotel for 1 euro for 24 hours. As in 24 hours useage, rather than it runs out the following day even if you've not used it. That means for 1 Euro you can check the news on your iphone or laptop (if you're so inclined) every day provided you log out when you've finished browsing each night. There are hair dryers in every room too. Towels are provided and changed every day. There's a small pool at the hotel and you can walk easily into the town for small bars and cafes. There are two dogs at the hotel, but if you're allergic you don't need to worry as they don't go into the bedrooms or eating areas at all.
If you're considering this tour and have any questions, feel free to fire them my way at KAylward@exodus.co.uk
Catriona Byrne

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written May 2013
A lovely short holiday, in a beautiful area of Europe. Good for last-minute deciders as requires no preparation. I enjoyed everything - the location, the walks and visits, the very nice group, the hotel, the food....
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Walking round the crater of Vesuvius and looking down from there towards the city of Naples, with its 2 million people waiting for the next eruption .....
What did you think of your group leader?
Very knowledgeable , experienced, well organised, somewhat temperamental :-)
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This is an easy going, relaxed trip. Rather more sitting in a minibus and rather less walking than expected but that was fine for a week. Allow for mixed weather of you go in the spring...
Jacqueline Anderson

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written October 2012
Beautiful location, great hotel and staff, wonderful food, fabulous guide and a great group. Lots of locations to visit. The week flew by.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The 'Walk of the Gods' was absolutely spectacular. The views were breathtaking. It was very hard work, more a hike than a walk, but well worth it.
What did you think of your group leader?
Eduardo Palermo was brilliant. He was funny, always on time, changed our itinerary so we got the most out of each day/best of the weather and he also was very caring and understanding with the members of the group who had to go slower on the 'Walk of the Gods' and on Versuvius. He was very knowledgeable about the local area. He also went out of his way to arrange/advise members of the group who wanted to do things that were not part of the itinerary.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The 'Walk of the Gods' was a lot more difficult than we were expecting. There were sheer drops with no guard rails which scared some of the group who had a fear of heights . In some places we were climbing up on hands and knees. 4 of the group who had old injuries from broken bones/dislocations would not have done it if they had known how hard it was. It was well worth it but we were glad we only had October heat to deal with and not the height of summer!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I had a fantastic time. We had a great group and we all wished we had 10 days rather than a week. It went so quick. The pizza making lesson was great fun and the staff were all so happy and friendly. It was like staying with family/friends rather than in a hotel. They are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. I would love to go back one day.
Cheryl Ruse

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written September 2012
Fantastic holiday and great introduction to Italy if you have never been before. Expect to be kept busy. The food at the hotel is wonderful and there is lots of it. Expect to do lots of walking around, but you will see some amazing sites and views.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The cookery demonstrations were also entertaining and a highlight for me.
Our visit to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis were wonderful and gave a real feel of Roman Italy.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader was Eduardo who had lots of patients and was very knowledgeable.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
There are mosquitos so take creams, repellent etc.

Things are more expensive than you think e.g. €3 for a can of soft drink so take more money than you had planned to avoid being caught short or having to hunt down an ATM.

We went the second week in September and were lucky enough to be there during the festival of the Santa Maria which mean we were treated to the parade through the village with the statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, marching band and fireworks. It did also however mean we had to put up with the Fair ground in the vacant lot next to the hotel in the run up to the festival which blasted dance music until midnight every night, so ear plugs are essential if you want an early night.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Ok small negatives, the website says that “the hotel overlooks the Agerola plain” not from any of the rooms our group stayed in, we all had views of either the neighbouring buildings or the other part of the hotel. To get to the view of the Agerola plains it’s a short walk through the village which our guide took us on.
If you like a savoury breakfasts your only options are buttered toast and a boiled egg. There are cereals, pastrys, fruit and various jams to choose from but if you dont have a sweet tooth your out of luck. You might want to pack some marmite.
I felt the extra expenses section in the Trip notes needed a bit more detail for those of us wishing to plan/ budget properly. For example;
If you are a teacher or an OAP you can get in free/ discounted to some of the sites so don’t forget your ID.
The packed lunches we took on a number of days from the local bakery and added to our hotel bill were €5 each, for this you got a sandwich with your choice of filling and a small cake (which I don’t think was made at the bakery given its packaging).
Going into the Crypt at the Amalfi Cathedral will cost you €3 each and is well worth it for the beautiful paintings in the Crypt alone never mind the small museum of church artefacts. You will need to cover up for the Cathedral and you can’t use flash photography. There is also the option of the paper mill museum which was also €3 each.
In Revello going to the Villa Cimbrone will cost you €6 each and is also worth a look around and has some lovely views and gardens.
For our guide at Mt Vesuvius we had to pay €10 each (We were a group of 16) I personally didn’t think this was worth it as she spent about 15 mins 20 at most with us and didn’t say anything I hadn’t already read in a guide book or heard from our guide.
On our free day we all opted to go to Pompeii and then the Villa Poppea in Oplontis in the afternoon.The transfer was €25 each, our ticket into Pompeii was €8 each, the cost of the Pompeii guide was €11 each and the ticket for Oplontis was €5.50 each. Oplontis was very beautiful and is a world heritage site, it has some of the most well preserved wall paintings in Italy as it was more recently excavated (60’s), it well worth a visit.
For our free time in Naples the optional activities were the National Museum of Archaeology, entrance is €8 each and an audio guide is €5 each or you can explore the tunnels under the city for €9.30 each.
In the hotel a glass of wine at dinner is €2 unless you have more than one in which case its €5 so if you are having more than one glass it pays to have three. A glass of Prosecco is €4 each, but it is lovely.
On your free night you can go and eat your evening meal outside the hotel, but there aren’t that many options to choose from and when the food was so amazing in the hotel you don’t want to go anywhere else. The food is also reasonable priced.
Katharine Barnes

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written September 2012
Varied itinerary, very good tour of this beautiful area
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The views of the coast, espcially the first lunch when we were at Ravello
What did you think of your group leader?
Eduardo was excellent, and worked really hard to give us a good trip and make sure that everything ran smoothly. Hotel staff were also excellent. Food plentiful and good!!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
On the free day, do go and see Pompeii - it's a shame it isn't included in the main itinerary. It's very busy there (unlike Herculaenum) but the whole group felt that it would be a shame to go to Amalfi and not see Pompeii. If there's a queue for the brothel at Pompeii, it's really not worth the wait - it's a really small building. We all wished we'd spent the time seeing other parts of Pompeii instead of spending 30 mins of our 3 hours there standing in a queue. Another excellent ruin to visit (not on the tourist trail, but it was the highlight of our trip) is Villa Poppaea, which is only 10 mins from Pompeii. Our guide stopped there for us on the way back from Pompeii. Villa Poppaea is very well preserved, amazing paintings and with an Olympic sized swimming pool!
The Amalfi roads are incredible - narrow, precipes, hairpin bends and mad drivers! Our coch drivers were excellent.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Personally, I wouldn't have bothered with the Naples trip - it wasn't worth the long drive. To me, it was just another scruffy Mediterranen city.
Also, the Walk of the Gods was a lot harder than I expected. There's a lot of rock steps up and down, and quite a bit of scrambling, even along the cliff path. The last 1500 steps down into Positano can be avoided by taking the bus (the bus ride itself was amazing!). I'd recommend taking a walking pole for the Walk of the Gods.
Andrea Redgers

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written September 2012
This was our second visit to the Due Torri ( we did the walking holiday last time) the food and the friendly warm welcome were excellent as before. The hotel in really well placed to explore the area and having a local guide was brilliant showing us aspects of Naples and the area we would not have found ourselves. When the boats to Capri were cancelled on our last day the Guide organised a really good trip to Sorrento taking in some fantastic coastal scenery and superb ice creams.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Herculaneum, Villa Poppea, Naples with our enthusiastic and knowledgeable local guide, The Walk of the Gods in bright sunshine and the tasty fresh food at the Due Torri.
What did you think of your group leader?
Outstandingly good he always made sure we got the most out of our visit without making us feel too "organised".
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you want to see the best of this fascinating region and enjoy some real fresh Italian food this is the perfect holiday.
Jonathan Rawlinson

AMALFI COAST & BAY OF NAPLES

Written September 2012
This tour probably allows you to see more of the famous sites in 1 week than would be possible any other way. Our knowledgeable Italian speaking group leader made sure that everything was well organised and allowed us to see more than would have been possible as a lone traveller.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Visiting Herculaneum and Pompeii - although Pompeii was what we decided to do on our spare day - with the expert organisational assistance of our group leader.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader Barbara was fantastic - she had superb knowledge of the area and Italy in general - and being a fluent Italian speaker allowed her to easliy smooth out any organisational blips.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Yes - use the spare day to go to Pompeii and ask Francesco the guide who conducts the Herculaneum tour to join you in Pompeii ( extra expense but definitely worth it ! )