Naples:

Italy, we have arrived, bring on the pizza! Before my trip, I had heard Naples was dirty and dangerous. I did not find it to be either. I actually enjoyed Naples the most in terms of culture and diversity. While there were still tourists, it seemed like much less compared to Sorrento, Positano and Capri. The locals were definitely present and the city felt like it had a story to tell. It was easy to get lost down the streets of Naples, countless shops, restaurants and gelato.

Need to know:

Currency is euro.
Credit cards are accepted in most places, however it’s helpful to have cash on hand in the event a taxi, smaller cafe or store doesn’t accept credit cards.
Primary language is Italian, English is widely spoken as well.

Getting around:

Walk of course.
Public bus transit available.

Things to see:

Old town - Roam around for hours, stop anywhere for pizza, gelato or coffee.
Monastero di Santa Chiara - Cathedral located in the center of old town.

Food & Drinks:

Oak - Cute bar and small plates restaurant in the narrow streets of Naples.
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele - If you’ve done your Naples research, you know this is where Eat, Pray, Love was filmed, meaning the line was insane! If you have the patience and aren’t starving, try it out, otherwise try the place across the street. After all, you are in Naples, they can’t possibly mess up pizza.
L’Angelise Pizzeria - Amazing pizza, that’s all.
Boof - Cute hidden cocktail bar with great music and cocktails + a bartender who offers Italian lessons, thank you Salvatore!
Pasticceria Carbons - Order a cafe del nonno, you’ll thank me later. Best ice cream coffee concoction I have ever tasted - wow!

Where to Stay:

Hostel of the Sun - The staff were so much fun, helpful and responsive. I would 10/10 recommend staying at this hostel, very clean and walking distance to the ferry port.

Sorrento:

Sorrento was very touristy and overall a pretty small town, I think 2-3 days is enough to explore. The town itself was so cute, I loved it! There are plenty if restaurants, shops, coffee cafes, gorgeous hotels, gelato and lemons the size of melons everywhere. The streets are so colorful, full of beauty and life! Plus, there is the most beautiful fresh fruit for sale on every block, their peaches are to die for.

Need to know:

Currency is euro.
Credit cards are accepted in most places, however it’s helpful to have cash on hand in the event a taxi, smaller cafe or store doesn’t accept credit cards.
Primary language is Italian, English is widely spoken as well.
Restaurants charge a cover fee per person on bills.

Getting around:

From the ferry port we were able to walk to the central area of Sorrento, follow signs toward the “lift” and take that for 1 euro.
Since the town is pretty small, it is easy to walk around all day and see the main area.

Things to see:

Lookout point in center of town, you won’t miss it.
Lemons everywhere! There are lemon orchards you can visit that include tasting, cooking, picking, etc.
Beaches galore.
Grand Hotel Royal - Arrive before dinner to get a spot overlooking the water to enjoy a breathtaking sunset. Plus, the aesthetic of this hotel is unbelievable, inside and out.

Food & Drinks:

O Parrucchiano La Favorita - Recommended by our Airbnb host, he had me at handmade gnocchi. Not to mention the entire restaurant was surrounded by a lush garden with ripe lemons falling off the trees. This was the BEST meal I had all trip, get the gnocchi!
L’Abate - More pasta, more goodness.
D’Anton Bistrot - If Anthropologie served drinks, this is it, except it’s cooler because it’s in Italy.

Where to Stay:

Airbnb - Claudio and Yang were amazing hosts, they sat us down to give us the lay of the land and provided tons of recommendations for food. Would definitely stay at their place again.

Positano/ Capri:

We took an early bus ride out of Sorrento to Positano, winding through the mountains as the sun rose. Positano is a magical place, the entire town is built mountainside making it, lets say fun, to walk around. There is no doubt you will get your steps in…and stairs! We didn’t spend much time in Positano, since we took a day boat trip to Capri via the amazing Positano Boat Tours. Through the arch of love, to Sofia Loren’s house cliffside the view of Capri by boat was magical. Both Positano and Capri are VERY touristy, but still worth visiting.

Need to know:

Currency is euro.
Credit cards are accepted in most places, however it’s helpful to have cash on hand in the event a taxi, smaller cafe or store doesn’t accept credit cards.
Primary language is Italian, English is widely spoken as well.
Restaurants charge a cover fee per person on bills.

Getting around:

Bus - If you’re planning to take the bus at all, buy tickets in advance or arrive early enough purchase a ticket. Tickets are for sale in nearly convenience stores or cafes, unexpected I know. The price is just 3 euro. Note: buses do not wait and are very prompt! If you need to take a bus out of Positano around dinner time, don’t. There are people everywhere trying to get on buses and it is literally a fight to get on a bus. Pro tip: take a ferry, the travel time is the same. Cost is a little higher, roughly 18 euro, but I promise it is worth not getting trampled by people.
Boat Tour - Positano Boat Tour was amazing, Francesco was such a great captain during our tour and very knowledgeable. The tour started with an hour ride to Capri where we spent 4 hours exploring. We took the bus up to the central area for 3 euro. We were able to see all 3 grottos, blue, white and green, they were so pretty I couldn’t wait to jump in! On our way back from Capri, we stopped for a swim for about 45 minutes and enjoyed champagne on the boat.

Things to see:

Garden of Augustus - Gorgeous garden with multiple look out points, small fee to enter. Pretty busy with organized tours and tourists.
Central area - High end shopping and restaurants.
Rock beaches - The beaches are small, but there are quite a few of them. They are all rock beaches with the clearest water!

Sending you love and travel bugs,

Anayat ❤