The final chapter of my 23 day Italy itinerary occurred in the magical Amalfi Coast. It was my first time visiting this renowned part of the world, and my friends Jen and Julie would be joining me for the fun. Woohoo! We planned to spend two nights in Sorrento, one night in Positano and two nights in Praiano.

Getting to Sorrento

Jen and Julie both booked flights to Naples (with stops since they were coming from the west coast of the US). As I was already in Rome, I planned to take the train to Naples, coordinating my arrival with J&J’s flights. We hired a driver to pick the girls up from the airport, then grab me from the train station. Unfortunately, things went a bit haywire.

Both Jen and Julie experienced flight delays en route. After much back and forth, our driver Antonio met me at the train station first, and we then headed to the Naples airport to pick up Jen. Julie missed her connection and had to be re-routed, so Antonio would return to pick her up later. Then Jen learned her checked bag hadn’t made it from Los Angeles (Julie’s bag also got stuck somewhere between Seattle and Italy). I felt terrible that both of them were traveling so far for a five night vacation that was starting with these frustrating mishaps.

I finally found Jen at the airport (sans luggage), we drank an espresso with Antonio, and we were on our way! The city of Naples looked like a shithole (if I’m being honest), and all the Italians I had met to date had warned me about the crime in the city. As much as I would have loved to try some real Neapolitan pizza, I was fine heading directly to Sorrento.

Our Accommodations: Maison la Minervetta

I had selected the lovely Maison la Minervetta for our two nights in Sorrento, and was so happy to arrive at our fantastic temporary home. With just 12 rooms, the seaside boutique hotel featured a unique, colorful twist on a nautical theme and magical views of the sea.

First Afternoon & Evening in Sorrento

After getting settled at Maison la Minervetta, Jen and I were hungry. Antonio had offered to set us up with a lunch reservation at the restaurant his friend managed, L’Antica Trattoria. We had no plans so we decided to take him up on it.

Between jet lag, flight delays, lost luggage (Jen & Julie) and sleep deprivation after a big night in Rome (me), we didn’t have big ambitions for our first evening in Sorrento. We found a lively restaurant with outdoor seating in the center of town, drank some wine, ate some pasta, drank some more wine, and called it a night.

Day Two in Sorrento

We got off to a slow start on day two. After sleeping in, we lazily made our way to breakfast onsite.

Both Julie and Jen were still trying to track down their luggage; they hoped it would arrive later in the day, but wanted to go shopping in town for some basics in the meantime.

After wandering around town and enjoying a spritz or two, we headed back to the hotel to relax by the pool. And, in what may have been the most exciting event of the afternoon, both Julie’s and Jen’s luggage arrived within an hour of each other. Phew! They had been amazing troopers for the last 24 hours.

The only activity we booked in advance in Sorrento was a private sunset cruise.

I’m afraid I don’t have any pictures or stories from our last night in Sorrento. Antonio hooked us with a table at L’Antica Trattoria again, and Lucca was working this time, so we were doubly hooked up (extra limoncello, of course). After we left, Antonio texted us that he had arrived at the restaurant, and was hoping to see us there? Ohhhh, sorry Antonio. Maybe next time.

Sorrento was a fun start to the trip since we were all pumped to be in Italy together, but it would pale in comparison to our next few days in Positano and Praiano. I’m glad we started in Sorrento, as it was the closest destination from Naples, and it gave us time to settle in, recover from jet lag, acquire lost luggage, etc. Our time in Positano/Praiano was really the highlight, however. Read on…