Pompeii,Sorrento, Amalfi
Any recommendations for a site in the above area for a 6.2m caravan. Decent facilities are a must or life will be unbearable (for me). Most of the reviews seem to be pretty damning. Have been to Italy a few times but not this part, perhaps just a little too popular for its own good!
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We have stayed at Camping International Nube D'Argento twice now - last year and the year before. It is the other side of Sorrento from the autostrada but within easy walking distance to the centre of Sorrento. There are other campsites in the area but this was the one with the best access to Sorrento. It is, however, not the easiest site to access. Once you come off the main road, you have to go down a 4-bend zigzag narrow access road to reach the Reception and the touring caravan pitches. We have a Santa Fe towing a 7.03m caravan and can do it although a bit tight with inches to spare on one bend. So if yours is 6.2m shipping length you should be OK if you take it slowly.
As for facilities, I am not sure any campsites in the area have immaculate facilities. The one at Pompeii (Camping Zeus?)?) is really for motorhomes rather than caravans as it is essentially a parking place for Pompeii. I have met people who have stayed there and said that it is fine but they have all been motorhomers.
The facilities at Nube D'Argento are ok but not brilliant. There is hot water for washing up, hot showers and I understand hot water in the female sinks. The men have to wash (if you are a wet shaver) in an undercover but not enclosed wash basin area - fine unless it is the back end of October and windy! The loos are OK. The site is an olive grove but not really harvested so there are a lot of olives on the ground (we have been there in October both times).
If you go there and get the right pitch, the views over Naples Bay are stunning. In fact the whole area is stunning so it is worth persevering.
The drive from the autostrada is not the most relaxing and, whichever campsite you choose, I would recommend you do it in daylight. The driving in the Naples area is very creative and the moped/motorbike riders are experts in squeezing at speed into gaps that don't exist - the road is quite narrow at times because parking is also a creative sport. The first time we went there, it was dark and raining - not recommended. Having said that, big tour buses do it all the time and I work on the principle that, if they can get through, so can I.
The Amalfi coast is absolutely stunning. We took a public transport bus from Sorrento to Amalfi and then another to Ravello. If we had been earlier off the mark, we could have stopped in Positano on the way out or back but we too late starting. Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello are all very inserting and pretty. Also you can get a ferry from Sorrento harbour to Capri - also a lovely island.
Pompeii, and if you have time, Herculaneum are definitely worth a visit. If you are interested in historical sites, they are fascinating. Finally, Naples itself is a city that you either love or hate. It is rather like Oxford Street in the rush hour during the Sales on drugs. We love it and use the campsite in Pozzuoli.
Happy to discuss offline but it is definitely worth researching. Just so that you can assess my response, we have combined age of 138 years and been caravanning since 1984 - mainly in Europe.
You will probably get lots of replies but I hope that gives you a little insight into the area.
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As you gather, we love the area. We chose Sorrento because you can easily get to places from it - and it has a couple of nice restaurants! I made the point about the bus because, when staying in Pozzuoli, we spent a day driving round the Amalfi coast. My wife and daughter spent the whole journey in awe of the view while I spent the whole journey concentrating in the space in front of me, avoiding the traffic and breathing in on many occasions. We stopped for lunch in Positano which was amazing both for the view and the quality of the food. However, every place we drove through, we had great difficulty finding parking spaces. We could have spent a fortune in private garages but you have to hand your keys over which I was reluctant to do as the car was full.
The second time, we bought a day ticket for the bus - much less hassle and very reasonably priced. It also gave me the opportunity to see what my family had been in such raptures about!
Bob
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We have stayed at Camping Nube D'argento a few times and echo what Punto has said. On our first stay we had a pitch on the edge overlooking the Bay of Naples with a view to die for, our other trips we were not so lucky. Access is difficult but if, coming from Sorrento, you pass the site and turn round at the first opportunity it is fine. Interior roads very tight and steep but everyone seems to manage. Best way to visit Pompeii is to get the train from Sorrento; this train goes on to Naples so there is no need to change sites for your visit to this interesting city. Strongly recommend the bus drive along the Amalfi coast. The drive from the Autostrada to Sorrento is tortuous and can be very busy especially so at weekends so best avoided then. Sorrento is a bit of a tourist trap but it's location is superb. On one of our stays we then went across Italy to the Gargano peninsular on the Adriatic, which was a haven of peace after Sorrento and on the way back we stayed at Assisi , again a campsite in walking distance of the old town. It is a long trip so give yourselves plenty of time.
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Ah, the Gargano - a great region. One of our favourite areas in Italy and where we had our first caravan holiday in 1985 having graduated from that year from a tent. We have been back several times - the last was in 2016 but that is for another post!
I agree that Sorrento is a bit cheesy but, if you look beyond the obvious tourist facade, it is lively, noisy, colourful and a great place to travel from round the Naples Bay and the Amalfi Coast.
Also I agree with comeyras about the access to the campsite. About 500-700m after the entrance, the road splits at a y-junction. That is a good place to make a u-turn and approach the campsite from a more accessible position - it cuts the first z-bend out. We only discovered that as we left the campsite the first time!
Bob
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We stayed at http://www.bluegreenvillage.com/en/campeggio.php in the summer of 2016, as we were attending a family wedding in Sorrento.
We were in a MH though.
It's not a very big site, but the facilities are pretty good. Nice showers, etc.
As with most things in Italy, it's not the cheapest, but I suppose there are little choices, so they kind of charge what they like!
Not sure what time of yr your going, but we were there in the summer and it's roasting. Hope you have A/C if you are going in the summer!
There was also some issues with Ants, so make sure you have some powder to stop them climbing up the EHU cable!
We went into Pompeii, took the train, only a 15~20min walk to the station. Take plenty of water in the summer, there is nowhere to hide from the sun.
There is a cracking pizza place across the road!
We also took the ferry across to capri, then hired a small motor boat to go around the island and stopped off here and there for a swim.
It is a beautiful area, but I don't think we would go back in the height of summer, too busy and too hot!
Unfortunately, we have to stick to the school holidays.
Positano is a must, it's gorgeous.
Enjoy, it is a lovely part of the world.
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Hi Punto, I appreciate it is a long way, but thought I would let you know anyway; its about choice! I lived just outside Napoli for two years so know the area well. You need to be selective and careful about all of your choices in that part of the world. We stay at Camping Baia Domizia, which is 74 miles by road (North of Napoli) from the centre of Sorrento. Its a fabulous campsite where you can stay for weeks on end without leaving the site. It has everything you need. We drive down to and through the Amalfi to Sorrento, pick up a cheap hotel for the night and spend a couple of days doing the sites, especially the market shopping in Sorrento, then when done head back to the site and soak up the sun on the fabulous beach which is cleaned every morning.
It is a fabulous area with so much to do, you need a couple of weeks down there just doing the touristy things. But keep your wits about you.
BillC
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Bill,
I agree wholeheartedly about the time you can spend there. We have stayed in Pozzouli twice, Sorrento twice and, when I was working, been to 2 conferences in Naples staying on the Corniche. We love the area, enjoy the buzz and the unique character of the Bay of Naples and will be back in 2019. I was just responding to a request for information from Tigi and saying where we had stayed.
I agree with you about the fabulous area and keeping your wits about you - I was nearly dipped near the main railway station in Naples (it is renown) but luckily my daughter spotted him and warned me. Having said that, I always wear Rohan bags in places like that and keep my wallet and phone in the front zipped inside pockets and my hands in the main pockets.
Bob
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Thanks for all the time you have taken to reply I looked at the Google Photo`s of the camp entrance and did suspect going past turning around was the best approach, went to Levanto in the Cinque Terre in 2016 and that was a tight place to get to. We`ll be arriving early June so hopefully not as busy as in July/August and stay up to a couple of weeks. We enjoy the Cote d`Azur which is similar in so much there is a great variety of places to visit and just as we do there I`ll park up and use the buses and trains to get around. I`ve noticed various reports of ants so we`ll certainly include some ant powder, once made the mistake of rolling up a Fiamma Awning only to find it marked by squashed ants!
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