02 Feb 2020
We had a great time on this tour. We were picked up at 7AM at our hotel by our guide Bruno and our driver Marizio. After a quick stop to pick up another family at their hotel we were off to Pompeii. We had a very comfortable van and after a quick stop for a bite for breakfast, we were there. We were introduced to our local expert Pompeii guide and she took us through the ruins. I cannot say enough how valuable having a guide here was. Sure you can walk around and look at stuff but without a guide you wont know what your seeing. We were giving tons of info on everything Pompeii, without being overloaded or bored.
Our second stop was the Amalfi coast. I'll warn you now, the ride is not for the faint of heart. The roads are very tight and basically along a cliff the whole way. It didnt bother me but if your a little squeemish be aware. The thing is, unless your going by boat, theres no other way to get there. All that being said, the views are breathtaking and the towns and surrounding areas are gorgeous. After parking, Bruno took us through the towns and we stopped for lunch at a seaside restuarant. The food and the view were amazing. After lunch we did some more browsing through the town and then hopped back in the van for the ride back. Again, its a beautiful but somewhat harrowing ride back up the cliff. When we got to the top we were lucky enough to get a cliffside view of the sunset that made the cliff hanging totally worth it!.We then passed through a top of the mountain town that i didnt get the name of but was really beautifully decorated for Christmas.We then settled in for the ride back and Marizio expertly handled that van like he was driving a Ferrari!
In conclusion it was a great day. I think the Amalfi coast could take a que from Cinque Terre and blast through the mountain somewhere so trains can get you there without the cliff hugging car ride. Again, if heights do not bother you its nothing, if they do,just relax with Marizio behind the wheel because its well worth seeing the area. Our next trip there we will definitely go in a little warmer weather and spend a few days to see everything leisurely.