Neapolitan Riviera & Beyond - The Bays of Naples & Salerno

A truly contrasting itinerary from the cosmopolitan Neopolitan Riviera to the less commercial districts of authentic Cilento.

MEAL PLAN → Prices include full buffet breakfast and dinner at all hotels except Naples and Rome hotel(s) where only buffet breakfast is included.

TRANSFERS → An AVIS Group B car is included in your price, as well as unlimited mileage, itinerary/guide and driving directions. Ferry ticket from Calabria to Sicily is not included. This can be easily purchased at any motorway services or the ferry port. Be sure to take plenty of water, suncream and a camera with you!

NB → This self-drive multi-centre is suitable for competent drivers with some spirit of adventure.

DAY 1 → Fly British Airways from Gatwick to Naples. On arrival collect your AVIS Group B car and head towards Sorrento to the hotel Hilton Palace, your base for the next three nights. Relax and enjoy from many wonderful sightseeing tour opportunities which depart from this charming town. Meander through the cobbled lanes of Sorrento and soak in the jovial atmosphere of the south.

DAY 4 → After breakfast travel on the famous Amalfi drive to Vietri sul Mare and stay two nights at the Raito Hotel admiring the majestic vistas of the bay of Salerno. For decades the fishing villages clinging giddily to cliffs on the coastline, have been one of Italy’s main attractions. We recommend you visit some of the artisan shops in the bustling lanes, beautiful handmade ceramics are popular in this area.

DAY 8 → Journey to Paestum passing through the lesser known gems of the Amalfi Coast and further south towards the Cilento district, onto the furthest point of the Gulf of Salerno and acquaint yourself with southern hospitality. Stay two nights at the Savoy Beach Hotel in Paestum and visit the majestic, well preserved Doric Temples dating back to the 6th Century BC. The gastronomy and wine of this district is absolutely superb, seafood and grilled fish is plentiful, and the grazing buffaloes produce divine mozzarella cheese.

DAY 10 → Drive back to Naples airport, return your car to the AVIS depot and fly British Airways to Gatwick.

MARATEA PRICES ON REQUEST

DAY 10 → Drive though one of the most unspoilt coastline of the Campania stretching all the way down to the quaint village of Maratea and stay two nights at the four star La Locanda delle Donne Monache to experience authentic southern hospitality.

DAY 12 → Transfer to Naples airport and fly British Airways back to Gatwick airport.

Destination introduction

Glide away from the tiny chic island of Capri and sink lower into the rowing boat as it squeezes through a narrow cave into the Blue Grotto. Here you’ll find a spectacular sight – illuminated water glowing with an intense turquoise hue.

In Amalfi, dine on local pasta served with capers, olives and clams, and stroll around the marina and whitewashed villas nestled into the cliff-face. Don your sunglasses and discover the Amalfi Drive, cruising up a slender ribbon road along jagged steep cliffs, zig-zagging into the clouds.

Explore Sorrento, perched on a rugged headland, and soak up views over the gulf of Naples. Browse around Corso Italia’s designer boutiques, enjoy a cappuccino in a cobbled street, or head to Pompeii and watch excavators unearth the city once buried under Mount Vesuvius’ lava.

Wander past colourful, rustic buildings to Positano’s seafront and pick a terraced restaurant with views across the bay. Discover Ischia’s mountain slopes covered in olive groves and take time to bathe in the thermal springs. Palinuro has clear waters; stunning beaches and beautiful caves such as Grotto Azzurra; and Procida Island, the smallest and oldest island in the Bay of Naples, makes a relaxing stay, surrounded by gardens and orange groves.

Stay in tranquil Ravello and undiscovered Cilento, or watch the sunset through the Greek temples of Paestum. Admire the towering figure of Christ on Maratea’s coast and discover the hidden beaches along the Basilicatan shore.