Italy Archives - asthejoeflies

Mar 01 2018

Summer Suggestions: Amalfi Coast

Welcome to my new series, Summer Suggestions, where I recommend places for you to visit this summer because we can’t! While I’ll offer some ideas about how to get there, what to do, this series isn’t meant to be comprehensive. I just want to write about fun destinations and put some ideas out there for people to get in their heads. For the first of this series, I’ll discuss things to do in the Amalfi Coast in Italy, and why we loved it so much.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, you should definitely consider checking out the Amalfi Coast. How to get there, where to stay, things to do in the Amalfi Coast and more! — Amalfi Coast at night

Believe it or not, before I got married I had forgotten my love of travel. My wife and I planned a two week trip to Europe for our honeymoon that involved a week of culture (cities) and a week of relaxation (the coast). We settled on the Amalfi Coast in Italy because we both fell in love with Italy separately earlier in our lives. If you’re looking for a lovely summer vacation, family or otherwise, might I suggest the Amalfi Coast? My one caveat: you may want to consider somewhere else if your kids still use strollers. I remember shaking my head at this poor family carrying a child in a stroller up hundreds of steps in Positano. Jokes on me now, I guess!

Why visit Amalfi? It’s beautiful, with cities cut into cliffs over the ocean. Despite it being very popular with tourists, you can find quiet spaces if you’d like. If you’re active, there are lots of great hikes, if you love the water, you can find a beach or get out on the water yourself. The food and drink, of course, are great as in all of Italy,

Let’s take a quick look at how to get there, where to stay, and things to do in the Amalfi Coast!

How to get to the Amalfi Coast

Let’s be honest, odds are you choose to fly into Rome. While I don’t love Rome, it’s still pretty neat and we spent a day there before going to Amalfi. From Rome you can take a train to Naples or Salerno, Salerno already is part of the Amalfi Coast. However, most people like to go see Sorrento, which is what we did. From Naples we took a second train to Sorrento and then explored the city for a day before taking the SITA bus to Praiano where we stayed.

If you travel to the Amalfi Coast, you’ll likely become very acquainted with the SITA bus. You can buy a multi-day pass and if you’re anything like us, you’ll end up using the SITA bus to travel between the various towns dotting the Amalfi Coast. Watching these SITA bus drivers navigate tiny roads on cliff sides brings both fear and awe from new riders. It’s something you have to experience to believe, but rest assured they are professional and great at their jobs. Except maybe that one time the driver refused to yield to oncoming traffic and caused a huge traffic jam.

Miles and Points availability to Rome

Like I said, I don’t mean for this post to be comprehensive, but I did do a quick search for flights to Rome. Sorry for the East Coast bias. NYC-FCO has lots of space in economy on Delta for four:

Detroit and Boston look similar. Turns out, if you’re willing to fly economy, UA and even AA have space too. Not a bad deal for a family of four.

Where to stay in Amalfi Coast

Positano and Amalfi are the large towns and have hotels, but I would suggest renting an apartment. We rented one in the small town of Praiano, which sits in between Positano and Amalfi. You can take the aforementioned SITA bus or hike between towns. We rented from Summer in Italy, although obviously plenty of other options popped up since our honeymoon. The news that AirBnB plans to start a loyalty program might entice some people, plus there’s always VRBO and even random stuff like Trip Advisor.

We really enjoyed staying in an apartment. We cooked some of our own food, lived among the locals, and took lukewarm showers. OK, maybe it wasn’t all great. But definitely for a family (which we’ll be next time we visit), I think an apartment is the way to go.

Things to do in the Amalfi Coast

We loved our time in Amalfi, in large part because we took part in so many different activities. We stayed in our apartment for a week and had a nice mix of active and relaxing activities. While I don’t remember exact details, I’d like to give you a little taste of what you can do in Amalfi.

1. Hike

I detailed our sort of crazy hiking expedition a couple of years ago. Since the various cities of the Amalfi Coast sit in the mountains, you can hike from one to another. With the ocean below you, the experience of hiking from town to town really struck a chord with me. Like all hikes, it’s super peaceful, though these particular hikes are punctuated by the random honks of SITA buses. That added to the charm for me. Grab a map at the local TI, although the hiking is pretty straightforward: just climb in the direction of the next town and you’ll likely find it. Bring comfortable shoes!

2. Eat

OK, it’s Italy, so this is sort of cheating. But we had some amazing meals on the Amalfi Coast. Some of the best were, of course, after long hikes. I’m 90% sure we ate here in Positano. I might as well have written the Trip Advisor review that states, “We climbed up one million steps and wandered around and stumbled here for a drink. They couldn’t have been more accommodating and nice.”

But what I’d suggest above all, as I would in all of Italy, is eat like the Italians do. Take your time, drink your wine, and enjoy to the fullest. And leave room for dessert, either at the restaurant or at a gelateria.

3. Stroll

One thing we loved about staying in Praiano was taking quiet strolls in the evening after dinner. Since it’s a smaller town, it sometimes felt like we were the only tourists out at night. One night we happened on what I assume is the town square. Families of multiple generations just hung out at night. Kids playing soccer, grandparents having a chat. It was simultaneously a cacophony and very familial and intimate. I hope to bring my kids to hang out there one day.

4. Beach

While we didn’t end up sitting on the beach ourselves, there are lots of beaches available if you want to just relax in the sun. Some connect right to town, while others require walking down more flights of stairs. With the cliffs above and the sea in front of you, it’s tough to think of many more picturesque places to relax than the beaches of the Amalfi Coast.

5. Boat

Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, find your own private beach. We rented a small motorboat for $100 USD (though this was 10 years ago) from Amalfi. After hiking, this marked my favorite part of our time in Amalfi. When you hike, you get to see the view from the top of the cliffs. In a boat, you see the view from the bottom. We boated from town to town until we found a small beach cut into the rocks. My wife swam over and had her own personal beach for half an hour. If you’re comfortable driving a boat (it’s basically like driving a car, don’t take sharp turns, stay away from the shore), I’d highly recommend this.

Final Thoughts

Like I said, this series isn’t meant to be comprehensive, but I hope you at least have an inkling of what Amalfi Coast has to offer. If you’re still deciding where to visit, I’d highly recommend putting it on the list. We had a blast and plan to go back with our (now much larger) family one day.

Have you been to the Amalfi Coast? What would you recommend? Let us know in the comments!

Never miss a post! Subscribe below and receive an e-mail once a day for new posts from asthejoeflies. Also, follow our family adventures on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Subscribe to asthejoeflies

Mar 03 2016

TBT: My travel obsession began in 90 degree heat (Amalfi Coast)

Hiking above Praiano — High above Praiano

Throwback Thursdays are a new feature here at asthejoeflies. They are stories from my travel experiences with zero regard to miles and points. Hopefully they inspire you, either to these destinations or beyond!

“I really don’t want to travel to multiple destinations for our honeymoon.”

In fact, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to go overseas. But my wife prevailed and we made our first of many life compromises. Three cities in Spain spread out over a week combined with one week on the Amalfi Coast, our “relaxation” week.

We rented an apartment in Praiano (no hot water, bed like sheet rock), a quiet little town tucked into the mountainside between Positano and Amalfi. We’d eat dinner until 10 PM, then walk to the plaza in front of one of Praiano’s churches, where it seemed the whole town would gather until bedtime.

We had read that there were hiking trails between the coastal towns and fancied a little stroll. So we went to the local TI and asked for a map.

“It’s about a 4 hour hike to Positano, but you’ll have to go tomorrow. Make sure you leave early in the morning to avoid the heat. It’s about 1000 steps or so.”

It was midday. We went back to the apartment. We sat. And sat. Then we looked at each other.

“What else are we going to do?”

Let's just do the thing — Let’s just do the thing

So we strapped on our backpacks and set off. About five minutes in, I realized that “1000 steps or so” did not mean 1000 or so paces as my brain had interpreted. There were stairs involved. Lots of them. So much for relaxation.

These are certainly steps and not paces.

So we climbed, and climbed. We climbed so high that the sounds of an already quiet town completely faded away and all we could hear were the SITA buses honking at one another.

We sat by a church bell. We picked rosemary to use for dinner the next night. We sat in what little shade we could find while Jess drew the view in her journal.

Church above Praiano

We only passed one other group stupid enough to make the hike at that time of day. We were pretty dehydrated as we made the descent down to Positano. I wasn’t really into hiking at the time (still am not, though I have an appreciation for it) – so I didn’t realize that coming down is the hardest part. I was exhausted and my legs were shaking every step they hit.

When we made it to Positano, it turned out that the entire town was steps. Of course we walked to sea level – might as well at that point.

View of Positano halfway through the hike

We settled in for dinner at Il Grottino Azzurro, the Blue Grotto. I ate fried cheese while we chatted with a solo American traveler who missed the sound of English. It was one of the best meals I have ever had.

We took the SITA bus back to Praiano – a cold shower and sheet rock never felt so good.

Two days later we made the hike in the other direction to Amalfi. Then on to Barcelona and back home. We haven’t stopped moving since.

Seven years and two kids later, I wonder if my wife realizes that she helped create this. Does she ever wonder whether she should have just let us go to Hawaii? Because now whenever I’m at home, I’m wondering where we will be visiting next.

What else are we going to do?

Sep 16 2014

How to Plan Travel for Summer 2015 – Part 1

I try to avoid Asia in the summer - this picture doesn't indicate how ridiculously hot Hong Kong is — I try to avoid Asia in the summer – this picture doesn’t indicate how ridiculously hot Hong Kong is

It’s the time of the year to start planning our summer travels. Actually, you could say it’s even a little late for that, depending on your definition of summer. We usually travel in July so we’re a bit behind. Remember, most airlines open their schedules up 330 days in advance, so I can book travel up through August 11th right now on most programs. This post will outline my thought process for booking travel and hopefully give you some ideas for how you want to use your hard earned miles next summer! If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’re likely not ready to book yet…get crackin!

Question 0: Cash or Miles?

If the answer to Question 0 is cash, you can pretty much skip the rest of this post. Right now is NOT the best time to buy cash tickets – prices will definitely drop some time in the next eleven months. If you don’t have enough miles to book that summer trip right now, you can build up those balances – chances are more than decent that space will open up closer in.

Question 1: When can you travel?

I find for most people this is the biggest determinant. Summer is usually a little better because people are more free to leave on Tuesdays and random things like that. Obviously, the more flexible you can be the better. Since award space is a function of airlines trying to fill every last seat, you’ll see the most availability on low travel days – Tuesdays and Saturdays for example.

The weather's a lot cooler in Peru — The weather’s a lot cooler in Peru

If you don’t have the flexibility and need to leave on weekends, it’s imperative that you make decisions sooner rather than later (or wait until the last minute next year, but then this article isn’t for you). Airlines are releasing less and less award space 330 days out, so you should try to be ready to go once your desired dates hit the 330 mark.

For us, we’re pretty flexible, if we can find anything for a 2 week trip in July we should be good to go. It’s Question 2 that is a bigger source of stress for us.

Question 2: How many in your party?

Oh, to return to the days when we were only looking for two seats. Little M will be two next year so she’ll no longer be flying on our laps in first. The added mileage cost plus the relative difficulty of finding three seats in first means we’ll probably be flying business next year – that’s if we’re lucky. It isn’t too hard to find 3 coach seats this far out, but a lot of airlines will only release two business class seats.

Another option we (and your family) could consider is splitting up the family by cabin. For example, a family of four could snag two seats in business and two in coach relatively easily and just switch off on the outbound and return (or however they like). Or if you’re particularly brave, one in business and three in coach. Of course that depends on the age of the children.

A third option for families with older children is splitting up the itinerary altogether – parent + child 1 on Flight 1 and parent + child 2 on Flight 2. I don’t really prefer this option because it’s a lot of moving parts (and we’re not there yet size/age wise), but it definitely makes finding award space a lot easier!

Question 3: What programs do you have miles in?

Obviously this question is going to go a long way to dictate where you will be going. If you have a ton of SPG points, the world is pretty much your oyster since you can transfer to programs in every major alliance. If you are rich in Ultimate Rewards, you are likely flying Southwest or United, etc. etc.

If you have a ton of miles in a specific program, then you’re locked into booking flights with that airline and its partners. Hopefully you have a large portfolio with decent balances spread across different programs, this will maximize the options available to you.

Lufthansa first class is probably too expensive these days - too bad — Lufthansa first class is probably too expensive these days – too bad

In our case, we have a ton of AA/US miles and a bunch of Membership Rewards and Delta Skymiles, so we are pretty limited. All our other balances are in recovery – we are slowly working to build them back to levels where we can use them to book for everyone. I find that it goes in cycles – you burn all your points in one program and then rely on other programs while you slowly rebuild your balance in the first. It’s like leaving a field fallow for a year so you can grow better crops the next year…or something.

Question 4: Where do you want to go – domestic or international?

In my thinking, where to go is the fourth thing I ask myself. The benefit of miles is you can get places in comfort while saving a lot of money – the drawback is if you’re dead set on a certain location you might find yourself out of luck. Miles are best used when you are flexible.

I always start by considering whether I want the family to go domestic or international. This is a question I am personally struggling with right now. In a lot of ways, going domestic is easier – shorter flights, less miles, etc., but going international is what I love to do. Depending on your answer to this question, you’ll start zeroing in more on what miles you should be using.

If you want to go domestic, the best value can be found in distance based sweet spots. KennyBSAT has an amazing primer (with routes) on these sweet spots, so check them out and see if you fall into any of them. If I can’t find a distance based sweet spot, I personally would rather pay cash and fly coach and save my miles for an international trip in a premium cabin.

The reason why I’m struggling this year is because the cost of international travel (in business) is a lot more now that we have to pay for our daughter – and who knows what she’ll be like as a 2.5 year old. I’m still leaning international though…

Question 5: What continent/state do you want to visit?

Once you’ve decided international or domestic, you kind of need to zero in on a certain region. With domestic it’s a little easier, you can just start your search by looking for award space on sweet spot routes from your hometown.

You don't get castles like this in the States — You don’t get castles like this in the States

For international, the continents you can travel to are going to be limited by your miles balances and the cost of travel. Since we have so many US/AA miles, our family can technically travel to any continent next year. Still, if we go abroad, we’ll probably stick to Europe due to the shorter flights (and the extreme heat in Asia). We’re not going to take Little M on a safari while she’s still prey sized and we’d want to do that if we went to Africa so we eliminated that.

Question 6: Where’s the availability?

Searching for availability is a post in and of itself, so I’ll hit on that next time. In the meanwhile, you might get lucky with the AA space KennyBSAT pointed out last week – I know I have a flight on hold!

Final Thoughts

If you want to travel on miles, start booking now! Hopefully seeing my thought process helps you crystallize yours – burn those miles and enjoy!

Aug 06 2013

Delta Airbus 330 Business Elite Review – with a baby!

I’m not going to do an in depth trip report of our flight, but I just wanted to give my impressions of Delta’s Business Elite product – the non lie-flat kind. Delta’s fleet of Airbus A330s are leftovers from the Northwest merger, and feature angled recline seating as opposed to the 777s and 767s which have fully lie-flat seating (they’re very nice, btw, flew one from HKG-DTW once). Not the most comfortable seats, but of course it beat flying overseas in coach. We flew the same type of plane both ways so I’ll just hit both flights in the same post and touch a little bit on the infant experience at the end. If you’re interested on how we got on these flights for under $100 each, you can look here and here.

[Read more…]

Jul 31 2013

One last day in Italy…

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and by the time this posts our Italy vacation will already be over. With my family already back in the United States, Jess, the baby, and I had one final day alone in Florence to enjoy the sights. Spoiler alert: we ate a lot of gelato.

[Read more…]