Southern Italy has a way of delivering incredible food and stunning scenery, along with a few practical realities worth knowing before you go. My trip through Naples, Sorrento, and Amalfi ended up being a mix of all three, and here’s my honest take on each stop, including what I’d do differently next time.
Naples: Incredible Pizza, a Little Extra Street Smarts Recommended
Naples has a wonderfully chaotic energy, big, lively, and a bit rougher around the edges than Sorrento or Amalfi. It’s not necessarily a place I’d steer solo travelers away from, but I’d suggest going in with a bit more preparation than usual: know your route before you head out, keep valuables tucked away, and have a plan for getting around once it gets dark. A little extra awareness goes a long way toward making the most of the city comfortably.
Once you’ve settled in, though, the pizza makes it all worthwhile. Something about the dough here is just different, lighter, somehow both crisp and soft at once, in a way I haven’t quite found anywhere else. If pizza alone were a reason to visit a city, Naples would justify the trip on that basis.
Where to Eat: Gino e Toto Sorbillo
This was, without exaggeration, the best pizza of my life so far. There’s a popular saying that great Neapolitan pizza is practically “drinkable,” and while I don’t think that’s literally true, it’s genuinely that juicy and easy to eat, almost effortless, like the whole pizza disappears before you’ve noticed. I got the Margherita Bufala DOP, and it’s the kind of meal that makes you start planning a return trip to Naples just to eat it again.
Sorrento: The Pleasant Surprise of the Trip
Sorrento ended up being my favorite stop of the three. It’s noticeably less crowded than Amalfi, with charming streets and a beautiful stretch of coastline that somehow felt more relaxed without sacrificing the views everyone comes to this region for.
This is also where I properly fell for limoncello. I tried a glass at a restaurant, liked it so much I asked what it was, and ended up buying a bottle to bring home. If you’re going to buy just one souvenir from this trip, a bottle of good limoncello from Sorrento is a strong pick, especially once you’ve tasted a well-made one rather than the mass-produced versions sold everywhere.
Amalfi: Beautiful, But Come Prepared for Crowds and Tourist Pricing
Amalfi is undeniably beautiful, but it’s also one of the busier stops on this route, and prices reflect that popularity, running noticeably higher than what you’d pay in Sorrento for similar food or drinks. If you’re hoping for a quieter coastal escape, it’s worth knowing ahead of time that Amalfi leans more lively and bustling, especially during peak season.
Still, a couple of things about Amalfi stuck with me in a good way. Drinking an ice-cold IPA in the middle of the summer heat was one of those small, simple pleasures that ends up becoming a core memory of a trip. And more than any single sight, it was the people I met there that I still think about, proof that sometimes a destination’s crowds and price tags matter less than who you happen to run into.
Where to Eat: Ristorante Amalfi Cantina Miseria E Nobilta
Tucked away from the busier tourist areas, this restaurant was a welcome contrast to Amalfi’s more crowded, higher-priced spots. A friend had raved about the lemon pasta (Spaghetti Al Limone), and it lived up to the hype completely, the sauce managed to be rich and satisfying without feeling heavy at all, while still carrying that bright, refreshing lemon flavor throughout.
Where to Drink: Melphi’s La Birra Di Amalfi
I ended up going back to this place three times, which meant I worked my way through nearly the entire beer menu. The IPA was the standout, which happens to be my favorite beer style in general, so this place delivered exactly what I was hoping for. Beyond the beer itself, the staff and fellow customers were genuinely friendly and easy to chat with, the kind of place where you end up staying longer than planned simply because the conversation is good.
It was actually at this bar that someone recommended I visit Positano next time, a suggestion I’m planning to follow up on for a future trip.
One Small but Important Tip: Get an Espresso
No matter which of these three towns you’re in, make sure you stop for an espresso. This region takes its coffee seriously, and a quick espresso at a local café is such a simple, inexpensive way to experience a genuine slice of daily Italian life, standing at the counter alongside locals doing the same thing.
Final Thoughts
This trip was a real mix of highs and lows: Naples’ chaos balanced out by genuinely life-changing pizza, Sorrento’s calmer charm and limoncello discovery, and Amalfi’s crowds and prices offset by unforgettable people and a perfectly timed cold beer. If I were planning this route again, I’d probably spend more time in Sorrento, treat Amalfi as a shorter day visit rather than a base, and finally make it to Positano based on that bar recommendation.
If you’re planning a similar route, my honest advice is this: don’t skip Naples for the pizza alone, don’t underestimate how much better Sorrento is once you’re away from the biggest crowds, and go into Amalfi with realistic expectations about pricing and crowds so you can focus on enjoying it for what it actually offers.
Have you done the Naples-Sorrento-Amalfi route, or are you planning to? Let me know in the comments if you have Positano tips, since it’s already on my list for next time.