Last Updated on January 24, 2024 by Tori Pines
Follow along our Italian adventures with my 11 day Italy Travel Journal! Today we take on Pompeii and Positano.
Wow. What a day. We started at 4:45am, getting dressed and packing our final things into our bags. We had to make the 5:20 vaporetto. The stop was only about a 3 minute walk from the hotel but between a broken suitcase, no idea what time the vaporetto actually Arrives and the fear that we would miss it, we walked out of the front doors of the Gritti Palace at 5:06am. Let me pause here to say a few things about the hotel.
I was very unsure about where we should stay in Venice. We absolutely LOVE staying at Marriott hotels, so we stay there whenever possible. We had 5 different options for Marriott hotels in the city and when I landed this insane deal at the Gritti Palace, we decided we had to. I don’t regret it. The room was stunning and had the most exquisite Venetian decor. It really helped to set the scene.
The only complaint we have is that the staff was not very friendly, they didn’t greet us with a cheery “Buongiorno” when we walked in, in fact the three concierges at the front door never even looked up at us. Obviously we aren’t so snooty that we need that, but when comparing our hotels, the others were much much friendlier. In fact, the St Regis in Rome was by far the best in that category. They were always there to open the door for us, smile, wave and always say hello. The people at the Gritti were just, kind of, snobby. It’s totally okay though, we are used to the Fairfield Inn for goodness sake!
We waited out at the vaporetto stop and the chilly Venice air swept down the canal, birds squaked and the occasional boat passed by, workers on board getting an early start to the day. It was so peaceful, but we were ready to be on our way, dreading the long travel day ahead. We eventually made it to the train station, on the train and on our 5 hour ride to Naples. We did our best to nap, but ended up watching our current favorite show on Netflix the whole way, the Blacklist.
There are two items that I think are super handy for train rides. My most important item to have with me is my Teema Towel! It acts as a super cozy blanket if the train is cold, but packs small in my backpack! I also use it for many other things throughout my trip, like a beach towel and picnic blanket, so be sure to read my list of items to pack for Italy for my details about how great the Teema towel is! Secondly, a neck pillow. Sleeping against the window of the train is actually pretty comfortable if you have a small pillow, and the neck pillows clip to the outside of your bag, taking up no space in the bag.
When we arrived, Biagio was standing there with our name on a sign, ready to drive us to Positano. He was a driver for the company Joe Banana Limos. The whole experience was incredible and I would recommend them ten times over.
He dropped us at the main entrance to Pompeii for lunch and then 2 hours in the site. Yes, the food was touristy. Yes it was not good. But also, we were starving and we didn’t really have another choice.
I had purchased our tickets to Pompeii in advance directly through their website. I don’t think they would necessarily sell out, but it made things super fast and easy when we got there, and we just walked straight in. We wandered around Pompeii listening to yet another Rick Steves audio guide. It was really incredible to be there. It was sad and informative and incredible. But we had hit our limit of museums and learning, and were very ready to get to Positano and relax!
We are so glad we went, but we didn’t fully enjoy it being so late in our trip. We think a tour would actually be a really great use of money. We didn’t get as much out of it as we would have liked, but there’s always next time. We will book a guided tour to learn all about the history, and I think you should too! Click here for tour options!
We rode along the coast and hit the insane jaw dropping views. They’re gorgeous and unlike anything a picture can show. It was beautiful. Biagio insisted that we stop for a perfect photo op, and made sure to get an awesome photo of us.
He then drove us around town to give us an idea of what Positano is like before dropping us off. He was so kind. When we made it to our Airbnb we were sad to say goodbye. Please be sure to book Joe Banana Limos for your next trip to the Amalfi Coast! It is the only realistic way to get from Naples to the coast, and they provide transfers at affordable prices and with incredible service! Book in advance and they usually offer extra savings on their website!
Our Airbnb host met us and carried BOTH suitcases up the many stairs to the room. We were so grateful and amazed. The room is impeccable. Clean, modern, beautiful and with a wonderful view. We got very lucky with this place. I would highly recommend booking with Gennaro for your stay in Positano!
We showered, rested and got ready to take on beautiful Positano. Being in this beachy setting, I of course had to wear my favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress. I found that most people dressed up in Positano even more than other places in Italy. If you are in need of that perfect Positano dress, buy a Lilly Pulitzer dress here. Austin fit right in with his Travis Mathew polo. These are perfect for traveling in Italy and all of Europe because the logo basically blends right in, so he doesn’t look like a tourist. The quality is also incredible and it didn’t wrinkle at all after spending a week in the suitcase! Buy a Travis Mathew Polo for your upcoming trip!
We walked down the steps to town, shopped, went to the beach for pictures and ended up getting drinks on the beach with an amazing view. Only $10 drinks and a $4 cover charge. But for right on the beach?! We were sold.
After, we walked up the hill to dinner. We were supposed to have dinner at La Tagliata tonight, but our driver talked us out of it. He said it was too touristy. Instead he sent us to Casa Mele. Man was it fancy. We had no idea until we were already sitting down. Looking back, we definitely wished we had gone to La Tagliata. I heard so many comments after from people who had been that said it truly is an amazing place for dinner. But, I am not sad at all, we will be back to Positano soon, I am sure of it!
At Casa Mele, we had a bottle of wine and giggled together the whole night long in this restaurant that was way too fancy for us. I’m serious, we silently laughed so hard I cried a few times, while trying to be quiet and act fancy.
The servings were tiny, the prices were huge and the food? Honestly amazing. Not our style at all, but it was still a remarkable night. We had fun. We chatted with the sweetest server who was from Germany and became her friend on Instagram.
She told us her story about visiting Positano on vacation, falling in love with a local and moving here for good. What was really sad though, was how hard she said it was to make friends in this extremely small tight-knit town. It was neat to get to know some people here, and she was a doll.
We walked the dark streets and alleyways home, and remarkably found our room on the first try. It was an amazing first day in Positano. It’s safe to say, we love it here.
Off to Capri tomorrow! I cannot wait to share the journey! Goodnight!
Make sure you read the Day 10 Daily Journal next all about our day trip to Capri! And please be sure to read through all of my Italy travel resources to help you plan the perfect vacation.
