Ravello

View of Amalfi Coast from Ravello
View of Amalfi Coast from Ravello

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Ravello

Ravello is 30 minutes drive inland from Amalfi, a breathtaking village of over 2,000 people in the Sorrentine Peninsula, with a rich Medieval history.

Ravello is accessible through a tortous and narrow road up from the coast which may deter very big tourist coaches.

Famous, elegant resort, which has attracted and inspired many personalities of every art form due to its astounding views of sea and mountains, charming architecture and celebrated villas, from DH Lawrence to Richard Wagner, from Andre Gide to EM Forster. Plaques in the village remember the numerous writers who wrote their works here.

In Ravello there are two famous villas with enchanting gardens: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, both open to the public. Villa Rufolo is a complex of many buidings from the 13th and 14th centuries in the centre of town near the Cathedral Square, whose gardens stage open-air concerts in the evenings. Among past performers have been Enrico Caruso and Rostropovich. It’s a great experience in astonishing settings.

Villa Cimbrone is a historic building of various styles, containing ancient elements, at the edge of the village. Built on a rocky promontory plunging into the sea of the Amalfi Coast, it has lush, extensive gardens adorned with antiques, statues, grottos, fountains and peaking in a Belvedere, a panoramic viewpoint offering, particularly from the well-known Terrazza dell’Infinito, views of unparalleled beauty over the Gulf of Salerno and the neighbouring coastal villages.

The view from the top at Ravello is magnificent: yachts look like little toys on the Mediterranean hundreds of metres below.

Find a hotel in Ravello

View a wide range of hotels in Ravello for all budgets, from luxury to inexpensive and Bed&Breakfasts.

Plus, you can find 3 star Amalfi hotels and 4 and 5 stars Amalfi luxury hotels.

Bay of Naples map
Bay of Naples map

Getting to Ravello by air

The nearest airport to Ravello is Naples International Airport Napoli Capodichino. From Naples Airport, you can take the train or the Alibus to central Naples and then from Naples Porto Immacolatella take the SITA coach service that goes to Amalfi and then from here take another coach to Ravello. There is also the more espensive option of hiring a taxi or the more convenient option of hiring a car.

The simplest solution is to hire a car for your stay. It is better to rent your car in Naples rather than Sorrento, so that once you have arrived in Salerno, on the way back you can skip the whole trip back along the coast and drive directly from Salerno to Naples Airport in an hour on the autostrada (motorway). It is possible to collect a vehicle in Sorrento and return it in Naples, but not always.

If you travel by air, you have a choice of booking with an airline or a flight consolidator.

From the UK, the only direct non-stop flights to Naples are from London. The exception is Thomson Airways which flies non-stop to Naples Airport from London Gatwick, Birmingham, East Midlands, Newcastle, Manchester, Glasgow, and Bristol. The prices are reasonably low, with some return tickets under £100, and there are special offers.

Travel and flight consolidators have information on many companies and operators and search the best flight for you. It is much cheaper to book flight and hotel, and possibly car hire, together with consolidators rather than reserving them separately.

From the UK, Booking Buddy UK, a Trip Advisor company that compares over 50 travel sites for the best deals for flights, hotels, car hire and holidays.

From the USA, one of the best known and most popular consolidators is Expedia (USA) .

You can also check price comparison sites like Kelkoo (UK) for the cheapest flight.

Getting to Ravello by train, car & coach

BY TRAIN. The main railway station closest to Ravello is the Stazione Centrale of Salerno, which has direct Eurostar and other fast train connections to Naples, Rome and northern Italian cities like Milan. From Salerno there are regular and frequent SITA coach services to Amalfi almost every hour; then from Amalfi take a SITA bus to Ravello.

Check

Italian Rail for USA residents

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BY CAR. Coming from the north by car: from Rome take the motorway Al (also called “autostrada del sole”, the most important Italian motorway, which connects the north to the south going through all the length of Italy) with direction Napoli, and past Napoli after the Caserta Sud exit take the motorway A30 towards Salerno-Reggio Calabria. Exit at Pagani-Nocera, follow the signs for Valico di Chiunzi and Costiera amalfitana, reaching Ravello through the mountain pass. This route is shorter, with less traffic and offers a beatiful view over Naples. A second route is longer, with more traffic especially at weekends, but it affords a stunning view: at the Caserta Sud exit take the A30 motorway, go towards Salerno until the exit of Vietri sul Mare, and then follow the signs for Costiera amalfitana and Ravello, going through Cetara, Maiori and Minori.

Coming from the south by car: on the A3 motorway from Salerno to Naples, take the exit of Vietri sul Mare, follow the sign for route S.S. 163 Amalfitana, Cetara-Maiori-Minori-Amalfi, then carry on this road until the crossroads to Ravello. Or take the exit of Salerno Centro on the A30 motorway from Caserta to Salerno.

BY COACH. There are direct daily coach services from Rome Stazione Tiburtina to Amalfi; from Amalfi take a SITA coach to Ravello.

Credit: Image by SALVATORE MONETTI from Pixabay