PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP
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Currency Exchange
Foreign currency exchange is the act of exchanging one type of currency for another. For example, if you’re planning an international trip to Europe, you may want to plan ahead and exchange U.S. dollars for Euros so that you are prepared to cover cash expenses as soon as you arrive without having to stop at an exchange office at your destination. Two hundred euros should get you through until you get to an ATM.
Making ATM Withdrawals – USE A BANK ATM!
The best way to get cash in Italy is to make an ATM withdrawal when you arrive. The Visa or Mastercard exchange rate applies and is better than any rate you’re likely to get exchanging currency at an exchange office or a bank.
Italian bank ATMs are called bancomats and some don’t charge a local ATM operator fee — but avoid using independent ATMs. These third-party ATMs charge like a wounded bull, and it’ll be obvious which ATMs are affiliated with a bank and which aren’t.
Cash and Currency Tips for Europe by Rick Steves
Foreign Currency Exchange Services (pnc.com)
How long does it take to receive foreign currency bank notes that are ordered at a PNC branch?
Standard foreign currency orders entered before 4:30 p.m. ET will be delivered to the branch by the end of the next business day. (during business travel season please allow 1 – 2 additional business days)
Customers may request overnight delivery for a $15 charge. Overnight delivery foreign currency orders entered before 4:30 p.m. ET will be delivered to the branch by noon the next business day. Overnight delivery is only available Monday through Friday and isn’t available on bank holidays.
Foreign Currency Exchange | Fifth Third Bank (53.com)
Fifth Third customers can buy and sell foreign currency at their local branch with competitive exchange rates. And when you return from your trip, Fifth Third can buy back any unused foreign currency, exchanging it back into U.S. dollars. Contact your local branch if you have questions about a particular currency carried.
Day 1 | Depart Greater Cincinnati Airport
Monday | 6/26/23
Depart CVG at 9:30 am
British Airways Flight 120
Day 2 Arrive in Naples
Tuesday | 6/27/23
10:15 am Arrive at London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
8-hour Layover | Depart LHR 6:15 pm
6:15 pm | British Airways Flight 426
Arrive at Naples Airport, Capodochino, Italy (NAP).
Self-arranged transfer to hotel.
La Maison Du Flavien Hotel
Viale Comandante Umberto Maddalena, 380
80144 Napoli NA, Italy (map)
Days 3-5 in Amalfi, Italy
Wednesday- Friday | 06/28/23 to 06/30/23
Private Driver
Pickup from hotel, 9:00 am.
Drive to Pompeii for tour and then to your hotel in Amalfi.
Casa Zarino
You are staying in the Zarino Room, an airy and bright double room with a magnificent balcony overlooking the sea. This is the largest of the rooms in which we accommodate you at Casa Zarino.
From the bright yellow of the seashell-inspired headboard of the bed, to the light blue details of the room. The same pastel colors recall the hues of Naïf art paintings, with views of Amalfi, which embellish the room giving it a unique style. (map)
Ristorante La Caravell
Via Matteo Camera, 12, 84011 Amalfi
8:00 pm Reservation
Day 5 in Amalfi, Italy
Thursday | 06/29/23 | Booked for 11:45 am
Amalfi Lemon Tour Experience
You are booked for the four-hour Classic Cooking Class.
- Walk among the lemon groves.
- Visit the farm.
- Visit the Museum of rural culture, arts and crafts.
- Taste the typical cuisine of the Amalfi Coast.
- Put your apron, surrounded by lemon groves, you will cook typical dishes of the Campania tradition.
- Learn recipes based on the Mediterranean diet with typical dishes in which our lemon is one of the main ingredients.
- From the first course to the dessert, you will cook all courses, because you know, the Amalfi Lemon Experience motto is “If you don’t cook, you don’t eat!”.
The meeting point at the farm is Via Delle Cartiere, 59, a walk of about 15 minutes from the Amalfi Cathedral. Click for directions.
Jane Pauley and the CBS Sunday Morning show have the story “Growing lemons on the Amalfi Coast” here. TripAdvisor Reviews
Day 4 in Amalfi, Italy
Friday| 06/30/23
Visit Ravello
Trek Amalfi-Ravello (half a day)
A challenging walk takes you from Amalfi up to Ravello (approx. 3 hours) or allows you to come back down to Amalfi (approx. 2 hours) after a visit to Ravello. Click here for a walking guide.
Mimmotaxi can arrange to and/or from, or you can hike.
While in Ravello, make sure to visit beautiful and historic Villa Rufulo. You can download the Villa Rufolo app for your visit.
Trekking in Amalfi
Valle delle Ferriere: Amalfi to Pogerola (buildandboardtravel.com)
Path of The Gods | Full Guide to Amalfi’s Best Hike | 10Adventures
High Path of the Gods Hike (Amalfi Coast) | 10Adventures
Valle dei Mulini Hike (Amalfi Coast) | 10Adventures
Valle delle Ferriere Trek
See the Build & Board Travel page for more information.
Marina Grande Restaurant
Viale della Regione, 4
84011 Amalfi
7:45 pm Reservation
The Path of the Gods
(Sentiero Degli Dei) hiking trail skirts the peaks above the Amalfi Coast, rewarding you with spectacular bird’s-eye views of the coastline and Mediterranean Sea far below.
Discover the stunning Path of the Gods, without stress on this private tour along the Amalfi Coast. Be led by a professional, local tour guide.
Click here for info and to book.
You can also make an unguided hike, the trailhead for Path of the Gods is in Praiano, a short bus ride from Amalfi. The hike ends in Positano where you can take a bus or ferry (15-20 minutes) back to Amalfi. Click here for a trekking guide from Build & Board Travel.
You can go on a relaxing trip from Amalfi along the beautiful coast. Visits to the Blue Grotto and Emerald Grotto and stops along the way. Lunch in Capri before returning to Amalfi. The 8.5 meter Lassù nel Blu is is all your’s! Contact Vince to book.
S. Croce Beach – Amalfi
Da Teresa restaurant is a great place for lunch while enjoying a relaxing day on the beach at Santa Croce. You arrive by a free shuttle boat from the pier in Amalfi. This is where many Amalfi locals enjoy a bella day on the beach. Check out this video and their reviews on Trip Advisor and a travel blog.
The restaurant is open from 12:00.
The beach service and the bar await you from 09:00 in the morning.
Santa Croce Beach, 1 – 84011 Amalfi (SA)
Tel.089831237
Mobile 3351596166
Email: info@ristorantedateresa.it
Facebook
Museo della Carta
This paper museum is an integral part of history of Amalfi. It is housed in a 13th-century paper mill driven by hydraulic equipment some of which was installed in 1745!
Follow the main road and after about 10-15 minutes you will find on your left the old medieval paper mill that houses the Paper Museum. Location.
Click here to watch my wife making paper on our last visit.
The Amalfi Coast
Bus and Ferry Schedule
Bus tickets are sold at “tabaccherie” (cigarette shops), newspaper stands, and bars and caffés in all the towns along the Amalfi Coast.
During the crowded summer months, the buses are often standing room only. Click here for the schedule.
The bus drivers announce the main stops; you can ask the driver to announce your stop when you board the bus. Buses stop running at 10 pm.
There are two main routes: Sorrento – Positano – Amalfi and Amalfi – Salerno. If you would like to ride between Positano and Salerno, you will need to change buses in Amalfi.
Bus Passes
COSTIERASITA € 10.00
The ticket is valid 24 hours from the moment of first validation. It allows an unlimited number of trips on SITA SUD means of transport in the following municipalities: Agerola, Amalfi, Atrani, Cetara, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Maiori, Massa Lubrense, Meta di Sorrento, Minori, Positano, Piano di Sorrento, Praiano, Ravello, Salerno, Sant’Agnello, Scala, Sorrento, Tramonti, Vietri sul Mare. It is mandatory to validate it on first use. For lack or failure of the stamping machines validate by hand. The holder is required to indicate in pen name and date of birth in the appropriate spaces.
COAST LAND & SEA € 15.00
The new Costiera Terra & Mare ticket provides an unlimited number of trips on the SITA SUD buses between the municipalities of the Amalfi coast and Sorrento Peninsula, and one maritime passage with Travelmar. The ticket is valid from the moment of validation until midnight of the same day.
It allows, subject to availability of boarding for each race, a single sea passage and an unlimited number of trips on SITA SUD means of transport in the following municipalities: Agerola, Amalfi, Atrani, Cetara, Conca dei Marini, Furore, Maiori, Massa Lubrense, Meta di Sorrento, Minori, Positano, Piano di Sorrento, Praiano, Ravello, Salerno, Sant’Agnello, Scala, Sorrento, Tramonti, Vietri sul Mare.
It is mandatory to validate it on first use. For lack or failure of the stamping machines validate by hand. The ticket is personal, nominative and non-transferable. The holder is required to indicate in pen name and date of birth in the appropriate spaces.
Sal De Riso is the premier Italian pastry chef. The restaurant is within sight of the dock where you arrive after a short ferry ride from Amalfi. Catch the ferry at the Amalfi port and enjoy a sweet lunch.
Do I enjoy the pastries? We all do!
Punta Campanella Rock Climbing
Monte Faito Rock Climbing
Capri Rock Climbing
Capo d’Orso Rock Climbing
San Liberatore Rock Climbing
Palinuro Rock Climbing
Alburni Rock Climbing
Day 6 | Sorrento
Friday | 6/30/23
Private Driver
Pickup at 8:30 am by Mimmotaxi.
Transfer from Amalfi to your hotel in Sorrento.
Piazza Tassso B&B Relais
Housed in an 18th-century building, the B&B opens onto the city’s main square, Piazza Tasso. The property is 1312 feet from Sorrento Train Station and 984 feet from the harbor.
Corso Italia 185, 80067 Sorrento, Italy (map)
A Beautify Day
Lunch or dinner at Donna Sofia’s and shopping in Sorrento.
Contact Vince to make a reservation.
Directions from Piazza Tasso B&B
Days 7-12 | Island of Ischia
Saturday | 07/01/23
Alilauro Hydrofoil
Sorrento to Ischia.
Depart 3:20 pm
Arrive 5:10 pm
Aragonese Castle Campanile
Rental apartment by Hidden Italy
4-Hour Scuba Diving in Sorrento | Departure Time 8:00 am (BOOK)
Banco Santa Croce is one of the most beautiful dives in Italy, a unique shoal a few miles from Sorrento. Get ready to admire the glimpses of rare beauty of the Sorrento coast and its seabed.
Departure PointVia Marina Grande, 186 , Via Marina Grande, 186, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
Once you reach the beach, looking at Vesuvius, the diving center will be on your left.
At the Hotel desk, ask for your ferry departure tickets and select an available departure time. Check-out is between 8 and 10 am. The hotel will provide the ticket.
Activities on Ischia
Schooner Tour of the Island (BOOK)
- Sail around the island of Ischia on board a charming, renovated schooner.
- Skirt the coastline to admire the most picturesque views and stop to swim.
- Plenty of time to relax on deck and snap photos during the cruise.
- Lunch at sea featuring traditional dishes from the island and mainland.
Amalfi Coast Snorkeling
Amalfi Coast Scuba Diving
Trekking on Ischia
Ischia.it english – Climbing Mount Epomeo
Trek 1 – Classic hike on Mount Epomeo
Trek 2 – Frassitelli – Falanga forest and the stone houses
Trek 3 – Baia della Pelara and Monte di Panza
Trek 4 – Schiappone – Sgarrupata – Piano Liguori – Campagnano
Trek 5 – From Pizzi bianchi to Cava Scura and Maronti beach
Trek 6 – From Sant’Angelo to Maronti beach, passing Fumarole beach
Trek 7 – Frassitelli – Falanga forest – Santa Maria al Monte’s church to Forio
Trek 8 – In the mouth of Tifeo – The path of the “Fumarole”
Trek 9 – Buonopane – Candiano- Buttavento- Piano San Paolo- Buceto spring- Fiaiano
Day 12 | Naples
Thursday | 07/06/23
Alilauro Hydrofoil
Sorrento to Ischia.
Depart 3:20 pm
Arrive 5:10 pm
Taxi from Naples port to hotel.
Grand Hotel Vesuvio
Located right on the seafront, the prestigious Grand Hotel Vesuvio overlooks the Gulf of Naples, the island of Capri and Mount Vesuvius.
The hotel is opposite the Castel dell’Ovo in the historic quarter of Santa Lucia. The port for boats to Capri, Sorrento and other destinations is 15 minutes’ walk away.
Day 13 | Depart Naples
Friday | 07/07/23
Get Your Guide | Private Transfer
Your private driver will meet you at the Grand Vesuvio hotel at 6:50 am on July 7th for your transfer to the Naples airport.
Preparing to Return – The VAT
Purchases of many articles in European Union countries are subject to a value added tax. In Italy you may see the tax on your receipt as “IVA”.
You may claim a refund of the tax on articles that will be taken home without being used in the E.U. Here is a guide for the process.
Please review this page about claiming a VAT refund at the airport in Naples.
DEPART NAPLES AIRPORT, CAPODOCHINO, ITALY (NAP)
9:30 am British Airways BA 120
8-hour layover in London (LHR)
British Airways Flight BA 426
Depart LHR at 9:55 pm
Greater Cincinnati Airport (CVG)
Arrival at 9:55 pm.
