The short version: stay in Sorrento. It has the train from Naples, the ferries to the whole coast, the most cooking classes at the best prices, and the limoncello factories; visit Positano by ferry for a class in a local’s home or a rooftop, and sleep there only if the view is the point of the trip. Below is the comparison, the logistics and the classes.
Side by side
| Sorrento | Positano | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there | Train from Naples, 50 to 80 minutes; ferries to Capri, Positano, Amalfi | Ferry from Sorrento 30 to 40 minutes, April to October; bus or car on the coast road |
| Cooking classes | The most on the coast: farm classes with pickup, lemon-grove pizza, in-town options; 130 to 190 euros, private 180 to 300 | Classes at a local’s home with market, rooftops, the farm feast; 90 to 250 euros |
| Other food | Limoncello factory tours, walking food tours, olive oil and cheese tastings, Marina Grande fish | Restaurants with views; little else |
| Cost | Normal Campania prices | Among the highest in Italy |
| Terrain | Flat centre, farms uphill with transfers | Stairs, everywhere |
Sorrento
Sorrento is the gateway: the Circumvesuviana train from Naples, with Pompeii on the way, and the ferry pier for Positano, Amalfi and Capri. It has more cooking classes than the rest of the coast combined, most of them on family farms in the lemon groves ten to twenty minutes uphill with the transfer included, teaching gnocchi, ravioli, a seafood sauce and a lemon dessert with the farm’s wine and limoncello. Add a limoncello factory tour, a walk down to Marina Grande for fried anchovies, and a Nerano-style spaghetti with courgettes and provolone del Monaco. Three nights covers a class, a coast day by ferry and Pompeii or a wine tour. See Sorrento cooking classes and Sorrento.
Positano
Positano is the picture, and its food experiences trade on it: a market walk and a three-course lunch cooked in a local’s home, small groups on a rooftop with the bay in view, and the famous farm feast in the hills that is a meal with a demonstration rather than a lesson. Everything is stairs and everything costs more. It is a superb day from Sorrento by ferry, with a morning class and an afternoon boat back, and a beautiful place to sleep if the budget allows. See Positano cooking classes.
The third option
Amalfi town and the villages above it, Agerola and Praiano, host the farmhouse classes where the mozzarella is made before the pasta, and Ravello has the wine. Reachable by ferry or bus from either base. See Amalfi Coast cooking classes and the Amalfi Coast hub.
Frequently asked questions
Sorrento or Positano for a cooking class?
Sorrento for choice, price and easy transfers; Positano for the setting. Both teach the same dishes.
Is Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast?
Technically no, it faces the Bay of Naples; in practice it is where the coast starts and where most people sleep.
Do I need a car?
No, and you do not want one; the coast road is slow and parking is scarce. Ferries and included transfers cover everything.
When do the ferries run?
April to October, weather permitting; in winter the bus does the coast road and some farms close.
How many nights on the coast?
Three in Sorrento, with a ferry day to Positano and Amalfi, is the plan that works for most people.
