Sorrento out of season

February is a funny time to go on holiday. If you're flying long-haul it's a different matter, of course - you're almost guaranteed sun in Florida, and the holiday season goes on all year in the Caribbean. But closer to home, the weather has a big impact. Most European breaks in February will see the weather being cold, grey, potentially windy and/or rainy and maybe even snowy. But it's not just the weather that affects a February holiday. At a typical 'city break' destination - Prague or Paris, perhaps - life goes on all year. The city is buzzing, everything is open and there are plenty of all-weather attractions to visit. But many European holiday destinations tell a very different story. Resorts like the Balearics, the Algarve, the Spanish Costas and the Greek islands work around the holiday season - i.e. the summer. Things start picking up around April-May and carry on until the end of October, when schools have their half-term break. This is usually the last week of the season, and things have started winding down. Many restaurants, bars and even hotels have shut for the winter already, along with lots of attractions and activities. Holidaying at a beach resort in October can often feel a bit like you're staying in a ghost town. February, I'd imagine, would feel even more like this - of course, life goes on in the winter for the people that live in the resorts, but there would be little to do for tourists. And so it was with some trepidation that I prepared myself for Sorrento in February (see Sorrento surprise for how this came about!).

We first visited Sorrento in August, at the height of the summer. It was 2003, the year of the hottest temperatures on record in the UK, and Italy was even hotter. We had an amazing time, but everywhere was very hot and very busy. Our trip to Pompeii, for example, was marred by the fact that I couldn't spend more than 15 minutes in the sun looking at ruins before I had to find somewhere shady to sit for a break. We spent a fortune on drinks. But everywhere was open, everything was available and it had that holiday feel. I wasn't sure what it would be like in February. I assumed all the major attractions would be open year-round, and with Naples only an hour away I assumed life would go on a little more than in some of the more obvious resorts, but would it still feel like a ghost town? We already knew most of the hotels were closed until the summer. What about restaurants, shops and bars? Would it be cold? Would we spend evenings wandering around in the rain looking for somewhere - anywhere - that was open for dinner? Would we find ourselves mostly confined to the hotel, as everywhere else was closed?

It turned out that February is a brilliant time to visit Sorrento. I admit we were lucky with the weather; although we had a bit of rain early on, it was generally dry, sunny and fairly warm, with temperatures hitting 18 or 19 on our last couple of days - not warm enough to sit on our balcony at night but warm enough to sit outside for lunch. The lower temperatures (in comparison to last time) made it much easier to make the most of our visits. This time, we were able to visit Pompeii properly and walk to the extremes of the site (and believe me, it's vast!) to see everything, without wilting in the heat. We were able to take a walk to the ruins at the Capo di Sorrento without collapsing from heat exhaustion. We didn't spend all our euros on drinks just to keep hydrated.

Ruins at Pompeii

Pompeii with Vesuvius in the background

Roman ruins at Capo di Sorrento

Another advantage of staying out of season is the lack of other guests at the hotel - which means better rooms sitting empty, which means free upgrades (or at least it did for us!). I definitely wouldn't recommend booking and paying for the best rooms if you're staying out of season, as there's a reasonable chance you'll get a free upgrade anyway. We had booked a standard double room at the Grand Hotel Aminta and ended up with a superior double with sea view and balcony. All the in-season facilities were still running, despite the small number of guests - bar, restaurant and regular shuttle bus to the centre. The advantage was that we didn't need to fight others for a seat on the bus or queue at the bar, and we received impeccable personal service at the restaurant, without it ever feeling intrusive. However, I would double check with any hotel before staying out of season (or read out-of-season reviews) to make sure that everything is still operating as normal, as many hotels may offer reduced services when they're not busy (for example, in bigger hotels, the kids' clubs often stop running in September or October).

View from our balcony

The other obvious advantage of holidaying out of season is fewer crowds. Pompeii was a hell of a lot nicer to visit without swarms of tourists behind every pillar. It was still relatively busy - no ghost town feeling here - but if you walked far enough it was as if you were the only people there. When we walked to the Capa di Sorrento, to the Roman ruins and the beautiful cove beneath, we had the place to ourselves. And when we drove along the Amalfi coast, through Positano and to Amalfi itself, we weren't stuck in a never-ending queue of traffic, we were able to park, we weren't trampled by tourists and we were able to find somewhere for lunch. That said, it was all still pretty busy and I would have hated to do it at the height of summer.

Cove at Capo di Sorrento

Amalfi Coast

Amalfi town

Of course, the one downside of visiting out of season (other than it not being hot enough to swim in the pool or lie on the beach) is the fact that not everything's open. The more day-to-day, 'high street' shops were open but some of the more 'touristy' gift shops weren't. There was a definite lack of open bars - and those that were open were either packed or didn't actually open till 11pm (and I'm way too old for that now!). There wasn't a whole lot of choice of restaurants either - although we found O'Parrucchiano open, which we liked so much we ate in twice! None of this was a major downside, though - although there wasn't as much choice as there would be in the summer, there were still enough options and there wasn't that deserted feel like we've experienced in the more 'obvious' resorts at the end of season.

Roof garden at O'Parruchiano

Overall, I'd definitely recommend holidaying out of season - in Sorrento at least! It's generally cheaper (an advantage I forgot to mention), it's lovely be able to visit attractions without crowds and queues, and the lack of heat can often be a bonus - plus you might even bag an upgrade!

View of Sorrento

Road to the harbour in Sorrento

Sorrento

A few tips for Sorrento in general (some based on 14-year-old memories!):

Places to visit - in addition to wandering around Sorrento itself - include Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Naples, Capri, Amalfi, Positano and all the other towns along the Amalfi Coast (with the drive being an attraction in itself).

Public transport is very straightforward and reasonably priced, so there's no point in paying for expensive daytrips.

There is a very straightforward train line (the Circumvesuviana) that runs around the bay to Naples itself, allowing you to visit Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum.

If you don't fancy driving, you can get the bus along the coast at least as far as Amalfi. You can also get boats to and from Positano, although even in the summer these weren't very frequent 14 years ago!

There are regular hydrofoil and ferry services to and from Capri. There is also a ferry to Naples if you're not keen on getting the train.

The first time we visited Naples, we got the ferry and have very positive memories. This time round, we got the train, and didn't like Naples at all. It felt dirty and unsafe. It may be that the area around the port is a lot more pleasant so I'd recommend taking the ferry if you have the choice. There are some interesting museums and buildings in Naples, so it's worth a visit, but be very aware of your surroundings and keep tight hold of your bag.

It is possible to visit Rome but it is a good few hours' train ride. We did an overnighter in Rome when we were honeymooning in Sorrento, but we were on a fortnight's holiday. Unless you're staying in Sorrento for a decent amount of time, it's better to save Rome for a separate holiday.

Driving in the area is quite frankly terrifying - as is being a pedestrian. Italian drivers quite rightly have a reputation, but it seems to be even worse in Naples (and the  Amalfi road is scary in its own right, being twisty and high up!). Be prepared for no lane discipline, being overtaken on corners and being cut up at every opportunity. And when crossing roads, you simply to have to cross your fingers, walk and hope!

Don't expect beaches in Sorrento. In the summer, decks are put out at the bottom of the cliffs, so it is possible to sunbathe and swim in the sea, but you're better off in Positano or Amalfi if you want sand.