Finding Paradise on the Amalfi Coast

After the Raymer wedding in Cortona, our next stop was Naples. We rented a cute little airbnb loft for me and 5 of my friends. This was only my second time using airbnb, and my first time using it in Europe. Which I quickly found out is a totally different ball game when it comes to amenities. I learned a lot of airbnb tips on this trip through trial and error. Check out a few of them below.

1. Read EVERY review available. Not just the first page. – Hosts can get pretty creative with the pictures they post. But you can usually tell a lot about what to expect of the neighborhood through the reviews when the host neglects to mention that their rental is in the middle of the hood. True story. That really happened. lol
2. Double check the amenities list. – As an American, there are a few amenities that we’ve become accustomed to that aren’t really that common in Europe. When you go in the middle of the summer, air conditioning is the one you should concern yourself with.
3. Thoroughly research the area you’ll be staying in. – You won’t get the actual street address until after you book, but if you scroll down on the listing there will be a map with a circle surrounding the neighborhood the listing is in. If you scroll in enough you can find some neighborhood names. Google them and find out whatever you can.
4. Know your hosts cancellation policy. – I try to avoid listings with a strict cancellation policy because no matter what goes wrong when you get there, you can’t get your money back.That’s just suspicious to me. Airbnb is great for travelers that want the local experience and cheaper prices. But there are some people that just want your money and don’t care about your experience and that strict cancellation policy is their protective shield. In this case we were out of the money, but it was split 6 ways so we weren’t really tripping. 

Note: There are also flexible and moderate cancellation policy options. On my Turkey trip, when a few recent reviews revealed wifi issues a couple days before arrival, we canceled because wifi is non-negotiable! We only had to pay for the first night which was under $100 split 2 ways. Plus we got a credit from airbnb.

So, after finding ourselves in the middle of the ghetto, with no AC we tried to make the best of it. We stayed up late drinking and talking. By the time we went to bed in the wee hours of the morning, we were ready to wake up the next morning and make the most of the situation. Then at 8am the jack hammering started.  😯 FINAL STRAW! I reached out to the host who was no help so we hopped on the non-negotiable wifi and started searching for other options. Within the hour we found Hotel Panorama in a little town on the Amalfi Coast called Maiori. The price was around $140 per night. Two of my other friends decided to head back to Rome, so we were splitting the total 4 ways. That’s why I love traveling in larger groups. Unexpected expenses don’t hurt as much when you’re splitting 4 ways. After double checking the amenities – cause lesson learned – we were booked and ready to go in less than an hour!

We took a taxi from Naples to Maiori. It’s only about 35 miles but takes almost an hour and a half to get there. When we arrived at the hotel, we walked in and the entire vibe shifted. We were home! For the next few days anyway. I’d love to tell you that we did so many different activities while we were there, but that would be a lie. After the drama in Amsterdam, confusion in Rome, and the Nightmare in Naples, we just wanted to relax. And so we did. We spent the next few days drinking libations, eating gelato, drinking coffee, chatting with locals, eating our asses off and lounging on the beach!

We ran across a couple of kids that asked us where we were from. When I told them we were from the US, they smiled and sang “Smoke weed everyday!” I laughed and thought to myself, why yes, actually! Then they mentioned that they love Snoop Dogg. Who doesn’t tho? The ring leaders name was Antonio (pronounced Anthonio with a hand gesture). He and his friends were between 12 and 13 and clearly bad af! lol I found myself asking them a couple times, “Where ya’ll mamas at?” lol