We went to Italy for nearly two weeks for our honeymoon with stops on the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Tuscany and Florence. This is the first piece on our travels.

Our trip to Italy was the trip of lifetime for multiple reasons. The biggest, it was our honeymoon and we were on a nearly two week trip to a dream destination.

Our first stop was the Amalfi Coast for a little more than two days. Getting to the Amalfi Coast, especially if coming from the U.S., takes some planning and time. We flew into Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport, took a train into the center of Rome, then another train to Naples and got into a pre-arranged private car to take us the hour or so to our rental home.

We rented a house through Airbnb in the little town of Praiano. Praiano, like many of the Amalfi Coast towns is built into the side of the cliffs. The house we rented was nice with plenty of charm. There was a ton of outdoor space and we took advantage of the top floor balcony with views of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

While the house was nice, it was too big for us and the town of Praiano was a little too sleepy for us. It should be noted that we were higher up the hillside and there were a few more restaurants down closer to the cliff / shore line which may have changed how we felt about the town.

We spent most of our time in the town of Positano, a short bus ride away from Praiano. Once we figured out the bus schedule, it was very easy and cheap to use.

Tip No. 1: If we returned to this area, we would stay in Positano, and not Praiano, although we didn’t get to explore Ravello, Amalfi or any of the other coastal towns.

Positano was absolutely amazing and everything you imagine when you think of the Amalfi Coast – houses built into the side of a cliff, winding roads, a gorgeous church in the center of town right off the beach and tons of restaurants and shops. We enjoyed eating at La Pergola, which had both sit down and takeaway menus, and was right on the beach. There were plenty of great options available to all budgets.

We had read about the hotel Le Sirenuse in Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, it was ranked No. 20 on Travel + Leisure’s 2015 list of the World’s Best Boutique Hotels, so we stopped in to enjoy a couple glasses of red wine on the balcony overlooking the town and the sea.

One reason why we would stay in Positano if we return is because we wanted to take a day trip to Capri and the boats leave out of Positano. The first day we tried to go, the bus didn’t get us to Positano early enough and we missed the boat. Luckily, we were able to make it Capri the next day and it was well worth it. The ride over to the island is about 45 minutes and was a little breezy/chilly in late March.

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” – John Steinbeck

Capri is amazing and no wonder celebrities love visiting. The water taxis pull into the main port where you can catch buses to Capri Town or Anacapri, the main two town centers on the island. We chose to hike the stairs up to Capri Town. While it was a lot of stairs and a good climb, it was doable for most.

The hike to Capri Town was worth it as it offered amazing views of Marina Grande and the sea.

After enjoying a mid morning glass of red wine, we explored the town before catching a bus to Anacapri. As a mountain separates the two towns, if you are afraid of heights, be sure to get a seat on the left side of the bus.

Anacapri seemed to be a little larger than Capri Town and offered plenty of options for food, drinks and shopping. While we didn’t explore a ton of the options, there was plenty of history around Anacapri too.

There are a ton of side tours, such as the famed Blue Grotto, you can do on and around the Island of Capri, which we didn’t get to.

Tip No. 2: If the line for the bus from Anacapri back to Marina Grande or Capri Town is long, there likely is another stop preceding where you are not far up the road.

One of the great things about Positano, the Amalfi Coast in general and Capri is that you can make it as adventurous or as laid back and relaxed as you want. Overall, the two days we spent here were everything we wanted and can’t wait to go back.

Have you been to Positano or the Amalfi Coast, or have questions about anything in this post? Let me know in the comments or follow me on Twitter (@mditt).