Italy rewards the traveller who goes one stop further than the postcard. These guides are about the south — where to base yourself, which ruins to choose, and what the famous coast actually feels like once you are standing on it.

Most Italy itineraries spend their budget on the obvious and run out of time before they reach the part of the country that surprises people the most. These are the PONTUS guides to doing it the other way: basing yourself well, picking the right ancient city, and reading the honest verdict before you commit a day to it.

Every piece below was walked, photographed, and written first-hand. Start with the verdict you came here for, or read the base-yourself guide first and let the day trips follow.

The Guides

The big verdict. Naples vs Rome. One of the great mistakes in European travel — and the honest argument for why the south of Italy is where the real country lives.

Where to base yourself. Naples as your Amalfi Coast base. Most travellers default to Sorrento. The default is fine — but there is a real argument for Naples instead, and a real kind of traveller it suits.

The coast debate. Positano vs Sorrento. Same coastline, two completely different arguments — from someone who stayed in Sorrento, day-tripped to Positano, and came back with a clear opinion.

The ruins, honestly. Is Pompeii worth visiting? Yes — but be mindful of a couple of things first. An honest account of six hours in the ancient city, in July, under a cloudless sky.

Which ancient city. Pompeii or Herculaneum. Two cities, two completely different relationships with the same volcano — and the underrated case for doing both in a single day.

Choosing between the two great Mediterranean trips? The bridge piece is here: Italy vs Greece — an honest verdict from both. And if Greece is pulling at you, the Greece guides carry the argument the rest of the way.

"Everyone sees Rome. The travellers who go one stop further — into Naples, down the coast, into the ash — come back talking about the south."

Travel like this, consistently

This is what PONTUS
is built for.

Honest guides are one half of it. The other is a different relationship with how travel is priced — the member-funded model the community side of PONTUS runs on.

  • For those who want to be part of a community of like-minded people
  • For those who don't want to break the bank just because they want to see the world
  • For those who are ready to put the effort in and build their own earnings from the travel industry

Whatever you want, whatever you choose — PONTUS is here.

Join the Community