Compare Sorrento holidays

Fifty kilometres (30 miles) south of Naples along the Bay of Naples, Sorrento's pastel-coloured houses and Renaissance palazzi teeter high above a busy little harbour.

A handsome place of old handicraft shops and cafes spilling onto piazzas, Sorrento has a cultivated air that has lured tourists for 200 years. Past visitors include Henrik Ibsen, who finished Peer Gynt here, and long-term resident Maxim Gorky. The atmosphere's particularly seductive on balmy summer nights, when everyone sits outside and drinks wine, and chatter fills the lanes.

Outside town, the bay glistens through long rows of lemon trees and olive vines, and Mount Vesuvius skulks menacingly in the distance.

Sorrento's ‘season' lasts from mid-March until the end of October, although it's not until April that the town hits full speed.

Spring or autumn are better for active trips, as July and August can see highs of above 30C. That said, high summer's the best time to see lemons and ripe olive vines.

Deals-wise, hotels and all-inclusives in Sorrento play a starring role. The usual trend is for Sorrento late deals for August to October stays to be on offer from July onwards once residences have identified weeks that need filling. If you're not fussed about deals, then it pays to book Sorrento packages well ahead to ensure availability.

Flight prices for Sorrento holidays soar in July and August, especially if booked from May onwards. So look out for easyJet's occasional sales, as they often include very cheap Naples deals.

Sorrento holidays offer easy access to a host of nearby A-List tourist attractions.

Cheap and cheerful 20-minute hydrofoils depart regularly for the heavenly isle of Capri, with its moneyed good looks. Buses serve the equally bewitching Amalfi Coast, just across the peninsula, while you can also drive to vertiginous towns such as Positano and Amalfi. Some Sorrento packages include tours of Pompeii and its sibling Herculaneum, to the north, but both ghost towns are easily visited by train if not.

Sorrento does all-inclusives too, with one option in town, and one just ten minutes away in ritzy Sant'Agnello. Late deals for Sorrento stays are very common, even if you've got your eye on luxury hotels like these.