Reviews of Casa Alma

Excellent

September 2011 - A lovely place, owner very friendly and helpful.

Perfect!

Travel tips

Excellent

July 2011 - It was great to stay in a "home away from home" and get a real taste of Italian life.

Thank you for your hospitality. We had a lovely stay.

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Excellent

June 2011 - This was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.

The location away from the crowds.

The views.

The quiet.

The owner.

The neighbours.

Quick to the tourist sights.

A little beach.

FANTASTIC

The PERFECT way to see the coast.

Travel tips

Excellent

May 2011 - Casa Alma provided everything that we needed.

Terrace and view both fantastic.

Owners very friendly and lived nearby.

Good location within the village of Praiano - very peaceful. The village of Praiano is very picturesque, and a good place to base a holiday in the Amalfi Coast if you'd rather be away from the hustle and bustle (and tourists) of the main towns. It's very peaceful, and you really get the feeling of 'real Italian life' especially in the area of Old Praiano where Casa Alma is situated. We spent a week without travelling outside of Praiano, we found there were so many little bays and walks to discover in the village itself.

Service provided by Summer in Italy has been really excellent throughout, and I would recommend the website to friends and family.

Travel tips

Excellent

April 2011 - Casa Alma: Oh my goodness gracious! It was completely beautiful. I was charmed from the moment I stepped in.

The owner was very nice and accommodating to us.

Everything was more than we could have imagined.

The respect for Saints shown by the carefully tended sites everywhere -- everywhere were comforting. The artichoke gardens, lemon groves, calla lilies, little lizards, flowers... like a feast for the eyes. The mountains and seas-well, these steal the show.

I booked with you because of all the sites I checked, you were the first to respond and remained attentive. You were terrific in every way.

Travel tips

Excellent

July 2010 - A very good property - large, decent furnishings and a very good sun terrace with outstanding views.

The owner was very nice and left us to our own devices the whole time.

The apartment is situated in the upper village, so hardly any holiday-makers around. Quick access to the 'walk of the gods' just above the property for superb hiking. The village is also one of the best in the area - not overrun or commercial like Positano, but spectacular nonetheless, and the swimming is great. Good connections with all other towns too.

I'm very pleased and will book with you first in future.

Travel tips

Excellent

June 2010 - Area was great and views were wonderful.

Travel tips

Excellent

May 2010 - We loved Casa Alma and all the lovely friendly local people round about, especially the owner and her family. We enjoyed being in the local community and seeing the official and unofficial gatherings which took place in the church and piazza beside the house.

Walks from the house onto the hills were brilliant and the local bus service and, for longer trips, the Sita bus were excellent with friendly and helpful drivers.

We found you on the Internet and you were very helpful. We were also reassured by having your telephone number when we first went out although we didn't need to contact you. Thank you very much.

Travel tips

Excellent

May 2010 - A wonderful place to get away from the crowds and relax. Very friendly greeting and available if help required.

Certainly a place we would recommend and look to return too.

A big thank you for helping us change the reservation during the flight problems with the volcano disruption. You always answered are queries and solved all our problems. Well done and would certainly look to book with you again. Have told all are friends about your wonderful company.

Travel tips

Excellent

November 2008 - The views were awesome from the terrace!

It was also so quiet & peaceful.

There wasn't really a living room but made do in the 2nd bedroom.

We were a little disappointed that there was no cable TV... an assumption on my part, though.

The bathroom shower should be improved, the washing machine in the kitchen did not spin the clothes very well so we ended up hand washing.

It would have been nice to have a conventional oven too since we did stay in most nights.

But everyone was friendly and it was a positive experience all in all.

Excellent

November 2008 - Casa Alma is a really lovely house where you feel at home. It's very comfortable and cosy thanks to nice furniture, carpets, cushions and many little sweet things like vases on the shelves and pictures on the walls.

You'll find everything you need in the kitchen, even the machine for making fresh juice.

You'll find lots of books and magazines in the living room according to different tastes. Or you can just make yourself comfortable on the sofa and watch TV.

The house is not too far from the main road with bars and restaurants and all the social life but it's far enough to be peaceful and quiet.

The owners of the house are very friendly and nice. You really feel that they will help you with everything you ask. They gave all the useful information straight away: about the local shops, buses and timetable, the way to sort the waste. By the way you could never be confused with this sorting system because there were bags of different colours for different kind of waste and a reminder for days to throw it away.

I really like Summer In Italy. It was my second trip to Italy with your help. And I'm going to come back to Italy and book the house with Summer In Italy for sure :)

Travel tips

Excellent

October 2008 - It was wonderful, would highly recommend it.

Be prepared for steps if you want to walk around town! There is a bus stop close by though if you want to avoid most of the steps.

The views are amazing.

Excellent

October 2008 - Casa Alma is quietly located in Praiano Alto, 70 steps down from the Chiesa di San Luca. We really enjoyed our stay!

As was mentioned before don't expect a fancy apartment. The only thing that really bothered us was the state of the carpeting, full of stains... We would strongly recommend tiles. Luckily the atmosphere and the beautiful view made up for this.

Although Casa Alma is located near the pedestrian area of Praiano Alto, there are no restaurants nearby. On foot to Vettica or Marina di Praia (beach) it is 15 to 20 min over steep terrain. Here there are lots of nice restaurants. Alternative is to take the local bus, which stops nearby Casa Alma. It's great fun to see the driver in action.

We found you over the Internet and were very satisfied with your services! We appreciated the information package you sent us.

Travel tips

Excellent

August 2008 - The house was marvellous, and the cardiovascular workout involved in getting up and down the steps (and to the beach) was excellent for the fitness-minded. Be prepared for lots of steps. It's all worth it, but the slopes are steep.

The shop near the church doesn't stock fresh vegetables, so be prepared on your first night, as there are no restaurants nearby either. Master the local bus timetable before going, it'll avoid complications when you get there.

The local beach is very rocky, so be prepared to travel to Positano or Amalfi (preferably) if you want to go to the beach.

The location is superb and Paola was very helpful.

Excellent

Travel tips

Excellent

July 2008 - What really made our stay special were the owners of the apartment. They could not have been nicer and allowed our 2-year old to play with their children's toys and all of the children would play together each night... even though no one spoke the same language! I would definitely recommend this apartment for families with children.

It was a very big apartment and very clean. Please give our regards to Paola and her mother Maria. Rebecca also sends her love to Luca!!!

Travel tips

Excellent

June 2008 - My daughter and I stayed at Casa Alma for a week at the first of June'08. We enjoyed the view of the sea and the peace and quiet after weeks of travel around Italy.

The people of the town were very helpful to us. We did not have a phone to contact the owner when we got to the piazza of St. Luca, so the hardware store owner called for us and one of the customers walked us to meet the owner of Casa Alma.

Yes, there are stairs down to the house, but look at it this way, it is great exercise and you only have to carry your suitcases up once that week.

The owner spoke little English, but we were able to find the local markets with sign language and smiles.

Casa Alma isn't fancy, but is welcoming and feels like home in no time. I hope that I can return someday. Lovely place to decompress and truly relax!

The whole process of booking Casa Alma was smooth and the info that was sent prior to our trip very helpful. We did not drive a car, so had to depend on the local bus.

One tip to let folks know about the bus is that you buy the ticket on this little bus to take you back down the hill to get on the bus that will take you to other towns on the coast. Also if you do not have a phone to contact the owner when you get to Praiano, it is hard to find a public phone at Piazza St. Luca. Luckily the Italian people are the kindest and most helpful people to the lost and scared tourists.

Thank you for the wonderful week of being able to connect, laugh, and cook with my college bound daughter!!

Travel tips

Excellent

May 2008 - We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 weeks at Casa Alma! Both the apartment and the owner were delightful.

Signora Raffaella was always so pleasant and eager to help us even with the language barrier.

The stairs are many, both to the apartment and in Praiano, but after a few days they were of little concern.

The local Praiano-Positano bus makes a stop steps from Casa Alma and it was perfect for traveling down the hill to the shops, restaurants etc. of Vettica Maggiore or continuing on to Positano for a late night dinner or to catch a boat to Capri or elsewhere.

My husband is an artist and the view from the terrace is spectacular. He did all his painting without having to leave the terrace.

You truly feel part of an Italian neighborhood at Casa Alma! Bravo to Summer in Italy for offering such wonderful properties for us to rent and to all the Italian families that share their homes with us!

Your service is the best! Don't change a thing!

Travel tips

Excellent

March 2008 - We enjoyed ourselves tremendously!

It was a bit far from most popular destinations but we rented a moped making it easy to get around. The buses would also work, but taxis were too expensive.

Because it was Easter week, one of the highlights of our trip was was being able to participate in the Good Friday procession starting at the San Luca church right near our house.

The local merchants were very friendly towards us.

Great preparation and customer service. We truly appreciated it!

Travel tips

Excellent

October 2007 - We enjoyed Casa Alma very much. Close to bus stop, mini-market and restaurants.

Very peaceful and a beautiful view over the sea.

Nice to be close to people living for real at Praiano. Not as crowded as it is in Positano and Amalfi.

We had a very good service. No problem there. We recommend your site to friends and relatives.

Excellent

July 2007 - We loved our stay in Casa Alma.

The view was fantastic and we loved the peace and quiet.

The house was pleasant and well located.

Hot water in the kitchen would have been easier and a nicer shower would have made it perfect.

The owner kindly stayed up until midnight to lets us in after our disastrous journey and that was much appreciated.

Many thanks to the Summer In Italy staff for their phone calls during our nightmare journey from Pescara airport and the advice to change our route because of forest fires. It was very reassuring to be able to talk to them and for them to pass on the news of our late arrival to the owners. We will have no hesitation in using this company again.

Travel tips

Excellent

June 2007 - Casa Alma was everything that we hoped it would be. The description was very good. We felt that we were above the tourist madness down below on the main road. It was a peaceful retreat and delightful escape from our days of sight seeing. Many days of the 2 weeks that we stayed there, we chose to remain at the house to just enjoy the calm and beautiful surroundings. I am a painter and I had so much subject matter to paint, right there at the house without going anywhere else.

There are lots of steps so be prepared for some exercise but it never bothered us even when we walked all the way from the bottom to the top. Bus service is excellent and we usually walked down and took the bus up.

It has been a great experience booking our trip with Summer in Italy. I love the newsletters. Your website is easy to use and you have so much useful information that helped make the trip everything that we hoped it would be. I have already recommended it to several people.

Travel tips

Excellent

Travel tips

Excellent

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Excellent

November 2006 - We felt very much at home at Casa Alma. We were with our 2 Borzoi dogs who had both the extra large terrace and a small garden to lounge in.

The view is truly spectacular. The stairs were not much of an inconvenience for us; we (including a 71 year old) walked often to the restaurants on the main drag.

We hope to return soon.

You offer a great service and your site is very user friendly. Thank you very much.

Travel tips

Excellent

Travel tips

Excellent

September 2006 - We had a delightful week at Casa Alma.

We loved the location as it was away from the tourist run and more authentic. The people were friendly and helpful.

We were able to relax and enjoy the truly splendid view. We liked all the walking and climbing of steps - it was good exercise.

The owner of Casa Alma was lovely and we really enjoyed staying there. I would not hesitate to return if I go to Italy again.

Excellent

August 2006 - Casa Alma was awesome and so very private. If you want peace and quiet and to live in a small village among real Italian people who are very friendly, this is the place for you.

The garden and kitchen were especially memorable. We cut flowers for our table, enjoyed fresh basil and other herbs in our salads and of course enjoyed the lemons.

You enter the apartment in the "middle", after descending below the terrace of the upper church in the village. The large eat-in kitchen is to the right (backing into the hillside), the double-bed bedroom is just ahead (with its own private terrace), and the living room with optional twin beds is to the left with the big view. The website gives a good show of these rooms.

The spacious terrace, where we ate all our meals, is also to the left. A wonderful surprise for us cat lovers was a mother cat and her three kittens. They lived next door and were very discrete, though mother-cat was happy to enjoy the milk we offered on the terrace (she kept out of the house).

The steps so many comment on were surprisingly no trouble. A bigger concern was that Casa Alma was really high above the town of Praiano and thus above most shops and restaurants, and also quite distant from the beach. The bus was not far away, but the schedule was not frequent enough to make travel down easy. We actually took to walking down to town and even walked back up once (whew!). Fortunately, the little grocery, butcher and hardware store were near the bus stop and they were quite well stocked with all we needed. The people of Praiano were all so welcoming - but especially the folks in these little stores.

Air conditioning was certainly not needed and would have been so noisy! There were not very many mosquitoes, but we brought some temporary netting that satisfied us. Other potential problems that apparently are an issue at other vacation villas were NOT a problem at Casa Alma... good water pressure, no ants or other bugs inside, plenty of hot water for bathing in the tub or with the shower wand (no shower enclosure). They even had a washing machine so we didn't have to pack so many things.

It was a perfect holiday for my husband, 19-year old son and I.

Thanks for everything to the owners of Casa Alma, who provided such a wonderful vacation for us and to Summer in Italy who gave me what I needed to plan this holiday for my family. We hope to visit Casa Alma again!

Excellent

June 2006 - We really enjoyed the location and also the size of the apartment - we really felt comfortable staying in and relaxing with plenty of space to move around, and the views were amazing. We loved being up on top of the hill and away from the other tourists.

Mrs Rafaella [the owner] was very relaxed and we didn't really see her at all - one night they brought us pizza from their family gathering!

Great website, very Pleased with the level of service from Summer In Italy.

Excellent

May 2006 - We loved the peace and quiet of the location. It was quite tranquil to overlook the sea, to see the local fisherman in their small boats, to view and smell the terraced gardens, and to listen to the song birds.

Although there was a lot of walking due to the sparse location of the bars and restaurants, that is something worth sacrificing for the quaintness of the apartment.

The local residents were always pleasant and said hello when just walking on the street. We never received that kind of friendliness in the bigger towns.

I think your process was handled very well and your responses to questions quite expedient and pleasant.

Excellent

October 2005 - We absolutely loved Casa Alma. The apartment was so clean and well presented and the owner was very friendly.

There is so much outside space that you can follow the sun around from sunrise to sunset. The location is pretty but there isn't much nearby in the way of shops etc. Just one tiny shop and a butcher. However the little bus is excellent. It runs up and down the hill into the centre of Praiano about every half hour in the summertime.

We enjoyed eating out in all the restaurants, having a nightcap in the bar and catching the last bus back up the hill.

Great holiday and would not hesitate to recommend both Casa Alma and Praiano.

I am so glad I found Summer In Italy's website. They are fantastic. We have stayed in four of their villas this year and each time has been excellent. The friendliest communications ever. I have recommended them to so many people and wouldn't hesitate to use them myself again.

Excellent

August 2005 - Casa Alma was a very nice and quiet place and we all slept very well there, there was never any noise at night.

The situation was marvelous, with a wonderful view of the sea. The house itself was quite big and clean and we had our meals both inside and outside of the house.

Mrs Raffaella [the owner] was quite friendly and if we had questions we could go to her sister, who was our neighbour upstairs.

We enjoyed ourselves very much!

Excellent

July 2005 - A beautiful setting with plenty of peace and quiet.

Handy for the local bus to Positano and easy to travel on from there.

Owner was very helpful and the villa was well kept and clean.

Excellent

June 2005 - We enjoyed the house very much, only the 69 steps of the stairs were a bit too steep for anyone with back or walking problems.

The view from the terrace towards the sea at sunrise is magnificent.

Bring enough mosquito killer along, and you'll have a wonderful time at Casa Alma!

We had a wonderfull stay at Casa Alma.

Excellent

June 2005 - Casa Alma is a very nice property. The owners are very helpful, and willing to offer assistance should you need it.

Additionally, the property is in a quiet area, which you'll appreciate after making quick bus trips to the surrounding tourist towns (Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, etc).

Summer in Italy was great, they assisted me in contacting the owner of my rented property when I needed to cut my vacation a day short - greatly appreciated. They were also very easy to work with.

Excellent

March 2005 - Everything that was listed or outlined in the preview was exactly as presented -- no surprises! Except the local bus does not start running until April. Not that the walk did us any harm, but it would have been good to have a heads up over this detail. Also the Praiano Tourist Office did not open until the Friday before Palm Sunday, just before we were leaving.

We truly enjoyed our time at Casa Alma and the Amalfi Coast. The SITA bus was a blast and it was a relief to not have to drive those roads.

Thanks to you and your staff for helping make this a memorable vacation.

Excellent

October 2004 - We stayed for a week in October, coming to the end of the season, so not too many tourists in the area. We enjoyed our trip immensely.

The location of Casa Alma was perfect, although parking was a little difficult. We had to park above the village and walk down several hundred steps to the house. Going up for it in the morning was a challenge. We could drive to near the house and drop the luggage but parking there was expensive. An excellent bus service drops you to the square, so a car was unnecessary.

The locals were very friendly, and the owner's mother who met us on arrival, was always available to answer any questions and make us feel very welcome.

It was lovely to find all the homely touches, books, magazines, the very well equipped kitchen, the comfortable garden furniture, the lovely old furniture all over the house. We were very happy there.

Excellent

October 2004 - We had a very relaxing stay in Casa Alma. It's nice and spacious with great outdoor space. The covered part of the terrace was great on the occasional rainy morning.

I thoroughly recommend it if you want to get away from it all.

Praiano itself has a few nice restaurants and the local shop is a very short walk away and has a surprising wine selection through the back. The owner just kept bringing more bottles out for us.

Many thanks for your service as well. I found your site on Google and am glad I did. Your service is second to none, very personalised, friendly and informative.

Excellent

October 2004 - My new wife and I stayed at Casa Alma the week of Sept 25th to Oct 2nd 2004. It's located on the Amalfi Coast in Praiano, Italy. What an amazing little town.

Casa Alma itself sits above the town on a steep hill. There is a bus that can take you to the top of the hill and drop you off at the Piazza San Luca. From there it's a few minutes walk to the front door. Or you can walk up the steep hill which we did many times.

The views of the sea are incredible. The house itself is quite nice. Very clean and cozy. Great terrace to sit on and look at the coastline and the town below.

There is a market and butcher shop near the Piazza San Luca where you can buy just about whatever you need. The shop owners are very helpful. For the small price we paid for the week, it was well worth it.

The owner of the property Signora Rafaella is a very kind Italian woman. She speaks little or no English so bring your Italian language book. What do you expect... you're in Italy!! Enjoy this wonderful property, we sure did!

It was wonderful dealing with Summer In Italy. Everything was made very simple and we couldn't have had a better time in Southern Italy. Thank you all so much!! We will book future properties through Summer In Italy and I have told many friends to go to your website for an unforgetable experience in Italy. Ciao !!

Excellent

September 2004 - We had a fabulous time at Casa Alma, it was in a great location away from all the noise but with wonderful views and still close enough to enjoy all the amenities like beach, bars, restaurants, etc.

The owners were very helpful and the local people were incredibly friendly.

We would highly recommend Casa Alma to anyone wanting a quiet, relaxing holiday away from the more touristy parts of the Amalfi Coast.

Excellent

July 2004 - We enjoyed Casa Alma greatly. It was an excellent position, and it was so nice sitting on the terrace in the evening, enjoying local wine and looking out over the sea.

The position was very useful to catch the bus into Positano and once we had got used to the climbing, we found that we could walk to the excellent selection of restaurants. We thought that Praiano was a relaxing place to stay, less busy than Positano.

Signora Rafaella [the owner] and her family were very helpful and welcoming.

We were very impressed with the organisation - everything happened as you said it would and we liked the information you provided on the web-site and in e-mails. We would certainly recommend Summer In Italy in the future.

We booked with you as we were looking for somewhere on the Amalfi Coast and your web-site provided the most comprehensive information on houses at competitive prices.

Excellent

May 2004 - Despite the language barrier (we wished we could speak Italian, and the owners did not speak much English), we enjoyed our stay at Casa Alma. It was so beautiful and quiet in Praiano, we enjoyed exploring the area, although we were often exhausted from climbing all the steps.

We were glad that Casa Alma was by the Saint Luca church, since it made it easy to find. The garden and flowers of Casa Alma were very beautiful, and I was delighted by the little duck and chicken that lived in one of the garden areas.

We appreciated the owners' letting us into the villa a little early -- that was very nice of them, since we arrived a little earlier than expected.

We found Summer in Italy through the "Slow Travelers" web site. We were very pleased with your services -- the web site is very helpful and easy to follow, and my e-mails were responded to very quickly. We will definitely use Summer In Italy again for our next trip to Italy!

Excellent

November 2003 - Please will you pass on our many thanks to Paola [the owner of Casa Alma], friends and family for our excellent stay in Praiano.

Casa Alma was a lovely house and in a fabulous position. So quiet - in fact it was the first time I have ever been able to sleep on holiday!

Thank you for all your help - it was a great success and we will pass on the word to our friends.