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12 hours in Solerno...train to pompeii and then a ferry to Amalfi Coast?

Our cruise ship stops in Solerno 7-7 and I am trying to figure out how to get us to Pompeii via the local trains. In addition, if we get up and get out early, does it make sense to come back to Solerno then take a ferry to Amalfi for a late lunch or is this just too much for one day?

Posted by
11055 posts

Salerno- you can take a train Pompeii. If you have time, train back to Sorrento, bus to Amalfi Coast. Or train to Salerno, ferry to Amalfi Coast.

Posted by
219 posts

Hi,

I personally think it would be a bit much to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast in the time you have, but that does not mean it cannot be done. If you really want to do that, it may be worth a private driver.

We stayed several days in Salerno last June and loved it. Here is some information I provided in my trip report that may help you with planning your time in this beautiful city.

Pompeii:
Getting to Pompei is actually very easy even though you are coming into the downtown station. Exit the station, walk forward looking slightly to the left. You will see the large tower of a church. Walk directly towards it. When you get to that square, follow the signs to Scavi. You will turn left onto the street on the far side of the square. In about 5 minutes of walking you will arrive at the Anfiteatro entrance of Pompeii. For us the lines were short. There are restrooms just inside the entrance. We chose to exit at the Circumvesuvania entrance as we took that train on to Herculaneum. (Yes, crazy!). We were able to catch a train from the Ercolano- Portici Station. The station was about a 20 minute walk from the ruins, but did offer direct trains into Salerno.

In your case, I would recommend either taking a taxi from the main entrance back to the down town station or walking back to the Antifeatro gate to exit and to return to the train station you came in from. The Circumvesuvania train will NOT take you back to Salerno.

Other things you might do in the area:
Castle de Arechi:
To get to the beautiful Castello de Arechi high above Salerno, take the local bus 19 towards Croce. You can meet the bus at the Piazza XXIV di Maggio. We found tickets and the bus schedule at the bus office by the train station. Not much time is required to see the site, but it was beautiful and had amazing views. Be aware that the return bus arrived a full 5 minutes early. Since there are so few per day, you will want to be ready and waiting early for your return to Salerno

Paestum:
Rick spells out out to get there by train in the Best of Italy book. It is quite easy to do. We saw Castle de Arechi and Paestum in one day.

Amalfi Coast:
We did this on a different day. We chose to take one day to visit Positano. We took the ferry (Travelmar) from the port in Salerno to Positano. I believe this port is different from the one where the cruise ships come in.

We enjoyed a very picturesque hike through the town up the hill. The crowds thinned out as we climbed. One note, the SITA bus is about a 10 minute climb from the little plaza Rick discusses where there is a tobacco shop that sells bus tickets. Do not make the mistake we did and climb to the top to only find out none of the places listed up there actually sold tickets. We had to retrace our steps to buy tickets. We used it as an excuse to by another delicious granito at the little stand Rick recommends. There are public (pay) toilets just on the other side of the plaza (go down the steps by the tree). The cost was .50 €, but the machine does not make change.

We only took the bus to Amalfi Town and finished the trip back to Salerno by ferry. Frankly, the bus was so crowded, we would not do it again. All of our attention was focused on maintaining our balance as it was standing room only. We could not admire the views. You may wish to take the ferry back to Amalfi Town and/or Salerno.

Good luck with your planning!

Posted by
11033 posts

is this just too much for one day?

Probably

If the ship is docked 12 hours, you have much less time for tourist activity, when factoring in a possible late arrival, the time it takes for 100s-1000s of passengers to get off and the reverse to re-board for its departure.

In July there will be crowds and slower not faster, will be how everything happens.

Posted by
117 posts

Way too much. You could spend a day in Salerno or take a ferry to Amalfi. The Amalfi Coast is lovely.