We are planning on being in Rome in October for just a few days and wondered if its possible to take a day trip to Sorrento and stop in at Pompei? Is this doable? Should we plan on spending the night and returning the following day?
Posted by
San Diego, California
5649 posts
Rome to Sorrento is almost 4 hours each way. I'd suggest you spend the night, and perhaps getting a guide book. Even overnight is a lot of traveling, as there is so much congestion and traffic in the area.
Also, alot of useful info was posted in your earlier thread.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/is-this-itineray-reasonable
Have a great trip!
Posted by
1045 posts
Yeah, as Pat points out, you’ve already kind of got your answer in your other post. That you ask this question separately seems like you’re REALLY set on it but looking for confirmation.
I’ll just say this. The Pompeii day trip is a question that gets asked a lot. The consensus is while technically doable, it is about the worst way to do it. Long day, lots of travel, there during busiest hours, you name it. In many years on this forum, I am confident I have never seen anyone comment that they have done this and recommended doing it. It says a lot.
Turning this into an overnight in Sorrento doesn’t make this easier actually. Because now you’ve got luggage, hotel check in, and all that argy-bargy. Sorrento itself is nice, but not spectacular in any sense and I don’t consider it a worthy destination in of itself. If anything, a night in Naples makes a little more sense? Still, not much.
Ostia Antica is the consensus alternative daytrip, and by all accounts is an underrated site.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16624 posts
Brenda, using different forms of public transit, here's how long it approx. will take you to do this trip:
•Trenitalia or Italo "fast" train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale: approx. 70 minutes, no changes.
• Circumvesuviana commuter train from Napoli Garibaldi (connected to Centrale) to Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri: abt. 30 minutes
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule
• Circumvesuviana from Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri to Sorrento: abt. 30 minutes
• Alternate to the regular Circumvesuviana trains between Naples-Pompei-Sorrento is the Campania Express: fewer stops but it only runs 4 times a day:
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule
• High-speed ferry between Sorrento and Naples: abt. 40 minutes (full high-season schedules not up yet).
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule
Where you need to add time for the above options:
•All cases: getting to Roma Termini, buying tickets (if not purchased in advance) and finding your train.
•Buying tickets in Naples for the regular commuter Circumvesuviana (can't buy in advance) and changing trains. You can purchase a 2nd and 3rd tickets at the same time for a train onward to Sorrento later in the day, and train from Sorrento back to Naples.
Remember to validate these tickets before boarding!
• Returning to the Sorrento train station for train back to Naples.
•Changing trains in Naples to the Campania Express: can purchase tickets in advance.
• Walk, take the town lift or a bus down to the Sorrento port to catch the ferry to Naples:
See "From the center of Sorrento to Marina Piccola"
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/e/getting-around-sorrento-italy
• Transport from the Naples ferry port to Napoli Centrale for train back to Rome; find train.
In short, it's not like you move from one form of transport to another within a few minutes so while I don't think it would necessarily take 4 hours each way, it's going to take longer than you might think. If arranging all this in advance, you're also taking the chance of this one day being a fair-weather excursion. Case in point, on our October trip from Rome it poured rain the entire way to Naples and beyond. Fortunately we had 5 nights between Sorrento and Capri so not the disappointment it would have been had that been our only day and not even a full one at that.
Still, If you could arrange to stay overnight in Sorrento, that would be preferable to trying to do this all within a single day.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank you to all of you who give us advice. We need it! Already adjusting our itinerary and taking Sorrento off. We'll likely stick to Venice, Florence, Montepulciano and Rome. 9 nights. Hopefully make the best of this. Appreciate the Ostia Antica advice! Also, still planning on what to do each day, and modes of transportation.