Amalfi Coast

From what I have read, Salerno does not much to recommend it. Sorrento makes a better base, especially if you want to see Pompeii and Ercolano. Assuming you are coming from Rome, take Trenitalia to Naples and change there to the Circumvesuviana, which terminates in Sorrento. Rick Steves' Italy guide explains it all very well. How long to stay depends on what you want to do. We are staying 6 nights in Sorrento later this year, planning a day in Naples, one for Pompeii/Ercolano, another day of hiking the "Path of the Gods," one to go to Amalfi town and Altrani, and another for this-and-that including the Ferroviaria Museum just outside Naples for my train-nut DH. Above, click on Plan Your Trip, then Italy, and scroll down to the articles on Southern Italy/ Good info from Rick that supplements his book. Ciao and Happy Planning!

Don't go to Salerno if your destination is Sorrento. Take an express train from Rome to Naples Central, then transfer to the Circumvesuviana local train which will take you right to Sorrento in about an hour. No SITA bus needed. Once you're in Sorrento, you can use SITA buses to destinations like Positano, Amalfi, etc.

Thank you for the clarification. I think I was reading so much I got overwhelmed and confused. Im glad I found this message board!

Dont forget Capri Island. You can take the ferry from Sorrento, it take about 45 minutes.

Sabrina, we took the Marozzi bus direct from Rome (bus station is next to Tiburtina Train Station) to Sorrento (actually beyond Sorrento-to our distination of Positano). It was very easy and a comfortable ride, no switching buses (as with the trains). It cost about 20 euro per person. They have a website. If you decide to go by bus; if you have trouble buying the tickets on the website (which most people do), just e-mail me and I can help. I figured it out when purchasing my tickets.

We've been to Sorrento 3x, staying a week each time. Sorrento is our favorite place in Italy, we love it. We stayed a week each time and wished we could have stayed longer each time. Leaving Sorrento is sad for us, it's the most relaxing, beautiful, charming and fun place we've ever been. To figure out how many days you need to know what you'd like to do... A boat trip to Positano, then boat to Capri, then back to Sorrento would be 1 day. Another day for Pompeii / Herculaneum / Mt. Vesuvius. And don't forget to allow one full day to just stay in Sorrento, walking and exploring. Figuring out how many days for what you want to do all depends on how fast or how slow you want to go. In Sorrento, I like to go slow and savor every minute.

Sabrina, my husband and I have been to Sorrento sesveral times and love the entire area. When we bus over to the Almafi area we always go just a bit further up to Ravello, which is a lovely place with beautiful views. Also, Capri is a great destination and we usually spend most of a day there. In the other direction, we have enjoyed Pompeii but have not been to Herculaneum, which I understand surpasses Pompeii. There is much to do but, hopefully, in a relaxed fashion. Enjoy!

If you are on a budget, do what poster said about bus. The slow train from Rome to Naples is 22 euro one way and then another 5 euro on train to Sorrento sounds like bus is cheaper.

sabrina..
your well gonna have a fantastic trip!!! ill be there myself on the 29th. so heres the deal.. on a budget travel is easy in italy if you take the time to sort your itinerary. sounds like a bus seems the cheapest although ive never done it. have always taken the train (it will definitely be faster). i prefer a train just for the experience of seeing the country side which you wont see on the bus except for the odd view here and there. once you get to sorrento..yes it is best to stay there as a base. if your time is limited you can do that area in two full days. of course longer would be better. my two day itinerary would be as follows: you sound adventerous and young enough to try something new if you havent done this...a day excursion to positano, amalfi, and all the small cliffside towns in between on a scooter..yes a scooter..by far one of the coolest things ive ever done..you can rent them in sorrento anywhere..i go to this place at the bottom of the del capo where the hotel loop strats (you can ask a local where that is) anyways youll have a blast. you can syop as many times as you want for pictures and snacks. its really ez to navigate..take the amalfitana in the direction of amalfi on your way and the same in reverse with sorrento as your direction. you can park scooters along with all the others upon arrival where ever you stop. roads are narrow at times but so fun to manage. youll love it!!!! second day is of course a day trip to capri via ferry. take the funicular from the marina up to ana capri to shop and eat. make sure you go to monte salare via chairlifts from the town center for breathtaking views that youll never forget. i promise loads of fun during these two days...if you can stay longer great!!! enjoy!! eric

I went against the grain and drove from Rome to the Amalfi coast. The first day the driving was intimidating but got use to it very quickly. I wouldn't drive in the summer but off season I would do it again. I was happy we did the line for the buses seemed very long. We also got to stop at places along the way. We stayed in a small town called Priano and loved it. Kind of in the middle of all the small towns. The hotel Marghertti was great. they had parking which was critical. From there we did take a bus to Positano to take the ferry to Capri. Capri is a must. But we did drive to see other towns along the coast like Almalfi and Ravello. Ravello was my favorite town. Spectacular views and a fairly quiet town.