Best way to get from Lake Orta to Amalfi Coast area?

Welcome!

Do you know where you would like to stay in the AC area?
Many base in Sorrento- which is not actually on the coast but makes a very good base.
The entire area books up early so you will need to decide asap.

You could fly from Malpensa to Naples then there are several ways to get to Sorrento or an AC town-
taxi to port- ferry to Sorrento
direct bus from Naples airport to Sorrento
taxi to train station then local train to Sorrento
Private driver, etc

If you want to take the train you need to get to Milano Centrale- if you are coming from Malpensa take the Malpensa express train to Milano Centrale- then a fast train to Naples or Salerno (4.5-5 hours)- depending on where you will stay. Salerno is closer to the AC towns (Amalfi, Positano, etc).
(or get taxi or driver from Orta to Milano Centrale- probably over 200 euros)

From the Naples train station you take the Circumvesuviana train- a local train to Sorrento.
From Salerno you can take the ferry, or bus to an AC town.
From either you can hire a private driver for about 100-120 euros.

If you are staying in Sorrento and your flight out of Naples is later in the day you can probably stay in Sorrento for your last night.
An early am flight out of Naples means you must stay in Naples the night before your flight- same if you are staying in any AC town.

Be sure to allow enough time for this additional stay- it will take you the better part of a day to get there. Stay at least 4 nights to make it worth the trip.

There are many many threads about getting to/from/around the AC- a search of this forum will bring them all up.

Also note that June 2 is an Italian holiday- Republic Day- so traffic might be an issue- keep in mind when planning your departure flight

What do you mean by "a couple"? If literally two days, then I would choose somewhere closer to where you end your tour to enjoy. It just would not be worth it to me to spend all that time on a train for just a couple days.
For train schedules Milan to Naples (or Salerno, a tad closer to the Amalfi Coast), see the Italotren and Trenitalia websites.

Thank you very much for responding and for the extremely helpful information. I certainly have some decisions to make, and I realize I should make them quickly. Several friends have said "don't miss the Amalfi Coast" so I'm trying to squeeze it all in, but at the same time am slightly intimidated by the travel logistics so I truly appreciate the suggestions.

If we left Lake Orta early on the 28th and made our way to Sorrento that day (arriving that night), we'd have the 29th, 30, and part of the 31st to play before needing to get near the airport for a flight home on June 1. I don't currently have any plans or tickets beyond the tour that ends on the 28th. Part of me is saying to go for it, and part of me thinks I should choose something less aggressive. I considered the train because I thought that might be less hassle than flying plus would be more interesting.

Looking at the map, I see Genoa as well as southern France are closer and might be excellent alternative choices. Decisions, decisions. If you have any further advice, lay it on me! Thank you again.

Another option that is certainly less travel would be to head to Lake Maggiore-Stresa is lovely or just spend a few days in Milan

If you choose Milan and want to see The Last Supper book those tickets asap
It is definitely worth it

I think it’s a bit of a pain to get to south of France but we really liked Nice

Or head to the Ligurian coast and spend a few days in lovely non touristy Santa Margherita Ligure
You’d need to return to Milan night before a departing flight

Save Sorrento/AC for your next trip- pairs well with Rome

I would look at all of the logistics on the train websites and then decide. The 28th would be a grueling day, but three full days might be worth it. And dependong on your outbound flight time, you might not even have to change bases (though Naples is a fun last night). If you were interested in seeing Pompeii, Naples, and the many other things in the area, then I might defer the dream and plan a future trip where you could explore the entire area with ample time.
If you just want a lovely seaside excursion to cap off your trip, then Camogli-Santa Margarita Ligure would be perfect. You could be on the sea by the afternoon of the 28! Getting back to Milan for a flight out would not be difficult, but you could also connect from Genoa, I'd also check Pisa.

I don't suggest it after looking at the train schedule.

You would take the train from Lake Orta to Sorrento and that would entail three changes. There is only one train to take to make the connections. It leaves at 8 AM and gets you to Sorrento about 4:30 pm give or take a few minutes. That's 8.5 hours on four different trains.

Instead, why not stay in the lakes area of Italy and head to either Lake Maggiorre or Lake Como. It's easy to get from either of them to Malpensa airport in Milan for your flight home. Both areas are beautiful.

You guys are wonderful. I've decided you're right...we will stay put in the northern areas at the end of our tour and enjoy those sights. I feel relieved to have made the decision. Thank you again.