Has anyone ever taken this boat? I recently heard something about it and was wondering if it was better than taking the Circumvesuviana train. If it's a nice day, I would consider the boat since I will already have been on a train for 6 hours because that leg of my trip originates in La Spezia.
Thanks to all who respond!
We took the FAST ferry from Naples to Sorrento a few years ago. I think I remember the trip as about 2 hours. It was fun, easy, and ejoyable to watch the shoreline,and the approach to Sorrento from the sea.
When you arrive in Sorrento, there are taxis to take you up to the town from the marina...or you can walk up (but not advised with luggage)
Just make sure that you get the fast ferry! You can buy your tickets right on the dock at the shop by the ferries.
It will be inconvenient at both ends. The Circumvesuviana train is basically in the same station as the intercity trains. The ferries are a crowded bus ride or a taxi ride away. At the Sorrento end, you can take a bus or taxi up from the Marina.
On the other hand, if you just want the relaxing boat ride (assuming the weather is nice), it is a change of pace.
My suggestion would be to take the CV train if you plan to go to Positano and/or Amalfi and then take the Ferry on one or more of those trips.
Understand the ferries are designed for locals and vehicles and is not very convenient for those with luggage.
We've done both 2 different times. I highly recommend the Circumvesuviana over the boat. As one poster wrote, the train is much more convenient if you're already at the train station. We took a hair-raising taxi ride from the station to the ferry, waited 90 min for the boat, then, as we were getting on, a boat worker told us we had to pay extra for our suitcases, I had to race back to the ticket booth (not close by), wait in line again, then race back as my 11 yr old son guarded our 2 suitcases and kept a seat for me (boat was packed). I had horrible visions of the boat leaving me behind w/my son on board. When I bought the original tickets, the man at the window clearly saw we had suitcases and didn't say a word. It was an upsetting experience. Then, to top it off, the boat was really dirty, most of the curtains on the windows were kept closed, and the windows were so dirty you couldn't see through them anyway. It was a bad experience! But I remember the boat ride being only an hour at most.
According to the last poster, they might have changed things, but we had 2 bike cases and 2 suitcases and there was no additional charge for our stuff.
Our boat wasn't crowded, nor was it dirty. We sat inside on seats because the ocean air was a bit chilly.
Our trip was 2 years ago, so perhaps things have changed, but we didn't have any of the issues mentioned above, it was an enjoyable way to get to Sorrento from Naples, less crowded for us than the train.
Keep in mind, we were coming from an overnight ferry out of Palermo, so we were right at the docks. We did have to walk a bit to get to the "commuter" ferry from the larger boat we just left, but it wasn't a bad experience.
