Can we squeeze Paestum into this Rome-Amalfi Coast itinerary?

Don't take this personally, but I use the term "Rick Steves Dead-Run" to describe itineraries like yours! Yes, it's a good value for the short time. But I think you're missing a lot of sights - just for example, Villa D'Este, Baths of Caracella, art museums. But you seem to know clearly what you want to see. Another way of viewing the preceding sentence could be to say that if you had seen the Baths of Caracella or Hadrian's Villa, it might not be so important to see Paestum. [Note below, we didn't get to Paestum, so my logic is not fully-informed!]

In fact, Pompeii has excellent luggage storage options, so that day is very reasonable. We just didn't care to stop with luggage on a commuter train that is, after all, only about an hour all the way to Sorrento. We went back to Pompeii for a four-hour visit from our base hotel in Sorrento. The 3-day ticket for Pompeii includes in fact, five site options, if you had a more relaxed schedule. Presumably you have investigated and rejected (as did we) the supposedly essential climb of Vesuvius itself.

We had hoped to maybe visit Paestum from our 5 nights in Sorrento. But everyone underestimates the amount of time it takes to drive around the Amalfi Coast. With an 8-hour car and driver, we had little enough time in Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. Paestum was quite out of the question. The large expense for the car was justified by skipping time to park and pay for the garage. Granted, April will be a little less busy. (Be sure to check this year's ferry schedules to see about Capri, and Salerno if you continue to research Paestum.)

We were in Sorrento at the end of May: Every time we saw the line for the bus to Positano, it was more people than could fit into one bus. I mention that because it may be very important not to arrive in the ferry line at the last moment, since you might then fail to get on the "last ferry." I've read here about pre-purchased ferry tickets, but things can be a little too "loose" in relaxed Southern Italy to rely on that Executive Travel option!

Don't take this personally, but I use the term "Rick Steves Dead-Run"
to describe itineraries like yours!

Ha, no offense taken. It's a busy trip, I admit (and there's more on the itinerary than I sketched out, and to be fair, Rick Steves had nothing to do with it - this itinerary started with www.reidsitaly.com). But we tend to start early and go late on the road. All the same, Paestum sounds like too much work for this trip (I'm just looking for someone to disagree) - I'd like to save that for another time and instead get back to Rome early, maybe we can squeeze in the Baths of Caracella. :) Thanks for the feedback.

Having visited all three sights many times, Paestum is nothing like the Baths of Caracalla (a single complex from the Roman period) or Hadrian's Villa (an emperor's impressive playground, also from om the Roman period).

Paestum contains three Greek temples from various time periods, as well as the excavated ruins of the city, once an important harbor. It also has a very good small museum, a good beach, and mozzarella farms. The temples at night are incomparable, in my opinion. If you can, stay at Hotel dei Templi with a view of the temples and direct entry (buy your ticket at the bar of the hotel). The trip is about four hour by bus via Amalfi and Salerno, so spending the night is the best option if you don't want to drive.

Oh, I think you mean the Galleria Borghese, not Borgia Gallery, in Rome.

From that region, Rick's Italy book notes that the best way to get to Paestum is by direct train from Naples Centrale station, 1.5 hours each way. From Rome to Paestum (3 hours), trains connect either at Naples or a another mid-point. Mixed transport connections from Sorrento take longer and timing is harder to plan. I would not skip the Archeology Museum, especially since you will be in Naples.

Why not go to Paestum directly from Rome. From there go to Salerno, and spend the night. The next morning, use the ferry to go to the Amalfi Coast or Sorrento to your lodging. Visit Pompeii on your way to Naples and see the Museum before heading to Rome.

Thanks for the encouragement/suggestions. Looks like we'll take the train direct from Naples on Day 5. MAYBE visit the Archeological Museum first, then off to Paestum. Looks like there's some nice lunch options if we make it a longer day. We'll work out things to visit Pompeii on day 8 as we make our way back to Rome.

If you are in Sorrento on a Tuesday you could use this guided coach trip to Paestum. We used it a couple of years ago and found that it gave us plenty of time at the very good Museum and site. It was our third visit to the site and found that having the guide with us did add to the experience. Like us you may wish to take a picnic lunch with you, there was a lunch stop by the site entrance. The stop/visit at Salerno was also interesting.

http://www.goldentours.it/en/salerno_e_paestum.php

James, I stand by my advice about Paestum and the Hotel dei Templi. This comes from my experience (at least a dozen visits) and not from a guidebook or some online advice. The entrance to the temples/archeological zone is from the back of the hotel, at the restaurant/bar. A google map check will show this.

As for the view of the temples, I don't know if there is a view from every room, but they are certainly visible from the bar downstairs. I was in Paestum last June and used the entrance from the hotel bar to the archeological zone/temples.

I can second the recommendation for the Golden Tours trip to Paestum. Doing it on your own is complicated, as you are discovering. Personally, I'd choose Paestum over Capri, if you don't have time for both. " Worth it" is a matter of taste. I would not skip the Archaeological Museum.

I would put all days in Rome at the end of your stay (5 nights) and would head on to Naples straight upon arrival.