cruise stop in Salerno

To accomplish this using public transportation, I suggest the following schedule. Take the regional train from Salerno to Pompei (about 30 minutes) and then taxi to the Pompeii scavi site (5 minutes). You can either hire a guide or tour on your own. After visitng Pompeii, take the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento (about 30 minutes). You could either visit Sorrento and possibly have lunch there, or you could buy bus tickets and catch the next SITA bus departing for Amalfi town. Depending on time constraints, you could stop in Positano (use second stop at bottom of town, not the first stop at top of town - long walk down) or continue on to Amalfi town and do your sightseeing there. Finally, take another bus from Amalfi town back to Salerno. Note that Amalfi coast buses all require a change in Amalfi town. Ferry from Sorrento to Salerno and to stops along the Amalfi coast is also a possibility, depending on time of year. Personally, I think trying to add Capri would be too much.

One more thought, check departure times for Circumvesuviana and buses upon arrival or check schedules ahead of time online. That way you can minimize wait times for the next train or bus when you're ready to depart.

Edit: My schedule was based on the presumption that your stop would be around 11-12 hours. With a shorter stop, I agree with the other posters that you'll need to either limit your destinations or splurge on an excursion (cruise or private).

While Frank's scenario is logistically correct, within the time constraints of a normal cruise stop--what, 8-9 hours max?--I don't think it's even close to doable, especially in high season.

Forget Capri, first off. But let's look at this. Let's say hypothetically it's June, and you dock at 9:00 AM. 20 min walk from the dock to the Salerno station, catch a 1 hour train-plus-taxi-or-walk to Pompei--I've done it. We walked the mile from the town station to the Nocera entrance of the ruins but a taxi if available can take you to Scavi. Minimum of 2 hours, 4 is preferable to see not much more than half of the ruins. BTW, it's spectacular.

Then, as Frank says, the Circumvesuviana takes 30-40 min (and about 10 stops) to Sorrento station. There's a restaurant right there--Il Leone Rosso--that's fabulous & reasonably-priced. You could walk the main drag in Sorrento by Piazza Tasso, but let's say you go right back to the station and hop on a bus to Positano (45 min) or Amalfi (75 min). Spend an hour walking Amalfi, then catch the ferry back to Salerno dock.

Add up the numbers:

20 min to Salerno station
1 hour to Pompei
2 hours at Pompei
40 min to Sorrento
1 hour for lunch
1 hr, 15 min bus to Amalfi
1 hour at Amalfi
30 min ferry to Salerno dock

7 hours, 45 min if everything works perfectly and you don't have to wait for anything. In Italy? Not likely. Frankly, I'd be a nervous wreck. This scenario realistically will take closer to 9-10 hours even without any 'Italian snafus', which always seem to rear their ugly heads at the worst possible time.

My recommendation? Do either the Amalfi/Positano thing (bus or ferry) or do Salerno to Pompei, come back to Salerno, have a nice late lunch/early dinner in their beautiful Old Town, then walk to the dock.

Enjoy your planning!

From having been there, you only have time for one. Pompeii can easily suck up a half day or more. It is a massive site. Unless you just want to stick your head through the gate and say you have been there, you should plan on at least three to four hours on site. Then spend the balance of your time exploring and enjoying Salerno.

Jay's timing roster is very helpful. But there are plenty of reasons transportation can take LONGER. You didn't give the time of year, but tourism crowds from May to September make a BIG difference. When we were sleeping in Sorrento, the line for the SITA bus to Amalfi always had more people in line than would fit on the NEXT half-hourly bus. And the single two-lane road is frequently slowed by busses that have to stop and back up to get around corners.

Remember that if the ship's own bus (yes, I know it's expensive) is delayed, the ship will wait. If you're on your own, check how much it will cost to get to the next port on your own. For that reason, you should not consider making Capri the ONE place you can do on your own. If the ship offers Pompeii and Amalfi Coast on one $170 excursion, your OP question tells me that you should take it. You cannot do it on your own in the time available.

What makes Pompeii reasonable from Salerno is that you can get to (the wrong side of the modern town of Pompeii) on a train that DOES NOT go through the Amalfi Coast or Sorrento - which are choke points. (I'm just alluding to the fact that the train from Sorrento to Pompeii stops directly across the street from the main entrance to ancient Pompeii. As previously noted, the train from Salerno doesn't stop as close. Some posters here said they walked, but you don't have time to waste.)

Alas, no one will ask you "Did you see Paestum", but because UNESCO WHS Paestum is so easy from Salerno and so hard from Sorrento, I would go to Paestum from Salerno. But if you have never been to Pompeii and believe you will never be in southern Italy again, Pompeii is an easy decision.

The Circumvesuviana train is notorious for not keeping to its timetable so certainly makes using it questionable on an do-it-yourself excursion. I did a cruise excursion from Salerno to Pompeii and Herculaneum and it took the whole day including a short lunch break. It worked well for a first visit to these sites even though it made for a very long day. While Italian trains are relatively efficient, bear in mind that they are prone to strike action, though notice is always given in advance. Pompeii Cruise excursions are always very popular and sell out so be sure to make reservations early.

If you are lucky the excursion might include a drive along the Amalfi Coast.

Thanks so much for your responses and help!!

I'm assuming you're in Sicily now, so here is the bus schedule.

http://www.positano.com/en/bus-schedule?bus_route=salerno_maiori_amalfi