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Do we want a car in Sorrento / Amalfi coast?

My husband, 16 year old daughter, and I will be flying into Naples on June 4, staying in Sorrento until the 7th. We're planning one day to Capri, and one along the Amalfi coast, then going to Pompei on our way to Rome. For 3 of us, does it make sense to rent a car (our Sorrento hotel has a free car park) or will we have a better experience taking rideshare, public transit, or ferry's for this leg of our trip? If the latter, do you have recommendations for transport from the Naples airport to Sorrento, an Amalfi day-trip, Capri day-trip, and Sorrento to Rome via Pompei (including tour)?
I appreciate your feedback -
Annie

Posted by
7278 posts

No
You do not need or want a car in the area. It will be nothing more than inexpensive headache (regardless if you have parking)

We used this company for transfers in the area:
https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com/?portal_referer_id=46

Take a look at what Mondo Guides offers- we used them for Capri and Pompeii and were very pleased. They have an affordable day trip along Amalfi coast as well
www.sharedtours.com

It's also easy enough to use Circumvesuviana, ferries and buses by yourself, although buses will be very crowded.
Info here:
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/getting-to-sorrento-italy

Posted by
11647 posts

You do not want a car for this area.
Capri- You take a ferry from Sorrento and upon arrival either use funicular or taxi to get up to the top, to the town. Then you can walk around. Head to area between Giardini Agosto and Punta Tragara, all pedestrian paths.
You can take a bus or ferry to Amalfi Coast.
The commuter train goes from Sorrento directly to Pompeii and back.
We had a driver take us from Naples airport to Sorrento. We had driven to Naples from Umbria and dropped the car off at Naples airport as it was near the autostrada exit.

Posted by
5174 posts

I am not really frugal, but I would at least check the direct airport bus schedule (likely on the Sorrento Insider page) since it is so convenient. That's 100 euros to spend on a meal or whatevs. Sometimes I'd rather just get on a bus rather than make small talk with a driver, and after an overnight flight is one of those times.
I'd use ferry for Capri and AC, then splash out for a driver to hold your luggage at Pompeii and then deposit you at Naples train station.

Posted by
16660 posts

Cheap coach transfer from Naples airport to Sorrento: probably 30 euros total for the 3 of you. It drops off at the Sorrento Circumvesuviana train station; our hotel was an easy walk from there but not sure about yours?

https://www.curreriviaggi.it

No, you definitely do not need or want a car; traffic on the coast is horrendous during high season, and parking is scarce. Ferry to/from Capri; ferry to Amalfi; SITA bus back to Sorrento OR take a ferry back if any of you suffer from motion sickness (like me).

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/t/sorrento/capri
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/t/sorrento/amalfi

Going back to Rome, Circumvesuviana train (battered and worn but cheap) to Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station, right in front of the main entrance. Check your bags at the station (lower level, I believe) or at the excavation itself. (cloakroom; free). Circumvesuviana to Napoli Garibaldi, from which you'll walk (inside) to the connecting Napoli Centrale station, and take a "fast" Trenitalia or Italo train to Roma Termini; will get you there in about 70 minutes.

http://pompeiisites.org/en/
http://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/visitor-services/
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule?route=sorrento_napoli#section-schedule-result

(edited some spelling errors!)

Posted by
34 posts

Thanks for the great information, everyone! Our hotel recommended we rent a car, but I had a feeling we'd get valid feedback here.

Posted by
16660 posts

Annie, if you take the Circ. from Sorrento to Pompeii and Pompeii to Naples, be sure and validate your tickets before boarding, OK? It's a regional commuter sort of train with no seat reservation so you'll want to time-stamp those tickets in the machines at the station before getting on. Buy two sets: one for the Sorrento> Pompeii leg, and another for the Pompeii> Naples leg. time-stamp each set before departing each station.

Your "fast" train from Naples > Rome will have assigned seats in a specific carriage, and will be for a specific train and departure time so no ticket validation needed.

Posted by
3315 posts

From Naples airport take a taxi to Porto Napoli and a ferry to Sorrento instead of the Circumvesuviana train that people have had issues with pickpockets. When you reach the port in Sorrento there are stairs to climb but supposedly there’s an elevator too.
You can take a bus from Sorrento that drives along the Amalfi Coast Road. You want to get an early start because this bus fills up quickly and if you don’t have seats on the right facing the driver then get off and wait for the next one.
One of the problems with riding the bus is motion sickness as it winds its way around this curvy road with elevation changes. Wear sea sickness bracelets and ask your physician for a prescription. Ride it as far as Amalfi (1h 45m) and take a direct ferry back (1h 45m). Sorrento is also a good base to explore Capri from by ferry (30-minutes).
I can understand why you would ride the Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Pompeii (45-minutes) but you’ll need to store your luggage at the Pompeii Scavi train station. Be vigilant of your belongings and make it difficult for someone to grab a bag when the train stops. To get from Pompeii to Rome take the Circumvesuviana to Napoli Garibaldi (45-minutes) and go upstairs where you’ll catch a direct train to Roma Termini (1h 15m).

Posted by
16660 posts

Just to note, taking the Curreri coach from airport to Sorrento eliminates transfers required for other methods, such as train or ferry. You get on the thing right at the airport, and get off at the train station in the middle of Sorrento; easypeasy and inexpensive. At most, you might need a cab from station to your hotel if it's not an easy walk.

The Circumvesuviana? Yep, a battered and unlovely thing to be sure but nothing you won't understand if you've taken the "L" in Chicago or any number of other city metros or commuter trains. If you decide to use it, just keep hands on your valuables and wits about you, as you should on ANY public transport.

There is one more rail option for your Sorrento> Pompeii and Pompeii> Naples journeys. The Campania Express is a tourist train that makes this run seasonally - both directions - 4 times daily on the same route as the Circ. It is air conditioned, more comfortable than the commuter train, makes fewer stops, and is still affordable. The issue is making the timing work between when you might want to be at Pompeii, and when your desired train departs Naples for Rome. Anyway, here's skinny on that one:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule?route=sorrento_napoli#section-schedule-result

Posted by
494 posts

Took the Curreri coach from the airport to Sorrento. Simple, bus is right outside the terminal, buy ticket from the driver, next stop Sorrento. Brad

Posted by
3315 posts

Wasn’t aware of the Curreri coach bus service, thanks for sharing!

Posted by
27 posts

I just did a similar itinerary in March. No, you absolutely don't want a car unless you're quite used to driving on narrow, mountain roads with people driving at high speeds.

There are a plethora of transfer services, but if you want to go on the cheap, that's easy as well. From the Naples Airport, take the shuttle to the train station (Naples Garibaldi (which is downstairs from Naples Centrale). Hop on the Circumvesuviana train, and you'll be in Sorrento in an hour or so. It was around €4. Sorrento is totally walkable, but they do have shuttles for about €1,5 per ride.

For the ferry to Capri, you need to get down to Marina Piccola. I walked it, but there are local shuttles for about €1,5. The round trip ferry to Capri is the priciest at around €40 each. Book in advance (Here's the timetables and links to book: https://www.naplesbayferry.com/en/t/sorrento/capri). There are also private boat tours you can book if you want to see the grottos. I just hiked all around Capri, so I took the ferry.

For the Amalfi Coast, you can take the SITA bus from the Sorrento station. I believe it was €3 to get to Amalfi. The bus stops in Positano, Priano, and Amalfi as well as other places. Get a ticket at the station, and arrive early. The lines can be long, and once the bus is full, you have to wait for the next one.

The Circumvesuviana stops at Pompeii, so you can take that on your way back to Rome. When you're finished, take it to Naples Garibaldi and walk upstairs to Naples Centrale to catch the high-speed to Rome.

I looked into private coaches vs. public transit, and as a solo-traveler, the hundreds of euro saved by taking public transit was definitely worth it. The public transit system is a bit crowded, but it's pretty user friendly and comfortable enough.

Have a great trip!

Posted by
7987 posts

You may find the links and comments in this thread useful for research and planning:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-for-7-nights-itinerary-help

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/herculaneum-and-pompeii-questions

The car thing is not a moral issue or Earth Day thing. It's that there is, literally, no place to park on the AC, and the single, two-lane road is sluggish and annoying to drive. The public busses have to back up and try again at many of the corners they have to pass. The few, small, parking garages in the AC towns cannot accommodate the number of people who thought they needed a car. It's a nightmare to have a car for this purpose.

One aspect of your hotel's recommendation is that they don't want you, really, to take the Circumvesusiana from Naples to Sorrento. It's so crowded, hot, and ... gritty ... that it spoils the arrival for people who drive a Chevy Suburban from home to the mall every day. If you don't have a constrained budget, tell the hotel you want their land partner to pick you up at the Naples airport in an air conditioned Mercedes sedan, maybe 100 Euros. Since the fixed rate taxi to the train station is about 25 Euros, and then 15 euros in Sorrento from the Circumvesuviana to the hotel, it's not a bad (or decadent) deal.

This board has nothing but good experiences with the luggage check at Pompeii Scavi. But you will have to cope with heat and sun exhaustion when you are finished with your visit. You want an air-conditioned, reserved-seat, non-cancellable, non-refundable Frecciarossa ticket to Rome if you can get it. Allow for the time to get from Pompeii to Naples rail station. Pompeii has an air conditioned cafeteria lunch option, but there will be lines, and lines for the bathroom.

Posted by
34 posts

Everyone - this is all fantastic advice! We definitely have decided against the car rental - and have booked our hotel transport from Naples airport directly to our Sorrento hotel. I'll now have my husband run with all of these Capri / AC / Pompei recommendations, as he does.

Thanks again!

Annie

Posted by
60 posts

The elevator from the port at Sorrento up the cliff is WORKING. We took it a few days ago, €1 pp.