What is the best way (in terms least time) to get from Catania in Sicily to Sorrento?
From what I can see it looks rather complicated involving trains, buses, ferry boats and planes in various combination. I am looking for something simple with a minimum of transfers and changes.
Fly to Naples, bus from airport to Sorrento. Taking the train from Sicily to Campania is not fun.
There really isn't a direct route. You will need to make at least one transfer.
If you take the train, my understanding is that the entire train is loaded onto the ferry from Messina to the mainland. It might be the simplest way, but it is a very long trip. You would still be required to go all the way to Naples and then change to a different train or bus to Sorrento - OR train to Salerno and bus to Sorrento.
Look into a flight from Catania to Naples and then short bus-ride from Naples airport to train station and then train to Sorrento. It requires a flight, bus ride and train, but it's fairly straightforward, likely won't cost much more and will save you significant travel time.
Voting with Laurel: Flying to Naples airport and taking the Curreri Viaggi coach bus from there to Sorrento would be the simplest, IMHO. It eliminates an additional transfer to Garibaldi station (connected to Napoli Centrale) from the airport to catch the commuter train...and that particular battered, no-frills train isn't exactly everyone's cuppa, although we've used it without incident.
Here's the weblink for the bus:
https://www.curreriviaggi.it/en/naples-airport-shuttle
