getting from Rome to Sorrento

You can do it by "train" but the last leg is the commuter train that is slow and can be very crowded at times, the circumvesuviana, which doesn't technically have assigned trains (though you can buy one for a particular train as part of your longer itinerary)/definitely not assigned seats, just like a regionale train. I am not sure of which bus goes to Sorrento from Naples, but it is very possible that it is also a regional bus that runs like a city bus in the fact that you just buy a ticket and (validate it when you) get on.

I just looked on the trenitalia website to find this solution.

thank you so very much Katherine

Katherine, im re reading your note, does that mean it is not possible to actually reserve a seat on the train ahead of time?

The Circumvesuvia is a private line, so will not show on trenitalia or most third party sites.

Buy your ticket from Rome to Naples.

From there, you have several options, the Circumvesuvia (just buy a ticket before boarding) mentioned. There are several bus lines, they run infrequently compared to the train, others may have specific info. The ferry, and then taxi or private driver.

I have always taken the Circumvesuvia train, it has been plenty fine. I like it because you can show up, and one is leaving within a half hour, usually less, hop on and go. Buses are infrequent, the ferry requires you to get to the port in Naples, then you arrive at the bottom of a very steep hill (cliff really) below the town of Sorrento. Taxi or private driver just a waste of money for me.

thank you Paul that was really helpful : )

I was just looking at train prices from Rome to Naples and it was $41.00 isn't that high?

The train to Naples stops, obviously, at its terminus... You'll go down a flight or two and, poof, you'll be on the platform for the train to Sorrento. The ride on the train to Sorrento is rickety and noisy as a New York subway.

There are busses at the Sorrento station that can whisk you to your lodging, but they're a bit tricky to figure out. Rick's guide mentions this. Taxi drivers know that so you'll pay a bit to ride in one of them. Spring for the taxi if you're queasy about figuring bus routes out or are afraid of making a mistake.

When we arrived we opted for the bus. The driver, whose English was just as bad as our Italian, seemed to indicate that he understood what and where our stop was. He may have understood, but we didn't get off there. We wound up walking, maybe a half mile, back to where we should have gotten off. That's the bad news... the good news is that we used Waze and Google maps to navigate us back, and they took us down "streets" that were easily hundreds of years old and only wide enough for a mule and a cart to pass. We saw a part of Sorrento and the environs we'd have never seen otherwise.

I guess the moral of the story is: pack light. You very well may wind up humping the gear for some distance, so make it easy for yourself.

Standard, usually same day, non discounted tickets in 2nd class to Naples from Rome are 48 euro, so if you're just seeing 41 to Naples, that's still discounted.

I know most of my info about the circumvesuviana from this board, as I can't ever remember riding it more than once and I can't for the life of me remember why I was on it or where I was going. So Paul, you might be able to answer, the Campanialink that I AM seeing on trenitalia, is that the "more expressish", "less commuterish" circumvesuviana route? It is about an hour from Garibaldi to Sorrento.

Here's the link to the schedule for the Circumvesuviana train. https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule
We spent 11 days in Sorrento last April and loved it. After getting off of your train from Rome at Napoli Centrale, find the stairs or escalator to go down one level and follow the signs to the Circumvesuviana train. It's a long walk so don't worry if you think you've missed where you're supposed to go. First you'll pass the Naples Subway station and eventually you'll get to where you need to be to buy a ticket and catch the train. It's about 70 minutes to Sorrento.

the Campanialink that I AM seeing on trenitalia, is that the "more expressish", "less commuterish" circumvesuviana route? It is about an hour from Garibaldi to Sorrento.

Yeah, that is (I believe) a separate train that runs on the same line as the Circumvesuvia, and is advertised as an express train. It does have fewer stops, 8 compared to what seems like 20, but in the end, it gets you there only 15 minutes faster. Maybe the train is nicer, maybe some of the commuters and school kids avoid it, can't say.

Maybe a major drawback is that there are only 4 runs a day. So if it works out, sure, take that option, but I would not hang around the station for an hour to wait to take it, passing up two other commuter trains.

I did not realize that specific train showed up on Trenitalia. I can see where that might be confusing for some looking to get to Sorrento.

Thank you all for the great advice! I’ve booked my train from Rome to Naples and I think I’ll be able to navigate my way downstairs to catch the train into Sorrento. I’m so excited. I’m traveling by myself and this may be my only trip to Europe…. :)

Rhonda, I don't know when you're taking this trip, but the Circumvesuviana isn't air conditioned. The Campania Express is, as I understand it. I used the Cirucumvesuviana several times last year to go to Pompeii and Herculaneum from Naples, but it was in late February or early March, so the lack of air conditioning wasn't as issue.