Getting From Rome To Sorrento

Get to Termini station and hop on a train to naples and then take the circumvesuviana to Sorrento.

Linda - Scott certainly has perhaps the easiest way to reach Sorrento. I would suggest taking the Hydrofoil from Naples to Sorrento because the ride and the approach to the Marina in Sorrento is breathtaking. Yes - It takes a very short cab ride from the train station to The docks for the Hydrofoil. It's worth it!!!
And Linda - Go Red Sox!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao, Greg

Scott and Greg - thank you for the tips. I have been thinking about the hydrofoil across the bay. What about walking from the Naples Centrale Station to the docks? Is it to far with luggage? We pack light and small. We kinda like being "on the ground" rather than in a taxi.

Linda - It's only about a 5-10 minute walk from the station to the dock area with the hydrofoils. The only thing I would say is that Napoli is a bit dangerous with thieves and pickpockets - they are not subtle so be careful BUT the hydrofoil is a fun ride and , as you come into the marina in Sorrento you will love it.
Be sure to visit the old town section with all it's shops and cafes and, if you have time, you might want to go out to Villa Massa, the largest producer of Limoncello in the world with over 16,000 lemon trees!!
If you need a Hotel there are many with great views - my personal favorite is -
http://www.hoteltramontano.it/
In Roma the Hotel I most like is
http://www.hotelforte.com/en/index.htm
My friends Emanuel and Emanuella will take excellent care of you and , even more importantly, The Hotel is located directly at Piazza di Spagna which makes it so easy to walk to The Via Veneto, The Trevi Fountain, The Roman Ruins, etc. A lot of great restaurants-cafes on the side streets by The Spanish Steps.

Ciao, Greg

I agree about the hydrofoil. We took a train from Florence to Naples and then a cab to the dock. The boat ride was a lot of fun and the views magnificent. Even the kids (11 and 7) enjoyed it!

You can also take Bus No. 1 from the station to the dock. The bus staging area is in front of the station and the last time we were there No. 1 left from the far side of the plaza. The ticket was 1.10 E. And there is a sign in English with directions to the harbor bus at the information window in the plaza.

I've done the hydrofoil thing and if you do that I would cab it. I walked it in October and I remember the walk being closer 30 minutes. But I also took a detour to get pizza. If you are walking, stop for Pizza. The name of the pizza place that Rick Steves is big on is escaping me at the moment, but it is on the way. I think it was pizza antica or something like that. Someone help me out, what the name of that place, it was on his show.

Um, it's not a 5-10 minute walk from the train station to the hydrofoil dock unless you're Roger Bannister. It's almost two miles, and it's through heavy pedestrian and car traffic. Google Earth is invaluable for this sort of information, as you can trace a path among any number of points you want and it will give you the distance.

Take a taxi from the train station to the docks. The area around the train station is seedy, with lots of unsavory characters to say the least. Your luggage will scream "tourist!" and you will then have a big target on your back. Don't take the chance. Plus, why would you want to work up such a sweat on vacation? It will be warm.

Linda,

I agree with Michael - it's not a 5-10 minute walk unless you have Go-Go-Gadget legs. And it's very busy and not pedestrian friendly in some places. But we still walked it and had no problems. The alternative is to take Bus #1 (I believe) from the train station and it lets you off fairly close. If you are careful of your belongings and make sure you are aware of your surroundings so as to not to targeted, the boat ride to Sorrento is SO worth it.

Linda, there are lots of taxis at Napoli Centreale also willing to take you to the docks. Make the deal before you hop in and stick to the amount when you get there. I would not take the walk with luggage unless there was no alternatives.

Jim

I have two questions. 1 - How long is the travel time via hydrofoil to/from Naples/Sorrento? (Hours of operation?)
2 - How long is the travel time to/from Pompeii/Sorrento? Ray

Hi Ray: Once we arrived in Naples from Rome by train we took the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. Don't do it. Too long - about 90 minutes- too hot, too boring, and it's a rather rickety, dirty, train. We quickly learned that the ferries are much faster and way more enjoyable. Go to Port Beverllo. There are frequent trips to back and forth between Naples and Sorrento and it takes about 20 minutes. Lovely view of the coastline during the crossing. We just took the regular ferries not the hydrofoils. Unfortunately, the Circumvesuviana is the only way to Pompeii whether you are coming from Naples or Sorrento and it's about 30 minutes from either starting point.

How do you get to Port Beverllo from the Naples train station?

Depends on your situation. If you have luggage definitely take a cab. If you are in good shape and enjoy being "on the ground" you can walk.