How to get from Naples to Sorrento?

We do consider it safe, despite the possibility of pickpockets in any crowded place. Keep your luggage under your control, keep your valuables securely hidden from pickpockets, and follow other common safety tips.

It isn't so small. It is a decorated by plenty of graffiti inside and out, but as far as I am concerned if you have taken the basic precautions like a money belt, carry your own bags, and be alert as you would be on any urban railway - is safe and I have no trouble riding it.

It can be very busy at rush hour, particularly in the direction of the rush.

This busy urban sub/elevated commuter rail is filled with hard-working, pleasant Italians who, for example, will voluntarily tell you that you got on the train that doesn't go to Sorrento. While a bit rundown (like older Boston MTA trolleys) it is not some sort of fetid Behavioral Sink of Terror.

It can be very crowded, so don't even think about sitting with your bag on a seat or in the aisle. Stand in the open area with your bag against the partition. Even though the Sorrento station has an elevator, you have to walk down four steps to reach the elevator. Then you have Belgian Block streets and narrow sidewalks, filled with locals and tourists to navigate. As Rick says, you're here because its not just like home, not in spite of it not being just like home. If you can afford a slight overcharge, take a cab to your hotel.

Thank you for your help. Looking forward to trying the train!

Maybe consider taking a taxi to the marina and taking the boat over. It's shorter and has a great view of the coast line

I would say this depends a little on how many people you are, how much baggage you have, and where you are staying in both Naples and Sorrento. I recently made this trip and had planned to take the boat. Given where I was staying in each city, the whole hotel-to-hotel trip would have taken a good chunk of the day, and some hassle. A driver suggested I might make the trip by taxi, and showed me a printed rate card that listed the standard Naples to Sorrento fare as 100 euros. While very much a splurge, especially for just one person, I decided to do that, especially since given where I was staying, I probably would have needed a taxi ride in each city. I was able to spend a full morning and fine lunch in Naples, meet my taxi at my B & B at 2:00 pm, was checked in at my hotel a few kilometers outside of Sorrento by about 3:15 pm, and was then exploring Sorrento, feeling pretty relaxed, by late afternoon. Sometimes when traveling, time and energy are worth more than money. For me, it was a splurge well worth it, and would look even better for a group of 2, 3 or 4 people, as the taxi fare stays the same, but train or boat tickets multiply with more people. By the way, on the return I did take the Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Naples to connect with another train north. I was concerned about security issues on the train or upon arriving at the station in Naples, but those did not occur at all. First thing in the morning, most of the passengers were high school or college students traveling a few stops to get to school. I was surprised at how long it took me to get from the Circumvesuviana train two floors up to my Trenitalia train, especially since a long escalator was not functioning, and my seat on my train north was in the very last car along the track. Allow enough time if making such a connection.

Barnmom's suggestion to take a taxi to the marina and hop on the boat there is a really good one. We did that years ago, on a hydrofoil. It's a much more pleasant way to get to Sorrento from Naples than taking the Circumvesuviana. Details on how to do this are in Rick's book, I'm sure.