Italy is feeling overwhelming

Hopefully the planning process can be an engaging challenge at most, and not overwhelming. Nobody's handing out Best Planner of the Year awards, so if you don't necessarily wind up with the "best" way to get somewhere or to do something, if you at least reach your destination, and you figured that out yourself or by obtaining advice, then you're doing pretty well. You'll have a great trip in any event.

We were in the Naples/Sorrento area just 2 years ago this week. We rented a car, and also used the Circumvesuviana train to get around, so I can't offer bus advice for that area. I will say the bus/tram system the week before in Rome, however, was very strightforward, with excellent signage and frequent buses.

We got to L' Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in the mid-afternoon, and there was a mob of people outside, waiting to get in. The restaurant handed out numbers on little pieces of colored paper, and called the numbers as space opened up. People were coming and going with take-out pizza boxes throughout the process. We got our number, then strolled around the neighborhood for a while, then came back to wait outside the front door with everyone else. The Polo Nord gelateria, just around the corner and down a block, was closed for the season. If you're there and they're open, be sure to stop there, too. It took about 2 hours before our number was called, and the pizza and atmosphere were outstanding, but it would've been less pleasant if we'd had our suitcases in tow. Would you be able to return to Naples by train one day of your trip (sans luggage), to visit the pizza mecca and also maybe see the great Archaeological Museum, with the best relics from Pompeii? Otherwise, find a safe place to stash your luggage while visiting Pizzeria Da Michele after you land?

When planning your own self-guided trip becomes too overwhelming, past a certain point of stress it sometimes makes sense to investigate whether a tour makes more sense for you. You pay other people to plan many aspects of the trip for you. There are trade-offs each way.
Many travelers here have done both ways.

You've obviously done some reading, so trust your research and take it one step at a time. You would make it easier on yourself to take the www.CurreriVuaggi.it bus (6-8x/day) from Naples airport to Sorrento and get checked into your hotel. As Cyn suggested, I would prefer to visit Naples with as little baggage as possible and to have time for the museum, as well as pizza.

Planning dinner in Positano may be hard in advance, but lunch would be easy. The last SITA bus back to Sorrento may either depart or arrive as late as 10 p.m. in summer, but schedules are subject to change and should be confirmed locally; you cannot rely on most online resources.

KC,
I'm planning the same trip in May. Will arrive at Naples airport and travel to Sorrento. I found a couple of helpful sources of information on rometoolkit.com. In depth instructions on how best to get to Sorrento. Also, the Curreri viaggi bus looks like a good cheap way to get there. Located at the airport and goes directly to Sorrento for about 10 euro. Would need to check their web site to get a schedule. As far as travel to Positano, there are buses and private drivers. If you are staying in a hotel, the desk can offer good information about getting around. It will be fine.

There are several good options: CurreriViaggi Coach Service. It goes from the departure gate to Sorrento. You can buy ticket from the driver. 10 Euro. Departures: 9, 11, 13, 14:30, 16:30, 19:30. Or the same company Shuttle door to door. Price for one to three passengers 80 Euro, each additional one 10 Euro. Or stay two nights in Naples (it's worth seeing it) and then go to Sorrento by boat. Much better than hot and crowded Circumvesuviana train.
Bomerano is quite close to Amalfi. As I remember the first bus from Sorrento to Amalfi was at 8 am but I was there in October.
You can find out schedule once you are there. Bus station is right next to Circumvesuviana train station. Walking distance from the main square. If there is no early bus I would stay overnight in Amalfi and take a taxi to Bomerano. Nocelle is close to Positano. My educated guess is there would be some bus if not all the way to Sorrento then at least to Positano and from there there are plenty of buses or boats to Sorrento. It's much easier to find your information once you are there. You don't have to book everything from the US. I only booked 2 nights in Naples hotel and even that not from US but from Croatia. Everything else was done while going there. That way you won't get overwhelmed.

Thank you so much, I appreciate all the helpful information. It sounds like the Curreri Viaggi bus is a great option! You saved me a lot of money there, thanks! :)

I think part of my frustration is that I will be traveling in mid March and from what I have seen online, a lot of the transportation methods are not available until April. For example, I am planning a trip to Capri and wanted to take a ferry to Positano after, but website says that is not available. I have come across a lot of contradicting information online and my fear is being stuck somewhere and resorting to a very expensive taxi ride back. As you mentioned though, I shouldn't try to get all details sorted out beforehand. I will definitely take that advice, just have an idea of what I want to do/see and once I get there figure out the how. :)

Aside from Sorrento in mid-March, I will be visiting Rome, Florence, Venice, and Paris on this trip... beginning to think I made a mistake by trying to cram so much into a 2 week vacation.

Thanks again for all the helpful information..
KC

Cyn,

I am trying to sort out how to make that trip to Naples and Pompeii without luggage. I did read that they have a luggage holding area at the Naples train station, I just wonder how safe that is. Would hate to lose my luggage during the first leg of my vacation. I may have to make a trip back to Pompeii and Naples during my 3 night stay in Sorrento. Or, perhaps on my way to Rome (after 3 days in Sorrento) I can leave my luggage at the train station and explore Naples for a few hours. I will try to find some information on that luggage storage area another traveler mentioned in a forum. Thanks for the tips Cyn! :)

KC

KC, if this helps at all (and it doesn't match your exact plan, so it may be comparing apples and oranges a bit, but . . . ) I've used the "Left Luggage" storage in train stations in Austria, Belgium, and other places with great successs. Didn't look for, or research, that option in Naples, but if they have one, you'll pay just a small fee to have your luggage stored in a secure place, as is done at a coat check at a restaurant. They'll give you some kind of voucher to show when you claim your luggage. Some charge by the hour, or have a set fee for a set time period of storage.

You are bringing minimal luggage, right? One suitcase and perhaps just an additional backpack, purse, or other personal bag?

Don't know if this is an option at the Pompeii ruins, but at Ostia Antica just outside Rome (another worthwhile ancient Roman site), we showed up there on the train from Naples, on our last day before flying home from Rome. The ruins are a fairly short walk from the train station (you can get there from Rome by quick train, too), and we wheeled our bags up to the ticket taker/guard shack. The guards let us stow our bags in their secure office while we visited the site, and we went from there to our final hotel for the night. Pompeii may or may not have that option, and it's a bigger, busier attraction than Ostia Antica. In a real pinch, no guarantees, perhaps a nearby hotel or restaurant might stow your luggage for a short while, if you offer them reasonable compensation? For extra peace of mind any time you aren't with your luggage, you might want to invest in luggage locks, which help keep honest people honest ;-).

KC,

Here is the link to the Napoli Centrale left luggage

http://www.napolicentrale.it/en/service/detail/left-luggage

Bus schedule Sorrento>AC

http://www.theamalficoast.net/orari_sita_bus_timetables.html

Amalfi>Agerola (Bomerano)

http://www.theamalficoast.net/orari_sita_bus_timetables.html

You will change busses in Amalfi.

As Laura said, always check these once there.

edit

Since you are short on time, start early with a visit to Pompeii. There is left luggage both at the

station and at the site itself. Then from there head to Naples, again check luggage, see what you want to

then train to Rome late afternoon.

Whew it's busy!!!

There is definitely a bus from Nocelle back down to Positano when you finish the walk of the gods in Nocelle. Or you can walk down. I think from memory the bus goes about once an hour during the time of year you are there.

I have often used the left-luggage place at Naples train station, it's a door or two away from the police station, so seems safe enough to me. Make sure you know when it will be open. Leave your luggage, have lunch, visit the archeological museum if you want, retrieve your luggage and continue on your way.

Good suggestion about the wine - call it research.

KC,

"I am trying to sort out how to make that trip to Naples and Pompeii without luggage."

I'm not entirely clear on when you're planning to travel to Naples and Pompeii? Are you planning to do this as a day trip during the time you're staying in Sorrento?

Both Naples and Pompeii are accessed on the same Circumvesuviana rail line. My memory is a bit foggy on the exact times, but Pompeii is about half an hour from Sorrento and Naples about an hour. You can easily travel to both from Sorrento. If you use the Circumvesuviana be sure to be vigilant and wear a Money Belt, as it has a bit of a reputation for pickpockets.

We left our bags at the left luggage in Naples at the train stn when we came back from the Amalfi Coast and wanted to go to the Archaelogical Museum before heading to Rome. Looked pretty secure to me - I wouldn't hesitate to leave the bags again, We left them for a few hours.

Re: Cyn's comment - there is luggage storage at the train stop at Pompeii - on our way to the Coast, we stopped at Pompeii first after leaving Naples - it's down some stairs; again looked secure...we had no issues...was a few euro per bag.

KC: A word about the Curreri Viaggi bus from the Naples airport: We were there last May, and had planned to take the CV bus to Sorrento. We followed the signs at the airport, but couldn't find the right bus stop in time to catch the bus, and the next one was several hours from departure. We finally took the regular city bus, whose bus stop was clearly marked. It was a bit cheaper than the CV, runs every 15 minutes or so, and dropped us off in sight of the Naples train station, where we caught the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento.

Have you considered simplifying your itinerary a bit? It's awfully ambitious. Remember what Rick says: assume you're coming back. Also Phil's idea of a bottle of wine is a good one. Buon viaggio!