Italy trip (flying into Naples or Rome and other logistics?)

I hope you get to travel! Fingers crossed.

So you have to factor the cost of the train tickets and an extra night in Rome. That may be close to $500 anyway. Plus transport to the hotel in Rome. Might as well spend the $$ to fly out of Naples.

Sounds like a great trip. Enjoy the planning!

For my similar 2022 trip, the connections from FCO are so much better than from NAP that I'm planning on spending our last night in Rome. A lot our possible flight itineraries from Naples would have us changing planes in Rome anyway - I would rather avoid doing that.

So what I would do is end your trip in Rome. Fly into Rome, immediately leave for your first stop. Naples is easy due to the fast train, but it does not really matter. Go to whichever place you prefer to start. Do your trip. Return to Rome 3 nights before you fly home (or however long you prefer to visit Rome, I think you said 3). Visit Rome. Fly home from Rome.

This saves your $500 AND avoids that horrible airport hotel night. I avoid those at all costs, it just feels like your trip ends a night sooner than it needs to, and is very inefficient. But returning to Rome from Sorrento or Naples the day of a flight is risky, I wouldn’t do it. So if you end there you end up loosing a night there and moving it to Rome. More time in Rome is never a bad thing, but look at how that affects how many nights you have elsewhere.

Honestly if I couldn’t or didn’t want to switch the order I’d spend more to go into Rome and out of Naples. Just so much more efficient.

Consider flying into Rome airport and then flying to either Brindisi or Bari airports in Puglia, rent a car, 5 nights in Puglia, see Matera either as a daytrip from Puglia or on your way to Sorrento, return the car, Sorrento 3 nights, Naples 3 nights, train to Rome, Rome 3 nights, fly home from Rome.

No idea if that saves you money or not, but except for the Sorrento part, we have done this on two different trips (we stayed two nights in Matera and returned the car to the Naples airport, then took a taxi into Naples for a week there, then train back to Rome).

Brindisi airport to Ostuni is only a 30 minute drive and my husband felt OK about doing this drive somewhat jetlagged although having slept on the plane from New York to Rome. Looks like there's a bus from Brindisi airport to Lecce, if you'd rather not drive right away. Takes an hour.

I fully admit to being somewhat prejudiced against the Amalfi coast, where I have never been so it is extra silly, but Rome, Puglia, Matera, and Naples are all so completely wonderful that I would give Sorrento's 3 nights to them if you asked me, but you didn't.

Hi Gene, what’s nice about Rome, is you can fly non-stop between the US and Rome but not Naples. You can take a direct train between Naples and Rome that takes 1h 15m.

Our trip back in 2012 was a round trip in and out of Rome. Don’t think a Naples flight was even considered. Overall, we did a circular trip, rather than retracing, which it seems you’d largely be doing, Sorrento to Puglia and back. We flew in to Rome for a week, then a flight to Sicily, where we rented a car from Europcar. After touring Sicily, we took the ferry with the car to the mainland, and worked our way north, to Sorrento. We drove some days and took the train other days around there, including visits to Naples, Pompeii, and Herculaneum. We ultimately turned the car in in Sorrento (no extra fee for returning it in a different location than where we got it), and took the train up to Rome the day before we flew home. The train stopped a 3 minute walk from the Ostia Antica ancient Roman sight, so we got off there, stowed our bags at the guard shack, and spent the afternoon seeing one last collection of antiquities and mosaics. Then took a taxi to the airport Hilton, which was a great place to stay for our early flight home from Rome. Had dinner there, got some sleep before getting up at something like 3:30 or 4:00 AM, and had time for showers before the very short walk to the terminal.

You’ll want to be in the city you depart from the night before your flight so whichever you chose put those nights at end of trip
If flying out of Naples 3 nights Naples at end
If flying out of Rome 3 nights Rome at end

I like the idea of putting the Rome time at the end of the trip, but I want to be sure this concept isn't lost among all the other good comments above: You don't have to return the rental car to the same city where you picked it up, so if you need to stick to your original itinerary, you don't have to drive back to Sorrento to drop off the car. There may be a modest fee for dropping at a different location, but within the same country it is not likely to be a large fee.

I think you already have a lot of that itinerary in place and cannot change the order--is that correct?
500 for convenience is simple for me--I'd spend it. Naples airport is also smaller and a breeze to transit through, less than 15 minutes from Naples.
If Rome was a nonstop and Naples would not be (most likely), then that is a consideration, but if both have a painless connection, then again, easy decision!

What time of day do the flights depart from their respective airports?

Is there flexibility in the order of your itinerary?

Fly RT Rome.
On arrival taxi to Rome Termini €48. 45min.

Note, Leonardo Express is now €18.

Train Rome>Napoli Centrale. 38.90 each (€77.80). 1H10m.

Fixed rate taxi Napoli Centrale>city center €9.

Naples 3N Amalfi Coast 3 N.

Rent Car drive to Puglia 5 N. Ending in Bari drop car.

Bari >Rome flight 1H05m Alitalia.
€59 ea. ( €118) Taxi to Rome lodging €48.
Rome 3N.

You could also train Bari>Rome 6 1/2-7hours.

Total approximate cost. €300,80.
Only you can decide

Yes... I thought about changing the order of the itinerary by Flying into Rome and then take the train directly to Naples upon arrival.. Is there a direct high speed train from FCO airport to Naples??

And make Rome the last stop in our itinerary, then ultimately fly out of Rome...
Then it makes me wonder whether flying into Naples and flying out of Rome is good choice too...

If there is a direct fast train( Freccia ) from FCO airport to Naples, then the round trip to Rome would make more sense...

For Rome-Naples, you'll have to transit from the airport to the train station. However, there is a direct bus from the airport (haven't done it but I totally would--it's direct and I hate navigating train stations with no sleep!): https://www.fiumicinoexpress.com/?lang=en

direct fast train( Freccia ) from FCO airport to Naples,?

No. Change in Rome

Thank you for all your wonderful replies.
Gerri, I never thought about dropping the car off at Bari and then fly back to Rome.. only 1 hour flight (but approximately 3-4 hours door to door?)
That may be an option...

Note, Leonardo Express is now €18.

Are u sure? I have just checked on Trenitalia.com and it's still 14 € pp, one way.

However, there is a direct bus from the airport (haven't done it but I totally would--it's direct and I hate navigating train stations with no sleep!):

I am not sure I get the difference between navigating an airport to find the buses outside the arrivals and navigating a 3 tracks station to get to Rome.

Anyway those buses stop outside Roma Termini station, the Leonardo Express stops inside Termini and not more than 12 tracks away from the train to Naples. If I had to drag a couple of wheeled suitcases after a long flight I'd walk as little as possible.

The bus linked above goes from FCO to Naples

And thank you valadelphia for sharing that
Giving it consideration for our next trip

The bus linked above goes from FCO to Naples

Now I get the difference! I'd never spend 3 hours cramped on a bus after 12 hours cramped on a plane, but It's a matter of tastes.

I would choose between two options (depending on flight availability)

A. Fly from Rome to Bari upon arrival in Italy. Rent a car and then:
1. Puglia (5 nights). Drive to Sorrento and return the car in Sorrento upon arrival.
2. Sorrento (3 nights). Circumvesuviana Train or private car/taxi to Napule.
3. Napule (3 nights). Train to Rome.
4. Rome (3 nights)
5. Fly home from Rome

B. Take train to Naples upon landing in Rome.
1. Napule (3 nights). Circumvesuviana train (or private car/taxi) to Sorrento.
2. Sorrento (3 nights). Rent a car in Sorrento and drive to Puglia.
3. Puglia (5 nights). Drive to Rome and return car in Rome upon arrival.
4. Rome (3 nights)
5. Fly home from Rome.

Either option my preference would be to return home from Rome airport, and of course, leave the city (Rome) you depart from as last stop in your itinerary.

Note:
Napule (pronounce: Napoolay) is Naples in Neapolitan.

You know how everybody tells you (quite rightly) not to attempt to drive in London? Well Naples is London x 100. And I reckon I’m being generous there. If it were me I would avoid driving there like the plague!

Would you consider switching from Sorrento to Salerno? I've stayed in both. Sorrento is more convenient for Capri and Pompeii but Salerno is more convenient for the AC and high speed trains to Naples and Rome. It's also a lot easier to drive in/out of Salerno than Sorrento. Other pluses - Salerno is cheaper for both food (lots of good restaurants) and lodging, has a large sandy beach and long seashore promenade, has a well-preserved medieval center. Are you familiar with transportation to/from Sorrento?

Leave Rome on an early train to Salerno (1.5-2 hours) and pick up rental car (across the street from the train station) and drive to Puglia. Return the car in Salerno, spend several nights there, taking buses and ferries to explore the AC towns. Fast train to Naples for your last nights and fly home. That means one less hotel change and might even give you and extra day of sightseeing

I like Chani’s suggestion of staying in Salerno. I had a trip planned for last September [:(] that included doing that. One of the things I planned to do was to take the train to Paestum, which has three very well-preserved Greek temples. Also, there are Buffalo mozzarella farms in the Paestum area; if you hung on to your rental car a little longer, you could visit one.

I think I may take Gerri's advice and Arrive at Rome, take bus immediately from FCO to Naples, then train to Sorrento - Rent a car drive to Puglia, and drop off car at Bari and fly to Rome.

Ryanair has fantastic fare at $16 from Bari to Rome (time is at 6:15AM and 11pm however).
The question is if I drop off the car at Bari airport for a flight to Rome, it would be done at afterhours of car rental place.
Most car rentals don't open until 8AM and close at 6pm..

Are there after hour car drop off service in Bari airport? I don't usually like doing this, because I like to get a final inspection done in person and not leave it to chance that car rental may dispute that there is a damage to a car when there really isn't...

How do I work around this? thanks..

Get full coverage for the car rental? Take photos of the car at drop off for extra insurance? I find they employees rarely do much of a look at the car when I drop it off. I wouldn't sweat it.

Hi again, Gene! We faced this very same problem wanting to drop off our rental car at the Bari airport. I'll tell you what we did, even though it had flaws. We dropped off the car the evening before a very early morning flight Bari-to-Rome the next day and we stayed that night at the hotel that is closest to the airport. Parco dei Principi. We do not like hotels in general and airport hotels in particular but this one was fine although more than we like to pay.

The next morning, we got up very early and actually walked to the Bari airport. There were sidewalks much of the way and essentially no traffic and we travel light. Google Maps says it is a 23 minute walk to the departures terminal from the hotel and that sounds about right. We rather enjoyed the experience partly because it would be so impossible to just walk to most airports.

If our flight had been a little later, I am pretty sure there was a hotel airport shuttle and I also know that we could have booked a taxi. Anyway, you have options, including of course getting a later and more expensive flight to Rome (tempting as that Ryanair one is!).

We dod a way car from Salento to. Rome with a trip to Matera then Puglia in the middle. The drive from Salento was very scenic. We then took a quicker feeway route back to Rome. You could always drop the car off at the FCO airport and train into the city.

Gene, Alitalia has five flights a day., while it may look more expensive, by the time Ryan Air nickel & dime you to death there won't be much of a difference.

Re Gene's 4/23 post about RT business class fare...those seem great; what airline/schedule etc did you get them on???? I've been looking for business class from Miami to Rome probably Oct 2022 (was supposed to be Oct 2020, can't do 2021) but prices are way higher. In 2019 my husband & I got business Miami Rome RT no stops for $1800 each and I'd kill to get that again!!!! thanks all!

Hi Cissy

Airline is TAP AIRLINES.
Fly from Newark
TAP is great, because you can get a free long layover at either Lisbon or Porto...so technically if you can fit Portugal into your itinerary- you get a brand new destination

Question. I thought we had everything set for our trip in April/May 2022. Wanted to fly into Naples as we are beginning our adventure in Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Turns out the flights into Naples are horrible with very long travel times and lots of stops. Flying to Rome is a much better option now. Do we keep everything the same and just hop a train from Rome or should we start our stay in Rome when we land? Heres our original itinerary in this order:

Sorrento - 5 nights
Rome - 4 nights
Siena - 5 nights
Florence- 2 nights (depart Florence)
Or we may extend for 2 nights in Venice and depart from there.

All hotels are booked based on this itinerary but can be changed. Wasn’t planing on flying into Rome so now I’m confused what to do.

Sorrento - 5 nights Rome - 4 nights Siena - 5 nights Florence- 2
nights (depart Florence) Or we may extend for 2 nights in Venice and
depart from there.

All hotels are booked based on this itinerary but can be changed.
Wasn’t planing on flying into Rome so now I’m confused what to do

I would try to switch the hotel stays and start with Rome, but as long as you are arriving in the morning, you could head to Sorrento and start off there with minimal issue. There is a bus that departs from Rome airport to Naples (Fiumicino Express), otherwise head to Rome's main station for train, you'll have to change trains in Naples or hire a driver from there.

Valadelphia - Our flight into Rome would land at 8am so I'm assuming we'd get to Sorrento around noonish. We'd take the train, as it's faster than the bus I believe.

Train may or may not be faster, you’ve got 3 trains to catch to get to Sorrento so if timing works out that’s fine

The bus is a “one seat” ride straight from FCO to Sorrento, no changes, no dragging luggage, while jet lagged

I’d research the schedules carefully before deciding