Itinerary Help - Amalfi Coast

Obviously you've read the posts here and have done your homework--good job!

It's mostly a matter of personal preference from here. Me? I just don't like the thought of schlepping bags from Rome, and then immediately having to do Pompei/Vesuvius, which can be a little strenuous. I'd be basing in Sorrento, getting a good night's rest, then taking the Circumvesuviana the 45 minutes to the Pompei Scavi stop and be refreshed for a good 3-4 hour walk/exploration, then whatever type tour of Vesuvius you do. It's not long walking but so many uneven surfaces and 2000 year old cobblestones. Not hard to turn an ankle or fall on your head. So worth it though!

Couple more things. That dang last night in Rome to me always appears to me to be a wasted night, but the alternative of flying into Rome, then train/transport to Sorrento the same day doesn't sound like a particularly good choice either, putting Rome at the back end of the trip. I would:

Nights 1-4: Rome
Nights 5-6: Sorrento
Nights 7-8: Atrani
Night 9: Rome (after bus to Salerno, Freccia train to Rome)

This gives you an extra night in Rome right off the hop (making sure you leave Rome for Sorrento early on the 5th morning), then maybe a half-day at the end. It's my favorite place in Italy, BTW. Sorrento's a darn good base, good food, but not a ton to see by itself. Daytrip to Capri and Pompei, Ischia might be a stretch. Then once you get over to Atrani, you can do all the A.C stuff you like, albeit not a lot of time, and it's shoehorned into a couple days where the weather might not be optimum.

The only alternative to combat April weather vagaries in my eyes is to base in Sorrento for the 4 nights, have your 'want-to's'--Pompei, Capri, Path Of The Gods, Amalfi, Positano, maybe Ischia, and prioritize them based on what can be done on a given day. We had to do that last year, 5 nights in Sorrento and the first three days were horrendous--40's and driving rain. No Capri, no Pompei (although we had been there before), but the last couple days we were able to get over to Amalfi and Positano by SITA bus.

Enjoy your planning!

We arrive at ten pm in Rome, so I'll count the next day as Day 1. I
haven't booked anything yet but am thinking of an apartment in
Travastere.

A comment here? Apartment rentals, without 24/7 desk services, work differently than hotels. You might run into difficulties with an owner unwilling to meet you very late at night to hand over the keys. It could be an even bigger issue should your flight be delayed. I would book a hotel if your flight isn't arriving at Fiumicino - which is some distance from Rome - until 10:00 PM. Cleaning fees averaged over just a few days may also make the benefit of extra space not worth having for the price if you're going to be out and about sightseeing all day.

Blue Grotto in Capri

If there was one activity I wouldn't devote time/$$ in Capri for, it's this one. Understand that rough seas can make row-boat entry to grotto impossible, and it's a time-consuming process for the few minutes actually spent in the thing.

Would it make sense to see Capri or Ischia on the way to or from Rome?

No. These essentially require a FULL day to do well, and are not stopovers en-route to somewhere else. There are also few ferries to/from Ischia.

Depending what time of day you arrive in Rome, it might be worth considering going onto the AC area ( wherever you choose to be) then , and do all your Rome days at the end. Saves the bother of one hotel change.

EDIT--- Oops on me. Missed the 10 PM Rome arrival.

Yes, I'm a little worried about our late arrival and how that's going to go. I definitely can't get to the Amalfi coast that night! I've talked with one apartment owner who didn't mind the late arrival. But I definitely have to keep it in mind as I'm researching places to stay. Thanks for the reminder!

I like Sorrento as a base. I would spend nights 5-9 all in Sorrento. As someone stated you can take the train to Pompeii and the ferry to Capri. It's not too difficult to get to the Amalfi coast from Sorrento.
Have you booked your flights already? I'm assuming you have otherwise flying home from Naples would have been a better choice.

Yes, we booked the flights first when we found a bargain. If I had researched more beforehand, I would have chosen two airports to fly in and out of!