Just back from a week in Sorrento, did day trips from there (Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi Coast, Sorrento Cooking School, Herculaneum, Pasteum, Naples)...happy to answer any questions if you have an upcoming trip to the area (transportation won't be my strong suit, other than the Circumvesuviana, as I was with a tour group and the transport logistic was handled for the most part by the travel company).
Posted by
Northern VA, VA, USA
121 posts
Hi Nancy -
Wow that sounds like a blast! My husband, teen daughter, and I are spending part of our 3+wk trip in Naples (family there) and Rome. We are planning to do Pompeii, Herculaneum, etc., as a day trip from Naples. As well we would like to take a ferry from Naples to Sorrento (I'm too scared to drive) and spend a day (or two) in the Amalfi Coastal area. What are your recommendations?
Thanks -Michelle
Posted by
USA
344 posts
We are driving to Sorrento from Rome. Will have 3 nights in Sorrento. How do we do the day trips.
Capri, Amalfi drive, Pompeii, Mt.V, Pasteum.
Posted by
Northborough, MA
636 posts
I don't know whether this is a good plan, but this is what we're doing, also driving from Rome to Sorrento and spending 3 nights in Sorrento:
Monday - Drive from Rome to Sorrento, stopping to climb Vesuvius and visit Pompeii
Tuesday - Beach at our hotel in the morning. Amalfi Drive (with a private driver) in the afternoon/early evening.
Wednesday - Hydrofoil from Sorrento to Naples, visit National Archaeological Museum and Napoli Sotterranea, then hydrofoil back
Posted by
USA
344 posts
Your Monday looks good to me.
2nd day we plan on Capri (rent a boat).
3rd day Amalfi drive to Pasteum.
Day 4 drive to Pisa.
Posted by
OP
Slatyfork, WV, USA
16 posts
Leslie - your plan seems quite do-able! I suggest allowing a minimum of 2 hours for Pompeii, and that is just if you want to quickly tour the major highlights. If you can give yourself 3+ hours, it will be a much more relaxed visit. The Amalfi Coast with a private driver will allow you to completely relax and enjoy the scenery! I particularly loved Ravello. All in all, I think your plan will work just fine!
Posted by
Northborough, MA
636 posts
Thanks for the feedback. And, we were planning on 2-3 hours for Pompeii, so that's great to hear.
Posted by
OP
Slatyfork, WV, USA
16 posts
Michele, wow, 3+ weeks, that's great!
If your teenage daughter likes shopping, Sorrento is lots of fun to stroll around. Due to some seriously delayed baggage, I ended up having to do some impromptu wardrobe shopping! Two stores on Corso Italia were fun, very reasonably priced, and I think have some really "in" clothes that would appeal to a teen, Extyn and Piazza Italia.
The boat ride from Sorrento to Capri is nice. Your daughter might like taking the chair lift from Anacapri to the top. I did not do the Blue Grotto, but might be something fun (I'm trying to think of really appealing things for a teen girl, having been one myself, ha ha!)...just make sure if you do it, that it is a clear, sunny day - a local guide we had that day said that it has to be a sunny day to get the really blue effect.
The Amalfi Coast drive is exquisite, take a bus or hire a car...the adventurous ones in the family should sit on the right-hand side!
To be continued in a next post...
Posted by
OP
Slatyfork, WV, USA
16 posts
Continued to Michelle...
If you can, spend two days in the Sorrento area, and use one day to go to Capri (a generous half-day will cover it, say 8:00 am - 3:00 pm or so which includes travel time, and you will still have time to poke around Sorrento when you return in the afternoon). Use the other day for the Amalfi Coast drive (and expect this to be a relatively fuller day, with the travel time involved).
I found the Sorrento forum on trip advisor to be a wealth of destination-specific info for the area, I highly recommend checking it out!
I hope this helps! If you want any more information, feel free to message me and I will gladly respond!
Posted by
OP
Slatyfork, WV, USA
16 posts
David, sounds like you have a great plan!
Will be a long day going to Paestum, depending upon how much you plan to stop along the Amalfi Coast. Pasteum is a nice-sized site, I would suggest allowing 1 hour (rush) or 1 1/2 hours (more leisurely-paced stroll) for the outdoor area. Be sure to stop in the museum there, it has some amazing artifacts, very nicely presented. FYI, took us about 2 hr 15 min from Sorrento to Paestum on the "highway" (not the Amalfi Coast drive), & that was with almost no traffic (luckily!).
You mentinon that you will have a car, but I suggest using the Circumvesuviana to go to Pompeii, it is a super-easy trip, will cost about 3.70 Euro round-trip. Just be sure to get off at the Pompeii Scavi stop! As I recall, there is a town of Pompeii which I believe may be a different stop than the archeological site, Pompeii Scavi (look for brown signs w/ white lettering, similar to our historical/national park signs in the US).
Didn't do Vesuvius, sorry!