Naples day trip and transfer to Sorrento

I hope you’re staying overnight in Naples. If you land at 11:30, with luck you’ll be at the RR station by 1. Then it might take until 2 - 2:30 before you check your luggage and arrive at the museum. Since it closes at 7:30, you could enjoy what it has to offer. When I was there last year, I spent about 4 hours visiting. Naples is safe and Rick’s walk really gives you a flavor for the city but you don’t have time to do the museum and walk on the same day. Sunset will be at about 6:30. If you are arriving on a flight from the US, you’ll be pretty tired, as well.

From Centrale to get to the museum, take Line #2, get off at Cavour and the Museum is about a 6 minute walk. To get to Sorrento you take the Circumvesuviana marked Sorrento. It runs twice an hour and takes about 70 minutes to get there. Here’s a link to their timetable.

We are then going on to Sorrento - what Circumvesuviana Train do we
take to Pompei then on to Sorrento?

Liz, it's unclear exactly what your plan is but I sincerely hope it's not getting right off an international flight, doing the museum + Naples walk, and then trying to see Pompeii on your way to Sorrento. This would be an ambitious plan even with a FULL, non-jetlagged day to do it, which you do not have. Where are you flying from?

The scavi (excavation of ancient Pompeii) is huge, complex, and can easily eat the lion's share of a day depending on how interested (and awake) you are, and museums are almost never a good idea right off a long flight. All that aside, I'll agree with Phillip that you just don't have time to cram all of this into an arrival afternoon.

Here's another version of Circumvesuviana schedule that's a bit easier to read: they've eliminated from the chart a bunch of stops that the vast amount of tourists don't get off at, and includes some basic instructions.

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule

Napoli Garibaldi (the Naples station you want) is connected internally to Napoli Centrale, and you'll buy your tickets there. In ALL CASES they MUST be validated before boarding the trains. Fines are high if caught without a validated ticket, and checks can be frequent. Depending on your journey, you'll either purchase a ticket straight through to Sorrento or to Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri station, which is right in front of the main entrance to the excavation. Then purchase another ticket at the Pompeii station to go onwards to Sorrento, although it's possible that you could buy both in Naples and just validate the 2nd one before boarding the 2nd train.

You can reverse this schedule with the "Choose the route" dropdown. There is luggage storage at the scavi.

To add to Philip and Kathy, the only way your plan could be realistic is if you are flying into Naples from another Schengen country with carry-on luggage only, so you simply walk off the plane and out of the airport without jetlag. I spent well over 4 hours at the museum on my first visit, nearly 4 hours the second time. I followed the detailed instructions in the RS Italy Guide to get from Centrale to the Museum. The RS walk begins across the street from the museum.

You absolutely cannot see Pompeii on the same day.

Just to clarify- not trying to squeeze in Pompei visit on day of arrival- the train goes to Pompei then on to Sorrento. Just looking at info on that connection.

So great to get advise on time in Naples. As a first time visitor want to see as much as possible but keep it realistic.
I was considering visiting both museum and doing walk in Naples but from others posting we should choose one or the other before heading to our hotel in Sorrento.
Thanks for the input- very helpful

Just to clarify- not trying to squeeze in Pompei visit on day of
arrival- the train goes to Pompei then on to Sorrento. Just looking at
info on that connection.

Liz, if you are taking the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento, you don't have to change trains anywhere along the way: stay on it from boarding at Garibaldi station ALL the way to Sorrento station, which is the terminus of the line. You don't make any sort of "connection" in Pompeii. What are you reading that has you thinking you need to do that? Or am I confusing what you're wanting to do?

We have read so much .... we may have misinterpreted the train “connection” from Naples to Sorrento. So glad we asked on this site. Very helpful- thank you!

As pointed out in a prior post, make sure you take a Circumvesuviana train going to Sorrento. Not all Circumvesuviana trains go to Sorrento; some turn inland north of Pompeii. The train to Sorrento only stops at Pompeii on its way to Sorrento. Each train's final destination is clearly indicated on the schedule and at the station. It may sound confusing but it's not.

Right: as Frank said, just take the train that goes to SORRENTO. They're marked, and many thousands of tourists ride this route every year so it's not difficult. If you day-trip from Sorrento to Pompeii Scavi, you'll use the same trains.

Editing to add: see info on the Campania Express option in your second post about traveling Sorrento> Rome. I wasn't sure it would be operating in late March but it appears that it is.

Just a note the train from Naples to Sorrento is more like what we have the El train in Chicago
Very much a local commuter train so luggage can be harder to deal with. Even when we were there a few weeks ago trains were very full. Be careful of pick pockets and make sure you validate your tickets.

Liz, I'm assuming your flight is from Milan on Alitalia. Is this a connecting flight after an international flight? Do you know that you will be jet lagged? That it's effect is kind of like being slightly inebriated.

Your best bet for this first day is to get to your lodging in Sorrento. The easiest way is to take this bus, nice mortorcoach, directly to Sorrento
from the airport. Schedule below. You should be able to use the 1:00 PM bus easily.

http://curreriviaggi.it/airport-shuttle/times-download

You can purchase tickets in the airport or on the bus. Takes 1Hr15m. Price €10

I just read about this motor coach and we are highly considering to use it.
Good to know you have used it and it is recommended.
I think we will do just that- go directly to Sorrento after we land in Naples.
We fly from Minneapolis to Paris, then on to Naples.
We may go to Naples and do the Naples walk on Sunday on our way to Rome.
So glad I have asked for people’s advise- helps so much!
Thank you!

just go hangout in sorrento...great food and drinks...save the sights for another day

sorrento is just a great place to chill...do some shopping and eat like a king

if you can book DelFinos...the locals I know love the place...so a good place for seafood down by the docks

Suggestions to eat and drink in Sorrento are welcome.
(Reading RS suggestions, too!)

Just curious: how much time (now many nights) do you have for Sorrento before you have to go to Rome?

3 nights (Thursday, Friday and Saturday)
Sunday moving to Rome
Departing back to US on Friday