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Naples to Sorrento - Feb 2024

I searched this forum and found links for this topic, but most were for 2022 or earlier. As so much changes so quickly, I wanted to toss this out here, with another associated question. So thank you for your assistance.

I realize this is not the choice most would make, but it usually works best for us to maximize our limited time. We land from our US-Rome flight at 7:15AM on Monday morning. We will be tired and jet lagged. So, we are wasting our day, casually making our way down to Sorrento for the next two nights (then back to Rome for the next four before flying home). We are doing Sorrento for Pompeii (which will be dedicated to the next day). So we have to get to Sorrento the night we land in Rome. I realize we need to take the shuttle train from the airport to Rome Central (?), then try to get the fast train to Naples (Central?). Originally I was going to then switch over to the more local train to get to Sorrento (and walk to hotel). But we will each have one carry on roller boards. So I am debating getting private driver to get us from Naples train station to Sorrento (and back two days later). My questions are as follows:

Do you recommend a recently used car service from Naples to Sorrento?

I was not going to prepurchase my day of arrival train tix from airport to Naples, as no clue what flights will end up with timing wise. Which means I won't know when I will be arriving in Naples. How would this work with hiring a driver from Naples to Sorrento?

I am open to any other helpful advice on this topic. We do plan on taking the local train the next day we visit Pompeii. But we won't have bags lugging around, will be more refreshed and can take our time doing whatever, as we have the whole day. I suppose we buy these tickets day of traveling up to Pompeii? I guess at the train station? Or should these be purchased before we leave and just make sure we arrive at the station on time for the purchased journey? Note, just yesterday my Rick Steves Rome book arrived, so I am combing through that now as well. But this (and colosseum tickets) are my two most daunting fear of Italy quandaries. So thank you for your help and kindness!

Posted by
5649 posts

We used Aldo Limos this last May, 2023. Christina in the office is a Brit, so communication was easy, She gave us a package deal, and accepted USD, with a fair exchange rate. The car trip from Naples to Sorrento took two hours, and we sat in heavy traffic. It was raining, which probably made it worse. I estimated this cost about 100 euros.
We also used them from Sorrento to Rome airport, took 3.5 - 4 hours, was under 500 euros. Seems like a lot, is a lot, but the infrastructure in the area is so poor and congested, including the regional trains, that it was the less stressful mode.
Have a wonderful trip!

Posted by
3277 posts

So we have to get to Sorrento the night we land in Rome.

Are you arriving in Rome in the morning or at night?
There’s a direct train from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport departing at 9:38am arriving at Naples central station at 11:33am: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html. Haul your bags to the basement and hop on the Circumvesuviana (commuter train) to Sorrento: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule.
Where is your hotel in Sorrento?
I bought my tickets for Pompeii when I got there. I’ve never heard of them selling out.

Posted by
23642 posts

MaryPat's recommendation is solid and you "should" be able to met that schedule. However, I would not buy my ticket until I was in the train station at the airport just in case there are delays. The base price ticket will be more expensive but look at it as buying insurance to make the train. The Circumvesuianna has a reputation but we have ridden it a number of times with no problems other than slow and old. It is fine.