i'm traveling in a group of 4 adults through italy for 16 days. when we leave rome we have a hotel in sorrento for two nights, and then up to siena. we're not extremely early risers, so we probably wouldn't leave rome any earlier than 10am and then were booked to get a rental car in salerno at 3pm, two days later.
on the way to sorrento should we stop in pompeii or at the archeology museum in naples? or should we arrive early to sorrento and take the rest of the day to explore the town?
we have one full day in the area. should we go to capri or explore the peninsula?
on our way to salerno i would like to take a combination of bus (or private car) & then ferry to see the coast. would it be possible to do this and be in salerno in time to pick up the car at 3pm?
thank you for your opinions!
Posted by
Northborough, MA
636 posts
I would definitely opt for Pompeii over the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. The museum is an interesting place, but it pales in comparison to Pompeii itself. If you do decide to go, I recommend going via hydrofoil or ferry from Sorrento.
Another nice place to stop along the way to Sorrento (before Pompeii) is Vesuvius. The drive up is great, the views are spectacular, and, if you have time, you can hike to the crater's edge (1.5-2 hours round trip, for the hike only - drive is extra).
The town of Sorrento is nice, but I would just enjoy strolling in the evening.
As for Capri vs. exploring the peninsula, I would opt for the latter. But, I have not been to Capri. My impression is that, at least in the summer, it's an absolute zoo, so we steered clear of it and explored the Amalfi Drive and its various towns.
I just re-read your post and realized that you won't have the car until Salerno. If I were you, I would consider renting the car as you're leaving Rome. We really enjoyed the flexibility that the rental provided, especially for Vesuvius, then Pompeii, then getting to Sorrento, all in one day.
Posted by
OP
Los Angeles, CA, USA
17 posts
we're renting the car in salerno because it seems better to have an expert drive that crazy highway so we can all enjoy the scenery. i think i'd also like to see some of the coast by ferry.
can anyone who has done both capri & explored the peninsula tell me which is a better way to spend a day?
Posted by
Florida
65 posts
I would definately stop in pompeii on the way down. It really didn't take that long to tour. Spend your evening strolling in Sorrento--great town, shopping, food (esp. gelato), visit the lemon grove, etc.
I would skip Naples.
We did take a bus (leaves form the train station in Sorrento) down to Positano and then took the hydroferry to the island of capri. Again, great town to wander in, shop, eat, etc. I enjoyed the island of capri. From capri, we took the boat back to sorrento for the evening.
Posted by
Northborough, MA
636 posts
Even though we had the rental car (actually, a HUGE minivan - they gave us a larger one than we had requested), we still hired a driver for the Amalfi Drive day. This wasn't really because we were anxious about driving, but about finding parking, learning about the area, etc. And, we were happy we did it. (And, the drive itself would not have been bad.) We did the Amalfi Drive later in the day than I think most people do. We wanted to enjoy the beach at our Sorrento hotel in the morning, so we started the Amalfi Drive at 1:00. I think that we avoided a lot of the chaos that way, too. Or, we just got lucky. (And, we had an AMAZING hail storm!)
Sorry for the digression ... even so, we really enjoyed having the rental to get from Rome to Sorrento, via Vesuvius and Pompeii. It was just so much easier, but we were also 5 people.
Posted by
St. Louis, MO (formerly, Windermere, FL)
340 posts
We were in Sorrento last September and explored the Amalfi Coast towns as well as Capri. If you must choose between the 2, I would pick the Amalfi Coast and save Capri for another time. Capri is beautiful but it was very crowded with day-trippers and the shops are ultra $$$. The Amalfi coast is charming and, although it may also have lots of tourists, it seems to handle them well.
My suggestion would be: Day 1: arrive in Sorrento (it will probably be mid to late-afternoon if you are not leaving Rome until 10am). Check into your lodging and get your bearings in Sorrento. Maybe take a swim at your hotel or one of the beaches or savor a drink with a view at the Foreigners Club. Enjoy dinner and an evening exploring the maze of pedestrian streets and multitude of shops in the old town. End the day sipping limoncello under the stars.
Day 2: Take the Circumvensuvian train to Pompeii, perhaps also go to Mt. Vesuvius, or return to Sorrento for another swim after a dusty day in the ruins or explore more of the nearby area. Have dinner in Marina Grande (Cafe d'Emilia's is our favorite).
Day 3: Make yourself get an early start and arrange ahead of time for a private driver to pick you up at your hotel to take you along the spectacular Amalfi Coast, stopping at Positano, Amalfitown, and Ravello and anyplace else that strikes your fancy along the way to Salerno. We have used Rick's recommended Monetti tours for this service. The driver will not only give you a private tour and know the best places to stop, but you will have complete flexibility with your time that a bus or boat wouldn't give you. The ferry might offer a nice view, but the view from the drive is quite amazing. The cost for us was 200 euros plus tip for the full day, split 4 ways.
Really, you could do almost anything in Sorrento and have a wonderful time. It is truly la dolce vita!
Posted by
Chicago, Illinois, USA
586 posts
Hire a guide for the Amalfi coast day/drive, and visit each town: the Monetti family (see Steves' Italy guide book) is WONDERFUL. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Definitely do Amalfi over Capri. And with a guide no one will have to worry about driving, directions, parking, etc.--we visited above Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi Town, Salerno, and even the ancient Greek ruins at Paestum (plus a buffalo farm...cheese, yogurt, etc) all in a single, long, beautiful day. Ran about $450.00 US total for my wife and I, but Tony, our guide/driver, was out of this world. We'll never forget it.