Will be in Sorrento for a week in Oct. For a day trip we are considering renting a car and visiting Paestum or taking a ferry to Ischia. The ruins in Paestum look interesting and we don't mind driving to see them.
After a Google search it doesn't seem there is much to do in Ischia other than marvel at the beautiful scenic views. Any recommendations?
Grazie, Jim
We will be going in April. Decided on 1/2 day to see The Castello Argonese and Giardini La Mortella. Other than those items, there are thermals spas, beaches and scenery.
Aside from the Castello Aragonese, Ischia is basically a volcanic island with pretty good beaches and lots of thermal springs. It is a resort area, rather than a sightseeing destination. I am spending a week there this September, but all I am planning is beaches and spas, rabbit and gnocchi, washed down with the local wines.
Paestum is a fascinating ancient site. Its one of the few, in which the temples are and were still standing and not reconstructed. So you get to see true greek architecture as it was made. But i wouldn't drive there along the Amalfi road unless it was 4 am or so. if you do drive, remember that when you hear two loud horn beeps, it means a bus is coming around that corner and you have to pull over and stop as best you can. We took a bus to Salerno and then a train to Paestum. Then bus back to Salerno and the train to Pompeii station. Then walked to the Circumvesuviana station in Pompeii, about a mile, and back to Sorrento. If doing it again, I'd probably take the ferry from Sorrento to Salerno, bus to and back from Paestum, then take the train back to Pompeii and then the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento.
This may be an option for Paestum if you don't want to rent a car and use the route I suggested on an earlier post.
https://www.positano.com/en/c/sunland-travel/i/SR78M
In my opinion, Ischia is better seen with a night or two, but a day trip will give you a good overview. If you're into food, the seafood is amazing.
We don't have enough days for us to go to Ischia, but the Lonely Planet guide had good things to say about it. i.e. Rick ignored it in his book, so I was clueless about it. I go the Lonely Planet Amalfi/Naples book to broaden my info and thought Ischia sounded nice and WAY less touristy than Capri.
To add to my above --- due to time constraints, we're just hoping to get to Paestum and not go to Ischia.
Paestum is simply amazing. The museum is great also. Very few people when I visited in May of 2017.
The same year we were in Greece and saw the Acropolis Paestum is just an good.
Paestum truly is a worthwhile destination, and the small museum across the road is worth visiting, too. We were there in the afternoon, on our way to Sorrento, but the driving time (and early sunset in December) meant that we spent the night in Salerno, as Sorrento was just too far to go the rest of the afternoon. As noted above, if you're planning to do it as a day trip from Sorrento, get an early start, and don't linger too long -- which is tough, as it's a magnificent site that deserves some time to explore and appreciate.
