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Rome/Amalfi Coast/teenagers---lurking for a while, need help with some specifics please......

Posted by on

Very excited to be planning a trip with my 16 and 18 year old well traveled sons. It is a celebration of my cure from cancer and my seniors impending graduation!!!!We have booked flights into and out of Rome arriving Saturday, March 26 and leaving Monday April 4. My older son has requested Ostia Antica ( he is a Latin scholar), my younger Pompeii, my hubby Gelato, and me the underneath of the Collesseum. We are not 5 star folks, but not hostel either. Want things to be simple and easy. Willing to pay for things if they are worth it......but appreciate the value of a euro....
We have a 3 bedroom apartment in Travastere through Friday. Initially we planned to go to Assisi for the weekend, but based on the Pompeii request and the recommendations from all of you, I think the Amalfi coast is better.
Would love input into the following to make it work.....was thinking Rome to Pompeii on Friday, stay in a town ( Sorrento v Positano?????), Walk of the Gods on Saturday.....
Can catch the train to Naples, but how to get to Pompeii,? and what to do with our luggage while we wander? Should we hire a tour guide????
Where to spend Friday and Saturday night? How to get to the hike?

And the biggest question of all.....the initial plan was go back Rome ( we were thinking Orvieto or Assisi initially) , but does it make the most sense to change our return to the states from Naples? I booked the flights with frequent flyer miles ( strategically saved for several years!) . There would be a $100/ticket fee. But I am thinking that leaving from Naples on Monday morning means we don't travel all day Sunday and Monday. What do you think?
If so, ... Can we travel from Sorrento or Positano 1st thing Monday, or do we need to spend Sunday night in Naples? If so, where???
Or should we just go back to Rome? I reserved 2 rooms at the st Regis ( again, award travel) thinking it would be a fun neighborhood that the boys could explore Sunday evening. And that they could get a car for us Monday morning.
Naples seems a bit overwhelming to me.....am I wrong?

Many thanks!!!!
We are getting super excited!!!!

Posted by
11613 posts

Congratulations!

If you leave from Napoli, you will have a connection somewhere else in Europe (probably Roma or Milano), so I would spend the last night in Roma.

Pompeii archeological site has luggage storage.

I love Napoli, but it can be intense. Many people stay in Sorrento or Napoli and take the Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi.

Your son may consider Ostia Antica instead of Pompeii, it was where Augustine disembarked on his way to Roma from North Africa.

Posted by
95 posts

Congrats on your cure and graduation!
Just to make it clear, you are flying into and out of Rome and have 8 nights total. Is that correct?
Are you able to change your apt reservation in Rome? I ask because it may make more sense to head directly to Sorrento on day of arrival. It would be a very long day. So visit Sorrento/AC first then make your way back up to Rome.
If you are committed to the apt, I guess I would leave the itinerary as is. I have never flown out of Naples so cannot comment on what that is like.
Also, Sorrento and the AC are terrific for you and your teens. I have been several times in summer and once in late October. Although the crowds were much less in October, the weather was not conducive to enjoying the water. I am not sure what it will be like in late March, early April and if you are expecting to do some water related activities.
If you stay in Sorrento, Pompeii can easily be visited from there on the train.
Others more knowledgeable can tell you how to visit Pompeii when coming from Naples.

Posted by
15584 posts

You are landing in Rome the day before Easter Sunday. Use that day to stock the kitchen for the next couple of days as stores will be closed on Sunday and maybe Monday too, restaurants that are open will probably be packed, unless you reserve meals in advance. Even so, service may be very slow. Plan your time in Rome around the crowds. For instance, If you don't want to be in Rome on Sunday, it may be a good time to visit Ostia Antica (an easy day trip from Rome and well worth it, even with a subsequent visit to Pompeii). Your Latin scholar will love the museums in Rome (Capitoline, Palazzo Massimo, and many more). Some sights that are usually open on Monday may be closed on Easter Monday.

Where you spend your last night depends on what time you need to be at the airport for your flight (usually at least 3 hours beforehand) and how long it takes to get from your hotel to the airport with your luggage.

From what I've read, there's nothing wrong with staying in Naples, as long as you are careful, aware of your surroundings and choose the right place to stay. It seems like a better choice than Sorrento, given the extra time it takes to get there and back. Do not miss the National Archaeological Museum. It's a wow, and the boys will undoubtedly enjoy the adults' only rooms.

If you book a train now, it's only €19 each a Sunday morning train to Rome, so changing your flight would be over $300 - plus potentially paying for 2 rooms for another night in Naples. I'd book train tickets as soon as possible, you're going during a busy time of year and the cheap tickets (to Naples as well) won't last long.

Posted by
693 posts

If you stay in Sorrento the Pathway of the Gods will take you the better part of a full day by the time you factor in all the bus trips.

Most people walk it from Bomerano to Nocelle as it is downhill overall this way, although my daughter who was 9 at the time had no trouble doing it the 'hard' way in 3hrs.

We found the following website was great for learning about the route.

http://www.pathofgods.com/into-the-path/from-east-to-west/from-bomerano-to-nocelle/

My suggestion would be to bus from Sorrento or Positano to Amalfi nice and early. From Amalfi you catch the sita 5080 bus to Agerola (Bomerano). Let the driver know Bomerano when you get on so you don't have to stress about getting off at the right stop.

The Amalfi to Bomerano timetable is at the following link although it may change
http://www.positano.com/en/bus-schedule?bus_route=amalfi_agerola

When you get to Nocelle there is a very nice restaurant in the village called Santa Croce. There is also a stand in the village square in tourist season that sells great orange and lemon juice (where the church is). In 2015 it opened at the beginning of April.

Once you pass through Nocelle you will reach the Nocelle carpark (no roads in the village). Do NOT descend into the square to get to the road but at the obvious junction where the descent to the square (with church) begins turn right. From the road a bus can take you back down to Positano. See the following page for the current timetable

https://m.facebook.com/Mobility-Amalfi-Coast-666975060038054/

Alternatively, if you do head down to the town square you can either walk back up and turn left to get to the road and restaurant or you can descend a lot of stairs and walk down to Positano (the path brings you out on the main coast road, you turn right and walk a short distance into Positano).

In summary, the public transport aspect of the walk can mean a need for patience due to some possible lengthy waits for connections (enjoy a cafe!) but the walk is truly spectacular.

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