Rome and Sorrento Help

Rome days v Sorrento days: I'd not go to the Sorrento area for anything less than 4 days given the travel time required, but make your list of things to do in both places to ensure you have sufficient time for both.
I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to staying so far from the airport the night before a flight when I am not myself responsible for getting myself there. I would stay in Naples for a 15 minute taxi to the airport, but plenty do go from Sorrento the morning of. You'll need a van, and I would have the hotel book it. (It's an hour drive, so let us know where the flight is going -- if direct to US, 3 hours, but for a European hop I'd be there 2 hours prior).

Obviously six people and luggage don't fit in a sedan, so you might have to order an oversize vehicle. You say that you will be going to the Naples airport from Sorrento, not an Amalfi Coast town, right? Is the flight your transatlantic plane, or is it to another hub in the Shengen zone? Airlines need you to check in three hours before transatlantic departures, so they can give the TSA your idenity data before a legal deadline for air carriers.

You don't say if this is a rock-bottom budget trip, but the Circumvesuviana and city busses are really cheap. But with six people and luggage, you want a "one-seat" private vehicle transfer to an airport. (Some hotels in Sorrento can be quite far from the Circumvesuviana station, anyway.) Especially if it is a business day, leaving the hotel at 8AM is barely early enough. Can you wrangle all those people to be on-time to be ROLLING AWAY at 8AM?

You can expect fewer ferries and some seasonal closures in late October. But Sorrento is a popular destination year round. Do you understand that Sorrento has only one, tiny, public beach, which is right between two diesel-fuel smelling marinas?

Jubilee year aside, I don't see any virtue to limiting days in an incredibly interesting and rich tourist destination like Rome. We were happy with our five nights in Sorrento, daytrips most days. But at the end, Sorrento is a postwar, purpose-built resort town, mostly made of reinforced concrete. It's nice enough, and has lots of good restaurants. But it's not like Rome or Florence.

You can't go wrong with either way of splitting your time between Rome and Sorrento. We spent 2 weeks in Sorrento last year and loved it. One thing thing to keep in mind is that it takes time to get to Sorrento and so a chunk of your first day will be wasted getting there. Transportation wise, the Sorrento region can also be unreliable and I would not stay in Sorrento the night before. You would probably be OK, but...

We looked at a private car to get us from Rome to Sorrento but quotes were coming in at around €600-650 for two people. We had no problem with the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento, but others on this forum will have a different opinion than mine. Perhaps you can also consider a train from Rome to Naples and then a car. We still took the train for the final leg for €4 each as a car for two was going to be €150.

I don't know if this will be useful, but here's my Trip Report from 2023. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-2-weeks-of-day-trips-from-sorrento

The infrastructure south of Naples has been sadly neglected. There is no quick or efficient mode of travel, so moving about takes patience. The congestion is legendary. It took us two hours to get from the Naples train station to our Sorrento hotel via private car. Other folks told us it took them two hours by Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento. This train doesn't always run on time and we experienced frequent delays. Things just don't work as well in the southern regions. You can have a great trip if you recognize the realities on the ground, and plan for them.
We used Aldo Limos for our private transportation, and highly recommend them.
You may have more flight options if you fly out of Rome.
Some folks here train from Rome to Salerno, which is a more dependable and comfortable train. They then explore the Amalfi Coast from this direction.
I would spend the night before the flight by the airport. The roads are just too unpredictable with the heavy traffic.
A agree with above comments about needing at least four nights in the Sorrento / AC area because of the time-consuming transportation issues.
Positano is not my favorite town, it's all high-end shopping and the beaches are black stones. It's also hard to get to/into/out of. And it has the smallest ferry dock, which is most affected by bad weather and rough seas, so can be closed.
You will have a wonderful trip and have lots of time to plan. Safe travels,

Thank you all for your replies. I have a lot to rethink. Salerno sounds like a good option for a base since it looks like there are direct trains from Rome. I'll have to research that more as I know nothing about Salerno ... yet! After reading all your comments, I think we will go to Naples for the last night. We can take our time, not have to worry about making the plane and try to find a great place for pizza and wine! Thank you again. You're help is much appreciated.

I have been extolling the virtues of Salerno for years...have been there twice and next April will be a base for 3 days after being in Florence & Rome, on the way to Sicily. In my eyes it's even a better base than Sorrento, although Sorrento ain't bad either--it has in my opinion the best food on the Sorrentine peninsula...with Salerno a close second. It's a small city of about 100,000 people but the Old Town is walkable and charming.

What is great about Salerno is that you're never gridlocked like you would be in Sorrento at times, where there's only one way on & off the Amalfi Coast on one side and Sorrento to Castellammare di Stabia on the other. However, except in the dead of winter (Jan/Feb) you will experience difficulty getting to the A.C. by public transportation. One would hope the ferry would still be operating in late October, but that's not a sure thing. The SITA bus runs regularly from Salerno to Amalfi-town, where you would switch buses if you wanted to visit Positano. Also SITA runs from Sorrento to Positano, but unless it's super early you're going to have lines & waits for the bus, to and from. For us in April, not to have to worry about it, we are hiring a driver for 6 hours to pick us up at our Salerno hotel, and drive us to Vietri sul Mare to shop, then up to Ravello for lunch, then down to Minori for pastries. Expensive but worth it, I think.

When we based in Sorrento, we used the Curreri Viaggi bus https://www.curreriviaggi.it/ to Naples Capodichino Airport and we took the 8:30 AM bus (supposed to arrive 10:00, it arrived at 10:20) for a 12:30 flight to Munich, and we made the flight just fine. You would need to take the 6:30 bus arriving around 8:00 AM for an 11:30 flight like you say. From Salerno you'd probably have to take Trenitalia to Napoli Centrale, then a taxi to the airport. Or be safe and just hire a driver from Salerno that would take you direct to the airport. I think you could stay in either place for that last night, just my .02.

You have some great responses already.
I will add that I think you need four days for the area.
You can do Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, the Archaeological Museum in Naples and the Amalfi Coast in four days.

Here is a tour for four days, but it doesn't include Sorrento or Capri:
https://www.touristitaly.com/tours/naples-from-rome-4-day-tour/

This one includes Capri and Sorrento:
https://italyxp.com/en/rome/tours/3-days-naples-pompeii-sorrento-capri

The only issue in Salerno is that ferries to the AC might be ending, so you might check into the date that usually occurs. But if I were choosing between Sorrento and Salerno, I would choose Salerno. It is just as easy to visit Pompeii from there, and you have the bonus of being able to see Paestum if so inclined. Though if someone is expecting a picture perfect village, it is not that.

After reading all your comments, I think we will go to Naples for the
last night. We can take our time,

Transportation issues aside, I always recommend a day in Naples just for the experience. It's like no other city I've ever been to. If part of your plan is a day at Pompeii, then a visit to the Archeological Museum in Naples helps tie it all together.

I want to suggest that you give some serious thought to having six guests, all over 60. (I am 73.) You won't fit in a standard cab. How prompt and obedient do you expect your friends to be? Is there any chance someone will not feel up to going somewhere in the morning? What are the chances you're going to switch to $200 mini-van rides to your daytrips? What are the chances there are going to be no ferries to most of the Amalfi coast in late October?

I challenge the statement (post above) that "It is just as easy to visit Pompeii from there [Salerno]." It would be perfectly true to say that "It is almost as easy to visit Pompeii from Salerno as from Sorrento." But the long-distance Salerno train does not stop across the street from the ancient site, as does the squalid Circumvesuviana train that runs twice an hour from Sorrento to Pompeii. The long-distance train line has three stops named "Pompeii", and all of them mean "modern, workaday Pompeii", not "Pompeii Scavi." And the excavation is half-a-mile from the Trenitalia train station that's closest.

If someone sleeps in in Sorrento, they can still get a tear-off paper ticket at the newstand for the Circumvesuviana and join you there later in the day, say for lunch. That's not so simple from Salerno. (This does presume that you are staying at a "midtown" Sorrento hotel, and not at some discount bus-tour hotel up on the mountainside, needing a shuttle to get to town.)

It is perfectly true that Paestum is a superb UNESCO World Heritage SIte that is nearly impossible to visit from Sorrento, because of distance and transit. Salerno is a good base for Paestum. Even with five nights in Sorrento, we had to write off Paestum.

Regarding another post about Salerno, it is perfectly true that SITA busses go "from Salerno to Positano." HOWEVER, you have to CHANGE busses in Amalfi, with a wait and another ticket. It is also an extremely long ride.

I challenge the statement (post above) that "It is just as easy to
visit Pompeii from there [Salerno]." It would be perfectly true to say
that "It is almost as easy to visit Pompeii from Salerno as from
Sorrento." But the long-distance Salerno train does not stop across
the street from the ancient site, as does the squalid Circumvesuviana
train that runs twice an hour from Sorrento to Pompeii. The
long-distance train line has three stops named "Pompeii", and all of
them mean "modern, workaday Pompeii", not "Pompeii Scavi." And the
excavation is half-a-mile from the Trenitalia train station that's
closest.

I am going to respectfully push back on this -- it is a 15 minute walk max from the Pompei Trenitalia station to Pompeii the site, and that is rounding up (Google Maps says 11). If one can't walk that, they are going to have difficulty touring Pompeii at all, but a taxi or two is also not going to break the bank on a trip like this.

Slight correction. Yes, from the Trenitalia station it is a 15 minute brisk or 30 minute leisurely walk to the entrance of the ruins by the Anfiteatro. That is not the main entrance but you'll be in. The Circumvesuviana train from Naples or Sorrento takes you to the Scavi entrance, and the walk is about 3 minutes.

We did the former in 2015, coming from Salerno on a nice day and it was truly a pleasant walk, without looking it up about 3/4-1 mile. By the (I think) Pompei city hall there is a monument housing a bronzed girder from the Twin Towers honoring 9-11. Quite nice.

Coming back we exited from Scavi and took a quick taxi to the Trenitalia station because the 'dogs' were tired. It's a fantastic attraction, but a lot of walking on uneven surfaces. Don't go on a rainy day and wear sturdy shoes.

S, F, Solo, 70+, public transport only. Just returned on Wednesday from a month in Southern Italy--Sorrento, Amalfi, the AC, and down the toe, the arch, the heel and out of Naples.

Circumvesuviana on Nov 29 and Dec 2 was fine. Everyone seated and train on time. I also went to Oplontis (Torre Azzuniata station). You can use your Pompeii ticket for entry. Exit train TA station, turn left and at the corner turn right and walk 1 1/2 blocks to Oplontis. Very similar to Villa di Misteri.

Naples to airport: I had a 5am taxi pickup for a 620am flight to Madrid. Taxi was a no show and hailed a cab on the street for the 15 minute ride to the airport. The Iberia agent assured me there was no problem and they do not leave pax who are on line. In Marseille in March I did the 3 hr before departure at some horrible hour when the airline counter only opened 45 minutes before the flight. Just be prepared that if you go within the time guidelines the airline counter may not be open and at NAP there may only be food once past security.

Ferries: directferries.com is great. Then I would go to the actual company website to verify the info. Ferries run all the time except in horrible weather. Blue Grotto tours are weather sensitive and end Oct 30.

I did a day stop in Sorrento from Naples on my way to Amalfi. I had planned to buy future train tics at Sorrento station but they only sell tics to Naples. Not impressed by Sorrento and originally I had planned on staying there for 6 days but when I realized all the places I wanted to see were on the AC, switched and stayed in Amalfi- a great decision. Stayed at Hotel Fortuna which had a fabulous breakfast and was at the foot of the bus depot. Great for heading west to Positano or east to Ravello.

Just as I thought I had my trip figured out (with your help!), the airline cancelled my flight out of Naples already (which is hard to believe since I made the reservations less than a week ago!). We had to rebook out of Rome to Atlanta! Now, I really have to rethink the order of my trip! We’re flying into Venice and we plan on visiting Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento (as a base for Capri and Positano and Pompeii). Thank you so much for all the information on Sorrento, Naples, Salerno and private car vs. trains and information on the ferries to Capri! I’m going to research trains more to figure out the best order to start in Venice and end in Rome! Ugh! I guess it’s all part of the fun of planning a trip! Thank you all again!

Janet, thank you for your report. The reason they do not sell Trenitalia tickets in Sorrento is that there are no Trenitalia trains, tracks, or employees in Sorrento. That would be like trying to buy a ticket on the 20th Century Limited at a NYC or Chicago subway station. The one has nothing to do with the other.

Just as I thought I had my trip figured out (with your help!), the
airline cancelled my flight out of Naples already (which is hard to
believe since I made the reservations less than a week ago!). We had
to rebook out of Rome to Atlanta! Now, I really have to rethink the
order of my trip! We’re flying into Venice and we plan on visiting
Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento (as a base for Capri and Positano
and Pompeii). Thank you so much for all the information on Sorrento,
Naples, Salerno and private car vs. trains and information on the
ferries to Capri! I’m going to research trains more to figure out the
best order to start in Venice and end in Rome! Ugh! I guess it’s all
part of the fun of planning a trip! Thank you all again!

No problem, Joyce. It won't exactly be north-to-south (Venice/Florence/Salerno/Rome)...but you'll have a just less than 4 hour train ride Florence SMN to Salerno, then just over 2 hours Salerno to Roma Termini. Not that bad, and a helluva lot faster than it used to be 15-20 years ago.

With this development, I would look long and hard about basing in Salerno instead of Sorrento. Logistically, you'll be far better off, and for the six of you I believe it would work easier. We're staying here for 3 nights in April--it's steps from the train station, and friends have told me it's inexpensive, clean and they serve you breakfast!

https://www.plazasalerno.com/en/

Enjoy your planning!

Joyce--my flight home was Naples to Madrid at 639am and connecting from Madrid to Chicago at 11 something and then onto PHX. They changed Naples to Madrid to 2 in the afternoon and left the other flights as is. Is there not a program that says you can't take the 1st leg if the 2nd leg left 4-5 hours earlier? Unfortunately with that switch, there were no flights available and I had to come home a day earlier. It also reinforces my mantra of never leaving anything critical until the last. At least you had time to plan.