Rome, Naples/Pompeii, Amalfi Coast in 10 days

Three thoughts:

1) RS and others look at Pompeii as a day trip from somewhere else (Naples or Sorento) so they recommend using the Circumvesuviana trains that stop at the main entrance to the Pompeii site. They don't think much about the actual town of Pompeii itself because it is a quiet, mostly unpretentious Italian small town. It has a main railway stop in town, has nice hotels and homey restaurants, and is right by the back door to the Pompeii site. You can then walk around the Pompeii site outer wall to the main gate, or take a walk though the site from back to front. From the main Pompeii station it is really easy and quick to get to the Ercolano Station (Herculaneum) station for a smaller site with even more incredible ruins, including the former harbor boat sheds filled with skeletons of people who took shelter in them during the eruption.

2) The RS audioguide walking tour of Pompeii is quite good if you have done any background reading. A guided tour is mostly personal preference.

3) Even for non-science geeks, taking the bus ride (from near therein entrance) up to the crater of Vesuvius is a reminder that we all live in perilous times.

Hello Shelley and welcome!

It sounds like you have flights booked already? In and out of Rome?

To avoid that backtrack to Rome for your final night- would you consider heading to Naples on arrival?
2 nights Naples- Pompeii is easy day trip by Circumvesuviana
Then move to Sorrento- 3 or 4 nights (not ON Amalfi Coast but easy access by bus or private driver)
I think you'll find more open, (do you have lodging booked already?) and certainly better transportation options in Sorrento- it's a relaxing lovely town- and Pompeii is also an easy day trip from Sorrento.
From Sorrento - train back to Rome for your final 4 or 5 nights.

We used Mondo Guides www.sharedtours.com for Pompeii and a trip to Capri- both were fantastic, money well spent.
There are lots of private drivers/tours you can use to see Amalfi Coast
We used Top Excursion Sorrento for a couple of transfers while there this past May and were very pleased. They offer full day tours as well.
https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com

Or you can take a bus tour on your own
Here is bus schedule:
https://www.positano.com/en/bus-schedule

Here is Circumvesuviana schedule:
https://www.positano.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule

We enjoyed our time in Sorrento very much. Terrific views of Naples, Bay of Naples, Mt Vesuvius.
Positano needed just a few hours for us. It's very small- not much will be open on your dates. Enjoyed our stay in Amalfi and Ravello is delightful, also quite small, views from there are fantastic.
All 3 of those towns can be done on a full day trip.
Capri was great- best thing was the boat ride around the island- not sure how that would be in Nov/Dec though! Ferries won't run if weather is inclement.

If you haven't already- get a copy of RS Italy or Amalfi coast books. Full of good info.

You will want to be in Rome the night before your departure, so moving all Rome nights to end of trip makes sense. 1 less hotel change, more useful days.

Have you been to Italy before?

I vote for Christine's schedule. Makes more sense logistic wise.

Thank you all for the recommendations! We have never been to Italy before. The suggestion to go to Naples/Pompeii and then on down to the Amalfi Coast makes sense. We arrive in Rome at 7 AM on Nov. 27 so we could take the train to Naples that day. We have made our flight reservations but not our lodging. I have been looking at places on Home Away, which I have used successfully for several other trips. Does anyone know anything about Praiano? That is where I found a lovely place with amazing views. Again, the main thing we want from the Amalfi Coast portion of the trip is relaxation and beautiful views. Thanks to all of you for your help!

Praiano is tiny, there will be less open there than in Positano.

Praiano is tiny, there will be less open there than in Positano.

Shelley, wise advice from Christine here: I personally wouldn't choose either Praiano or Positano during low season due to limited transport options (no ferry service to Praiano at any time, and none to Positano during the off season). Admiring the view is fine but personally I'd be ready for more activity after a day, Plus, should you encounter a stretch of bad weather, it might be nice to be somewhere with more to do - or quicker transport elsewhere - than either of those locations offer. As she has suggested, I'd choose Sorrento for this time of year. :O)

That time of year your best bet for Naples/Pompeii/Amalfi Coast is to base in Sorrento for the whole five days and do day trips. On good weather days you can do a day trip by bus to the AC towns: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. You can do all three in the same day. Another weather day you can do a day trip to Capri by ferry. Then if you get a less good day you use that day for Pompeii and Naples (or one day to each). Yes it means some back tracking to do Pompeii/Naples as day trips from Sorrento. But if you plan two nights in Naples for that and Pompeii, and have lovely weather but then get to Sorrento and it's raining you have nothing to do. You have more flexibility if you base in Sorrento the whole time. You also don't have to change hotels. More will be open in Sorrento than Positano/Amalfi, another good reason to base there.

Photos -Sorrento and Amalfi Coast - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p266655284
Naples - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p622577421
Pompeii - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p941704494

Isabel makes a really good point. Weather will rule your itinerary and best to have lots of options.
We loved our time in Sorrento- 4 nights. We had lousy weather in May but were sort of locked in to our Pompeii day- it poured down rain (at least not lava!) we went anyway.
Our Capri day was iffy but luckily weather cleared and boat was able to go. I had these things booked in advance due to time of year. I'd think in November you can play it by ear and book almost last minute or tour on your own.
Unless you are really keen on spending nights in Naples, basing for the whole time in Sorrento makes great sense
IMO the views from Sorrento were a bit more interesting than from Positano for example. You can see Naples, Naples, Bay, Vesuvius, etc. From Positano you really just see the sea, although lovely, that's it.

I would absolutely not recommend spending your first couple of days in Italy in Naples. Consider staying in Salerno instead of Sorrento. You can get there by fast train from Rome. You can get to Pompeii (city) by train from Salerno, then short taxi ride to the archaeological site. Or you can spend a couple nights in Naples on the way to Rome and take the local Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii ruins. Visiting Pompeii from Salerno gives you the option to choose the day you visit, based on how quickly you recover from jetlag and the weather (not recommended to go in the rain).

Christine and others, where did you stay in Sorrento? I've been looking at hotels and on Home Away and Booking.com. Would love a view but close to the center of town. Btw, you all have been SOOO helpful. Thanks!

Shelley-

We stayed at Grand Hotel de la Ville. I don't know what your budget is and it was a bit of a splurge for us. We chose it specifically for the view and it did not disappoint. The rooms are gorgeous, Italian tile, inlaid wood furniture, very spacious and well appointed. The public spaces were lovely as well as the gardens outside, lots of quiet spots to relax. The breakfast was probably the best we've ever had in Europe. The location is perfect- easy walk to train/bus/town yet just enough away on a quiet street- lemon grove across the street.
Again- I can't say enough about the view. Just gorgeous.
There are other hotels right near it along that side of Sorrento- should all have same view.

https://www.delavillesorrento.com

Well, as of now, the weather forecast shows rain for the entire time of our trip. So, we'll be packing umbrellas and rain ponchos. LOL. Does not look like we will have the luxury of going certain places on good weather days. Any updated thoughts from anyone would be welcome.

Bummer!
Well just poncho up and carry on!
We visited Pompei in the pouring rain in May
It was a bit messy and very slippery but I wouldn’t have canceled anyway
Rain or sun it’s an amazing place
As my husband said then “ at least it isn’t raining lava”

The inlaid wood museum in Sorrento was pretty cool
If you need to get out of the wet

Our plane will be arriving at the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport around 7 AM in the morning. From there we will go to the Roma Termini Station so that we can take the train to Sorrento. I will have fasted for at least 12 hours in order to reset my body clock and will need to have a meal that is high in protein. I have read that a typical breakfast in Italy is coffee or a latte and bread or pastry . . . obviously not high in protein. Any ideas? If I request eggs or cheese or yogurt or something of the sort, will I be able to get it? Maybe I just go to a grocery or supermarket and buy something there? Thanks for any feedback!

Most hotel bkfts will include eggs and more American bkft items
But cafes will only have pastry maybe a muffin probably no yogurt
Look for a McDonalds they have bkft sandwiches that are actually better there than here in US
I don’t think there is one at FCo or Termini but there might be one in Termini vicinity

Or bring a Pb and J sandwich or cheese and crackers on the flight( that’s what we often do!) it will be a bit mushy but doesn’t need refrigeration

Also- airline usually serves a bkft snack before you land
Muffin yogurt juice is typical
If you’re not ready to eat at least take it with you

Christine, thank you for being so helpful! :-)

As I - and others - have said, there is no train to Sorrento. You will take a train from the airport to Rome, then a train from Rome to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana (a metro really) to Sorrento. From FCO you can take a regional train to Roma Tiburtina, but it's better to take the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini. If you don't find food at FCO before you get on the train, there are places in the Termini station that sell snacks, drinks and sandwiches.

Shelly, FCO is a major airport, and you will be able to buy eggs and swine or anything else you want, if you walk around enough before going to the airport-express train for Termini. (Presumably you want to eat this breakfast at the proper time of day, as part of your Jet Lag regime.)

I imagine that you have last-minute tickets for the train to Naples, so MAYBE you don't have to worry about losing your money if you don't get on one particular train departure from Termini??? After all, your transatlantic flight could be late. Although public transportation for a trip to Sorrento is quite good, it is (as you already know) "multi-seat", and time-consuming. Bring warm clothing, layers, and rain gear.

No weather forecast is perfect, but if I knew I was going to see Pompeii on a full rain day, I would lug (and I do mean, lug) my two-piece, heavy polyester Offshore Racing foul-weather gear, and LL Bean rubber shoes. A clear, throwaway (whale-choking) tourist parka won't cut it for Pompeii. It might be better to have low rubber boots in Pompeii, but it's hard to walk long distances and four hours (or more) in boots. I should note that I'm not a "carry-on" guy, I'm a heavy packer.

Tim, thanks. Yes, we'll be doing last-minute tickets for the train to Naples so eating at the airport will work. We're going to ty to do just carry-on luggage. We'll see how that goes! Will definitely consider rubber shoes or boots.

Our Rick Steves ponchos work very well, we wear a rain proof baseball type cap under it and our shoes (sneaker type but waterproofed) were also fine for walking around Pompeii and it was pouring steadily the entire time we were there.

Having a great time in Sorrento. Went over to Capri today. Heading to Pompeii tomorrow and Amalfi Coast on Sunday. Thank you so much to all of you who helped us make this trip great!