Rome, Pompeii and the Almafi coast in 3 days? Possible?

Heaven only knows how much it would cost but have you considered a private tour that would take you from Rome to Pompeii and then down Amalfi Coast for a day? If not that, you can get the earliest train from Rome to Naples, about hour and half, then half hour train to Pompeii. This is all on day two. Do Pompeii for about three hours, take maybe a private tour from there to Amalfi, back to Naples and then head back to Rome? It will be a very long day but I guess anything is possible.

Don't spend the night in Naples (and I love Naples), it's a big city and makes it more time-consuming to move around. Time is what you don't have. You can probably do a tour of Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast in one day on your own and spend the night in Sorrento (or return to Rome that night), but given your time constraints, you might consider a guided excursion tour (contact your hotel before you get there to set it up, or look for recommendations online). One caveat about spending the night before your flight in a different city: things can go wrong (transportation strikes, etc.) - I think it's best to spend the night before your plane leaves in the city from which you're leaving, and that will give you a few more hours to spend in Rome.

Thanks Zoe, I worried about spending the night in a different city as well. What do you think about going to Pompeii & the Almafi coast first, staying the night in Sorrento and then heading back to Rome. That would give me longer to tour in Rome. Is Sorrento a fairly easy place to find accommodations that aren't outrageously priced? Thank you!
Traci

You really only have two days, not three. You have part of your first day, a whole day and part of your last day. I know you want to fit everything in but, realistically, you can't. I would stick to Rome. You could visit Pompeii on your own but it's a full day trip starting early and ending late. I would not consider spending the night in Naples or Sorrento and traveling back to Rome on your departure day. Too many things can go wrong and if you miss your flight you'll be scrambling to get a new one. I would save Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast for your next trip. It gives you another reason to come back to Italy. Spend your 2 days in Rome seeing some of the sites there. Believe me, 2 days is not nearly enough time to see Rome and you'll need to be choosy as to what you see. Make a list of your absolute "must see's" and stick to it. Donna

Have you heard of Ostia Antica? I felt the same way as you about Pompeii - I'd heard so much about it, and it sounded so cool, I thought it would be an absolute must for my trip to Italy next year. But then I discovered how far away it is from Rome, and I heard about Ostia Antica, which is supposed to be pretty similar to Pompeii. It's a town just outside of Rome that has been preserved because silt from the river backed up into it. I'm choosing to do that because it still gives me the chance to see a preserved Roman town but without wasting so much of my time on transportation. Something to consider.

You really don't have enough time to do all you have listed. One day in Rome really doesn't give you a chance to see much or get a feel of the city. The trip to Pompeii and Amalfi is not an hour trip. Travel always take more time than you think to get from one place to another and figure out where you are going. Also Pompeii is not a small place and takes time to see. You will never see all three places in three days. I would stay in Rome for three days or just go to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast but not try to do both. The only other alternative would be to go to Pompeii and maybe visit Sorrento for a day and than spend two days in Rome.

This blitz trip could work if you stay near the train station in Sorrento (at the hostel or Hotel Nice) so you can get to the bus station (just outside the train station). Don't try to tour Naples if you are planning to visit the other places in such a short time. Frankly, from Rome I wouldn't try to do more than visit Pompeii on a daytrip. It's not a place for a quick peek then "on to the next site." Save Amalfi for another trip.

You can do it, but I'm not sure you will really enjoy it because you will be going at a dead run the whole time. I suggest spending the entire time in Rome and doing Ostia. TC

If you do decide to stay overnight in Sorrento, I would recommend spending the last night in Rome for reasons previously mentioned. I think I'd do the combined excursion tour, if financially feasible. By the way, I stayed in Hotel Nice and it was a dump.