Rome to Orvieto to Sorrento/Naples - rent a car or take the train?

You don't really need a car for any of those locations. The trains will work just fine.
Orvieto is only 70 min from Rome by train and a day is more than enough to visit it, therefore I'm not sure I would spend 3 nights there. However the Gulf of Naples area has a lot to offer (Sorrento, Amalfi Coast including Ravello and Positano, Pompeii, Ercolano, Vesuvius, the islands of Capri, Procida, Ischia, and more), therefore I would definitely spend at the very least 4 nights in Sorrento (or even 5).
If your flight departs early, you might need to spend the last night in Naples. There is an inexpensive bus from Sorrento to NAP airport (operated by Curreri Viaggi), but I think the first arrives at NAP at 8am. The taxi or private limo transfer may be the only option from Sorrento to NAP in the early AM but it's expensive (€80+) and it still takes about one hour.

I love Orvieto but I would take a night from there and add it to Sorrento.

Several years ago we spent three nights in Orvieto, which was one night too many. The town is gorgeous, but it closes at 9 pm. If it were me, I would add the extra day to another one of your destinations.

IMHO, a car makes traveling more convenient, but it becomes expensive when you need to park it for a few days. It makes better sense to take a train to Orvieto and retrieve your car there. The car rental places and the station are located in the same piazza.

I've driven the Amalfi three times and the first time was a "white knuckle, death grip on the steering wheel" experience. The scooters and motorcycles were the most difficult to drive among. The cars and buses are challenging, as well.

Buon viaggio,

I don't know about driving in or around Naples. The drivers are super-crazy there. Comparing to Naples Rome is just piece of cake and even there I would gladly give up the option of driving. Most of Italy is easily doable by public transportation. Last year we went by an overnight ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari (after the end of R.S. tour in Adriatics). From Bari by train (with one change) to Naples. Stayed two nights, then by boat to Sorrento. On the way by taxi from our hotel to the port we were rear ended (crazy drivers!). From Sorrento day trips: Pompei - by Vesuvian train. Amalfi - by bus and back by boat. Then we were hunting for ancestors and went to Avellino by taxi. We negotiated the price from 100 Euro down to 60, still cheaper than rental car (by the way it is also doable by public transportation but it would take longer). Taxi took about one hour (with an Italian driver, average American driver would probably take two hours). From Avellino by bus to the beautiful ancestors village of Castelfranci. After our stay in Avellino we used train to get to Rome (one change). I try to avoid driving in southern Italy like devil cross.

Absolutely agree with Zoe and others that 2 nights in Orvieto is enough and I would add that 4 nights in Sorrento is a good start as that gives you three full days: one each for Pompeii, Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

A car is a waste. traffic can be TERRIBLE to Naples and on the train you escape all of that and can relax, not to mention parking is nuts on the AC.

I would personally fly into Naples, then take the Curreri Vuaggi bus from the airport to Sorrento.

This is much more enjoyable than making connections with the Circumvesuvian.

Spend 4 nights Sorrento.

Train: Direct from Naples>Orvieto (yes, you need to take the Circumvesuvian or a ferry bus combo from

Sorrento)

2 nights Orvieto.

Train: Orvieto>Rome

5 nights Rome

Fly out of Rome. Taxi to airport will be less expensive than 4 tickets on the Leonardo Express.

I would normally only spend 2 nights in Orvieto, but if your B&B is outside of town and you have a car, then you could use the "extra" day for a side trip, though you're not terribly central to the popular towns or Tuscany and Umbria. Driving from Orvieto to either Montepulciano or Assisi, for instance, takes about 1.5 hours each way. There have also been discussion on this Travel Forum about attractions around Lake Bolsena, near Orvieto.

The traffic around Sorrento, Pompeii, and the Amalfi coast is not fun for most people. Rick's Italy 2015 guidebook has extensive coverage of local transport options.

take a train italian traffic is ...... woooooooowwwww : )))))

thank you. what is best way to get from train station to hotel in sorrento and then also if we want to visit pompeii and ravello on 2 different days?

what is best way to get from train station to hotel in sorrento and then also if we want to visit pompeii and ravello on 2 different days?

Depending on your hotel...might be walkable (Antiche Mura mentioned in your other post is a short walk) or your hotel may have a shuttle. There is also a (city) bus I think, but we never used it becasue the Antiche Mura was so convenient. They have a great breakfast, too, so your kids can fill up and fuel up for the day.

For Pompeii, from the train station take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii Scavi. The ruins are right there.

For Ravello, take the bus from outside the train station in Sorrento to Amalfi, where you tranfer to the smaller bus up to Ravello. Ravello is magnificent, BTW.