Rome to Sorrento by train, bus, or private driver? Help...

- option 4 Book Rome - Sorrento on www.italotreno.it. A few times a day they offer a combination train + coach that gets you to Sorrento without needing to deal with the Circumvesuviana. I see two departures on the 25th.

Thank you WengenK, that is what I was referring to in my post, that is the Italo train with a transfer onto Itabus to take you into Sorrento and then you don't have to deal with the Circumvesuviana but I am not seeing any options at all for this choice after the March 25th date, it seems as if they either have not posted the times or they are not offering that choice after that date. We need to travel from Rome to Sorrento on April 3rd. Thanks :)

Is this the day you will be jet lagged from coming across the pond? Or are you coming from another location within Europe?
When is this trip?
I ask because you could be standing from Naples to Sorrento, and that would be difficult on jet lag. Last May, 2023, we spoke to folks who had that experience in May. Forget spring and fall as being less congested in the area.

We used Aldo Limos to move about the area. Christina, in the office, is a Brit, so communication was easy, and she gave us a package deal. Still a lot, but she accepted USD at a fair exchange rate, and gave us a written receipt.

There is just no efficient and fast way to get anywhere south of Naples, ( unless you're coming by train to Salerno.) It all takes patience.

Have a wonderful family trip, and safe travels!

Thank you Pat,
No, we will be traveling from Rome to Naples that morning via the Italo train. We land in Venice on March 27th and leave from Naples on April 7th. Stopping in Rome and then heading to Sorrento for the last part of our trip before we go back to Naples to fly home.

Just how much luggage do you have? We have been on the Circumvesuvianna a number of times both with and with out luggage. It is OK for the hour it takes. It is just an old, well used commuter train. Didn't feel any less safe than on other commuter lines in Rome and elsewhere. What are your bad reviews telling you? Just be smart in how you handle yourself and your surroundings. You are not going to encounter a pickpocket around every corner. We have spent nearly a year in Europe with maybe 30, 35 days in Italy. Never had any problems and to the best of our knowledge have not been close. But there is always next trip. We do take reasonable precautions and then forget about it. So I would be fine with your option 3. A private car from Naples train station will be in the range of a 100E to perhaps 150.

The idea of a quick stop in Pompeii on the way from Naples is not reasonable. It is not a 15 minute stop. Pompeii is massive and a half day is a min for an overview. It is easy to reach via train from Sorrento so save for a day later.

Thank you, Frank-that is great advice. I read that you can tour Pompeii in about 2 hours but wasn't sure if we maybe needed to just do that another day. I wasn't as much worried about the safety of the commuter train as the inconvenience of having our luggage and it being overcrowded. I have been reading that it gets very crowded and it is hard to have luggage with you on that train. We will each have our carry-on bags as well as some type of backpack I am sure. We will have a lot of stuff since it will be all four of us together with our bags.

I think a lot of folks settle for about 2 hours at Pompeii. In some cases it's because that's all the time they have (not your situation). In others, it's the limit of their interest (I was good for about 3 hours). In still others, it's the conditions at the site that are the limiting factor. Pompeii's often very hot in the summer, and the monumental cobblestones are a year-round impediment. They're challenging and tiring to walk on. There are sidewalks, but they are usually way, way higher than the street, so hopping up and down at intersections or when you need to go around other visitors is very tiring. I was worried I'd twist an ankle hopping down onto cobblestones.

If you're curious about the conditions, just Google photos Pompeii.

....I have been reading that it gets very crowded and it is hard to have luggage with you on that train...... Have heard that also but have not seen it since we avoid 8am and 5pm. We have ridden it mid morning and mid afternoon with no over crowding. The train is crowded but always found a couple of seats. But we are also very used to riding the L in Chicago and metro in New York with luggage. About the same. No place for luggage so you kind of sit on it or have you feet over it. It is a little inconvenient but the ride is short. It is all part of the Italian experience.

Personally I don't know how anyone could spend two hours at Pompeii and say they have seen it. Too big and spread out for that. We picked up a guide at the entrance for a quick two hour overview and then spent another four hours or so returning to sites for an in-depth look. It has no shade so it can be hot and a small snack bar in the middle. Also you need to include a visit to the museum in Naples because that where all of the good stuff from Pompeii is on display. And that is another half day. There is a room at the museum where you once needed permission from the Pope to visit.

We boarded the Circumvesuviana last May, 2023, around 2:00 pm at a Pompeii Scavi, ( not rush hour), and it was SRO to Sorrento, which took at least 90 minutes. Folks we were standing near got on at Naples, two hours before us, ( note delays) and they were also standing from Naples. So the SRO situation is not only a rush hour occurrence, and our experience is within a year.
The private driver we checked with wanted 100 euros each way, to drop us off , then pick us up, Sorrento - Pompeii.
Good luck!

Alas, no definitive answer yet. Synthesizing what you wrote, and what others wrote, with our five nights in Sorrento, I'll venture:

The Circumvesuviana (which COULD be less crowded in shoulder season, like early April) only costs a few Euros. But once you're buying 4 bus tickets, and a taxi (?) in Sorrento, you might as well spring for 150 Euros (+-) for a black car transfer. Note that if you get a sedan, one person will have to sit in the front seat. I suggest you ask your hotel if they can arrange the car.

I think it is unrealistic (not "unsafe") to pay loads of extra Euros for a driver to miss three other fares, waiting for you at Pompeii. (Right? We're not talking about an Uber across town after a night of bar-hopping. We're talking about a one-hour transfer Naples-Sorrento, probably with NO return fare, so you are subsidizing the empty return.) But that's up to you. We preferred to get to Pompeii (on the jammed train, but without any luggage), for a long day, from our air-conditioned hotel. I think we may have gone to Oplontis and Herculaneum both, on another day. I don't know about April, but be prepared for SUN and HEAT at Pompeii.

BTW, last week of May, we had the elbow-to-elbow Circumvesuviana experience, barely able to keep one finger on our bag. Much more crowded than ANY NY City subway I've ever been on. But nice enough locals. We saw a musical group on the train, but they couldn't get close enough to hit us up for a contribution! Just too crowded.

Another option I don’t think was mentioned is the campania express train from naples to sorrento. Guaranteed seat with plenty of room to store your luggage in front of you. We liked this option because of the guaranteed seat, A/C (not great but better than none) and the workers even escorted us from the ticket office to the train. The downside to this option is it is around €15/person and it runs on a very limited schedule:
https://www.positano.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule?route=napoli_sorrento

But doesn't the Campania Express run on the same limited tracks as the Cirvumvesuvius, so if the latter runs late and backs things up, the former train is backed up.
No great solutions, but it helps if one knows the reality on the ground beforehand, and is prepared. Good luck!

Thank you all so much for helping us make our choice. I got a lot of really helpful information from everyone and I truly appreciate it!! We are going to splurge and get a car from Naples to Sorrento. Through the responses and a discussion with my family, we decided to go to Pompeii and Herculaneum on a separate day. Tim, you made a very good point about paying a driver to sit there while we go on the tour of Pompeii, it does seem a little excessive. Frank also made a great point about being able to take our time at the archeological sites, I don't want to have to rush through it and it seems like a lot to do in one day.
I appreciate you all. Now look for my second post with questions about taking a ferry to Positano and Capri.
Ciao!

Note that scheduled train times from Rome to Naples vary from 1+ hours to almost 3 hours.