Hello all and sorry for the long post!
We are flying into Rome from the US West Coast with arrival on Sep. 8. Our plan is to take the train to Salerno when we arrive and stay there for 6 nights. We have already booked a room at Casa Hari. I have no doubt that we will suffer typical jet lag.
Our plans so far are (everything a day trip on public transit):
- Naples and the Archaeological museum.
- Paestum on one day
- Herculaneum or Pompeii. So far the plan is Herculaneum. I have been there many years ago but not my husband.
- Ferry along the Amalfi Coast.
- Wander around Salerno.
This is our first stop in a 5 week trip. We don't like to pack in too much in a day, enjoy archaeology and art, and love just walking around and also enjoy small, out of the way villages. (WIthout a car the latter is probably difficult.)
- Does this seem like a reasonable plan or should we add or drop any destinations?
- Do I need to worry about taking the train to Naples in the morning and returning in the afternoon on a weekday?
- I just discovered that cruise ships stop in Salerno and am concerned about the impact to a peaceful trip. We did visit Paris in August last year staying in the Montmartre and had a great time. So, busy times can still be fun. Should I worry less?
- Should we opt to visit Capri on a day instead of some other place.
Thank you for you help!
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7588 posts
No worries about the trains between Naples and Salerno. They are frequent. See the Trenitalia website for times of the Freccia (high speed) and regional trains.
As for cruise ships, it looks like there are no ships porting from September 8-11. Then only one daily , leaving around 1800 each day. See the Cruise Mapper website for details: https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/salerno-port-290?month=2026-09#schedule
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
2168 posts
The only place Salerno is not well positioned for is Herculaneum which is best reached by going to Naples and then backtracking or combining with another day trip to Naples. The train to Pompeii drops you off at the actual Pompeii train station near the southern entrance near the Roman arena. You can map this or really just follow the crowd through the town to the gate. This gate will less busy but you will need to walk towards the main gate area to reach the Forum, but it is all Pompeii ruins along the way. (Check the Pompeii park map.)
Paestum is amazing - hopefully the second story of the museum with the Roman artifacts is open now because it wasn't in 2024. There is a flat walk along the dusty streets to the site itself from the train station. If you want to do the museum first turn right or turn left to so the site first. If it's going to be warm I'd recommend the site first and museum afterwards. Get an early start since there is a lag in the trains after noon.
Casa Hari is well positioned for access to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the train station and ferry dock. Salerno has a long, major pedestrian shopping street Corso Vittorio Emanuele which starts at the train station and ends running into old town with a bunch of restaurants, bars and cafes. Staying anywhere along this street gives easy access to the old town, the train station (you will use often) and the ferry if you want to do the Amalfi Coast thing as well while you are there. The ferry dock is a 10 minute walk straight down to the dock from the train station. If you're spending time in Salerno the Cathedral is interesting - don't miss the crypt underneath! The art and poetry alleys in the oldest section of town are worth seeking out and exploring if that's your thing at all.
If you're in Salerno for an extended period of time do not miss the eté Prime at 174 Corso Vittorio Emanuele tucked away between the clothes shops and a bank. The front opening onto Corso Vittorio Emanuele is a small hallway but set back from the street is an amazing grocery store worth knowing about. The store is kind of like Conad meets Whole Foods and one in Salerno has high end goods at really good prices. I saw 6 kinds of local specialty Buffalo Mozzarella for 2-6e, selection of bakery breads, and shelves of Barolo starting at 12e and topping out at 23e. The many fruit and daily needs places that dot the street are fine for everyday things but if you have a kitchen or want to put on a real spread and a nice bottle of wine this store is a great place.
Salerno is unusual for shore town in that is has both excellent seafood but also the land based menu from Campagna. Everything made with tomatoes in the area is amazing. Especially in smaller places expect menus translated by Google and a certain amount of "mystery ordering" where what comes out might not have been what you expected. The town has some of the southern chaos but only a tiny fraction of it compared to something like Naples. It reminds me of Italy in the 90s where everything was a little less settled and adventurous. Way back when Rick used to say he loved Italy because it was "as close to adventure travel as you could have in Europe" and staying in the South reminded me of those days a little bit.
The trains to Naples are often although the trip is largely in a tunnel and unexciting. Get the Trenitlia phone app and set up an account on the website.
The best sfogliatelle in the world is 5 minutes from the Naples train station. Antico Forno delle Sfogliatelle Calde Fratelli Attanasio Vico at Ferrovia 1/2/3/4. Walk over, show up, grab a number right away and wait your turn. So worth it.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
Posted by
Vignola, MO, IT
825 posts
I spent 3 weeks in Salerno several years and loved it. I would recommend visiting Pontecagnano which is just outside of Salerno and has a wonderful Etruscan museum and virtually no tourists there.