Salerno Questions

Salerno is indeed worth a visit, and one or two overnight stays. The seafront promenade is pretty, as is the old, central part of town. No beach in Salerno proper, but several on the way to Paestum. Speaking of which, it might be difficult to get there at sunset, or to come back later, as there may be no buses then. Plus, you'll need to know the opening days and times for the Greek temples there. The tourist office can help. That, and all the regional buses, are on the train station square. In fact, Salerno is an ideal location to explore the places you mentioned, but yes, it's pushing it, indeed impossible, to do Amalfi/Ravello and Paestum the same day. (They're in opposite directions.) One place you shouldn't miss is Vietri, the first small town on the way to Amalfi - it's where all the colorful ceramic art you'll see on the Amalfi coast is made. You can visit stores and artists' dens. In fact, a splendid day would be to go to Vietri by bus (15 minutes) in the morning, continue by bus to Amalfi, (another 45 minutes,) have lunch there, then bus to Ravello, a further 20-minute ride uphill. You didn't mention the month of your visit, but ferries to/from Salerno and/or Sorrento, (about one hour) (which stop in Amalfi) only operate May-September. On another day you could take a train to Pompei (less than one hour away.) Check the Trenitalia and Sita Bus sites.

I agree with the previous comments that Salerno is indeed worth a visit, and is an excellent base for exploring Paestum and the Amalfi Coast by public transportation. Sorrento to Salerno boats: Metro del Mare is not running this year, which means that boat service (Alicost) is extremely limited to a couple of runs daily. SITA buses: hourly to Amalfi, with hourly onward buses to both Ravello and Positano/Sorrento Trains to Paestum: Trenitalia unreserved regionale trains throughout the day. LAST train back to Salerno departs Paestum at 21:45. 35 minute ride. BEWARE: Paestum train station is unmanned, so you must buy your return ticket either in Salerno or at a toboacconist or newstand in Paestum. CSTP buses to Paestum: a slower alternative to the train (take twice as long, and scenery is not that great). Hourly service from Monday through Saturday (few buses on Sunday). LAST departure from Paestum back to Salerno at 20:07. The train and the bus fare to Paestum from Salerno are IDENTICAL: 3.30 Euros each way, or 5.30 Euros for a full-day ticket on Saturday or Sunday only (UNICO CAMPANIA E5 ticket) NOTE: the 3-day UNICO CAMPANIA TOURIST TICKET (20 Euros) is valid on the trains and CSTP buses to Paestum, and is a very good value if you use public transportation in the area for 3 consecutive days. It covers the transportation needs of most tourists in the whole Campania Region, EXCEPT boats, buses on Capri, and private bus companies like Curreri and Marozzi.

NOTE: the 3-day Campania Artecard "tutta la regione" (27 Euros) is another great value. It duplicates the previous transportation ticket, PLUS gets you into two museums or archeological site for free, plus additional sites at a 50% reduction. This makes sense, for example, if you visit both Pompei and Paestum. HOWEVER, it is not sold in Salerno. You must purchase it at the Naples train station Infopoint OR at one of the museums/sites included in the circuit. www.artecard.it www.unicocampania.it www.alicost.it www.cstp.it
www.ferroviedellostato.it

Thanks for the great information...it's exactly what I was looking for. I'm planning this for Sept 2012 & was planning to use Sorrento as my base for about 5-6 days. Do you suggest splitting my 5-6 days between Sorrento & Salerno instead? I will combine Amalfi & Ravello into a different day...what are your opinons on Amalfi by the way? Is Amalfi even worth a visit? I've read mixed things about Amalfi. Thanks again for your input.

Yes, you should split your stay between Sorrento and Salerno if you want to experience the Amalfi coast and Paestum. Amalfi has a pretty duomo (with attached small museum) and not much else, but is a good transportation base, since all buses end there and you must change, to go anywhere else, like Ravello, or Salerno. But like all others coastal towns, it's the views getting there, and from there, that make the trip worthwhile. 3 days in Sorrento mean a neat stay there plus a day trip to Capri (or Pompei or Ercolano.) 3 days in Salerno mean a neat stop there plus a day trip to Paestum and/or a day trip to Vietri and/or to Amalfi/Ravello. Bussing Sorrento-Amalfi (where all buses end, and you have to change) and on to Salerno would mean a long day. For best views, sit on the right side from Sorrento, left side from Salerno. You could also take a ferry or private boat to follow the coast. but you're planning too far in advance to be sure of finding one.

Yes, you should definitely split your stay between Sorrento and Salerno if you want to experience the Amalfi Coast (and Capri, and Paestum, and several other places. As for Amalfi, all buses end there, and you have to change, giving you a quick look. Or you could do the whole coast by boat or ferry, but Sept. 2012 is a long way away, and who knows what will be available then?