Sicily to Rome Stops

Whatever you do, don't try to save a travel day by taking the night train. I did that in the opposite direction in 2015, and it was utter misery. The tracks must be in wretched shape.

How long is your Sicily tour? You may want to add more time in Sicily. I noticed the RS tour gives an overview, not in depth, of many of places there.

You could fly to Naples from Palermo or Catania. Aitalia has cheap nonstops from both these destinations. Naples is an interesting city. You could spend a few days there before heading to the Amalfi Coast. The archeological museum is great to see if you’re planning to see Pompei. The idea to see more of Sicily is also good.

I like the idea of some extra time in Sicily, too. The itinerary no longer includes any of the Baroque towns in the southeast. Ragusa, Noto, Modica and Scicli are all worth visiting.

Well, I did wonder about staying on in Sicily by myself somewhere after the group departs. I will have been there on a Overseas Adventure Travel expedition that begins with 4 nights/5 days in Puglia (+ I get in a day early), then spends 12 nights/13 days in Sicily w/ at mostly 3 nights each in Palermo, Mazara Del Vallo, Caltagirone, Modica and Catania. I even looked into the Aeolians.

Where to go back to in Sicily? The draw of Ravello and Vesuvius is strong, however.

I've already nixed the overnight ferry from Sicily to Naples. Is it worth reconsidering? If not and if there's no (pretty direct) train, I will seek a driver to Ravello. I'm not wild about flying into Naples then hopping down to Ravello to eventually get back to Naples - which is where I figured I'd get a train to Rome.

Amalfi Coast will be quiet but not dead that time of year, which may be what appeals to you. Buses run less frequently (maybe hourly) and there are no ferries. I stayed in Sorrento for several days before a RS tour that started early November and day tripped to Amalfi Coast, Capri, Naples and other surrounding sites. That worked well too, as all were easy trips.

In terms of transportation, there is an 8:41 am Intercity train that would take you from Catania to Salerno with no changes. The train trip takes about 7 hours, then add the time it would take you to get by bus from Salerno to Amalfi and up to Ravello. That means you'll be spending almost all of one day getting from Sicily to Amalfi Coast. I agree with others that the better option is to fly from Catania to Naples. Flight takes about an hour and price is competitive with the train. It would reduce your travel time by about half even though it might seem like the long way around.

Siracuse in Sicily is wonderful and could easily fill a few days. Noto is another great Baroque city.

I assumed you were on the RS tour. I'm surprised there's such a long tour of Sicily that doesn't cover Siracusa. Stay in Ortygia, the medieval district. The city is also a good base for the Baroque towns I mentioned in my earlier post if you don't want to rent a car.

Ortigia is a lovely place to relax for 3-4 days. But if your heart is set on the Amalfi Coast, then go to Salerno. There are two bus lines along the AC, one from Sorrento to Amalfi and the other from Amalfi to Salerno. Much of the drive from Sorrento is inland, all of the drive from Salerno is coastal. If you want to go farther in one direction, you change buses in Amalfi. Also if you want to go to Ravello, you either hike up the hill or take the bus from Amalfi. That makes staying in Ravello somewhat impractical. Salerno is a fairly large town with a big, sandy beach and a historic center that is more interesting than that of Sorrento. You can also day trip by train or bus to Paestum to see the Greek temples and archaeology museum (if your Sicily tour doesn't go to the more impressive Greek temples there). More advantages to Salerno are that it's mostly flat (the center of Sorrento is high above the seashore), significantly cheaper than Sorrento or the AC towns (both rooms and restaurants - which are at least as good), and is on the high speed train line to Naples and Rome.

From all I've read, there's not much to see on Vesuvius. If you go to Pompeii you'll see it looming above the site. You can get to Pompeii from Salerno by train - though not quite as conveniently as from Sorrento.

This is all helpful. Now I'm very serious about Salerno. Maybe it and Sorrento. Looks like best travel would be flight from Catania to Naples, bus/cab/Uber (?) to train station there, train to Salerno...correct? Can decide then if I want to go onto Sorrento for a couple of nights if I haven't been able to get to my Amalfi sites and Capri w/o tons of bus time. Something about a hill top town.

Also, am I out of my mind to think I might hire a car w/driver or, again, Uber for some of this (like Naples to Salerno)? Another forum said is really efficient but very expensive for a solo traveler but won't share how much. (I was able to work great deals w/ drivers in South Africa and Morocco). OAT won't give me tour guide contact for help w/ this.

Thanks, all. Jo.

And has anyone had experience w the overnight ferry from Catania to Salerno?

And has anyone had experience w the overnight ferry from Catania to Salerno?

Capri and bus time? Stayed four nights and did not experience that at all.

Fly to Naples and take the bus (€6} to Napoli Centrale where you can catch the train to Salerno (€9.50).If you want to stay on the coast, consider Villa Annalara in Amalfi. I stayed there last fall after my RS tour of Sicily and loved it. Easy to take buses north or south to visit other towns or zoom up to Ravello.