In late August/early September, we are staying in Vico Equense rather than Sorrento as our hub. It is a 10-min train ride to Sorrento and a bit closer to points north. We are planning to day trip to Naples, Herculaneum and Pompeii to the north, and to the coastal towns to the south--with a separate stay in Capri. It's an embarrassment of riches! So my questions: 1) Are Pompeii and Herculaneum do-able in the same day, or am I insane? 2) A day trip to Naples would include the Archaeological Museum and the Spaccanapoli walk--should we bite the bullet and stay over in Naples our last night before flying home? 3) Is a day trip from Vico Equense/Sorrento south to visit Positano, Amalfi and Ravello just too hurried? I know Ravello is removed from the coast, but I am contemplating a two-night stay there, and visit Amalfi and Positano from there. I saw Ravello once 20 years ago and I want my partner to experience it (for the first time) nicely. 4) Finally, it would be easier to return to Naples from Capri but if we found ourselves finishing up in/near Ravello, what's the best way back to Naples from there (i.e. least stressful)--south to Salerno and fast-training it? Originally I was planning to base entirely out of one place (i.e. Vico Eq) to avoid the multiple pack/unpack thing. But perhaps all the day-tripping is less pleasurable than another hotel or two?
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
HEY! Someone's finally staying in Vico Equense!
As I said in a previous post, when we were leaving Sorrento in March after 5 nights there, the Curreri Viaggi bus to Naples airport took us by Vico Equense, and although very small, it looked awesome and I stated that was to be a destination on my next trip. I require a detailed trip report!
To address your issues:
1) Personally, I would do Pompei for sure and Ercolano as a possibility on the fly if you're up for it stamina-wise. Thing is, you could spend 3 hours at Pompei or 6 hours, depending on how into it you are. And if it's real hot, that may temper your enthusiasm as well!
2) Two issues--yes, you can do the Archeological Museum and Spaccanapoli no problem on a daytrip. In fact, I would do Arch Museum after you see Pompei (not on the same day, however) because it's like a bookend--all the actual art from Pompei is at the Museum, but Pompei kind of sets it up for you, makes the art that much more enjoyable. And at the Arch Museum, don't bypass the Farnese wing. I did, and have regretted it since.
As far as staying in Naples the night before, unless you have an early flight out (before 11 AM), you don't have to. Just take the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and then take the Curreri Viaggi bus right to Naples Capodichino airport. That specific trip will take about 90 minutes, and will also take you right by Vico Equense again but I don't think it stops there--you can check.
3, 4) Many ways to skin this cat, and personal preference plays a big part, but if I were doing it again, I'd stay a couple nights in Amalfi, Positano or Ravello. The view is even better than Vico Equense, much better than Sorrento. The north coast has its own beauty with the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius in the background, but the south coast (the actual A.C.) rivals the best scenery on Earth. And where you do that in the trip itself will determine when & how you get back to Naples to fly home.
BTW, do not know much about Capri or staying there. Let us know the total time of your stay on the peninsula--3 separate hotels might be a bit much now that I think of it.
To my way of thinking, the least stressful way would be to stay a couple nights on the A.C to start, then move over to Vico Equense for daytrips and then to get to Naples for the flight home. Again, personal preference.
Enjoy your planning!
Posted by
1070 posts
That's a good itinerary! I did Pompeii and Herculaneum in the same day. These were both major objectives for me and i did not feel hurried in any sense by packing them together. Get to Pompeii as early as you can (by noon it was packed), head home for lunch break, and then do Herculaneum late in the afternoon (it's open late into the day.) There's tons to see in Naples, but if you're focused on Spaccanapoli and the museum that's a pretty easy day. I would stay on the Amalfi coast for at least a night rather than day trip. Ravello is definitely too far to do as a day trip. I visited Capri as a stopover from Sorrento to Amalfi for a morning/afternoon and I felt like that was plenty (and a must visit.) If you stay on the Amalfi coast, it's easiest to ferry onward to Salerno. It's a quick ride and plenty of ferries available, the train station is a short walk from the dock.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12101 posts
As you plan to do activities in Naples, I would make it my last night location to make getting to airport the least stressful option.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8064 posts
I suggest that you use the search box (top center) because you have asked a lot of very meaty questions. If you're not also working from a guidebook, you need what you can get from the massive number of past discussions. For just one example, if you are going home "from" the Amalfi Coast, it is absolute madness to consider leaving there the morning of your flight home. You are way behind on your research and will ruin your vacation if you don't get that "last night" planning out of the way. It comes before you decide even where on the A.C. you might be at the end.
Vico Eq is not on the A.C., but there's nothing wrong with it. The key fact is that it has a Circumvesuviana station. Remember that August is vacation month in Europe. You'll be travelling with several million of your closest friends, on a two-lane road from Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast.
Posted by
NYC
490 posts
Not sure how long you have..personally I would not see P & H in same day in hottest time of year.
I visit Campania regularly and stay on Ischia for 2-3 night initially to relax, spas beaches just enough historical sights, then ferry to Capri for a week, then ferry to Positano 2 nights, see towns, back to Naples sleep fly home.
If Capri only had a "half day of sights " to offer people would not pay multi-millions to live there! Stay a few nights and discover the magic when day trippers and grotto goers disappear at dusk...
Definitely stay IN Naples the night before you fly. I stay at UNA Hotel Napoli near main train station.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
For just one example, if you are going home "from" the Amalfi Coast,
it is absolute madness to consider leaving there the morning of your
flight home. You are way behind on your research and will ruin your
vacation if you don't get that "last night" planning out of the way.
It comes before you decide even where on the A.C. you might be at the
end.
Not 100% true, Tim. From the actual Amalfi Coast, yes, everything would have to fall into place--the 45 minute bus ride from Positano to Sorrento first off. But from the north coast, if the flight is after 12:00, let's say and the OP should be at Capodichino airport by 10:00, it's easy enough to take the 7:30 (or even 8:30) Curreri Viaggi bus from Sorrento station. I should know because we did it on the 8:30 for a 12:05 flight, it cost 10 Euro apiece, it was easy and we had plenty of time.
Only caveat is how Capodichino is in August vs. when we were there in March, when there were short lines and we whizzed through security quickly.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8064 posts
Well, Jay, the OP speculated about finishing the vacation in RAVELLO, not so much Positano! And it's not 100% clear whether the first ? flight of the trip home is from Naples. It could be from Rome. He left a lot out, in a stream-of-consciousness writing style.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
True, Ravello would make it inadvisable. How would one do it? Walk/ride down to Amalfi bus place there near the water, bus to Salerno, train Salerno/Naples Centrale, taxi to Capodichino? Yuck.
Maybe if I had stayed in Naples at some point--still haven't in two trips in the vicinity, I'd have a better feel for it. As much as you are not a fan of Sorrento (and I'm not that much either), it would be the best place that's not Naples if one wanted to leave from somewhere else and fly out the same day.