Sorrento

I have been to Sorrento twice and it really is an deal hub for what you want to do.I stayed near Tasso Square (Hotel Eden) which was great for nightlife and visiting the many bars and restaurants in the area.
Capri, Herculeneum, Pompeii,Vesuvus, Paestum,and the Amalfi coast drive all easily doable based in Sorrento.

we just completed 3 weeks in Italy and spent 5 nights in Sorrento and for us, that was a perfect amount of time. We stayed at a wonderful B&B (Villa Monica) for 90Euros a night- did not have or need a car. We took the Italo high-speed train from Florence to Sorrento which was very easy & stress-free. Some of our best meals were in Sorrento. We took an easy day trip by train to Herculanaum - it was so amazing - we did put a review on TripAdvisor. We also took a day trip to the Amalfi Coast - Amalfi, Ravello, & Positano with Mondo Guide and it was very well done. I would def stay in the heart of the OLD TOWN because it is so central to the train station, markets, restaurants . . . lots of hotels to choose from. . . our B&B was wonderful and Hotel Mura also seemed like a wonderful location. You've chosen wonderful cities - Florence & Venice were our favorites, as well as Sorrento, Siena, San Gimignano

The sights Unclegus mentions are all recommended, including Mt. Vesuvius. You could also visit the city of Naples (birthplace of pizza and the site of a fantastic archaeological museum), either as a day trip from Sorrento or on the way to Rome. We stayed at a B&B just north of Sorrento proper, in Piano di Sorrento, over New Years. The B&B owner said that April was actually the best time of year to visit.

Thanks for the reply. When you say a train to Sorrento from Florence did this include the circumvesuviana? I'll check out the hotels, there seem to be some nice smaller properties that are reasonable. I've seen the mondo tours, I'll take a closer look. How many on the bus? Did you have enough time in each city? So much to see and do. Keep telling myself you can't see it all. This will be our second trip and the only repeats will be Venice and Rome. Thanks for your help.

We used the Circumvesuviana to get to Naples twice, but had a rental car to go to other locations, and took the boat to Capri. Not sure if you'll be driving or taking a train or bus, but Paestum could be a bit of a long day from Sorrento. We actually visited Paestum on the way to Sorrento, staying that night in the city of Eboli, north of Paestum. We drove the Autostrada the next day thru Naples and on to Sorrento.

Ya. The book says it's a full day. By the time we finish Capri, Pompeii, a few museums in Naples and the Amallfi coast not sure we'll be up for it. So have you been to Herculaneum and Pompeii. Is one really better than the other?

Herculaneum is smaller (so maybe easier to fit into a busy schedule if you only have time for one site), and is unique in still having wood intact beams -- those in Pompeii burned up in the eruption. However, Pompeii is great, and we enjoyed both, along with other ancient Roman sights in the area.

At least the days we were there, Pompeii was full of massive tour groups, and it absolutely poured rain at Herculaneum. That was a good chance to see the ancient gutters in the streets in action!

I'll just comment on a couple of points: (1) Does the Mondo Amalfi Coast van tour spend enough time in each town? In my experience, no. I took that tour in May 2014, soon after it began. At least that day, the driver made several lengthy photo stops along the way, stops that could have taken 5 minutes but lasted 15 minutes or more, and then a lengthy lunch stop, relaxing lunch but not in one of the towns nor in a place with a great coastal view. Then we spent about 45 to 60 minutes in each of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. Not enough for me, given that the tour was 9 hours or more. I decided to take another day and go to Amalfi and Ravelo again by bus, and spent more time in each. I don't think the boats were running that day. So, my bottom line was the day tour was easy, worthwhile and a great value, but imperfect, at least at that time. Don't know if it has evolved since then. (2) The ruins at Herculaneum and Pompeii are very different and both are very interesting and worthwhile, I think. When I was in Sorrento I went by train to Herculaneum in the morning, then back to Pompeii in the afternoon. I actually visited Oplontis in between, and had lunch nearby, and that made the day a bit too tiring. I did not go up Vesuvius.

Might actually have time for both, not sure I want to see the gutters in action. I think there is a museum that has most of the artwork from Pompeii. Have you seen this and if so was it worth it? Wear dedicating one entire day to these sights as its high on our list of priorities. Thanks for your comments. It really helps.

According to the Italo train website, the high-speed train goes from Bologna through Florence, Rome and Naples to Salerno. It is easier to do a day trip to Paestum from there than from Sorrento. When I tried to plan a visit there, based in Sorrento, I gave it up. It's just not easy to get from Sorrento to Salerno. I think you would probably need to spend a night in either Salerno or Paestum to make it worthwhile . . . or use a car, possibly hire a driver.

I can't quite understand your itinerary for the first week. Are you planning to go from Orvieto to Vernazza to Venice and then go to Sorrento from Venice? That's wasting a lot of travel time. Vernazza to Venice is a minimum of 5 hours (with 4 trains) and at least 6 hours for most connections (3 trains minimum). There are a couple trains a day from Venice to Naples that take just over 5 hours. Then you have to take the Circumvesuviana for over an hour to Sorrento - which may be running every 1/2 hour, maybe less frequently. I know you didn't ask, but trying to fit those 3 towns into a week is going to use the better part of a day going to, and none is convenient to Sorrento or Salerno.

Since you are planning to spend little time in Sorrento itself, it makes the most sense to choose a room that is walking distance to the train station and to the center (for dinners after a long day of sightseeing). 5 nights gives you 4 days - that's not a lot. Pompeii is huge. You can visit Herculaneum and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (a wow) in one day. That leaves you just 2 days for the Amalfi coast towns and Paestum.

I spent 5 nights in Sorrento this year in September to October and i enjoyed being there that amount of time. From Sorrento we went to the Amalfi coast, Capri, and Pompeii. It wasn't too much time for me, and that's not even adding in Paestum. Sorrento I thought was a great place to come back to in the evenings after day trips for dinner and an evening stroll. We stayed in a really reasonable place called Green House Hotel which was close to the train station. From there, walked everywhere including to both marinas.

Chani, thank you for the reply. You make some great points. Yes the first week is a little hectic, we talked this through before booking. Though we usually bring food and wine on the train and make it a period of mandatory rest. We don't believe in relaxing at the hotel for this kind of a trip! It should give us enough time in each area to see and do what we want to. We have been to Venice once before, but on advice from others we only spent 24 hours there and though we made great use of the time we really want to see it again. I always tell myself you can't see it all.
Reading the comments we are starting to realize that Paestum is probably not realistic. We were planning on renting a car and taking the autostrada out as is suggested in ricks guidebook. Would this make a difference?
On Hurculaneum and Pompeii it sounds like your suggesting two days for these sites, which is really what brought us here. That will still give us two days for the Amalfi coast and Capri. The Amallfi coast and the rest is just extras, When you say (Wow) after the museum was that a wow really cool or a lot to do in a day? I could always store luggage the train station on the way to Rome and go see the museum then. I could also add another day to Sorrento as I have spent a fair amount of time on Rome before.

Thanks again for your comments, they have been very helpful.

Karen, I agree. Ya pretty much have thrown out the Paestum idea, sounds too difficult. We will see Sorrento in the afternoons and evenings as a wind down after the busy days. It sounds perfect for that. I see your from Missouri as well. We are west of St. Louis. Thanks for the comment.

We just completed a 5-night stay in Sorrento and we were only able to accomplish the following:

Day 1: Arrive in Sorrento from Florence (1/2 day lost in travel) and do laundry while it poured down rain outside
Day 2: Explore Sorrento (Correale di Terranova Museum, Chiostro di San Francesco, Il Vallone dei Mulini and many stops in between)
Day 3: Visit Pompeii and Herculaneum (Both are equally good and very different from one another. I do recommend a guide though as it will help you understand what you are seeing. I've seen Pompeii with and without a guide and do very much recommend a guide).
Day 4: Visit Naples and the Archeological Museum (we visited with the help of a guide listed in Rick's book).
Day 5: Pack up and take the circumvesuvania back to Naples and another train to Rome

If I'd had another week I certainly would have been able to visit Paestum (full day trip), Capri (full day trip), Amalfi Coast (full day trip) and I would have loved to visit the palace at Caserta as well.

You can probably visit Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day, but I wouldn't recommend adding Mt Vesuvius to the same day unless you are high-energy travelers. It's almost easier to do Pompeii and Vesuvius on one day and Herculaneum and the Archeological Museum on another...And Naples itself could easily take a whole day.

Rmgillardi, if you are near enough to St Louis, you might be interested in attending our travel group sometime. Our next meeting is tomorrow at 10am at the St Louis Bread Co in Sunset Hills. The details are in the travel groups section, or you can pm me. It's always a fun time with lots of travel talk.

When in Sorrento should I stay in town or more out of town near Marina
Grande?

The marina is IN town but at the base of the cliffs near the water. It's also not the marina the ferries depart/arrive from; you'll want to head to Marina Piccola for those. While it's picturesque as all get out, the fishing marina (Grande) is a steep climb down and back up again - although there is bus service. Personally, I'd want to be up top closer to more restaurants, shops and the train station, and there are some wonderful views of the Bay of Naples from upper points as well.

No, I don't think 5 nights are too many at all.

I'll recommend Hotel Antiche Mura as well; it's just a couple of blocks from Piazza Tasso but just enough off the beaten to be quiet at night. We had a great stay there, and would book it again in a minute.

When you say a train to Sorrento from Florence did this include the
circumvesuviana?

Yes, the Circumvesuviana is the only train which serves Sorrento. You change to this train at Naples vis a short walk through Napoli Centrale to connecting Garibaldi Station. You will also use this train to get to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius National Park. Tickets are VERY inexpensive; buy them when you get there, and don't forget to validate them before boarding!

I don't think I'd try to do Herculaneum and Pompeii on the same day but it depends on how interested you are in the ruins. Pompeii is an expansive site, and we spent 6+ hours (including RT train) there on our self-guided day trip and didn't cover it all. I'll highly recommend doing some deep reading on that one before you go!

Here's some helpful maps
http://www.pompeionline.net/pompei-ruins-city-map
http://www.pompeiisites.org/Sezione.jsp?titolo=MAPS+AND+GUIDE&idSezione=6796

That last link includes one for Herculanum as well.

And some good reading:
http://www.pompeionline.net

And printable guides from the official website (http://www.pompeiisites.org):
http://www.pompeiisites.org/allegati/pompei_ing%20Finale_150306115812.pdf
http://www.pompeiisites.org/allegati/ercolano_ita%20finale_150306120238.pdf

The Archaeological museum in Naples is truly worthwhile, and sounds like you'll want to spend a fair amount of time there, as did we.

The Autostrada is pretty quick, but it's still some time and distance to Paestum and back. There's a smallish museum across the street from the Paestum ruins, too, but it's not as grand as what's in Naples.

If you wind up in Naples as a day trip from Sorrento, or on the way to or from somewhere, I'd not recommend having a car in that huge city.

Five nights is not too long. We've been there 3 times, for a week each time, and we always hate leaving. It's our favorite place in Italy. Day trips are great, but be sure to schedule time to explore and experience Sorrento as well. It's a charming town. They have the best passeggiata of anywhere we've been.

I go slower than most people. I like to linger and I like to take photos. I was in Sorrento in February, sights closed around 5 p.m. I think in April the sights will be open later. I spent most of a day at Pompeii, including a long, but mostly interesting walk, to the Villa dei Misteri - not to be missed in my opinion. On the advice of friends I skipped the long walk out to the amphitheatre, not to be confused with the much closer theatre. I spent 5 hours at Herculaneum. On the street leading from the train to the sight, there's MAV (Museo Archeologico Virtuale), a virtual reconstruction of life before the eruption. I didn't see it, but others told me they quite enjoyed it. I would probably have spent less time there if it hadn't been cold and raining, so I think it could be combined with the archaeology museum. I used a separate day for the museum, expecting to spend a couple of hour in the museum, then use the afternoon to see a bit of Naples. I spent 6-1/2 hours at the museum! I'm sure many people only spend 2. On my next visit to Sorrento (fell in love with it) I plan to spend a day in Naples to see something besides the museum, though I'm sure I'll go back to revisit it.

You asked Are there other spots in Italy I should visit? Dozens! You'll be planning your next trip by the time you get on your flight home.

I agree with most - 5 nights is not too long as there are many side trips that you can take out of Sorrento and the evenings walking through the town after a days tour are very relaxing. My sister and I have stayed there twice now and vow that it will be a consistent consideration when planning our trips. We tend to go in the summer which is nice as there are several really inexpensive day "clubs" you can go to for a down day on the sea. I would recommend the Hotel Il Faro in the Marina Piccolo which as several have said is at the base of the hill. There are some nice casual eateries there and it is a quick walk up or you can take the bus which drops you in the main square (minutes) from the hotel. It is nothing fancy, but clean and comfortable with a nice breakfast in the am. If there happen to be fire works for any reason (and there often are) there is a beautiful view from the rooftop garden area. We have always gone by car and I will say driving the Amplify coast was an experience..... You can take a day trip as well to Capri on the ferry which you can get right outside of the hotel.

I agree with a lot of the above. We spent 4 nights in Sorrento in October, but did not go to Capri. We did rent a car on one day and I drove to Paestum by cutting over to the A3 on the way down and returned via the Amalfi coast (yes, I drove the Amalfi coast). I did have my Garmin GPS along. We stayed at an airbnb place just off Piazza Tasso, which was remarkably quiet despite being in the heart of the "action." We used the Circumvesuviana to: 1) get to/from Naples for our arrival/departure trains, 2) get to Pompeii (we didn't have time for Herculaneum), and 3) for a day trip to Naples for the archaeological museum (worth it for the Farnese Bull alone) and pizza at Pizzeria da Michele (expect to wait).

I could see staying in Sorrento for 5 nites for sure. We were there for 2 nites last year and loved it. Near Piazza Tasso is where u want to be. We stayed in Palazzo Tasso and would recommend it.

We did do Paestum separately (not when we were staying in Sorrento) it was very nice, but it would be a hike from Sorrento.

5 nights is definitely not too long. We stayed in Sorrento in 2013 for 5 days and wish we had stayed another 2-3 days. Sorrento makes a wonderful base. We stayed in a great hotel just off Piazza Tasso and in the pedestrian-only area. It was a very easy walk to everything including Marina Grande. I'm glad we didn't stay close to the marina as there are more shops/restaurants in the upper part of the town near the main piazza. Every night, we walked down to Marina Grande to watch the sunset but enjoyed staying just off the main piazza. Sorrento is pretty small, compact and walkable but personally I enjoyed staying in town. We felt like we were in the middle of all the action and at night, we loved walking around, shopping, sampling gelato and people-watching. You can easily walk to the train station to catch the Circumvesuviana to Naples where you can transfer to a train to Rome, whereas if you stay near Marina Grande, you will be walking up hill with luggage, etc. Have a great trip.