Going on a tour in Italy and we will be spending 2 days in Sorrento . On my free day should I spend extra money to visit Sorrento or will there be plenty more to do things in Sorrento? My sister will be with me and she wants to do all the extra cost excursions and I think it will add up to a lot at the end of the trip?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16209 posts
You can very easily visit Capri on your own using the many ferries and hydrofoils from Sorrento. The cost of the boat crossing is puny. Even if you buy an all day boat excursion with a local company (of which there are plenty) you will probably save over the excursion organized by your tour/cruise company.
Sorrento doesn’t take long to visit, a few hours will suffice, so no reason to stick there the whole two days. Another option for a day trip is the Amalfi Coast (by bus, or boat, or car. If you have two full days in Sorrento (3 nights) you can probably do both Capri and the Amalfi Coast (one each day). You can see Sorrento in the evenings when you return from your day trips, if you spend your nights in Sorrento.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16709 posts
Agreeing with Roberto: you don't need a tour or a guide for Capri, just use the ferries to get over and back. You can buy tickets at Marina Piccola in Sorrento, although the website for information recommends pre-purchasing if a visit is during high season.
This website will give you current schedules for ferries going both ways (choose your route from the dropdowns at top). There are more ferries running during high season than there are in the winter, and they don't run at all between Sorrento and Positano and some other towns during the off season.
http://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/ferry-schedule
While you can get an idea of schedules, it looks to be less expensive to purchase tickets directly from ferry companies if you want to buy in advance. You'd also avoid booking fees if you buy at the marina.
Posted by
OP
35 posts
Thank you to you both I really appreciate your inputs make me feel more confident in my trip planning. I will go to the marina and buy my tickets directly. They must increase their routes to meet with the increase of tourist.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16709 posts
Regarding Capri....
Most of the island is pedestrianized so you'll be exploring on foot however there are little buses which run from the docks up the steep hill to the town of Capri as well as up Mt Solaro to the town of Anacapri. There is also a funicular from the docks to Capri town.
You'll find all that information here:
https://www.capri.com/en/getting-around
(skip all the other info on this site for organized/escorted tours: you do not need them.)
Some attractions on the island have fees, such as the chairlift to the very top of Mt Solaro, but it doesn't cost anything to hike around the island, and was our favorite thing to do anyway. Buy a map of the island at the tourist info center in Capri town as you'll need it to weave your way around on foot.
What I would skip? The Blue Grotto; quite expensive for the very short amount of time you're in the thing, and can eat up a chunk of time if you're just day tripping the island. If Capri has one thing I'd classify as a tourist trap, it's that one.