Sorrento to Paestum

One option might be to stay in Sorrento, take the train from there to Paestum (circumvesuviana local train Sorrento to Naples, then regional train Naples to Paestum), and then return from Paestum by bus. The return bus ride would take you through Amalfi; in fact, the bus trip involves changing buses in Amalfi.

Have you considered taking the train from Rome to Salerno, visiting Paestrum and then making your way to Amalfi or one of the towns. The next day continue to Sorrento and that way you're not backtracking.

I think I like Kathy's suggestion better than my own.

If you will be in Sorrento, one option is to take the SITA bus to Salerno. You will change buses in Amalfi as the buses do not go all the way through. At Salerno, you can pick up the Regionale train from Salerno to Paestum. This will avoid the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples. One other option could be the ferry from Sorrento to Salerno (if there is one going that far). I think Metro del Mare may do this. A final option is to take the Circumvesuviana train back to the Pompei-Scavi stop and take a quick taxi to the Trenitalia train stop further into the center of Pompei and then jump on the train to Paestum. Again, this avoids going all of the way back to Naples.

My wife and I loved Sorrento, but the drive down the Amalfi coast took much longer than I thought and was "exciting" to say the least. From Salerno, the drive back to Rome was easy. I think I liked Sorrento the best even though the coast was spectacular!

I drove from Naples to Paestum, and it is easy. Driving from Sorrento to the autostrada should be pretty easy too. With a car you will able to visit a buffalo mozzarella farm, get some made that morning and have a picnic on the beach.

'Driving from Sorrento to the autostrada should be pretty easy' Figure close to an hour to cover the fifteen miles up to the freeway north of Castellammare - - traffic moves at a miserable crawl. 'I drove from Naples to Paestum, and it is easy' Doesn't make sense since the quickest road is the one described above and makes the first quote puzzling. If you head for Paestum along the south side of the penninsula, it's going to take a good three hours to go something like seventy-five miles. If you drive, allow plenty of time. My recent experience was was either February or March - - probably with similar traffic to November - - certainly not summer-packed.