We will take the train from Rome to Naples and then can't decide if we should go right to Capri for 1 or 2 days and then try to see Pompeii,Herculaneum,&Naples. Also we want to do the drive along the Amalfi Coast and wonder if we should hire a driver or take a bus tour? We have 5 nights to spend on the Amalfi Coast and then will fly out of Naples. How do you get from the coast to the airport? Hotel recommendations for Sorrento or Positano or Capri? We go in early Oct.
Posted by
Lincoln, NE, USA
390 posts
We also took the train from Rome to Naples, Circumvesuviana to Pompei, one night in Pompei to see the sights, two nights in Sorrento and took the ferry from there to Capri for a daytrip. Then we took the bus from Sorrento to Positano for a few nights with a daytrip to Amalfi via bus. From Positano, we caught the bus to Sorrento and then the Circumvesuviana to Naples train station, then the bus across the street from station to Airport. It took about 2.5 hours total from Positano to Naples Airport. We did it on a very tight budget and stayed in hostels - we loved it, just depends on how much $ you want to spend.
Posted by
OP
Kentfield, CA
4 posts
Thanks for your reply. Your schedule sounds good. Did you use a public bus or a tour bus when you toured the coast?
Posted by
Lincoln, NE, USA
390 posts
The public bus system - SITA. I think it was about €3 and 40 min. from Sorrento to Positano. www.sitabus.it
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Lucy - Good advice above about getting to the airport.
As far as Capri goes, I suggest going from Sorrento or one of the other Amalfi towns. That avoids the headache of getting to or from the ferry terminal in Naples.
Pompeii and Herculaneum are easily reached by the Circumvesuviana train that goes from Naples Central train station to Sorrento. However, if you try to see them on your way from Rome through Naples and then on to Amalfi, it would be tough to do both. For that reason, you might want to base in Sorrento. Then you could make easy day trips back to Herculaneum and Pompeii (and also the Naples archaelogical museum) and to the Amalfi coast (by SITA bus - don't drive) and to Capri.
If you decide you want to stay on the Amalfi coast, though, look up the Hotel Pupetto in Positano.
Posted by
OP
Kentfield, CA
4 posts
Good suggestions. Would it be better to just day trip in Capri or does staying overnight just before we fly out and in that case we could take the ferry to Naples and a taxi to the airport?
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7544 posts
Not sure of all the details and what time your flight leaves, but I would be nervous depending on a ferry and another form of transportation to get to the airport. It is just an increased number of opportunities for error. Do your last night somewhere that you have an easy connection to the airport, and maybe even a back-up.
Posted by
Weston, Florida
1 posts
On Rick Steves' video he recommends taking a private taxi to tour the Amalfi Coast. He briefly mentions the SITA buses and suggests that it can get very crowded. Does anyone have any idea how much something like that costs? Does it have to be prearranged or can I do it in town?
Posted by
OP
Kentfield, CA
4 posts
You are right about not depending on the ferry schedule and possible delays in getting to the airport. Thanks for pointing that out.