Train from Rome to Sorrento then Florence and Venice. Private driver in Amalfi vs ferry?

Hello-
You will take a train from Rome to Naples- book ahead to get discounted rates. Then from Naples to Sorrento you take the Circumvesuviana train or the Campania Express to Sorrento.
Lots of info here as well as links to train/bus/ferry schedules.
https://www.positano.com

From Sorrento to Pompeii is also easy on the Circumvesuviana train.
There are tours as well, here is one suggestion:
https://www.sharedtours.com

As for ferry vs bus from Sorrento to Positano- the buses from Sorrento to Positano will be very crowded, a ride on the ferry probably more pleasant.

From Positano to Florence- take the ferry to Amalfi then transfer to ferry or bus to Salerno and catch a train to Florence from there.

If you are interested in private driver here is the company we chose:
https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com/?portal_referer_id=46
I am sure there are plenty others- some are listed in RS guideboook- which you should get if you don't already have.

For Florence- Walk of Italy tours are fantastic- we have done several in Rome- they offer quite a few in Florence as well.
https://www.walksofitaly.com/florence-tours/

We have traveled to Sorrento 6 or 7 times and always take the same private driving company to transfer from Naples to Sorrento.

When we first traveled this way, my mother had read some concerning items about pickpockets at the Sorrento train station. I do not know if they were true or if it is still the case. We have just always used the driver because the service is wonderful and the man who owns the company has always been kind to us.

We also once took a driving tour of the Amalfi Coast through the same company. It was nice, and well managed. We are glad that we did it, but it's not an experience that we feel the need to do again. But everyone has different interests.

The gentleman's name is Renato Cuomo. His website is https://www.cuomonet.it/. You can email for a price quote.

There are plenty of opinons on this board (search box top center) about the "gritty" Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento. We used it one way, but took a car service back. We had to use a cab in Sorrento anyway, so that was at least 15 Euros just to the Circumvesuviana station. And luggage on the Circumvesuviana is a difficult problem. (Month of your trip - very important for crowding reasons, as well as heat and sun in Pompeii.)

You need to work out the details of your Positano departure day. It's at least a four-seat ride to Florence, and you will spend most of the entire day on it. That's not good or bad (i.e., it's WHY you went to Positano!), but you should start planning it now.

It appears that you're not sleeping in Sorrento. That's fine, but Sorrento is the best place to see Pompeii "from" (as well as, possibly, on the way to.) Many posters here have been perfectly happy with the massive, reliable, luggage check desk at Pompeii, just across the street from the Circumvesuviana. But you can't easily do Pompeii as a daytrip from Positano - except by private car. You might wish to compare the car service cost as a daytrip from Positano with the cost of adding on driver waiting time to do it on the way to Positano.

It's not what we did, but another approach could be to take the Circumvesuviana from Naples to Pompeii and have your hotel's preferred land partner pick you up in a car at Pompeii Scavi after you expect to finish the visit there. (I'm not urging one choice or the other.) We figured that our (Sorrento) hotel's partner had a huge incentive to provide good service, and we even got to put the charge on our hotel bill.

Thank you for the advice. Our trip is in Mid-September. After reading your responses I think we will hire a driver from Naples to Sorrento and possibly make the stop at Pompeii on the way. I will check out the driver Virginia recommended. We are staying two nights in Sorento and then three in Positano. It sounds like the actual drive down the coastal road is not a must do-I think we might enjoy ferrying to the different areas along the coast better. Tim and Christine, Thanks also for the advice on getting from Positano to Florence. I will have to look into going via Salerno as Christine suggested or out of Naples. Maybe it is a direct trip out of Salerno?

There are direct trains from Salerno to Florence and from Naples to Florence
but Positano is closer to Salerno.
Bus and ferry dock in Salerno is just steps from train station

Either way requires a bit of work but Positano to Amalfi via ferry then ferry or bus to Salerno is quicker easier also gives you the chance to see that stretch of the coast.

I like to use www.rome2rio.com to scope out transportation options/routes

I might have added that it can be wise to determine the distance and elevation of the final foot transfer from transport to a hotel in Positano. There are few roads and hundreds of stairs in Positano.

I think we are going to take the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento and then the ferry to Positano as Christina suggested. Last year we went to France and said later that we regretted not using public transit more. So we will try this. I did not realise leaving Positano would be so difficult, but I think we will try the same route back to Naples to get the train to Florence. It seemed that the departures out of Salerno were more limited on times. I will keep private driver or cab as my back up plan for getting back to Naples.

Tim thank you for the tip about the hotel elevation. We have committed to packing very light and are bringing just a convertible backpack and small tote as we read about all the stairs in both Positano and Dubrovnik.

Thank you all for all the great tips.