Train to Sorrento

thanks so much, very helpful!

Melinda, The first step will be to take the Leonardo Express from FCO to Roma Termini. You can buy tickets at the airport station, either from a ticket booth or a Kiosk. Last time I checked, the fare was €14 PP. That's a Regionale train so you MUST validate your ticket in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train, or face a fine on the spot of €50 PP! The trip is about 35 minutes. Have a look at the excellent Ron In Rome website for lots of information on rail travel in Italy. You can also buy your tickets at the airport for the trip from Rome to Naples. Check the Trenitalia website for details on the departure times. You can save money on that route by pre-buying tickets, however that's a bit of a "risky proposition". You'll likely be travelling on the Freccia fast) trains that have compulsory reservations, which are specific to a particular train and departure time. If your flight is late and you miss the train you have tickets for, the tickets will be worthless and you'll have to buy more at full fare. I'd wait and buy them when you arrive, even thought the cost will be higher. That trip is about 2 hours. When you arrive at Napoli Centrale, walk downstairs to the Circumvesuviana station and buy tickets for the trip to Sorrento. That trip will be 1H:06M. You might want to pack along €50-100 so that you'll be able to buy a coffee or snack along the way. Happy travels!

No reservations -- it's a commuter train, just buy your ticket downstairs at the station in Naples. Look for signs -- it's well marked. If you end up on the train at rush hour, you may end up standing with your luggage.

No, I meant the train from Rome to Naples. I understand about the train from Naples to Sorrento, thanks
Meinda

Take a step at a time. Not sure what you mean by taking the shuttle to Termini. Are you using the bus? If not, take the Leonard Express from the airport. And buy your ticket to Naples at the same time. Allow about 15 mins to change trains or add an hour and get a snack in Termini prior to going to Naples. All trains except regional trains require a reservation. So you will need a reservation but that comes with the ticket when you purchase it. And if you miss that train you have an hour to exchange the ticket for a new one. Trains rarely, if ever, sell out so you will not have any problem getting a ticket to Naples. Once in Naples, go downstairs, follow the signs, and buy a ticket to Sorrento. As stated above it is a commuter run with no reservations. But validate the ticket in the yellow box prior to getting on. PS. Termini is a type of station in Italy. Not Termini station. It means that trains end and start at Termini - think terminal. Other stations, trains pass through from one end to the other.

It is true that Roma Termini station is a terminus - that is, all tracks are dead end. My understanding is that the derivation of the name is different, and reflects the neighborhood that the station is situated in, near the Baths of Diocletian. The first time I saw that was in in a Wikipedia article. I have followed the references and am comfortable with that. Guida d'Italia. Roma. Milan: Touring Club Italiano. 1999. pp. 162.: "il toponimo deriva dalle terme di Diocleziano" ("the toponym derives from the Baths of Diocletian"). From the original Italian on the official page of the station, Stazione Termini sin da subito ha mostrato un'anima fluida e dinamica you can see that Termini is referred to as a station. I'm glad when I learn something...

One of the worst times to lock yourself in on a fixed train reservation is when you get off of the plane and you are rushing to leave the area. Planes are often late and you can miss the train. For the train from Rome Termini to Napoli Centrale, there are dozens of runs per day. And yes, you must have a seat reservation which comes with the purchase of the ticket. No issue there. You have two options. 1) If you want the best ticket discount you can get, you can go online a buy your ticket. I see fares as low as 9Euro in late March. This is quite a bargain. As for what time to book this train and be safe, assume 1hr to get your luggage and clear immigration, time to walk or shuttle to Terminal 3 to the train station, 15-20 minutes to wait for the Leonardo Express (although it might be there. They run every 30 minutes), 32 minutes to take the LE to Roma Termini and about 15 mintues to transition from where the LE comes in at Roma Termini to the tracks with your high-speed to Napoli Central. That could be 2.0-2.5hrs. Book in any closer and you could miss your train. 2) Arrive in FCO without booking your train to Naples. Retrieve your luggage and clear Immigration. Make your way to the train station at Terminal 3. Go to the ticket window and buy your tickets there to Napoli Centrale. The agent knows this routing. He/she will sell you two tickets per person. The first ticket is for the next Leonardo Express departing the station. The second ticket is for the high-speed from Rome to Naples. The agent will include enough time on the second ticket for you to make the transition at Rome-Termini. Your second ticket will have the seat reservations printed on it. This is the safest and fastest way to get there by train. It's also the most expensive but it works.

In addition to all the good suggestions above, I would add for peace of mind, you could buy your ticket in advance to get the good rate, but buy a ticket with a lot of "buffer time" in case your flight is late or customs takes longer than expected. Worst case is you have a couple of hours to kill and there are a couple of really good sites within walking distance of the Termini to kill the time (Museum and Baths).