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Transportation from Palermo to Sorrento (Naples)

My husband and I are scheduled for RS Sicily tour 9/14-24. We then plan to travel independently in the Amalfi Coast area for a couple of weeks.
Question: It sounds kind of fun to take the train or ferry from Palmero to Sorrento (Naples); but I'm wondering if anyone has taken either or both recently? A ten hour trip could be a very long time if they are old, dirty, unsafe, and/or uncomfortable. But, what about the views one might get? I believe the train was to be a victim of budget cuts this June, but I believe that has changed. In the past few years, we've taken the West Highland Line up the coast of Scotland and the Blue Star ferries throughout the Greek Islands with no problem. It's been fun meeting locals and the views have been awesome. So that is the reason we are contemplating a ferry or train ride back to Naples.
Thanks for any advice!

Posted by
11613 posts

I would fly, with such a limited amount of time.

Posted by
693 posts

I am not sure why you think they have such limited time. They are talking about spending a few weeks on the Amalfi Coast.

www.gnv.it run a good ferry service. However the trip is overnight so you do not see a great deal. It can also be cheaper to fly. Particularly if you want a cabin with bed, rather than sitting up all night.

Posted by
597 posts

My travel partner and I took the Tirrenia ferry from Naples to Palermo this past April. It was overnight, so we couldn't see much, but enjoyed a new experience. We booked a double exterior cabin (two separate beds) here: http://www.tirrenia.it/en/Pages/home.aspx It was clean with a decent, though tiny, bathroom, but it was adequate for overnight. Having considered the train, we decided that would not be preferable to the ferry. I know some people prefer flying, but we were looking for something we'd never done before and this worked for us. Good luck and have fun!

Posted by
32171 posts

Elle,

Taking a flight from Palermo to Naples would be a more efficient use of your travel time. Although you have two weeks, that may provide more time to explore the many destinations along the Amalfi Coast. If the train and ferry ride take place mostly at night, you won't see a lot so will be stuck there for the duration of the trip with little to do except enjoy being stuck there.

A short flight to Naples and then the Curreri Viaggi bus to Sorrento is the method I'd suggest.

Posted by
2455 posts

Elle, I can only comment on my own experience. Following the RS Sicily Tour in 2014, I took a 1-hour flight on Volotea from Palermo to Naples, then spent three nights in Naples and four nights in Sorrento. All worked out very well. With advance purchase, Volotea flights can sometimes be very inexpensive. You do need to be aware of tight baggage limitations. Even though I was traveling with a carry-on plus a tote bag, I realized my carry-on did not fit Volotea's low-weight-definition of a carry-on, and I signed up to check a bag, cheapest when you book your ticket. An overnight train or ferry, more expensive and leaving me with a possible night without any real sleep, did not appeal to me.

Posted by
11294 posts

Adding to Larry's reply about weight limitations on budget airlines like Volotea: be sure to look at Alitalia as well. They have a more generous baggage allowance, so they need not be more expensive once you pay the fees for checking luggage on other carriers. The "International" Alitalia website often shows better prices than the US one for these flights within Italy. And book as soon as you know your plans, because the prices do go up (sometimes sharply) closer to travel as the cheaper tickets sell out.

Posted by
43 posts

Thanks to everyone who has replied! After reading the Man in Seat 61's comments, we feel better about taking the train. We are both retired and have not locked in our airfare/schedule yet so "efficiency" is not our foremost goal. We should be able to get a daytime train, which is what we'd like, and it should be an interesting experience watching the train go on the ferry, etc.
If it turns out to be a not so great experience, it will only be one day of our month in Italy. Again, I appreciate your kind replies.