Travel between Monterosso, Orvieto, and Sorrento

Posted by Penny (Nashville, TN, USA) on 07/17/16 08:03 PM

Hi! We are a family of 5 planning on traveling to Italy next June. (Kids will be 16, 13, & 11.) We have been to Italy once before and loved it so much that we can't wait to return. Last trip we went to Venice, Siena, and Rome.

We plan on spending 2 weeks in Italy. I am thinking we will spend 3 nights in Monterossso, 4 nights in Orvieto, and 5-6 nights in Sorrento. I assume we will need to fly into Milan, and out of either Naples or Rome.

If we fly out of Rome, how long will it take to get there from Sorrento? Can we take the train there on the day we fly out, or should we spend the night in Rome before our flight home (Nashville, TN.) I'm afraid if we fly home from Naples, the travel time home will be very long, so it might be better to fly out of Rome. Suggestions?

Also, we are not planning on renting a car. Will it be easy/convenient to take the train between Monterosso, Orvieto, and Sorrento? Thanks for any insight you can give!

Posted by Kathy

Minnesota 🎒

07/17/16 08:41 PM

16752 posts

Penny, I might explore flights to Pisa. True, prices to Milan Malpensa are often favorable but Pisa is so much closer to Monterosso.

Yes, you may take trains to all three locations although Sorrento will involve one that's outside of the Trenitalia system. You'd change to the local Circumvesuviana commuter train in Naples, or you could explore the prices for a private transfer to Sorrento.

Where to stay the night before a flight home depends on what time that flight is and how you want to get to the airport. We flew Naples-Rome-Amsterdam-Minneapolis some years ago, and our flight was early enough in the morning that the first trains from Sorrento were too late to get us there in time; had to book a private transfer. This is a possibility for you as well. I would say if your plane leaves Naples in the early-to-mid AM and you want to take a train, stay in Naples the night before.

If your departure point is Rome, I'd definitely recommend staying in Rome - either in the city or close to Fiumicino - the night before. It's just far enough away from Sorrento that I wouldn't take the risk of an unexpected complication the day of an international flight, and especially not if it's in the morning.

Posted by Tim

Wyckoff, NJ, USA

07/17/16 09:03 PM

8079 posts

Since June is a crowded time, leaving Sorrento for a 3-hour check-in in Rome is really questionable, even if your plane is after Noon. The Frecciarossa trains (to Termini, not all the way to FCO) are very fast, but the advance discount tickets allow no change of departure time. You're not as badly off as people staying in Positano, but it seems unwise. Note that a family of 5 with luggage has trouble fitting in a sedan-taxi or car service with luggage. So think about the Google Maps location of your Sorrento hotel, also with reference to day-trip departures. Sorrento is very hard to book, and you may end up with your fifth choice as I did two years ago.

Six nights in Sorrento is a lot, but there is lots to do for day trips there, and the best transportation hub in the area. If spending a night in Naples would solve your problem, I'd flog Naples, but it doesn't solve the problem.

We just slept in Tuscany (Sinalunga) but went to the on-airport Hilton to make our last night restful and seamless. We did have a car to return, which you won't.

Posted by Angela

Seattle, Wa, USA

07/17/16 11:21 PM

663 posts

4 nights in Orvieto is also a bit much unless you have a car to explore the countryside. 2 or 3 nights is more than adequate! If you take a night or so off of Orvieto and and a night or so off of Sorrento, you could have decent number of days for Rome.

And although I really enjoyed my 2 night stay in Orvieto, many people do it as a day trip from Rome since it's just an hours journey away by train. So that is a possibility as well.