I am traveling from Rome to Positano in one day. I plan to take the train from Rome to Naples but I am not sure what is the best way to go from Naples to Positano. I want to have it be as easy of a trip as possible there. Do I take a bus or a taxi? Is a taxi expensive? I imagine it would be.
The other issue I am trying to figure out is that I am planning to take a ferry to Sorrento from Capri? Do I need to purchase tickets in advance? Then I was hoping to go to the Archaeological Museum in Naples and on the same day take a train to Rome. I would like to know if this is going to be too much in one day. I planned to do this on September 23rd. If it is too crazy of a day I could stay in Naples or Sorrento for one night and then go to Rome, but I dont really want to unless it is necessary. My husband wants to see the statue of the shoemaker that was trapped in the Volcanic eruption in Pompeii. Does anyone know if this is in the museum in Naples or in Pompeii.
This trip is from the 8th of September to the 27th of September. Should I buy tickets from trains and ferrys in advance or can I buy the tickets when we are traveling? I dont want to be stuck because I dont have tickets for the trains ( Rome to Naples Sept 17th, returning from Naples to Rome on Sept. 23rd.
I have lots of questions as you can see and I am stressing out way in advance as a result. Any advice you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.
I hope after this trip I can help other people who have similar questions
Thank you,
Marlene
Posted by
5239 posts
If you are just trying to get from Rome to Positano, then I would take the train to Salerno, then a ferry. All of these transport details/options should be in any guide book.
Are you staying in Positano or Sorrento? Writing out your complete itinerary would help.
Posted by
Salt Lake City, UT (Previous Seattle, WA)
315 posts
In September 2017 in Rome, Salerno, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Capri all modes of transportation tickets could be purchase for same day travel or the day before with Italian train app or with vendor. We rode the bus from Salerno to Amalfi which was very scenic and very full. The option for train to Salerno and boat to Positano may be a good idea. The boat may stop in Amalfi prior to Positano.
Archaeological Museum may be 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on your pace. Pre-check train times and availability for Naples to Rome and factor in transport time to station from museum.
We transported Amalfi to Capri via Positano to Sorrento by boat. Bus to circumvent train to Naples. We were not in a hurry or set plans. My wait factor was beginning to be taxed. Wait Capri and Sorrento x2. I do not recall the hours that went by. Maybe, consider a private transfer from Sorrento to Naples.
For your future trips plan to explore the vibrant city of Naples for several nights.
Posted by
63 posts
I second traveling on the train from Rome to Salerno and taking the ferry to positano. You can buy all tix online.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16687 posts
My husband wants to see the statue of the shoemaker that was trapped
in the Volcanic eruption in Pompeii. Does anyone know if this is in
the museum in Naples or in Pompeii.
Marlene, can you provide any more information on this? Top of my head, I don't remember having heard of such a "statue". If this is supposed to be the image of a victim, are you sure your husband doesn't mean one of the plaster casts of an actual person?
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/plaster-citizens-of-pompeii
Still, of those few on display, I don't remember mention of one at Pompeii thought to be a cobbler. And to my knowledge there aren't any casts at the museum in Naples.
Posted by
39 posts
The family and I took the train to Salerno then the ferry to Positano. Then ferried back to Salerno in the evening with a brief stop in Amalfi to pick up passengers. It all worked great with tickets bought online. Pretty sure I didn't need to buy them early but couldn't chance it.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
Your post is unclear, are you staying in Capri and then traveling from there to Rome or are you planning to go from Positano to Capri to Rome in one day? There are ferries from Capri to Naples, so there's no need to go to Sorrento to get to Naples. Capri to Rome with a stop in Naples is doable, but I think starting in Positano would make for an exhausting day of travel.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8014 posts
These threads have more information than you need, but you need to go through them because your plan is not as simple as it appears. There are a lot of public transportation "seats" involved. Make sure you download the schedules for your dates, not the high-season dates.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-for-5-days-where-to-set-base-from
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pompeii-salerno-capri-recommendations
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/coastal-italy-itinerary
On the plus side, you are in shoulder season, so it shouldn't be so hard to buy walk-up tickets to anything. However, note that the fast train (Naples or Salerno-Rome) is much cheaper bought in advance, non-refundable, no change in departure time allowed.
Regarding the plaster casts, you can't depend on even a particular famous villa (small building) in Pompeii to be open until you get there. They close for repairs or shortages of guards. Casts have been lent out to other museums, as well. (I saw a number of them in NY City some years go.) I don't want to dwell on it, but you should understand that you are looking at the "trace" of a person who was killed in the eruption.
When we were in Naples, there were zero human casts in the Archaeology Museum. Some of the casts we saw in Pompeii were annoyingly far behind a rope closing a courtyard.