Italy - Where to go? Naples/Sorrento/Positano/Ischia/Capri

I would research the location carefully before choosing a place between Napoli and Sorrento. I asked a local what kind of cities were there between Napoli and Sorrento. He mentioned he did not like going to some cities around Vesuvius because of the crime. If you drive from Sorrento towards Napoli, you see urban blight surrounding the highway. I did not feel I wanted to stay in any of those cities.

Amanda, have I got this about right....

Arrive day 1, Sunday, around 10AM. Leave day 6, taking the same plane back, with check-in at Capodichino 8.30 or so on the Friday?

While that's a bit of an early start from Sorrento, the first Curreri Viaggi bus (€10, pay the driver, no bookings) does leave on its 75 minute trip to the airport at 06:30 - and ought to be fine!

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187782-i162-k4853743-To_and_from_Naples_airport_on_the_Curreri_bus-Sorrento_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

Miss that and the Circumvesuviana - from 6AM onwards - and then a taxi from the centre of Naples should still get you there without any great panic, so I see no real reason to spend the last night in the city.... And certainly, with that sort of timing, we'd not do so - despite starting with a hydrofoil ride to get ashore!

..........................................

If they're to be worthwhile visits, you've more or less accounted for three of your days with Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast - but....

At the risk that, like us, you may not want to leave again, perhaps spend a first couple of nights here on Ischia - easily reached thanks to frequent crossings from Naples. Then, on the morning of the third day, back to Naples, and take a bus from near where you'd land, to call in at Pompei on the way round the Bay to Sorrento...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187785-i421-k4690201-Naples_harbour_to_Pompei-Naples_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

... taking advantage of being able to leave your bags at the Left Luggage place at the site's entrance...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187786-i1888-k5138977-Safety_of_luggage_at_storage_area-Pompeii_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html
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For a bit more about our island, try the visitor magazine, bilingual since last April - even though less than 9000 Brits and Americans stay here each year....

http://www.ischianews.com/it/home/area-download-documenti/category/2.html

Last October's might be the place to start, on...
http://www.ischianews.com/images/phocadownload/Magazine_2011/2011-ottobre-ischianews-web.pdf

Obviously you'd not have long, but within easy reach there's either Pozzuoli - with the ruins of an amphitheatre that's perhaps only second to the Colosseum...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/flegrei

...or little Procida...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/procida1

Anyway, that's my suggestion but, for more about other places in the area, try:

- a useful 'Travel Directory' to the various towns and villages along the Sorrento Peninsula and Amalfi Coast, from the official tourism website...
http://www.costiera.it/images/pdf/TravelDirectory_En.pdf

- or, for those around the volcano (in almost all of which I too wouldn't choose to stay!), this 100+ page leaflet, "Discovering Vesuvius"...
http://www.costadelvesuvio.com/brocure.pdf

Both are well due for an update, so do crosscheck specific details, and watch out for defunct references such as: “Vesuviana Mobilità" (former operators of buses to Mount Vesuvius) and to the 'Metro del Mare' for which it's way too early to guess a schedule!

OK?

Peter

Thanks for the info, yes i arrive around 10:30 am in Napoli and i have i depart from Napoli on Friday (5th Oct) therefore i was looking at Sorrento for the whole trip as like ive said its a good base to visit other islands etc... however i just want to miss out on other islands to stay at or other places near Sorrento that are just as nice but i havent seen/heard of them.

Ischia does look nice, does this have good transport links to Pompeii and Capri etc.. also how much would it cost me to get to Ischia from Napoli airport either by bus then hydrofoil or taxt or train?

Thanks

Just been looking into the ferries and other islands, do you think it would be doable and worthwhile maybe:

landing on Sunday around 10:30 at Napoli then taking the ferry to Ischia and staying there 2 nights and then taking the ferry from Ischia to Sorrento on the 3rd day (Tuesday 2nd) then staying in Sorrento 3 nights? that would give me the easy access links then to see Pompeii and maybe the amalfi coast such as Positano for a day trip? also it wouldnt be to far to travel to return back to napoli airport to catch the train home?

Thanks

That sounds ideal - a lovely mix!

Must be quick for now, but do see the earlier mention re going from here, via Naples to Pompei and on to Sorrento, if that's still on the cards.

To get here....
Alibus from airport to harbour, €3... hydrofoil about €16 + €2 for a suitcase - less and no surcharge by ferry.
Have a look through these:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/gettingtoischia

.......................

By the end of September I'd imagine these are likely to be the only crossings from here to Capri (morning) and Sorrento (late afternoon)...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/131364851

All three places, and Procida, have frequent connections over to Naples - all year, bar Christmas Day!

Gone for now,
Peter

Thanks again,

Can anyone recommend any hotels/B&B's in Ischia for my 2 night stay that are close to shops/restaurants?

Hi there!

A few suggestions from our part of the island... Ischia Ponte, the older part of the city, down towards the 'Castello Aragonese' islet...

Not many hotels here - and, during the season, some roads are closed to traffic in the evenings - so the buses and taxis have to stop at the entrance to the "borgo" as its known. Not far from one end to the other.... a pleasant walk and all the lovelier for being free of cars and mopeds once you're there! Shops indeed, but mainly boutiques though not awfully far from the bigger names on Via Roma, the local version of Rodeo Drive.

Most spectacularly, there's the Monastero - which is up in a former convent on the Castello Aragonese itself. Wonderful views, with the lift up through the centre of the hill to save most of the walking - though you've still to first cross the causeway....
http://www.albergoilmonastero.it/en/default.asp


Looking out onto the Castello, but "on shore" the next is the Hotel Villa Antonio, right right right on the waterside. Friends stayed there for a few days at the very end of August last year - relatively simple, very handy and a returning clientele, so they don't advertise much - indeed, there's no English on their website..
http://www.villantonio.it/it/index.htm

But this was the view from one of the sundecks...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/137659302

... and whilst there's no beach in that part of the little bay, there was utterly gorgeous swimming off their seaside terrace!

The third and last in that area is this...
http://www.villalieta.it/index_en.html
One of very few B&Bs, and directly opposite one of 'our' restaurants - its rooms are two stories or more up from the ground, with no lift - very popular since it opened two or three years ago. More here...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187784-d1049507-Reviews-Villa_Lieta-Ischia_Campania.html

Places we like that are within just a few minutes walk of the entrance to the old town...

Hotel Europa: a nice little traditional-style hotel, run by a family who are friends of ours - so I’ll do no more than quote their web address, and suggest you check their reviews from TA members...

http://www.hoteleuropaischia.it/home/index.php?lg=uk

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g580214-d272395-Reviews-Hotel_Europa-Ischia_Ischia_Campania.html

Hotel Ulisse: somewhat similar to the Europa - with mainly Italian and German guests. Handier for the beach but otherwise not as well-positioned, though they do have a bigger pool!

www.hotelulisse.com

Hotel Mare Blu: more expensive, but a proper 4* hotel with old-fashioned style - or so we used to think when we were staying there, back when the £ would buy so much more!
It's owned by the same group as the adjacent and grander 5* Hotel Miramare e Castello, but that's dearer still!

www.hotelmareblu.it

That do a start?

One more that's always popular, right on the harbour side, handy for restaurants and Via Roma although a bit far from the beach and sea, and perhaps noisy at times is the Aragona Palace, in Ischia Porto...

http://www.hotelaragona.it/eng/hotel.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g580214-d952043-Reviews-Aragona_Palace_Hotel-Ischia_Ischia_Campania.html

As far as I know, there's no official place where the city of Ischia divides into Porto and Ponte, but see...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/ischcom

And we'll leave the island's other 5 Comune for later?

Peter

Hi,

I have decided to go for Ishcia now after speaking with my Husband he has decided it looks like the best place for us, and i think i will be booking Hotel Europa it looks really nice and is reasonable.

Could you advise however how often the ferrys run in October to Ischia from Naples and from Naples to Ischia

thanks

I'm sure they would look after you very well - and I know the area's nice as we only live some 200 yards away!

Travel arrangements... tiresomely pedantic of me, I know, but there are both ferries ("Traghetti") and hydrofoils ("Aliscafi") going from and to different parts of the ports at each end of that journey.

Over in Naples the layout has been like this for some years...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/125198195

... whereas, at Ischia Porto, the "Banchina Olimpica" quay that's used most often by the ferries....

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/141698607

.... is some distance from where you'd catch the hydrofoils....

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/137702733

For October the schedules should be much like today's, and a daily extract from one of the local newspapers is available on...

http://sfoglia.ilmattino.it/mattino/pagpdf/parte.pdf

(Essentially though, fairly frequent - early start, but last sailings not very late in the evening - just be sure to go to the right place!)

Both have their advantages: by hydrofoil it's usually 20 to 30 minutes quicker, but costs several Euro more; on the ferry the views, and opportunities for sunbathing and photography, are generally better.

Here's more or less what you'd see on the trip ashore from here...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/i_to_n

Nicest, perhaps, to travel one way one way, and the other the other?

Some time when you've nothing better to do, maybe have a look through these as well...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/gettingtoischia

More or less OK for now?

Peter

PS.... just checking, but where would you be heading to when leaving here?
Some of the other routes should be open... and going via Naples may not be the best solution for every destination!

My wife and I are going to be in the area in May (Sorrento\Capri) but I think you've swayed us towards Ischia instead. Thanks!

Ischia does sound amazing and looks really nice.

We have spoke about it and decided to actually go to Ischia Sunday 30th Sept for 3 nights and then we can go pompeii one day from there (is that easy to do?) then we are going to actually get the train to Rome from Naples on Wednesday 3rd Oct and stay there 3 nights and catch a plane home from Rome rather than travelling back to Naples to catch the return flight already booked.

Looking at flights home from rome to liverpool its only going to be around £60 each wereas it would cost us around that to get back from Rome to catch the plane from naples. I do tihnk 3 nights will be long enough in Rome aslong as i get a full day to see the vatican then its fine.

thanks

amanda

Good that you'd not be going to Pompei on a Sunday, as you can take the bus route that we've found to the easiest way if starting from Ischia - which doesn't operate that day!

In true Blue Peter-style, here's one I made earlier, intended for people perhaps arriving off a cruise ship....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187785-i421-k4690201-Naples_harbour_to_Pompei-Naples_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

Go over from here by hydrofoil, and you'd land right beside the cruise terminal...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132449571

And, up the other sleeve, some help with understanding the schedules of the bus line you'd use...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187782-i162-k5128253-Beginner_s_guide_to_the_SITA_timetables-Sorrento_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

Have a look though those at some point, and do give me a shout if any of it makes no sense!

Peter

(Rome in a minute or two)

We go up to Rome at least once a year, leaving on a hydrofoil just before nine - with a taxi to get the station... and then one of the mid-priced trains, which usually see us there and unpacked just in time for lunch!

In fact it's the 10:17, as shown on this...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/141557589

The "Mini" column refers to an advance purchase offer (that you can read about in another thread running on the Forum), otherwise - on the very slowest Regional trains - one can simply turn up and pay only €10.50...

So, bar the time in retracing your steps, you might after all be able to use those air tickets without spending too much on rail fares?

Three days should give you a good first taste of Rome, but are unlikely to satisfy the appetite entirely - although I'm sure not everyone suffers quite the same withdrawal symptoms that I do..

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/lazio

My two favourite places in one vacation - lucky you!

Peter

Not to be a snot, but I don't see anywhere in your posts where you mention a visit to Naples proper?! Peter you have fantastic information but I find it hard to believe you would suggest using Ischia as a homebase for touring when you have to rely on ferries to and from to do stuff. While doable I think if you are only here for a few days, you will be spending a lot of time dealing with the ferries that could be otherwsie spent seeing other things. Naples is a wonderful city and I can't imagine you would come and not even see it! There are some fabuolous sights around Naples...castles, palaces, etc. THE PHLEGRAEAN FIELDS are unique as well. Pompeei does NOT need a whole day. In fact if you stayed near Naples there is a train which goes to Pompeii and Sorrento on the same line (which you could do backwards if you stay in Sorrento). I have tons of friends who take a trip for the day to Rome, so a day or two to just see something you have only read about in a book is totally doable. Just trying to put in a differing opinion...

not to also forget that the end of September is typically harvest season here so the wineries and olive producers should be in swing and the there is also the marvelous Buffalo Mozzarella. Did you know that the pizza came from Naples!