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Itinerary Help - One week between Sicily and Rome

Itinerary Help - One week between Sicily and Rome

Old Jan 15th, 2017, 01:13 PM
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Itinerary Help - One week between Sicily and Rome

After 14 days in Sicily, arriving in Palermo and departing from the Taormina area, we have 9 nights left before we fly home from Rome. We have visited Rome twice before, so we are planning to only spend 2 nights there at the end of our trip. That leaves 7 nights. Because we have never traveled to the Amalfi coast before, we are hoping to spend some time there, perhaps in a rental for 3 days or so, plus maybe a stop in Naples. Also, a visit to Pompeii is imperative. I love trip planning and the Sicily portion of this trip was easy, but I seem to be going in circles on this part. Where I seem to be running into problems is the logistics of getting from place to place. For example, where should we go when we leave Taormina. Should we travel to Naples first or Amalfi? How do we get there without too much hassle? How about the best base for a day's visit to Pompeii? We will not have a car for this leg of our trip, so we need to count on trains, which we enjoy, or buses. Ferries might also be an option, I think. But we don't want to tackle anything too complicated. The older we get, 69 and 70, the simpler we need things to be. Even though we still enjoy good health, our travel style now is a bit slower paced than it was when we were 40. Any suggestions or input will be truly appreciated.
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Old Jan 15th, 2017, 01:44 PM
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We will not have a car for this leg of our trip, so we need to count on trains, which we enjoy, or buses>

Take the train to Salerno right from Taormina -via the ferry - Salerno has boats or buses to places along the Amalfi Coast.

Book train tickets very early to get cheaper prices -sometimes by a lot- www.trenitalia.com- for details on Italian trains and Amalfi transports check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Another possibility it to take a ferry from western Sicily to Naples then ferries or trains to Sorrento -connections there for other Amalfi towns.
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Old Jan 15th, 2017, 02:38 PM
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Hi Candace, trenitalia trains run from Taormina Giardini station to Salerno. See this link:

https://www.lefrecce.it/B2CWeb/searc...D=xPFRM4NHf87R

Look for the train that takes 6 hr 14 min.

From Salerno, ferries run to Amalfi and to Positano. While on the Amalfi coast, you can take the local bus between the towns.

http://www.naplesbayferry.com/en/sch...erno&to=amalfi

We visited Pompeii by driving from Amalfi town through the hills, but there are day tours easily arranged.

Or, you could visit Pompeii from Naples by taking the Circumvesuviana train.

If you opt to stay in Sorrento for a few nights, you can either get a private transfer, take the ferry, or less desirable, take the local bus, a little more difficult with luggage.

You might also find this link useful:

http://www.naplesbayferry.com/en/how-to-get-to-sorrento

It's backward from the direction you're headed but still applies.
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Old Jan 15th, 2017, 02:50 PM
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I took the train in the other direction. It is a long, slow, not very interesting trip and I was glad to fly from Palermo to Naples on the way back.

I would recommend spending a couple of nights on Capri, which is a completely different place after the day trippers leave. I based in Sorrento, which makes a very good base, but which I didn't much like. Click on my name for my old
South Italy TR.
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Old Jan 15th, 2017, 03:27 PM
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Yes IME the scenery Sciliy-Naples train is rather blah except some seaside places.

Paestum makes a good excursion from Amalfi too -ancient Greek temples -boat or bus to Salerno then local train or bus to the site.
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Old Jan 15th, 2017, 04:04 PM
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Hi Candace

So if you spend
2 nts on Capri
3 nts in an Amalfi Coast town
2 nts Naples
There are your seven days.

Personally I think this would be a nice plan.
You dont say when your trip is, but if peak season, I would highly recommend staying ON the Amalfi Coast, not in Sorrento, in a town that has boat service. That will be your best way of getting around. SITA buses are a nightmare during shoulder and peak season.

If you are going to Capri between Amalfi and Naples, make sure your have advance res for a boat if departing from Amalfi or Positano!

I would visit Pompeii enroute to Naples where you can check your luggage at the train station, or if using a private driver, have them wait for you. How much tome you spend at Pompeii depends on your level of interest. Ive spent over 7 hours on 2 trips and still didnt see everything.

I only had time to visit the Arch Museum in Nles and would have loved a couple of days to really enjoy this amazing city.

Buon viaggio!
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Old Jan 15th, 2017, 06:59 PM
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I'm surprised that you found it easy for you to plan for just 14 days in Sicily, but that aside….

For transportation options, consult rome2rio.com – but confirm everything you learn there.

FWIW, I left Taormina one morning for Milazzo, from which I took a ferry to Lipari Town (where I wanted to spend a part of a day) and then an overnight ferry from Lipari to Naples, passing several other Aeolian islands before sunset, awakening as the ferry passed the Fariglioni Rocks off Capri, and delighing in views of Vesuvius and Naples before an early morning arrival. Wonderful!

I chose to base in Naples to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum – but I love cities and seriously adored Naples. It’s really very, very easy to get from Naples to these remarkable sites.

If it helps, I then took a ferry from Naples to Capri, where I wanted to spend a night (and did) and then a ferry from Capri to the Amalfi Coast, where I spent a few nights. I routed my departure through Salerno (which I consider seriously underrated), but I wasn’t trying to get to Rome, so I can’t use personal experience to provide advice for your departure from the area.

Hope that helps!
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 01:17 AM
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There are ferries and catamarans from Milazzo via Aeolian Islands (Vulcano, Lipari, Stromboli, etc.) to Naples as well as direct ferries from Messina (dp shortly after midnight) to Salerno (arrival around noon) and from Catania (departure around 9pm) to Naples (arrival around 9am).
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 08:04 AM
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there is probably a night train as well to Salerno.
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 08:33 AM
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Fly from Palermo to Naples.
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 08:58 AM
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"there is probably a night train as well to Salerno"

Only cuccette, no sleeping cars. Taormina dp 23.33 - Salerno ar 6.40
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 01:16 PM
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Thanks so much, everyone, for all the good advice. PalenQ and sundriedtopepo, I followed up on your advice regarding the train to Salerno from Taormina. Although it sounds like it isn't a really scenic trip, it works for us as a straightforward and low key way to get to the Amalfi coast. Kja, I loved your description of your trip by ferry to Lipari and onward to Naples but we are traveling in April and many of those ferry services will not yet be operating. Dayle and neckervd thanks for all your input regarding ferries. I think I am figuring out the early season schedules. And Dayle, the itinerary you suggested - 3 nights in Amalfi, 2 in Capri (seconded by thursdayd), and 2 in Naples - sounds pretty good to me if I can pin down the ferry from the Amalfi coast to Capri. I have pretty much decided to visit Pompeii from Naples, as kja says it is simple, and for me simple is good, and sundriedtopepo also recommends it. Happy Trvir, I did consider flying. I know it can be quicker and easier but for me it has become so stressful I try to avoid it if possible.

So, traveling from Sicily to the Amalfi coast, we are thinking of an apartment rental in Atrani which is close by Amalfi. Does anyone have any input for Atrani?

Thanks again.
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 04:43 PM
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Candace,

You are on the right track. Tranportation around the coast is really quite easy as long as you arent completely dependant on buses during peak season. I stayed on the coast, ferried from Positano to Capri, took the hydrofoil from Capri to Sorrento, then the Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompeii. Really easy and no long waits.
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Old Jan 16th, 2017, 07:52 PM
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Atrani is a bit quiet, but that could be a good thing! And it's still only a 10-15 minute walk to Amalfi(take the path, not the road)

We had a great meal at A Paranza.
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Old Jan 17th, 2017, 03:08 PM
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Thank you, Dayle. I just reread your Sicily trip report, which I first read months ago, along with tons of others, when I started planning this trip. With all the material I researched then, yours must have stuck, because I see now we are following close to your itinerary. Our pace is different and, unfortunately, we can't fit in a trip to the islands, but we are visiting many of the same places. I think we will love Sicily as much as you did.

Sundriedtopepo, I have found some apartments in Atrani that look really good and we don't mind a quieter environment. Plus, it appears some of the apartments don't involve so many steps to the front door.

Thanks for your help.
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