Naples, Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii in 1 Day...

Sorry we must tell you that you are crazy to attempt this, because you are... How many hours does your day have? Definitely more than 24...

Hiring a helicopter will be the only way of doing this -travel time alone sums up to a more than full day. You have zero time to see those places. Just Naples and Pompeii from Rome would already be a rat race day trip.
I hope you are aware that it will be dark by 5 p.m. in late November?

I read the last admission to Pompei in November is 3:30. Closes at 5. I would go there first. Then Capri from Sorrento, then Sorrento then Napoli. Have fun.

PS Don't forget Mount Vesuvius. Great views. You can do that on the way to Pompei.

unless you are a trol you are nuts or having a dream full of fantasy- why would anyone want to attempt such a trip.

Look - before you dismiss us all as being too negative, do the following:

1. Find out specifics about the train from Rome to Naples. What time it departs, and when it arrives

2. Do the same for the boat from Naples to Capri. Note that the dock is not in the middle of town - it will take an additional 30 mins before you arrive in the middle of things. Same with leaving Capri.

3. Find out departure & arrival times for your ferry from Capri to Sorrento.

4. Determine the Circumvesuviana schedule for Sorrento to Naples

5. Determine the train schedule from Naples to Rome.

6. Make sure you research these schedules for a Nov 28 trip.

7. For any "tours", make sure you know opening & closing times. If a guided tour departs hourly (for example) - make sure you factor in a wait time till the next tour departs.

8. Add in time to get to/from the Rome train station

9. Post the results here with an hour by hour schedule, which includes sightseeing time.

10. Prove that your itinerary is doable.

You don't want to be stuck in Capri or Sorrento with no more departures that get you back to Rome.

Tell your husband he'll have to eat lunch & possibly dinner on the run.

Good luck!!!

Stu Dudley

Hi Tatiana,

I can see from your current posts that you are not any sort of troll, just a person who is excited to go to Italy to celebrate your anniversary. Congratulations to you!

According to your other threads, your are going to be in Italy for 15 days and are already trying to see Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. Why would you want to take a day away from those fabulous cities to spend it doing almost nothing but sitting on trains and ferries??

I have noticed in your other postings you are very cost conscious. Besides the time this is going to take (if it can even be done) just how much is this day trip going to cost?? Wouldn't it be more fun to use the time and money to spend an extra day exploring Rome?

In the end, I cannot imagine you will get any sort of real satisfaction from this day, and if the weather is less then perfect, blech.

Best of luck figuring this all out!

I don't think this would be easy to do, but would depend upon winter ferry schedules. Even in high season, ferries don't run late with the last leaving Capri around 7pm (you don't want to get stuck on Capri if you miss the last ferry). In winter I would suspect the ferries to quit much earlier.

If you attempt this, Pompeii should be first and Naples last. I would take the 7am Marozzi bus (about 16€)from Rome's Tiburtina station which will drop you at the entrance to Pompeii at 10am. You can tour Pompeii a few hours and then train to Sorrento (30 minutes travel time)on the Circumvesuviana (maybe grab a quick lunch in Sorrento) to catch a ferry to Capri. I would be sure to purchase my ferry ticket from Capri to Naples while buying the one to Capri from Sorrento. You could have dinner in Naples before catching a late train back to Rome.

What will you do if you make it to Capri, but the ferries to Naples and Sorrento are then cancelled due to rough seas?

If it's raining, would you want to wander around Pompeii? Everything is out in the open, and very few of the paths and streets are paved. You'd be sloshing through mud puddles.

IMO, much as I like Sorrento, it's not worth trying to shoe-horn an hour or two wandering the city into this schedule. I'd go to the archeology museum in Naples instead.

Bottom line, I'd skip Capri and Sorrento and only leave Rome if the weather's clear. Then this day doesn't sound so crazy.

I knew my post was going to be a "bomb" here! I've been reading many other posts and I know how fodorites react to "crazy" people like me...I thank you all and of course I dismiss you for being hard on me, I know you just want to advice me well and I appreciate it.

As happycheesehead said, I'm just exited about our trip and I guess I still feel young and "crazy" to do these things (9 years ago I did Singapore (Capital) and Tahiti in one day each) I'm the type of crazy person that reads a lot and searches a lot before attempting something (I just don't want you to think I'm the kind that never traveled and that now that I'm going to Italy I want to do even the impossible)

Obviously, my "plan" is not yet defined, part of my search is to hear about what people like you think about it. I've never been there and I want to know what people that visited those places think about the idea...

I do have times and schedules, I have prices written down (yes, I'm very cost conscious, and hate to spend unnecessary money)I just don't know anything about how the weather is going to be and about actually being there.

I'd love to know more about what more people think about it.

My husband is calling me for dinner (I don't cook.. but I'll come back tomorrow when my boys are asleep and post my "tentative itinerary" I had it all the way around but I agree now about going to Pompeii first. Thanks so much!

In November the last entrance to Pompeii is at 3:30 in the afternoon and I don;t see any way that you can do what you've listed and get there by then. Also, to see much of anything in Pompeii will take at least 3 hours - which means you would need to get there by 2 pm at the latest, which means leaving Sorrento at 1 pm which mean arriving at Sorrento at noon (to have even an hour to look around) which means leaving Naples at around 11 am - which means no time at all for Capri.

Realistically seeing part of Naples and Pompeii in one day is a real push - never mind Sorrento and don't even thing about Capri. If you insist on going to Capri there is no way you will get to Pompeii.

You can;t make more hours in the day than there are - esp in November when days are short and opening hours are reduced for many sights - and forms of transit (as in ferries to and fro Capri).

Perhaps you can pretend you are a contestant on The Amazing Race and just jog past/through each place on your list.

Without seeing the train and ferry schedules, I think it would be very difficult to see all four locations. I think you may have to give up Capri or Pompeii, and at that time of the year, Capri might be the place to skip. Of course, all of this is weather-dependent.

I'd go to Pompeii first, train to Sorrento--walk around, have lunch--ferry to Naples, go to the Archeological Museum, then walk around, have a pizza dinner, then back to Rome.

Can't be done and shouldn't be attempted, anyway.

Sorrento is a dump frequented by down-market Brits and those afraid of Naples. Skip it.

Capri is too difficult with ferry schedules and weather conditions.

Pompeii can be done on a whirlwind one-day trip from Rome, if you really want. But why not cut out Milan (boring business city) and add a full day in Naples?

Tasiburo,
My husband and I are taking our first trip to italy in April and I'm hoping to do a day trip from Rome to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast.. I am also curious about how to do this. I was curiously watching your thread wondering what jewels of advice I can glean. I have watched a few documentaries and am NOT interested whatsoever in seeing Naples, but I'm very excited about the excavations in Pompeii with a great tour guide and the beauty of the Amalfi Coast by ? bus? driver? Does anyone have recommendations? Doesn't that sound like a more doable trip? I'm really not sure either. I've decided to save Capri for another trip. I'm also trying to decide if I should do Pompeii one day and the Amalfi coast on another day. (We have rented an apartment in Rome for 7 days and plan to use train travel for the 7 days prior to arriving in Rome)
Was there something attracting you (and therefore, SHOULD be attracting me) to Naples?

This has been posted on at least one other message board I know of and met the same resounding head-shaking it's getting here.

The Blue Grotto will be closed if there is any wind or a chop on the water. If it's open it will close around 3:30 that time of year.

An hour in Capri town in the fading sun won't be much of a treat if that's all you get for all that time on the ferry. But at least you'll be able to say you were there, which I guess is what you're looking for.

Sunset will be at 4:37 on November 28.

I wouldn't find Naples in the dark all that interesting, personally.

Petalz, if you're excited about Pompeii, you should be excited about the Museo Archeological in Naples too. It has the best art and mosaics from Pompeii, as well as an excellent sculpture wing.

I think it's time for your medication!

gruezi

Tasiburo: "part of my search is to hear about what people like you think about it. I've never been there and I want to know what people that visited those places think about the idea..."

I have visited those places: Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Sorrento & Positano. What I think about your idea is that you will not be getting enough from the trip to warrant the time and expense. I think you will be missing what is really wonderful and best about the AC. Some places are fine to just "see the sights" and move on. For Others to be enjoyed, you need time to relax and just "be there."

The AC is one of those. Warm days meandering in the sunshine, being on the water in a boat, hiking around Capri or Positano or Amalfi, dancing or strolling in the late evening (yes, with lots of other tourists), a quiet evening looking out at Vesuvius from the balcony of your hotel, etc. While that isn't for everyone, I don't think you would even have time for an "OMG, this is incredibly beautiful" unless you are very lucky weather wise. Even then, I don't think you have time to do it all.

I might just barely consider a day trip from Rome to Pompeii, but I would not try to do anything else there, except perhaps the museum in Naples. I would go to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples in November, but I probably wouldn't go to the AC at all in November.
I like Sorrento at times, but I certainly would not make a special fast trip there. It isn't worth it for just a "look-see." Can you take a day from any other place and add it to this part of your trip?

Excuse me Fra_Diavolo, perhaps you could preface your comments by adding "in my opinion"? We spent several days relaxing in Sorrento and exploring Pompeii and the surrounding area.

Yes, Sorrento is pretty touristy, but your comments are insulting. We are Australian and made friends with a delightful Irish couple, so you are not only insulting, but incorrect.

Hi tasiburo

I haven't been to Sorento or Capri, so I can't help you with that, but we did do Pompeii and Naples in one day from Rome in December last year. If you'd like to, you can read about how we did it in my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/ozziez-trip-report-adventures-in-parts-of-germany-austria-the-czech-republic-italy-france-and-englan.cfm?98

In my opinion, Pompeii was one of the highlights of our trip and I'd definitely recommend going there, and it is doable in a day. However, Naples was a disappointment for us, as was its Archaeological museum.

This makes me wonder if your plan might be doable if you just use Naples as the stepping stone to get the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii, and then go on to Sorento and Capri?

We had Pompeii to ourselves on 14th December 2008 so we were able to see everything that was open (some things more than once) by 1pm.

Good luck!

Buona fortuna!

Do report back, I can't wait to hear how this goes!

I agree with skipping Capri, or getting an extra day so that you can really enjoy it. Naples itself is not too great, although the museum is supposed to wonderful. I would think that you could easily take the train to Naples, catch the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii, have a nice time in Pompeii, go to Sorrento for dinner and catch the train home.

look
forget capri and just do a drive by from rome to naples and out to pompeii
dont get out of the car but take lots of pics with signs in the background to prove you were there
buy lots of dvds and books and postcards and have the latter framed when you get back cos your pics might be a bit blurrrrrrrred
but have a tremendous time

oh and just buy some keyrings at the airport

i reckon youll be truly seasoned within a year if you do it this way and you will certainly beat my record!

I'm considering either skipping Capri or Sorrento..(yes, I do hear you, people)

We are not planning on doing the Archeological Museum in Naples, I just want to do a quick (an hour or so) walk through the city. I know it's supposed to be dirty and dangerous (more at night) but I want to get at least a little bit of the feeling of being there (my family is from Argentina, Diego Maradona played soccer for the "Napoli" and Naples is supposed to be very different from other Italian cities)

Thanks again to all the people that add information.

Ozziez: Thanks for sharing what you did, I'm going to read what you posted. Regarding what you suggested, I think I prefer to take the 7:34am train from Rome to Naples (arriving at 9:30am) take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii at 10:10am (arriving in Pompeii at 10:46am) be back in Naples by 2pm (that means to stay only 2 hours or so in Pompeii) then I have from 2pm until 7:21pm (or later..) to take the train back to Rome.

I read it gets dark at 5pm...so I either walk through Naples for all those hours (which I definitely think it's too much since I'm not doing the Museum) or I take the fast ferry to Capri (enjoy the view and ride?) stay one hour in the Island and then come back to Naples for an hour walk through the city and have pizza for dinner before taking the train back to Rome (could take the 8:30pm train back instead, if it got later than planned)

> so I either walk through Naples for all those hours (which I definitely think it's too much since I'm not doing the Museum)

I'm a fan of Naples - I found it to be a gritty, but very lively and vibrant city with amazing churches, fascinating streets, and some lovely squares. I can imagine spending days there - but not everyone agrees and many people do not like Naples.

As others have mentioned, 2 hours is not much for Pompeii.

Agree, two hours is not much for Pompeii, and hour on Capri - !!! Don't bother! Honestly, what you can see in that period of time is nothing special, especially given the transportation time and cost involved. While I'm not a big fan of Sorrento other than as a base to take advantage of its excellent transportation options, it is a place where an hour will let you cover a lot of what there is to see. IMHO, there are at least as good views to be had from the cliffs in Sorrento as you will get from the ferry and the Capri harbor.

Why not stay at Pompeii another hour, go out to Sorrento for an hour's walk-around, and then return to Naples? I still think that's one stop too many for this day-trip, but if you must, it's not unreasonable.

I should say, like kja I do enjoy Naples, but it's not for everyone. If you're only going to be there an hour or so, there's a very good chance you won't get to see the most appealing parts, so you may not enjoy even your brief stop. However, it doesn't seem like the purpose of this exercise is really enjoyment; more just checking things off your list.

Have to agree with Artsnletters. With your time frame, taking the train on to Sorrento after Pompeii, makes more sense than going to Capri. The views are lovely. If the ferries are running and it isn't too dark to see anything, you could take a ferry back from Sorrento to Naples. I, personally, still wouldn't bother. I absolutely would not go to Capri for only an hour.

Along with Kja, I love Naples. Some of my favorite eating experiences have been in Naples. It does take a good walk to even start to appreciate Naples though.

First 2 hours will let you see very little of Pompeii. this is an entire town - not just a couple of buildings.

Second, at that time of year transport to and fro Capri can be on almost any sort of schedule - based on the weather. It's possible you would get there, grab the funicular for an hour to see the town (many things will be closed) and return to find you have missed the last transport back to Naples or Sorrento (which is typically late afternoon - not night).

The ferry from Naples to Capri takes 80 minutes one way or the hydrofoil takes 40 minutes. Then you will take the funicular to Capri Town.

A 15 minute bus ride to Anacapri will get you to the base of the chair lift for a 12 minute ride to Mt. Solara which many people consider the highlight of visiting Capri. Your hour doesn't allow for a visit of Anacapri or Mt. Solara. Not sure about visiting those places in November anyway. Probably best left for a warmer season with longer days.

Even if you just walk around Capri town are you willing to spend between 1 hr 20 minutes and 2 hrs 40 minutes of travel time to/from the island for just an hour of seeing the lowest little town on the island? IMO that time would be better spent on a more lengthy visit of Pompeii.

I'm back! we had a wonderful trip to Italy. I just wanted to let you know that I made it! with a little bit of luck, rush, and good spirits, we did everything (but the Blue Grotto, because of the tides). Left at 7am from Rome to Naples, took the circumvesuviana to Pompeii, stayed there 2 hours (it's huge! but we did the sites that we liked the most), took the circumvesuviana to Sorrento, walk from the stop to the Marina (so basically just took a few pictures while we were walking, but the view is SO much worth it!) take the ferry to Capri (the fast one) walked around the Island for 1 1/2 (was enough, we even got lost!), took the ferry to Naples and walk around the city for 1 hour. Had pizza at Michelle and took the train back to Rome (Oh! forgot to mention that we found an internet cafe (the only one for 7 days!) and spent there 1 hour (needed to talk to my boys!) We had an spectacular day, sunny, I was wearing a short sleeve t-shirt and my down vest, love the views! totally worth it and recommend, yes, it was crazy, tiring but I don't regret it at all! Didn't get to see much in Sorrento nor in Naples, but the ferry and views were amazing

Good for you. All those naysayers.

Thanks for reporting back, tasiburo.

Apologies for continuing this long thread but my circumstances is some what similar but to a lesser extent.

My partner and I are taking a cruise this September and one of the Port of Call will be Sorrento. I would want to do a bit of both, Sorrento and Capri within the time of our stop (8:00am to 5:00pm).

I would highly appreciare suggestions of an itinerary that will allow us to see much of both places within the afore-mentioned time frame.

Your boat can't actually dock in Sorrento so you will have to take transport in. From the Sorrento port you can catch a ferry to Capri. To see Capri, you have to take the funicular or some other transport to the areas you want to visit. The same is true for Sorrento where you have to take a bus (or you can walk) up to the town. All of these take time, sometimes much more than you think it will.

I would head straight for Capri so that your return won't be complicated by any ferry difficulties. Go here to see the schedule for the ferry: http://www.capri.net/en/ferry-schedule?path=Napoli-Capri Ferry times may change in September, so be sure to check shortly before you go to make sure you have up-to-date information. Note that those that indicate "Jet" are the fastest ferries. Go here to see the schedule from Capri to Sorrento: http://www.capri.net/en/ferry-schedule?path=Capri-Sorrento

From Sorrento, you can catch the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Naples, leaving about twice an hour. The ride back to Naples takes about an hour. You'll then need to take a taxi to the port from the train station.

I agree with kybourbon's assessment that things take more time than you think they will, so allow extra time. Keep in mind that ships don't wait for those touring independently, only for those on the ship's excursions, so you really don't want to be late. If you see Capri first and end up being short for time for Sorrento, you can always take the ferry straight back to Naples, or just walk up from the ferry dock and go to the train station - that's through most of town for a quick look - and enjoy the Circumvesuviana ride - it passes by some very lovely scenery.

Sorry, that should have read:

>. If you see Capri first and end up being short for time for Sorrento, you can just walk up from the ferry dock in Sorrento and go to the train station - that's through most of town for a quick look - and enjoy the Circumvesuviana ride - it passes by some very lovely scenery - or just take the ferry straight from Capri to Naples.<<

I think kybourbon's time warning is spot on. The last time we were in Sorrento, we observed cruise passengers lining up to get off the ship in the morning and at the end of the day standing in an even longer line to get back on the ship. The tender boat could only hold perhaps 8 passengers and all their shopping bags.

I don't think Beaver25 is docking in Naples--the port is Sorrento--so they don't need to be concerned about transport between Naples and Sorrento.

As everyone has said, go to Capri first, have lunch, and, if you still want to tour Sorrento come back on the fast ferry and spend the balance of your time walking around Sorrento.