2 nights in Sorrento - Is this a good plan?
Jul 31st, 2016, 02:01 PM
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2 nights in Sorrento - Is this a good plan?
Bit of background
Will be arriving in Rome in the evening 8pm, will head to our hotel and enjoy the pool that night. Family of 4, with 2 kids around 10 yrs. We will get up in the morning, take hotel shuttle to the train station, leave our luggage there, then explore rome. We have been in Rome so, this is more of a quick refresher of the Coliseum, forum, few more spots. Take an evening fast train around 8pm to Napoli. Stay the night in a hotel near the train station. Wake up early and take the local train to Sorrento where we will be staying for 2 nights.
DAY 1 in Sorrento
We plan on arriving Sorrento around 10am from Napoli. We are considering leaving our luggage at the train station and then take the ferry to Capri. Spend the day there, wondering around till about 5 pm, and then take the ferry back to Sorento, pick up our luggage and head to our hotel.
Questions about Capri. Is there good beaches near the area where the ferry terminal is? What would you do with 5 hours on the island?
Is there good spots to spend the evening in downtown Sorrento for dinner? Maybe enjoy the sunset
DAY 2 - Visit Amalfi and Positano
Given that this is our full day at the AC we want to visit these two towns. It is middle of August, do we bother with the SITA buses or just take the ferry to get there quicker? There is a bus stop outside out hotel, but it is after the bus had left Sorrento, so we are afraid it may be packed. Maybe ferry to Positano, and then bus in the evening since the ferry leaves Positano around 5 pm or so?
How are the beaches in Positano? Should we expect to pay 10 Euro for a chair, or is there some public beaches that we can use?
Going from Positano to Amalfi. Should we use the bus, or is the ferry the most convenient option?
How are the beaches in Amalfi. Is there some near the ferry terminal?
How would you divide the whole day between Positano and Amalfi.
I know the plan is ambitious, but so are we. We like to move and get things going, and with enough Gelato everything is possible.
Will be arriving in Rome in the evening 8pm, will head to our hotel and enjoy the pool that night. Family of 4, with 2 kids around 10 yrs. We will get up in the morning, take hotel shuttle to the train station, leave our luggage there, then explore rome. We have been in Rome so, this is more of a quick refresher of the Coliseum, forum, few more spots. Take an evening fast train around 8pm to Napoli. Stay the night in a hotel near the train station. Wake up early and take the local train to Sorrento where we will be staying for 2 nights.
DAY 1 in Sorrento
We plan on arriving Sorrento around 10am from Napoli. We are considering leaving our luggage at the train station and then take the ferry to Capri. Spend the day there, wondering around till about 5 pm, and then take the ferry back to Sorento, pick up our luggage and head to our hotel.
Questions about Capri. Is there good beaches near the area where the ferry terminal is? What would you do with 5 hours on the island?
Is there good spots to spend the evening in downtown Sorrento for dinner? Maybe enjoy the sunset
DAY 2 - Visit Amalfi and Positano
Given that this is our full day at the AC we want to visit these two towns. It is middle of August, do we bother with the SITA buses or just take the ferry to get there quicker? There is a bus stop outside out hotel, but it is after the bus had left Sorrento, so we are afraid it may be packed. Maybe ferry to Positano, and then bus in the evening since the ferry leaves Positano around 5 pm or so?
How are the beaches in Positano? Should we expect to pay 10 Euro for a chair, or is there some public beaches that we can use?
Going from Positano to Amalfi. Should we use the bus, or is the ferry the most convenient option?
How are the beaches in Amalfi. Is there some near the ferry terminal?
How would you divide the whole day between Positano and Amalfi.
I know the plan is ambitious, but so are we. We like to move and get things going, and with enough Gelato everything is possible.
Jul 31st, 2016, 02:49 PM
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If your goals are Capri, Amalfi, and Positano, consider skipping Sorrento: Ferry from Naples to Capri; ferry from Capri to either Amalfi or Positano.
A good guide book or two might serve you extremely well.
A good guide book or two might serve you extremely well.
Jul 31st, 2016, 02:50 PM
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Take an evening fast train around 8pm to Napoli. Stay the night in a hotel near the train station. Wake up early and take the local train to Sorrento where we will be staying for 2 nights.>
Not a great area - not bad but why not just hop the train to Sorrento and arrive there for your hotel?
I think the Sorrento train station may not have a left-luggage - it's a commuter railway like a metro. Or arrange to have your luggage staying at your hotel when you arrive.
but I'd take an earlier train from Rome - say around 6pm and be in Sorrento about 8pm - Sorrento is a restaurant-ghetto - zillions of places and folks walking around a lot at night.
Take the ferry to Positano and bus to Amalfi maybe though the bus I took stopped only at the top of the huge hill in Positano that comes up from the sea so maybe ferry is best if much more expensive.
I did a day trip from Sorrento to Amalfi and Ravello, perched high above Amalfi and famous for its rave views for miles around. You could do all three - buses to Ravello from Amalfi or a neat few-mile uphill walk thru orchards that I did.
I stayed in Sorrento and from town there is no great view of the coast - some tall hotels may have them but if you want to walk down to the port it could be nice.
In Capri I'd head to the Blue Grotto and go from there - not always open due to water levels - can get boats right from Capri's ferry port.
Not a great area - not bad but why not just hop the train to Sorrento and arrive there for your hotel?
I think the Sorrento train station may not have a left-luggage - it's a commuter railway like a metro. Or arrange to have your luggage staying at your hotel when you arrive.
but I'd take an earlier train from Rome - say around 6pm and be in Sorrento about 8pm - Sorrento is a restaurant-ghetto - zillions of places and folks walking around a lot at night.
Take the ferry to Positano and bus to Amalfi maybe though the bus I took stopped only at the top of the huge hill in Positano that comes up from the sea so maybe ferry is best if much more expensive.
I did a day trip from Sorrento to Amalfi and Ravello, perched high above Amalfi and famous for its rave views for miles around. You could do all three - buses to Ravello from Amalfi or a neat few-mile uphill walk thru orchards that I did.
I stayed in Sorrento and from town there is no great view of the coast - some tall hotels may have them but if you want to walk down to the port it could be nice.
In Capri I'd head to the Blue Grotto and go from there - not always open due to water levels - can get boats right from Capri's ferry port.
Jul 31st, 2016, 03:37 PM
#4
I'm also sure there isn't a left-luggage facility at Sorrento station, just a ticket window in a small building. If you're staying overnight in town, check to make sure the hotel will hold them and take them there, even if you check in later in the day.
Regarding left luggage at Rome Termini station, while heading for the toilets on that level one day I walked parallel to the longest line I've ever seen in a train station, all waiting to leave or pick up luggage. It may be a colossal waste of time. Again, consider leaving the bags at your hotel after you check out.
Regarding left luggage at Rome Termini station, while heading for the toilets on that level one day I walked parallel to the longest line I've ever seen in a train station, all waiting to leave or pick up luggage. It may be a colossal waste of time. Again, consider leaving the bags at your hotel after you check out.
Jul 31st, 2016, 03:52 PM
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I don't know where PQ stayed but I found good views from our hotel, the Bellevue Syrene, and from the adjacent lookout, available to all. Sorrento is on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Naples. So not on the AC but still scenic.
Good suggestion from kja about skipping Sorrento. You don't want to go there and you don't want to go to Pompeii (which is easily accessed from Sorrento). So why stay in Sorrento?
Good suggestion from kja about skipping Sorrento. You don't want to go there and you don't want to go to Pompeii (which is easily accessed from Sorrento). So why stay in Sorrento?
Jul 31st, 2016, 06:48 PM
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This is madness. One night stops here and there and dragging luggage around - and you have no idea what there is to do on Capri so why are you even going there.
Choose ONE place and day trip from there. August will be packed. Expect crowds and heat everywhere.
Choose ONE place and day trip from there. August will be packed. Expect crowds and heat everywhere.
Aug 1st, 2016, 02:16 AM
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Not a whole lot of logic to overnighting in Naples; take an earlier train to make a transfer to Sorrento by sunset. Bring the kids for a pizza in Da Franco's before bedtime - they stay open past midnight.
Starting DAY 1 in Sorrento allows you catch an early ferry to Capri, say before 9am. Sea conditions will determine whether the Blue Grotto is open to visitors; decision - take an out-and-back or a round-island boat excursion. Take the funicular up to the main town afterwards and get a taxi/bus to Anacapri; the chairlift up to the summit of Monte Solaro is a must. Ten year olds may be less enamoured with the delights of Villa san Michele. If in search of a beach, there are swimming opportunities at Marina Piccola and a nice place to have lunch at Da Gioia. The last ferry back to Sorrento leaves about 6.30. Lots of useful info on the island on www.capri.com
To again maximise your limited time, on DAY 2 I would favour the Coast-to-Coast bus service to Positano at 8.45 in preference to the 10.30 ferry. You can transfer onwards to Amalfi by ferry to give the kids the sea experience. For the return Amalfi-Sorrento trip, again the ferry service curtails your time in Amalfi, leaving at approx. 4.30 so I would advise the C-t-C bus which operates much later into the evening. In terms of Positano v Amalfi for your fix of beach time, perhaps getting this over early in the day might be your better option so that's a vote for Positano. As the kids are most unlikely to have a passion for climbing steps or windowshopping, it might be a case of Parental divide and conquer at this juncture.....
Starting DAY 1 in Sorrento allows you catch an early ferry to Capri, say before 9am. Sea conditions will determine whether the Blue Grotto is open to visitors; decision - take an out-and-back or a round-island boat excursion. Take the funicular up to the main town afterwards and get a taxi/bus to Anacapri; the chairlift up to the summit of Monte Solaro is a must. Ten year olds may be less enamoured with the delights of Villa san Michele. If in search of a beach, there are swimming opportunities at Marina Piccola and a nice place to have lunch at Da Gioia. The last ferry back to Sorrento leaves about 6.30. Lots of useful info on the island on www.capri.com
To again maximise your limited time, on DAY 2 I would favour the Coast-to-Coast bus service to Positano at 8.45 in preference to the 10.30 ferry. You can transfer onwards to Amalfi by ferry to give the kids the sea experience. For the return Amalfi-Sorrento trip, again the ferry service curtails your time in Amalfi, leaving at approx. 4.30 so I would advise the C-t-C bus which operates much later into the evening. In terms of Positano v Amalfi for your fix of beach time, perhaps getting this over early in the day might be your better option so that's a vote for Positano. As the kids are most unlikely to have a passion for climbing steps or windowshopping, it might be a case of Parental divide and conquer at this juncture.....
