5 Days Sorrento & 5 Days Rome
 

I am flying into Rome on May 27 with my boyfriend. We are both in our early 20's and this is our first time to Italy. We fly into Rome, but are starting with Sorrento. It was suggested that instead of training it all the way to Sorrento, we should get a rental car at the airport and drive down to sorrento. We would then have the car during our stay there and drive it back to Rome. We would return it in Rome as we would not need it there.

I'm not sure if the car is necessary because we are using Sorrento as a base to travel to the neighboring cities. Any thoughts on the rental car situation are appreciated.

As well if anyone can offer suggestions on where else to visit while in Sorrento also appreciated. So far my only request is to visit Capri by ferry one of the five days.

Many use Sorrento as a base to visit Capri, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast precisely because you don't need a car if you stay there. Sorrento has good public transport options to tour the area.

There is really no yes/no answer to whether a car is necessary. There are pros and cons, and each traveler decides which factors are more relevant to them including the destinations, willingness to deal with traffic and parking hassles as well as dealing with public transit schedules.

From Sorrento to Capri, you already know that the car is useless.

For Pompeii, there is a cheap and frequent trains connecting Sorrento to Pompeii. I didn't think the drive between them was particularly scenic.

Visiting Amalfi coast towns require more thinking. I think by the time your are there, there options are boats, SITA bus, taxi/car with driver, and drive yourself. Parking at Positano is very difficult. You need to use a fee lot unless you are willing to park up to may be 1km out of town. You will know what I mean when you see cars parked on the side of the Amalfi coast narrow road way before you see a glimpse of Positano. Going to Revello and back by SITA bus can be done, but you really need to know the bus schedule so as not to miss the last bus back. I hired a taxi for a day to do this section after realizing the SITA bus timing situation.

The public transit to Caserta was somewhat constraining. It can be done, but you cannot just decide to go on a whim as you have to choose the trains carefully.

Napoli is a one hour+ commuter train ride from Sorrento. Before you even think of driving into Napoli, research this forum. It was hard enough just crossing the streets by foot, but you might have a different view on driving.

We always have a car when staying in Sorrento (typically picked up when leaving Rome) - but it is generally a part of a longer road trip. (After Sorrento we drive us to Florence or someplace else in Tuscany, perhaps on to Venice or to Switzerland.)

And we love road trips and like driving in europe. the key to having a car in Sorrento is a hotel that has parking (most don;t) and it's a PIA otherwise.

With that time in Sorrento I would spend a day in Pompeii, one in Naples at the archomuseusm, one driving down the coast (driving the cost road is fun except in midsummer) and a day in Capri.

Are you planning to drive after a long overnight flight? Because you will arrive jetlagged and sleepy and in no shape to handle southern Italian drivers. Nor do I think you need to have a car in Sorrento. The only time you might want it for the Amalfi coast drive, which is not for the faint-hearted. But you can take buses or boats instead. And you may have to pay to keep the car parked for the other days.

There are buses from Rome Tibertina to Sorrento. You take the train from the airport to the Rome Tibertina station and switch to a bus.