Day trip Naples to Capri/Sorrento
 

Need suggestions from anyone who has been on a cruise, on the best way to spend the day in Capri and Sorrento, we have 8 to 9 hours there. Want to know if i have enough time to take a hydrofoil to Capri and then Sorrento and return to Naples.

It would be very rushed, but you could see both Capri and Sorrento. Personally, though, I'd skip Sorrento and spend your precious few hours on Capri (or at Pompeii, but not both).

Hi Chich - I agree with Jean and suggest you forget Sorrento and spend the day in Capri.

You can find hydrofoil timetables between Naples and Capri on:

http://www.capri.net/en/ship-timetable

Steve

I agree, skip Sorrento - it has some nice views and alot of touristy shops where you can sample limoncello! but Capri is much nicer. There is enough to do there for a day - hikes, the bus to Anacapri and the chairlift, and / or the Blue Grotto which is quite touristy but still worth doing. Do a long luch at an outdoor restaurant. Have a great day!

If your heart is set on Capri, then go for it. But do keep in mind you will be elbow-to-elbow with the other daytrippers. Capri is at its loveliest when they have all departed on the late afternoon ferries. Capri town itself will be the most crowded, especially the Piazzetta and the narrow shopping streets. Walk out away from the town a short distance and you will find the crowds thinning dramatically. You might want to consider going on up to Anacapri, splurging out on one of the open-top taxis to make it easier. You can share the ride with another couple to save on the fare. The alternative is to queue for the buses or ride the funicular, which then means queuing for a bus in Capri town.

In Anacapri you can visit Axel Munthe's Villa Michele and also the church of San Michele, with its beautiful majolica floor. You can also ride a cable car to the top of Monte Solaro and walk back down. Eventually, however, you will have to queue again for the bus to take you back down to Capri or Marina Grande. Be prepared for a wait. If you have time, you can walk down from Capri town to Marina Piccolo, where there are several small restaurants and wave-level views of the Faraglione. Here are some photos from Capri: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/c812668.html

If you want a small taste of perfect Mediterranean island life, visit Procida, surely the loveliest place in the Bay of Naples. It's very small, you can walk across it in a morning, and still relatively unspoiled by tourism, as most people living there still make their living from the sea. Not a lot to do but walk the narrow streets and lanes and eat sublime seafood in a restaurant overlooking the sea and the incredibly beautiful small port of Corricella. Here are some photos: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/c814740.html

And if you are interested in gardens, Lady Walton's garden, La Mortella, on the island of Ischia is well worth a visit. There are also lovely small villages to visit on Ischia, including Ischia Ponte and Sant'Angelo, easily accessed by bus, but again you will probably have to queue and then stand on the overcrowded buses. It's a beautiful island, but suffers from too much tourism as Capri does. Here are some photos and more information about La Mortella: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/c814381.html

The best way to get away from the crowds on Capri is to skip both Capri town and Anacapri. Take the bus to Marina Piccolo for lunch, and then go back to Capri town and hike out towards the Faraglione islets - see www.capri.net/en/t/arco-naturale-and-pizzolungo.

chich59....hate to disagree with the rest, but we just came back from Amalfi/Naples (2 weeks)...if you only have 8-9 hours, do Sorrento, great town, lots of small alleyway streets to explore, some great restaurants, walk down to the water for some vino with great views, yes, a little touristy, but to try to cram Capri in such a small amount of time I think would be a mistake.....Museo correale is a graet take and the gardens that surround it are beautiful...