FCO to Sorrento or Salerno w/out dealing with Naples train station
 

I'm a female traveling alone, arriving on a Sunday in Sept at FCO after long flight. Proto-plan (from lots of research, thanks everyone for posting!) is to get to either Sorrento or Salerno from FCO and stay there my first night. Will use that as base to see Herculaneum and Pompeii next day, and then Peastum the next.

I've experienced big train stations in Paris and Munich, so I understand how they can be. However, I have heard too may scary stories about Rome Termini and the Naples central station, so I want to avoid having to be walking around inside either of those by myself.

ANY suggestion as to how I might get from FCO to Sorrento or Salerno absent these two train stations would be greatly appreciated. I do understand that I could get a private car for about 400 ec, but also seeking other hopefully a little less costly options.

MANY THANKS.
E

You could fly to Naples and take an airport bus to Sorrento.

As a solo female, I have made the trip FCO to Roma Termini to Naples by train without a problem. I have passed through Roma Termini a number of times without a problem, including waiting 45 minutes for the next train. Since you are familiar with other large train stations, I think you can use these stations without incident.

I am sorry you have fallen prey to so much misinformation. You can safely move through these stations as you would in Paris. Do keep your valuables secure and out of sight and out of reach, on your person, and do not carry more luggage than you can manage by yourself. But that is true wherever you go and are carrying important things. I have traveled through both Termina and Napoli Centrale many times, and they are no different than other large train stations in the western world.

Since you want to go to Paestum, you should go to Salerno, not Sorrento.

Both Trenitalia and Italo have trains from Rome to Salerno. They stop at Naples but the same train proceeds on to Salerno.

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

http://www.italotreno.it/?sc_lang=en

"Paris police report that between 20,000 and 30,000 people each year report falling victim to pickpocket scams in Paris, with nearly half of these numbers occurring on Paris trains and the Metro."

http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com...transportation

Scared?

There is a bus that goes from Rome to Sorrento - Curreri? Not sure where to pick it up in Rome but you can probably get a cab from FCO to the bus station (and not sure if any better than train station).

No, Curreri bus does not go to Rome.

Like ellenm, I've traveled through Termini and Naples Centrale alone numerous times without any hint of a problem. I also use the metro/buses/trams in Rome and the metro requires transit through Termini. I do know not to have valuables easily accessible or to be distracted by crowds.

There used to be a bus from FCO to Salerno once a day - Buonotourist. I'm not sure it still exists. It departed in the early afternoon so wasn't helpful for most tourists (US flights tend to arrive early morning).

There is a bus from Rome to Sorrento (and onward to Positano and Amalfi in summer). It's Marozzi bus (about 20€) and departs from Rome's Tiburtina station. I don't really see any difference departing Tiburtina or Termini. Like the Buonotourist bus, the times for the Marozzi bus don't often work out for people arriving FCO.

I'm not a fan of Salerno, but Paestum would be easier to reach from there. Pompeii and Herculaneum are easier from Naples or Sorrento.

There is a bus, departs every hour from Naples airport to Sorrento. Curreri Viaggio, or something like that. Sorrento (and Naples) is good for visiting Pompeii and/or Herculanium. I would not hesitate to go via train, have done it several times, but catching the bus at the airport would be easiest. It does fill up quickly, so you might sit on the bus for a little while or have to wait for the next one, but it is right outside the terminal and it is a very easy airport to navigate.

I have traveled through both Termina and Napoli Centrale many times, and they are no different than other large train stations in the western world.> Read the thread about Termini and the spate of scam artists there - Paris may be just as bad but to say there is no more to worry about than in any European train station is defying reality for some reason.

Just know there is a problem and be leery of anyone coming up to you for any reason. You can avoid Termini but taking regional trains from FCO to Rome Tiburtina station and get trains from there to Salerno or Naples - I've been thru Naples several times and never had a problem nor at Termini though some suspect folks came up to me there on a couple of occasions and I just walked away.

Don't be scared - if you know there is a problem the problem is lessened - those who say Termini presents no more problems than any European station is sending the wrong and innacurate message as far as I can tell.

we were approached by some people at Termini offering to "help" us with getting tickets out of the automatic machines but we just told them to go away and they went.

you have to keep your eyes and ears open and behave as you would anywhere in London, Paris or NYC. The Circumvesuviana train at Naples is well signposted and is downstairs - you will find it easily if you go that way.

but the airport bus from Naples to Sorrento, if you decide to go that way, may be more convenient in any event.

http://www.buonobus.it/

This bus that goes direct from FCO to Salerno with a couple of stops along the way - if you can navigate this site to find information. I believe it runs three times a week but one of those days may be the day you land.

I wouldn't worry about the train stations. Roma Termini has recently implemented 'gates' across the rail platforms so random people can't 'offer assistance' i.e. take your bags, load them on the train and then demand payment. Napoli Centrale is a huge, modern, bright station that I have been in and out of countless times and really, I find London St. Pancras more of a challenge.

There is a new tourist service from Naples to Sorrento with three trains per day. It costs 15 euro and you can only buy return tickets but the trains are brand new, air conditioned and free of those pesky buskers and assorted scoundrels.
http://www.napoliunplugged.com/campa...i-and-sorrento



A compromise is train to Naples and then be collected by a car service which would cost you 80 euro to Sorrento.

For what it's worth, a woman in the art group to which I belong is from Santa Maria de Castellabate and has always suggested that it is a lovely place to visit if one is in Salerno. The Hotel Sirio in the main square is owned by her cousin.

I don't know how much time you have for local visiting.

Hopefully with all that media spash about huge probems at Termini the past few weeks railway officials will take sudden measure to stop it all - but that's been the case for dozens of years now - always be cautious about anyone coming up to you, unfortunately.

If you do decide a private car is your best option, try hiring one from Sorrento, rather than Rome. I mean the driver has to make the long round trip no matter what, and I found Sorrento based drivers about. 100 euro cheaper than Rome based. My family was very happy with Rino, of Sorrento Easy Travel. Picked them up at the port of Rome, stopped at Herculaneum, and a lunch stop on Vesuvius, and dropped them at the hotel in Sorrento. Very reliable, totally painless.