Getting back to Rome from Positano?
 

After visiting Rome, Florence, Venice & Sicily, we will end in Positano for 4 nights. Our flight back to the U.S. leaves from Rome on a Saturday morning. We think it would be best to leave Positano on Friday and stay in Rome overnite so we won't be rushing Sat. morning for the airport. How do you advise we get to Rome on Friday while making the most of the day? Should we rent a car and stop along the way to Rome (Pompeii, Villa d'Este or where?). Should we take the train or hire a driver to Rome? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I'm a big proponent of public transit: You could take the Sita bus to Sorrento and change for the Circumvesuviana train, stopping at Pompeii (there's a left luggage facility) before taking a late train from Naples back to Rome. You also could use the left luggage facility in Naples Termini and explore the city before catching the train to Rome. In addition to the archeological museum (a little stuffy but crammed with all the treasures from the ancient ruins) and pizza, there's a beautiful Carravaggio in one of the churches and other "hidden" gems.

You might want to get a hotel room not far from the train station in Rome to facilitate getting to FCO. Just make sure wherever you book has guaranteed late check-in!

<b>How many in your group?</b>

If you are 3 people, then a driver/taxi from central Rome to the airport (about 40E) will be the same as three train tickets to the airport. If you are 4 people, a driver/taxi will be definitely be cheaper. If you are only two, the airport train will be about 10E less than a driver. The driver/taxi option will you to stay anywhere in Rome and not be stuck staying near the train station - especially important if you drive from Positano early in the morning and are in Rome before noon (it's about a 3-1/2 hour drive).

I guessing a driver from Positano to Rome is too expensive (about 300E). I would rent a car.

You can price the long, multi-stage public transit option outlined above (SITA bus to Sorrento, then a Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Naples, then a Eurostar train from Naples to Rome). The public tranist option will likely be more expensive than renting a car - even if there are only two of you. If your group is more than two people, transit could cost much more.

I would investigate all the options both in terms of price and total (hotel door to hotel door) time. Factor in convenience and what it is worth to you.

Also look at taking a public boat or bus from Positano to Salerno and then the train to Rome from there.

There will just be the 2 of us. Hiring a driver at 300euro is too expensive for us. I'm thinking we should rent a car and drive to Rome. Should we take the bus to Sorrento and pickup the car there or ? Do they do one-way rentals? Then maybe stop in Pompeii or drive directly to Vill d'Este and skip Pompeii? Also trying to decide where to stay for last night in Rome for ease getting to airport.

Another question . .We are flying from Palermo into Naples. Can we take a boat from Naples directly to Positano? If not, how do we go about getting to Positano via boat?

Hi gj,

There is bus service from NAP to Sorrento or Meta:
http://www.curreriviaggi.it/

You can take the boat from Sorrento to Positano if you'ld rather not go by SITA bus.

((I))

Yes you can rent a car one way. You'll need to pick it up in Sorrento. As mentioen, you can go either bus or boat from Positano to Sorrento. For hotel in Rome, I suggest just staying in the neighborhood that most appeals to you and having a driver or taxi you to the airport (it will only be 10e more than two train tix).

I am going to ferry/hydrofoil from Positano to Salerno (one last beautiful view of the coast), then train from Salerno to Rome. Make the most of your last day, either by spending most of the day on the coast and then taking a late ferry/train, or by getting to Rome early and wandering the city. Stay in the neighborhood in Rome you like and taxi to the airport in the morning.

ekc -- Is it not possible to take the ferry/hydrofoil from Positano to Naples and then train from Naples to Rome? I emailed metrodelmare.net for boat schedule information and received a auto-reply stating the service was discontinued in Oct. 2010. Does this mean there is no ferry service from Naples OR the ferry service is seasonal and will start up again this spring or summer?

Still going over all the options on how we will get back to Rome from Positano our last day. The logistics are really something on the Amalfi Coast!

It simply means it will start again this Spring/Summer. It gets "discontinued" every October.

The problem with taking a ferry to Naples is you have to get transport from the port to the train station.

In summer, there is a bus from Positano to Rome that doesn't involve any changes. Departs Positano at 16:10 and the cost is 20.50€.

Yes, getting from the port to the train station in Naples can be a drag! The Positano-Rome bus sounds like a straightforward option.

Also, do an advanced search on this forum for posts/comments by A_Brit_in_Ischia and GAC. Both have written extensively on transportation in the area including schedules and instructional photos; GAC is something of a resident train expert...

I agree with kybourbon. I took the bus from Positano to Rome last Summer, and it was great, comfortable, and easy.