Help for Trip to Naples and Almafi Coast
 

Hi, my wife and I are making plans to visit Naples and Amalfi Coast by the end of Oct for 8 nights and would like comments for the following itinerary:
- Flying into FCO Rome airport and take airport bus to Naples directly
- Train from Naples to Salerno to catch ferry to Amalfi or Positano for 3 nights where we will make our base to do trips and hikes visiting the coastal towns
- Ferry from Amalfi/Positano to Sorrento for 2 nights where we will visit Pompei historic ruins and volcano of Mt Vesuvio
- Train from Sorrento to Naples for 3 nights and will consider visits to Preceda and Ischia.
- Bus back to FCO airport skipping Rome completely.
Is this itinerary doable and is it also too rush? We are concerned of the weather and also rough sea for the ferry rides. I did consider making Sorrento as base for the entire trip and bus trips to AC towns and train rides to Naples, Pompei Ruins etc etc. But I think bus trips from Sorrento to AC towns will take too long and you don't get to appreciate the area without staying there. Anyway, thanks in advance for any comments.

Others with better knowledge of the Amalfi coast will have more to say, but if it were me, the bus from Naples BACK to FCO sounds fine to make it one easy sit, but on the outbound to Salerno, you will save at least an hour by using the train all the way (simply from FCO to Roma Termini, then a direct train to Salerno - - also a bit easier than a bus to train transfer). Plus, although busses nowadays can be comfortable, trains give you more room to stretch and to walk down the corridors - - I would definitely train from FCO to Salerno, saving time at the same time. Otherwise, your itinerary sounds really delicious, especially since you are allowing time and options each step of the way to decide day to day how what you want to do. If the seas are rough, you can take the bus along the Amalfi coast as well. You might even want to spend one night in Salerno. It's a nice place, with great food -- an afternoon/evening stroll with a meal is totally satisfying there. You can get a hotel across from the train station, and this will be a totally non-stressful start to your trip.

Two comments/questions.
Have you already booked flights? If not, can you fly in and out of Naples? Much less hassle.
If you have already booked, I would spend the last night in Rome, would not want to risk a traffic delay on the day of departure. Of course, people do it, but a general rule during travel is to be in the city of departure the night before unless you have an evening flight.

Good call on not depending on the ferries. Personally, I love them and the views from the water, but they cut schedules by October. However, if you do have good weather, the views are spectacular. Capri?

My decision on the bus ride from FCO to Naples is that arriving morning in the red eye flight, I would prefer to sit on the bus to Naples so I can rest/sleep for this leg. Also, I originally had considered going to Procida for the first 2 nights and ferry from there to Sorrento. But I found out there is no more ferry for this route in the off-season starting Oct/Nov.

Flights booked already so not possible to fly to Naples directly. We have been to Rome and Capri in our last visit 15 years ago, We used Rome as our base last time so we try to focus this trip around Naples. As we will be ferrying from Salerno to one of the AC towns as our base and still have not decided on which one, any suggestion? I guess once decided, I have to find the lodging for the stay and welcome your suggestion also.

It's not just the rough seas to consider with regard to the ferries. Being the end of October, you have to find out the frequency on the routes you're contemplating for the dates that you'll be there.

Would you arrive early enough to catch the last ferry Salerno-Positano? Alternatively, might you have to wait a couple of hours after your train arrives?

Ferry services between Salerno, the AC towns, and Sorrento will end for the year on some date near the end of October.

“Base for trips and hikes” suggests Amalfi rather than Positano, in my opinion. Or Atrani. Paths up to Ravello, into the Valle delle Ferriere/dei Mulini.

Jean, thanks for the reminder of the off season ferry schedule. Just checked and found out the last ferry from Salerno to Amalfi/Positano is 15:30 (oct) and 14:30 (for first few days of Nov). My FCO bus would arrive in Naples around 13:40. The 14:25 Naples train to Salerno would arrive at 15:14 so I would be extremely lucky to be able to catch the last ferry out. Whereas the 12:00 train from Roma Termini would arrive in Salerno at 14:16 which would allow enough time to catch the 15:30 ferry (as suggested earlier by Dfourh). I have to rework my itinerary to consider visiting Preceda/Ischia first or straight to Amalfi/Positano.

My revised itinerary as follows:

- Day 1: FCO to Naples by Bus and then train ride to Sorrento for 4 nights
- Day 2: Visit to Pompei/Mt Vesuvio
- Day 3: Day trip by bus to Amalfi/Ravello and short ferry ride from Amalfi to Positano then return to Sorrento by bus
- Day 4: A day of rest in Sorrento
- Day 5:Train back to Naples for 4 nights
- Day 6:Day trip by ferry to Procida/Ischia (not sure which one)
- Day 7/8: Sights and sounds in Naples
- Day 9: Early bus ride from Naples to FCO for home bound flight at 2;45pm

This itinerary eliminates tight ferry schedule and concerns of rough water at sea on the first day. Is Sorrento a good base around end Oct and early Nov? Welcome your comments.