Hello, I am flying into FCO (our 1st time in Italy) and are debating to take the fast train straight away to Cinque Terre OR head to Naples then the Amalfi Coast- we've heard & seen lovely things about both. I will be attending a conference in Rome and our time is short in Italy. We are coming from Canada and know to prepurchase our rail pass in advance. If anyone could offer suggestions about preferences or also confirm which is closer CT or Naples that too would be very helpful!
Kindly,
Jenn "The Canadian - 1st time to Italy"!!!

Naples or the beginning of the Amalfi Coast is closer, although the Amalfi Coast starts in Sorrento
http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Rome/Naples

http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Rome/Sorrento

Cinque Terre is a little far North http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Rome/Cinque-Terre

You don't need to buy tickets in advance as they are short trips, just make sure to buy the fast train not the regular ones.

If I were you and wanted to see the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, etc I would travel straight to Sorrento and do ferries to the small towns, unless you want to pay to stay in the Amalfi Coast. I love Sorrento myself and its nightlife and food, and rather doing day trips to Amalfi, Positano, etc.

Hi

Given your short time span I would stay in Rome. So much to see and experience - you couldn't cover its marvels in a lifetime!

Forget the rail pass, not cost effective for Italy. And certainly not useful for local trains.

How short is short?

Agree - without knowing how many days you have and when you are coming it's very difficult to make any specific recos on where to go for how long.

As for the AC and the CT they are apples and oranges. CT are 5 tiny villages cut into the cliff above the sea and the main activity there is hiking the cliff trails between the villages (or taking boats between them in season).

The AC is a number of more upscale seaside resorts, also cut into cliff above the sea - but you have access to a lot of sightseeing in Capri, Pompeii and Naples with all it;s attractions (esp the archeological museum) as well as resort activities.

There is only one ferry service per day to Positano and Amalfi from Sorrento - leaves around 10am returns around 4pm.

The train from Rome to Naples takes 1:10 and runs frequently (two or three times per hour). Once in Naples, you have several options:

- Strolling through the city and visiting the archeological museums with the findings from Pompeii and Herculaneum.

- Visiting Pompeii and/or Herculaneum.

- Climbing up Mount Vesuvius.

- Going to the Amalfi Coast, enjoying the dramatic coastline and several of the beautiful little towns along the coast (Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento), the Emerald Grotto near Amalfi, the island Capri and the Blue Grotto on Capri.

Doing all four things would require at least two days, but if it is only a daytrip, you can drive to the Amalfi Coast to get a quick impression and visit Pompeii on the way back. The loop drive would be Naples - motorway to Torre Annunziata - through Castellamare di Stabia to Sorrento - round the cape - then the coastal road via Positano and Amalfi to the motorway near Salerno and then back.

If you are short in time, the best thing what you can do is renting a car in Naples rather than relying on public transport with its timetables.

IMO, driving the incredibly scenic coastal road is the best way of sightseeing unless you are there in July or August, when the road will be congested.

The second best way is the boat along the coast.

You don't say how many days you have before you need to get to Rome. But what might work for you is to fly into Rome and immediately take trains to Naples, and then get a taxi to a town on the Amalfi coast.

Getting to le Cinque Terre would be more time consuming, and generally the Amalfi coast has drier, sunnier weather than le Cinque Terre.

I would certainly not rent a car for either destination.

>>>We are coming from Canada and know to prepurchase our rail pass in advance.<<<

As thursday pointed out, rail passes are rarely cost effective for Italy. That's because the fast trains in Italy require seat reservations if you are using a pass (seat reservations aren't included in the cost of a pass). Tickets you buy through the Italian train system, Trenitalia, will include your seats in the price (which is typically cheaper than a day on a pass would cost).

While the fast train from Rome to Naples only takes 1:10, you have to factor in the time to take the train from FCO to Rome. The Leonardo Express departs every 30 minutes and travel time is 30 minutes (no seat reservations possible on this train and no discounts). The train between Naples and Sorrento is a local train not included in a pass.

It makes for a long day of travel if you are not familiar with taking trains. Easier if you are going to Naples than somewhere along the Amalfi coast (which has no train service and would require a switch to a bus or ferry).

Jenn, it would help a lot if you said how many days you have in Italy before or after your conference.