Help with touring Sorrento area
 

We leave for Sorrento in 3 weeks and much of our time is not yet planned out. We have one day planned with a private driver to take us to the Amalfi Drive, Poisitano and Ravello for a day. I would like to see Capre and Annacapri - but wondering if it would be too taxing to do on our own. I am 59 and have arthriitis....cannot walk for long distances....I'll be travelling with my 2 kids who are in their 30's. (They have agreed to go easy on me!! lol!) When I see what the ferry costs and then buses or taxis (for all 3 of us) - it almost seems just as cheap to take a tour right out of Sorrento or hire a driver for the day. Will I be dissappointed and feel rushed on ta our out of Sorrento that takes us to Capri? Is it very taxing to do on your own?

Also - any opinions about the red open-air on/off bus that runs through Sorrento?
Is there time to stop and see a few stops and catch the next one? How frequently do they run? This seems like it might be a good way to see some of the neighboring towns without needing to drive there. (We will not have a car).

What about a day trip to Pomepii? Is it fairly easy from Sorrento by train? How long is the walk from the train station into the Pompeii site? Are there taxis available there?

Thanks if you can help!!

The Pompeii site is about a 2 minute walk from the train station.

If you have problems walking then Pompeii might not be the place for you. The walking is quite tough as the surfaces are not flat. The streets are curved rock.

Herculaneum is easier to walk around so you might want to see that site instead. It's very interesting.

<< Will I be dissappointed and feel rushed on ta our out of Sorrento that takes us to Capri? >>

You'd have to give some information about the tour for anyone to answer this question. How long on Capri? How long in each town? What do you see? Cost?

For Pompeii, if you take the Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento and get off at Pompeii Scavi station, then it is less than 100yrds to the Pompeii entrance. But that is really not where you need to worry about. From the Pompeii ticket office to the Pompeii excavation entrance is about another 100yrd and the only way you can get there is by walking. And then it is mostly uneven stone pavement all through the vast Pompeii site. Use the Google Maps street view feature to see it for yourself what is it like walking inside Pompeii.

The Pompeii site is about a 2 minute walk from the train station.

If you have problems walking then Pompeii might not be the place for you. The walking is quite tough as the surfaces are not flat. The streets are curved rock.

Herculaneum is easier to walk around so you might want to see that site instead. It's very interesting.

Perhaps not something many visitors notice or know about, but just last summer the authorities at Pompei opened a special route round much of the site, which you may find easier to negotiate - see...

http://www.pompeiviva.it/pv/en/friendly_pompei.htm

and...

http://www.pompeiviva.it/pv/en/docs/...to%20unico.pdf

Note that the route starts from the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance - to get to which you'd probably need a bus or taxi from the Circumvesuviana's "Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri" station as it's a bit of a walk!

The maps here may help:
http://www.unicocampania.it/index.ph...n=mappe_pompei

Herculaneum is indeed a lot easier to get around, and significantly smaller - though again a bit of a walk from the CV's Ercolano Scavi station.
...........................................

I've not read much about that particular HoHo service, whose site you've probably found, here...

http://www.sorrento.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm

They usually keep the current version of their leaflet ("depliant"), however the one available this morning says 09/10 - which I'm pretty sure means it's still last autumn's version..

http://www.sorrento.city-sightseeing...g/percorsi.htm

Similarly, they've still the August/October timetable, and it's not particularly frequent... though that does mean you'd have plenty of time for sightseeing between buses!

http://www.sorrento.city-sightseeing...g/orari_so.htm

The site's Italian version also has the same one... but since they seem to have started operation already, you should watch out for up-to-date leaflets once there!

Although high time it was updated (so be sure to crosscheck any times, prices etc!), for more about the various places along the Sorrento Peninsula and Amalfi Coast, you may like to download the useful 'Travel Directory' from the official tourism website, here...
http://www.costiera.it/weben/index.htm

The direct link is... http://www.costiera.it/images/pdf/Tr...rectory_En.pdf

.......

We did however take a ride on one whilst over in Naples one morning last September, and had a great time - although like everybody else we didn't get off, but instead used it as just a tour for seeing the coastal run out to Posillipo and back...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/nap_ho_ho

You'll find links at the head of that page to other photo collections from places nearby that may also be of interest?

Hope something within all that will make your visit more pleasurable!

Peter

PS - If using the harbour in Sorrento - for hydrofoils to Naples, Ischia perhaps, or elsewhere - this service which runs down from the town may come in very handy....

http://www.unicocampania.it/index.ph..._primopiano=25

Thanks for all the helpful replies!

We loved Capri but I think it is because we stayed 3 days. Day trips to Capri are quite different because the island is so crowded with day=trippers it is hard to enjoy. The evenings and mornings are very pleasant. And there is a lot of walking - much of Capri town is vehicle-free.

If you can stay overnight, I think you would enjoy both Capri and Anacapri much more.

Curious to know how you arranged the driver for Amalfi, Positano and Ravello. I would be interested in this as well for a trip I am planning, but am thinking the cost may be too high. I will be based in Sorrento so now I'm thinking a driver for the day may enable me to stay one less night than I planned and then I can justify the expense.

Jeangail - - I did the arranging by email - researched over 10 companies and drivers...hope we picked a good one. Cost to take 3 of us (private van) - is about 175 Euros for the whole day.
email me for more info - [email protected]. Thanks