Itinerary advice for Palermo, Napoli, Puglia
Dec 29th, 2006, 02:54 PM
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Itinerary advice for Palermo, Napoli, Puglia
A chunk of my long-saved VISA miles expires April 1 so we’re going to use them all in a late February-March trip to Southern Italy (and then switch to a credit card where miles don’t expire). I’ve read so many great trip reports and hope some of you will help me fine-tune mine.
Like everyone, I want to see as much as I can in the 16 to 18 days we’ll have but not be dashing around like crazy.
One plan is:
Fly from SFO to Palermo (3-4 days).
Take boat to Ustica & spend a night.
Boat back to Palermo and train to Naples. Or boat to Naples.
So curious about Naples - thought it could be the base for 3-4 days while visiting Pompeii and/or Hercularium, Sorrento, Capri.
Maybe spend a night in Sorrento or Capri? Any reason Sorrento would be a better base than Naples?
I went to get to Puglia and start exploring with the days we have left, seeing Lecce, Ostuni, Cisterno, Alborobello, and Matera, with the intention of leaving one of those towns to take the train back to Naples (or Rome?) and fly home.
Since I want to spend more time in towns than on a train, any ideas on the least time-consuming routes to take and the best base to get to the smallest towns by train?
I'd prefer not to rent a car unless it's absolutely the best way to go.
I thought we could travel by train from Naples to Taranto, from Taranto to Lecce for 2 nights, Lecce to Ostuni to Alborobello, staying in Ostuni for 2-3 nights?
And then how do I best get in and out of Matera and back to Naples or Rome. I believe the train to Matera is in Bari.
Or maybe fly home from Brindisi or Bari, which I have not yet looked into..
There are so many alternatives -- we could also stay in Rome to recover and take the train to Palermo, or to Ostuni and start from there? Or leave Naples to the end by traveling at first from Palermo to Lecce.
Based on any of these itineraries, do you think that it’s more economical to buy station to station tickets rather than an Italy train pass?
Is it tru that travelers have to go to the train station office whether they have Eurail or not?
A winter Eurail deal expires Dec. 31.
Our interests are local ambiance and the people - strolling around and taking it all in, staying in interesting lodging and eating at great restaurants, photo ops, crafts and markets. And so if anyone wants to add to my confusion with other recommendations, I’m all ears!
Like everyone, I want to see as much as I can in the 16 to 18 days we’ll have but not be dashing around like crazy.
One plan is:
Fly from SFO to Palermo (3-4 days).
Take boat to Ustica & spend a night.
Boat back to Palermo and train to Naples. Or boat to Naples.
So curious about Naples - thought it could be the base for 3-4 days while visiting Pompeii and/or Hercularium, Sorrento, Capri.
Maybe spend a night in Sorrento or Capri? Any reason Sorrento would be a better base than Naples?
I went to get to Puglia and start exploring with the days we have left, seeing Lecce, Ostuni, Cisterno, Alborobello, and Matera, with the intention of leaving one of those towns to take the train back to Naples (or Rome?) and fly home.
Since I want to spend more time in towns than on a train, any ideas on the least time-consuming routes to take and the best base to get to the smallest towns by train?
I'd prefer not to rent a car unless it's absolutely the best way to go.
I thought we could travel by train from Naples to Taranto, from Taranto to Lecce for 2 nights, Lecce to Ostuni to Alborobello, staying in Ostuni for 2-3 nights?
And then how do I best get in and out of Matera and back to Naples or Rome. I believe the train to Matera is in Bari.
Or maybe fly home from Brindisi or Bari, which I have not yet looked into..
There are so many alternatives -- we could also stay in Rome to recover and take the train to Palermo, or to Ostuni and start from there? Or leave Naples to the end by traveling at first from Palermo to Lecce.
Based on any of these itineraries, do you think that it’s more economical to buy station to station tickets rather than an Italy train pass?
Is it tru that travelers have to go to the train station office whether they have Eurail or not?
A winter Eurail deal expires Dec. 31.
Our interests are local ambiance and the people - strolling around and taking it all in, staying in interesting lodging and eating at great restaurants, photo ops, crafts and markets. And so if anyone wants to add to my confusion with other recommendations, I’m all ears!
Dec 29th, 2006, 03:33 PM
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Well, Sorrento is between (1) Pompeii and Herculaneum and (2) the Amalfi Coast. Plus the hydrofoil ride to Capri is 15 minutes or so.
But in March you might be better off in a city, with all its resources if the weather is bad. And it's certainly not the best time of year for the Amalfi Coast.
But in March you might be better off in a city, with all its resources if the weather is bad. And it's certainly not the best time of year for the Amalfi Coast.
Dec 29th, 2006, 04:17 PM
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Louisa,
Sorrento is a picturesque touristy town full of souvenir shops, and can get quite crowded. Since you are going in the off season, I don't think you have to worry about crowds. Naples is more of a gritty "real" city that is a lot of fun. I don't think you can go wrong with either. I personally love them both.
As far as Puglia, it is not easy to get around solely relying on trains. Trains run from Ostuni to Lecce about every hour, but Alberobello, Cisterno & Matera, may be easier to visit by car. We rented a car when we went to Puglia because it just seemed like it was not going to be convenient to take trains everywhere. We did not really want to rent a car either, but I think it is the best way to go.
Ostuni & Lecce are both on the main FS train line from Bari so they are easy to get to. The Ostuni train station is not in the town itself. It is probably about 3 miles or so out of the town. Taxis are available at the train station. The ticket office at Ostuni does not open until about 1:30 pm, but they have machines that sell tickets. Unfortunately we could not figure out the machines. We were able to buy the tickets on the train from Ostuni to Lecce though. The Lecce train station is much bigger than Ostuni.
Alberobello was great. The trulli are very unique and they are in the countryside all over the area also. It was fun to be driving along and seeing trulli unexpectedly. Not sure how much of that you would see by train. The countryside with the olive trees is something to see also. Some of the trees are so old and twisted and created an interesting landscape.
Ostuni is a beautiful old whitewashed city on a hill. Make sure you have a map because it is easy to get lost walking. Lecce was lovely also. We stayed in Ostuni which was a good base if you have a car. It is not far from many of the other places you would want to see.
You may want to consider leaving from the Bari or Brindisi airport if you can. It would probably save backtracking time to Rome or Naples.
I would just buy station to station tickets rather than a pass. From what I have heard, it is not any cheaper for a pass usually unless you are doing an unusual amount of train travel.
Sorrento is a picturesque touristy town full of souvenir shops, and can get quite crowded. Since you are going in the off season, I don't think you have to worry about crowds. Naples is more of a gritty "real" city that is a lot of fun. I don't think you can go wrong with either. I personally love them both.
As far as Puglia, it is not easy to get around solely relying on trains. Trains run from Ostuni to Lecce about every hour, but Alberobello, Cisterno & Matera, may be easier to visit by car. We rented a car when we went to Puglia because it just seemed like it was not going to be convenient to take trains everywhere. We did not really want to rent a car either, but I think it is the best way to go.
Ostuni & Lecce are both on the main FS train line from Bari so they are easy to get to. The Ostuni train station is not in the town itself. It is probably about 3 miles or so out of the town. Taxis are available at the train station. The ticket office at Ostuni does not open until about 1:30 pm, but they have machines that sell tickets. Unfortunately we could not figure out the machines. We were able to buy the tickets on the train from Ostuni to Lecce though. The Lecce train station is much bigger than Ostuni.
Alberobello was great. The trulli are very unique and they are in the countryside all over the area also. It was fun to be driving along and seeing trulli unexpectedly. Not sure how much of that you would see by train. The countryside with the olive trees is something to see also. Some of the trees are so old and twisted and created an interesting landscape.
Ostuni is a beautiful old whitewashed city on a hill. Make sure you have a map because it is easy to get lost walking. Lecce was lovely also. We stayed in Ostuni which was a good base if you have a car. It is not far from many of the other places you would want to see.
You may want to consider leaving from the Bari or Brindisi airport if you can. It would probably save backtracking time to Rome or Naples.
I would just buy station to station tickets rather than a pass. From what I have heard, it is not any cheaper for a pass usually unless you are doing an unusual amount of train travel.
Dec 29th, 2006, 04:26 PM
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"So curious about Naples - thought it could be the base for 3-4 days while visiting Pompeii and/or Hercularium, Sorrento, Capri."
Excellent idea.
"Maybe spend a night in Sorrento or Capri?"
Not recommended that time of year.
" Any reason Sorrento would be a better base than Naples?"
Not really. Maybe in summer, if you wanted a pool. Otherwise, the town is a past-its-prime mass tourism destination, best avoided.
Excellent idea.
"Maybe spend a night in Sorrento or Capri?"
Not recommended that time of year.
" Any reason Sorrento would be a better base than Naples?"
Not really. Maybe in summer, if you wanted a pool. Otherwise, the town is a past-its-prime mass tourism destination, best avoided.
Dec 29th, 2006, 05:13 PM
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Thank you each so much! It would be easier to leave Sorrento & Capri out, so I think I will. And the solution, after doing 50+ train searches and getting your advice, probably is to rent a car in Puglia. Heck, I drove in Rome and London when I was 20 and naive, maybe I can handle the countryside at 60.
Dec 29th, 2006, 06:37 PM
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Louisa
When we were inthe south a year ago we took the overnigfht ferry to Stromboli and climbed the volcano which was exciting and spectacular. We used Napoli for our base. All reports of the weather could be true, but my first trip to Amalfi in the mid 70's was in January and I actually swam it was quite sunny, but I'nm a bit of a polar bear. After driving around Sicily for 2 weeks we enjoyed our stop in Palermo for 4 nights ( and took the overnight ferry back to Napoli) Lots to see
ciao
AndrewDavid
When we were inthe south a year ago we took the overnigfht ferry to Stromboli and climbed the volcano which was exciting and spectacular. We used Napoli for our base. All reports of the weather could be true, but my first trip to Amalfi in the mid 70's was in January and I actually swam it was quite sunny, but I'nm a bit of a polar bear. After driving around Sicily for 2 weeks we enjoyed our stop in Palermo for 4 nights ( and took the overnight ferry back to Napoli) Lots to see
ciao
AndrewDavid
Dec 30th, 2006, 12:28 AM
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I have not read all the responses here, but in case it hasn't been covered, Matera is NOT in Puglia. It is in the Basilicata region. It is not near Bari (which is in Puglia).
We stopped for lunch, plus a leisurely walk around, at this breathtaking town during our drive from Sorrento to Lecce.
It's your travel and your time, but IMHO you seem to be doing too many places in such short time and the amount of city-to-city travel can be stressful and time-wasting.
During our trip a couple of years ago, we found it most relaxing as we spent stress-relieving quality time of 6 days exploring the Amalfi Coast and Bay Of Naples area while conveniently based in Sorrento. Then, afther that, we drove to and spent 5 days in Puglia while based in the splendid town of Lecce.
BTW, it seems to us that the best and most convnient way to get around in Puglia is by car.
We stopped for lunch, plus a leisurely walk around, at this breathtaking town during our drive from Sorrento to Lecce.
It's your travel and your time, but IMHO you seem to be doing too many places in such short time and the amount of city-to-city travel can be stressful and time-wasting.
During our trip a couple of years ago, we found it most relaxing as we spent stress-relieving quality time of 6 days exploring the Amalfi Coast and Bay Of Naples area while conveniently based in Sorrento. Then, afther that, we drove to and spent 5 days in Puglia while based in the splendid town of Lecce.
BTW, it seems to us that the best and most convnient way to get around in Puglia is by car.
Dec 30th, 2006, 12:32 AM
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Here are some restaurant reviews while we weer there -
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34710675
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34710675
Dec 30th, 2006, 02:47 PM
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Again, thanks.
For anyone's future info, I have in the meantime found some great train information at Virtual Tourist - in Europe/Italy/Transportation/Bari. There are local train lines in Bari serving Taranto, Alborobello & Metera. Metera is supposedly only a half-hour train ride away. One traveler has kindly explained how to negotiate the stations. And I agree, I am trying to see too much, but it's painful to eliminate anything!
For anyone's future info, I have in the meantime found some great train information at Virtual Tourist - in Europe/Italy/Transportation/Bari. There are local train lines in Bari serving Taranto, Alborobello & Metera. Metera is supposedly only a half-hour train ride away. One traveler has kindly explained how to negotiate the stations. And I agree, I am trying to see too much, but it's painful to eliminate anything!
Jan 3rd, 2007, 10:30 AM
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Do you mean that you found information indicating that Matera is a half-hour train ride from Bari? Trenitalia shows it as about 1.5 hours. I'm also planning a trip to this region, so I would like to know more about what you found. Thanks!
Jan 3rd, 2007, 10:54 AM
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Since you start in Palermo, how about driving a bit around Sicily (when you are ready to leave Palermo), then ferry to the mainland to tour Puglia and Basilicata? It is an easy day's drive from Taormina to Matera, for example.
Fly out of Bari/Brindisi. I'm thinking you'd want 8-10 days for this.
If you have more time, drive on to Sorrento, ditch the car and see Pompeii, Amalfi Coast area via public transit (hire a driver for the AC road if bus is not your style and all members of your party want to look at the scenery). Then fly out of Naples.
Fly out of Bari/Brindisi. I'm thinking you'd want 8-10 days for this.
If you have more time, drive on to Sorrento, ditch the car and see Pompeii, Amalfi Coast area via public transit (hire a driver for the AC road if bus is not your style and all members of your party want to look at the scenery). Then fly out of Naples.
Jan 28th, 2007, 08:31 AM
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I've read all the previous entries with interest - we're leaving April 14th for Palermo and returning from Rome May 10th. So far we're planning 10 days in Sicily, 10 days in Rome and 4 days around the bay of Naples. We're having a hard time deciding on how to do the bay of Naples portion. Naples vs Sorrento, then stay somewhere on the Amalfi coast or just visit as a day trip? In what way is Naples "a lot of fun"? Also, is there any direct way of getting from Sicily to Sorrento or the Amalfi coast? What town would you stay in on the Amalfi coast? Would you skip the bay of Naples in favor of more days on Sicily? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Jan 28th, 2007, 09:00 AM
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Louisa if you don's mind my asking, what VISA miles are expiring in April... Are you referring to points garnered by using a VISA signature rewards card?? I hope you can stop my heart from fluttering...Thanks!
Jan 28th, 2007, 09:11 AM
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While you are in the Naples area, if you have the opportunity, drop down to Paestum. It is magnificent and not many tourists. It is said the Greek temples are the finest in the world and I would have to agree.
Jan 28th, 2007, 09:27 AM
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Heidi,
If you base yourself in Sorrento, you can make day trips to Naples, Pompeii, Capri & the Amalfi Coast easily by train, ferry or bus. The Circumvesuviana train line runs from Naples to Pompeii & Herculaneum ending up in Sorrento. At the port of Sorrento you can catch ferries for Capri, Amalfi and Naples. The SITA bus runs from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi. In Amalfi you can catch other SITA buses for Ravello or other small towns.
Naples is fun because it is a city that is alive with activity. There is a lot to do such as the Archeological Museum, the Duomo, Sansevero Chapel (great sculpture), walk along the waterfront and look at the castles, Capodimonte Museum, Spaccanapoli, shopping among the Neapolitans at the various outdoor markets, the Galleria, Opera House...., also the food is excellent and the pizza is second to none. Naples is either a love it or hate it type of city, because it is dirty and decrepit in places (but not everywhere) and there is a high rate of theft. As long as you keep your wits about you, as with any other large city, you will be fine. There are also many lovely views and buildings in Naples. Lots of history. It's about as "real" a city as you can get.
If you base yourself in Sorrento, you can make day trips to Naples, Pompeii, Capri & the Amalfi Coast easily by train, ferry or bus. The Circumvesuviana train line runs from Naples to Pompeii & Herculaneum ending up in Sorrento. At the port of Sorrento you can catch ferries for Capri, Amalfi and Naples. The SITA bus runs from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi. In Amalfi you can catch other SITA buses for Ravello or other small towns.
Naples is fun because it is a city that is alive with activity. There is a lot to do such as the Archeological Museum, the Duomo, Sansevero Chapel (great sculpture), walk along the waterfront and look at the castles, Capodimonte Museum, Spaccanapoli, shopping among the Neapolitans at the various outdoor markets, the Galleria, Opera House...., also the food is excellent and the pizza is second to none. Naples is either a love it or hate it type of city, because it is dirty and decrepit in places (but not everywhere) and there is a high rate of theft. As long as you keep your wits about you, as with any other large city, you will be fine. There are also many lovely views and buildings in Naples. Lots of history. It's about as "real" a city as you can get.
Jan 28th, 2007, 09:46 AM
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scullysioux - thank you so much for the fast reply! I have a feeling I would like Naples, I usually like the places some people feel are too edgy. I have 4 nights there, would you recommend 2 in Naples and 2 in a town on the Amalfi coast, or all 4 in Sorrento with day trips? Daveesl, I would like to go to Paestum also, it sounds very appealing. Anyone know the best way to get to Naples from Palermo - the overnight ferry, hydrofoil (I'm not sure if it runs in April), or by air? We might be traveling from Palermo to Naples on April 25 which I understand is a holiday in Italy, does anyone know if that could be a problem? Thanks so much!
Jan 28th, 2007, 02:23 PM
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I think I would just base in Sorrento and do day trips. It's just less moving around and Sorrento is very convenient for everything to do in the area. The train trip from Sorrento to Naples is about 45 minutes. The bus from Sorrento to Positano is about 30 minutes, to Amalfi about and hour or so. Not sure how long the ferry takes from Sorrento to Amalfi, but I doubt it's very long. If you take the SITA bus to the Amalfi Coast get to the train station early to get the bus because they fill up fast and there can be a huge line just waiting for the bus and you may end up waiting for the next bus or even the bus after that.
Fodor's has a good book about Naples. It's called a city pack or something like that. It lists tons of things to do there. The map included is not very good though, you may want a different map. I didn't think it was detailed enough, it left off street names that were important.
Fodor's has a good book about Naples. It's called a city pack or something like that. It lists tons of things to do there. The map included is not very good though, you may want a different map. I didn't think it was detailed enough, it left off street names that were important.
Jan 29th, 2007, 04:53 AM
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We've spent a week in Palermo & found so much to see we didn't even get to Monreale, & a week in Naples (just last year) when we found so much to see we didn't get to Pompei, Herculaneum, Vesuvius... anywhere outside the city. I highly recommend both.
