tasiburo

Please don't tell me I'm crazy, just give me some advice and suggestions on how to do it...

My husband and I (38 and 35) are flying from Chicago to Rome, while in Rome, I have the "brilliant" idea of doing all those places in one day...(he doesn't know it yet, but he follows me well if I, at least, schedule time for him to eat..). My "plan" is take the 7:30 am fastest train to Naples, walk through the city for a couple of hours, take the boat to Capri (I wanted to visit the Blue Grotto, but one fodorite said that to go there was going to be impossible because of the cold weather (November 28). Then, stay in Capritown for an hour or so, then take the ferry to Sorrento, do a very short walk through the city, take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii, visit the tourist sites, take the Circumvesuviana back to Naples, eat pizza there for dinner (which of the 2 famous places you recommend?) and take the train back to Rome (hopefully still alive!)

I'd like to know what people think about it (please be nice, I know that I'm not supposed to do everything in my first trip...), do you like the way I've planned it? or should I do it the other way? (Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Naples). Thanks!

quokka

Sorry we must tell you that you are crazy to attempt this, because you are... How many hours does your day have? Definitely more than 24...

Hiring a helicopter will be the only way of doing this -travel time alone sums up to a more than full day. You have zero time to see those places. Just Naples and Pompeii from Rome would already be a rat race day trip.
I hope you are aware that it will be dark by 5 p.m. in late November?

colduphere

I read the last admission to Pompei in November is 3:30. Closes at 5. I would go there first. Then Capri from Sorrento, then Sorrento then Napoli. Have fun.

colduphere

PS Don't forget Mount Vesuvius. Great views. You can do that on the way to Pompei.

petertherabbitt

unless you are a trol you are nuts or having a dream full of fantasy- why would anyone want to attempt such a trip.

StuDudley

Look - before you dismiss us all as being too negative, do the following:

1. Find out specifics about the train from Rome to Naples. What time it departs, and when it arrives

2. Do the same for the boat from Naples to Capri. Note that the dock is not in the middle of town - it will take an additional 30 mins before you arrive in the middle of things. Same with leaving Capri.

3. Find out departure & arrival times for your ferry from Capri to Sorrento.

4. Determine the Circumvesuviana schedule for Sorrento to Naples

5. Determine the train schedule from Naples to Rome.

6. Make sure you research these schedules for a Nov 28 trip.

7. For any "tours", make sure you know opening & closing times. If a guided tour departs hourly (for example) - make sure you factor in a wait time till the next tour departs.

8. Add in time to get to/from the Rome train station

9. Post the results here with an hour by hour schedule, which includes sightseeing time.

10. Prove that your itinerary is doable.

You don't want to be stuck in Capri or Sorrento with no more departures that get you back to Rome.

Tell your husband he'll have to eat lunch & possibly dinner on the run.

Good luck!!!

Stu Dudley

HappyCheesehead

Hi Tatiana,

I can see from your current posts that you are not any sort of troll, just a person who is excited to go to Italy to celebrate your anniversary. Congratulations to you!

According to your other threads, your are going to be in Italy for 15 days and are already trying to see Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. Why would you want to take a day away from those fabulous cities to spend it doing almost nothing but sitting on trains and ferries??

I have noticed in your other postings you are very cost conscious. Besides the time this is going to take (if it can even be done) just how much is this day trip going to cost?? Wouldn't it be more fun to use the time and money to spend an extra day exploring Rome?

In the end, I cannot imagine you will get any sort of real satisfaction from this day, and if the weather is less then perfect, blech.

Best of luck figuring this all out!

kybourbon

I don't think this would be easy to do, but would depend upon winter ferry schedules. Even in high season, ferries don't run late with the last leaving Capri around 7pm (you don't want to get stuck on Capri if you miss the last ferry). In winter I would suspect the ferries to quit much earlier.

If you attempt this, Pompeii should be first and Naples last. I would take the 7am Marozzi bus (about 16€)from Rome's Tiburtina station which will drop you at the entrance to Pompeii at 10am. You can tour Pompeii a few hours and then train to Sorrento (30 minutes travel time)on the Circumvesuviana (maybe grab a quick lunch in Sorrento) to catch a ferry to Capri. I would be sure to purchase my ferry ticket from Capri to Naples while buying the one to Capri from Sorrento. You could have dinner in Naples before catching a late train back to Rome.

Jean

What will you do if you make it to Capri, but the ferries to Naples and Sorrento are then cancelled due to rough seas?

If it's raining, would you want to wander around Pompeii? Everything is out in the open, and very few of the paths and streets are paved. You'd be sloshing through mud puddles.

IMO, much as I like Sorrento, it's not worth trying to shoe-horn an hour or two wandering the city into this schedule. I'd go to the archeology museum in Naples instead.

Bottom line, I'd skip Capri and Sorrento and only leave Rome if the weather's clear. Then this day doesn't sound so crazy.

tasiburo

I knew my post was going to be a "bomb" here! I've been reading many other posts and I know how fodorites react to "crazy" people like me...I thank you all and of course I dismiss you for being hard on me, I know you just want to advice me well and I appreciate it.

As happycheesehead said, I'm just exited about our trip and I guess I still feel young and "crazy" to do these things (9 years ago I did Singapore (Capital) and Tahiti in one day each) I'm the type of crazy person that reads a lot and searches a lot before attempting something (I just don't want you to think I'm the kind that never traveled and that now that I'm going to Italy I want to do even the impossible)

Obviously, my "plan" is not yet defined, part of my search is to hear about what people like you think about it. I've never been there and I want to know what people that visited those places think about the idea...

I do have times and schedules, I have prices written down (yes, I'm very cost conscious, and hate to spend unnecessary money)I just don't know anything about how the weather is going to be and about actually being there.

I'd love to know more about what more people think about it.

My husband is calling me for dinner (I don't cook.. but I'll come back tomorrow when my boys are asleep and post my "tentative itinerary" I had it all the way around but I agree now about going to Pompeii first. Thanks so much!

nytraveler

In November the last entrance to Pompeii is at 3:30 in the afternoon and I don;t see any way that you can do what you've listed and get there by then. Also, to see much of anything in Pompeii will take at least 3 hours - which means you would need to get there by 2 pm at the latest, which means leaving Sorrento at 1 pm which mean arriving at Sorrento at noon (to have even an hour to look around) which means leaving Naples at around 11 am - which means no time at all for Capri.

Realistically seeing part of Naples and Pompeii in one day is a real push - never mind Sorrento and don't even thing about Capri. If you insist on going to Capri there is no way you will get to Pompeii.

You can;t make more hours in the day than there are - esp in November when days are short and opening hours are reduced for many sights - and forms of transit (as in ferries to and fro Capri).

cathies

Perhaps you can pretend you are a contestant on The Amazing Race and just jog past/through each place on your list.

cw

Without seeing the train and ferry schedules, I think it would be very difficult to see all four locations. I think you may have to give up Capri or Pompeii, and at that time of the year, Capri might be the place to skip. Of course, all of this is weather-dependent.

I'd go to Pompeii first, train to Sorrento--walk around, have lunch--ferry to Naples, go to the Archeological Museum, then walk around, have a pizza dinner, then back to Rome.

Fra_Diavolo

Can't be done and shouldn't be attempted, anyway.

Sorrento is a dump frequented by down-market Brits and those afraid of Naples. Skip it.

Capri is too difficult with ferry schedules and weather conditions.

Pompeii can be done on a whirlwind one-day trip from Rome, if you really want. But why not cut out Milan (boring business city) and add a full day in Naples?

Petalz

Tasiburo,
My husband and I are taking our first trip to italy in April and I'm hoping to do a day trip from Rome to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast.. I am also curious about how to do this. I was curiously watching your thread wondering what jewels of advice I can glean. I have watched a few documentaries and am NOT interested whatsoever in seeing Naples, but I'm very excited about the excavations in Pompeii with a great tour guide and the beauty of the Amalfi Coast by ? bus? driver? Does anyone have recommendations? Doesn't that sound like a more doable trip? I'm really not sure either. I've decided to save Capri for another trip. I'm also trying to decide if I should do Pompeii one day and the Amalfi coast on another day. (We have rented an apartment in Rome for 7 days and plan to use train travel for the 7 days prior to arriving in Rome)
Was there something attracting you (and therefore, SHOULD be attracting me) to Naples?

artsnletters

This has been posted on at least one other message board I know of and met the same resounding head-shaking it's getting here.

The Blue Grotto will be closed if there is any wind or a chop on the water. If it's open it will close around 3:30 that time of year.

An hour in Capri town in the fading sun won't be much of a treat if that's all you get for all that time on the ferry. But at least you'll be able to say you were there, which I guess is what you're looking for.

Sunset will be at 4:37 on November 28.

I wouldn't find Naples in the dark all that interesting, personally.

artsnletters

Petalz, if you're excited about Pompeii, you should be excited about the Museo Archeological in Naples too. It has the best art and mosaics from Pompeii, as well as an excellent sculpture wing.

gruezi

I think it's time for your medication!

gruezi

Sassafrass

Tasiburo: "part of my search is to hear about what people like you think about it. I've never been there and I want to know what people that visited those places think about the idea..."

I have visited those places: Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Sorrento & Positano. What I think about your idea is that you will not be getting enough from the trip to warrant the time and expense. I think you will be missing what is really wonderful and best about the AC. Some places are fine to just "see the sights" and move on. For Others to be enjoyed, you need time to relax and just "be there."

The AC is one of those. Warm days meandering in the sunshine, being on the water in a boat, hiking around Capri or Positano or Amalfi, dancing or strolling in the late evening (yes, with lots of other tourists), a quiet evening looking out at Vesuvius from the balcony of your hotel, etc. While that isn't for everyone, I don't think you would even have time for an "OMG, this is incredibly beautiful" unless you are very lucky weather wise. Even then, I don't think you have time to do it all.

I might just barely consider a day trip from Rome to Pompeii, but I would not try to do anything else there, except perhaps the museum in Naples. I would go to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples in November, but I probably wouldn't go to the AC at all in November.
I like Sorrento at times, but I certainly would not make a special fast trip there. It isn't worth it for just a "look-see." Can you take a day from any other place and add it to this part of your trip?

cathies

Excuse me Fra_Diavolo, perhaps you could preface your comments by adding "in my opinion"? We spent several days relaxing in Sorrento and exploring Pompeii and the surrounding area.

Yes, Sorrento is pretty touristy, but your comments are insulting. We are Australian and made friends with a delightful Irish couple, so you are not only insulting, but incorrect.