BarbaraAllison7911

Hi Folks!

Our upcoming trip to the Amalphi Coast is fast approaching! In addition to the coast we will be spending 3 Days in Naples and 3 days in Sorrento. Can anyone tell me from which of those two cities should we take time away from to visit Pompeii for a day. I originally though of going from Sorrento but after doing a lot reading, I am wondering if we should spend more time in Sorrento than in Naples? Any or all opinions will be most appreciated.

kja

I must admit that I find your question confusing -- while I'm sure that Sorrento is a pleasant place, it is usually discussed as a base for seeing the Amalfi Coast area (and again, do, please, pay attention to the spelling -- it actually matters!), rather than as a destination in and of itself. And I believe that most people recommend Sorrento as a base ONLY if it is used for BOTH Naples AND the Amalfi Coast.

Perhaps your question is more generally about how to distribute your time in the area? That depends on what you want to see and experience! With only 6 days, you won't be able to see everything in the area, so you need to choose what you want to see and experience -- do you want more time in Naples or do you want more time on the coast? If you want to spend time in Naples, why stay in Sorrento rather than one of the towns that is actually on the Amalfi Coast?

sassy27

I've never stayed in Naples but did Sorrento so I would say take your Pompeii tour from Naples. I really enjoyed Sorrento and wish I could have spent more than 2 nights there. When I walked by a tour company with advertisements, there looked to be more tours I would have enjoyed so it's on my list for the future.

Jean

Choosing where to spend more days depends on what you plan to do while you're staying in each city. So, if you share your sightseeing list, we could give you more useful advice. But here are some thoughts:

First, to be clear, you say your trip is "to the Amalfi Coast," but neither Naples nor Sorrento are on the AC. So, unless you're moving after these 6 days to a town actually on the AC, at least one (and maybe two) of your days in Sorrento will likely be spent traveling to Positano and/or Amalfi and/or Ravello.

IMO, there is much more to see and do in Naples than Sorrento, but for many Sorrento is a more relaxing place to stay. Some people choose to stay only in Sorrento because of its relatively easy access to both Naples and the Amalfi Coast towns.

Pompeii is an easy excursion from either/both, but the train station at the Sorrento end is small and simple while the one at the Naples end can be a little confusing/intimidating to first timers.

BarbaraAllison7911

Hi!

Sorry for any confusion in my questions in the original thread. In addition to three nights in both Sorrento and Naples, we are staying in Atrani for 8 days which will allow us to see the AC at a leisurely pace and also do many of the wonderful hikes that I have read about and perhaps also seeing Paestum.

We land in Naples from Canada and go straight to Sorrento. Then after a few days ferry to Capri for two days. From Capri ferry to Amalfi and make our way to Atrani. After our visit to Atrani return to Naples, spend a few days then fly out of Naples back to Canada. We are slow travellers! Like time to relax and enjoy each place! So.....Basically I just wanted to know which city, either Sorrento or Naples should we take time away from to see Pompeii?

kja

That additional information definitely helps! But I think it still begs the question -- are you interested in seeing what Naples offers or not? If so, take the time to visit Pompeii from Sorrento, as one could easily spend weeks in Naples and still not see all of its highlights at even a slow-traveler pace. And even if you aren't interested in Naples, then consider making enough time for the Archeology Museum in Naples -- it is incredible!

And FWIW, I consider Paestum a gem!

BarbaraAllison7911

Thanks KJA, that answer is what I was looking for. We will definitely see the Archeology Museum in Naples. Hopefully Paestum as well although from what I read it is a little harder to reach.......need both bus and a train from Atrani?? The reason I asked the question in the first place was after reading about Pompeii the articles suggest we should buy our tickets in advance and before doing that I wanted to make sure I purchase them for the dates we were in Sorrento. Do you advise buying them in advance for mid September? Also, is there just one overall admission price for the day?

Thanks again for any advice!

thursdaysd

I would highly recommend seeing Herculaneum as well as Pompeii (or even instead of Pompeii, which I know some will see as heresy). It is smaller but the buildings are more complete, with more of the art in situ. The Villa Oplontis near by is also worth seeing. Sounds like a great trip!

MaryAlex

Accommodation is cheaper in Naples than Sorrento so I would see Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius from Naples.
I'm staying in Sorrento in September, I've never been to Naples but have not heard positive things from a safety side and also from it being very dirty, so I am skipping it completely. I will be doing all my trips to the Amalfi coast via sorrento. I've decided to do this because its easier to get to Sorrento than other towns, I can do Pompei and Mt Vesuvius, Capri, a boat trip to Amalfi coast all from Sorrento.

kja

Paestum is on a train line south of Salerno, so if you visit it from Atrani, you would need to take a bus or ferry to Salerno first. From Naples, its a straight shot.

PalenQ

Nothing much in Sorrento itself but just a nice base for many day tripping to many places. So take time out of Sorrento for nearby Pompeii and other days consider ferries to Capri or Ischia - again very little to dwell on in Sorrento itself.

HappyTrvlr

We didn’t find Naples dirty or less safe than any large city, MaryAlex.

kja

While recognizing that people have very different reactions to Naples, I didn't find it dirty or unsafe -- I found it dynamic and energetic and absolutely fascinating.

BarbaraAllison7911

Wonderful responses everyone. From anything I have read from here and on other Fodor threads seems to be a lot of comments regarding Naples. We have accommodation already, so,will definitely be doing it and may visit from Ischia from there and also do a food tasting tour. Everything is new and different, I think you just have to be cautious with the larger cities. We have been to Rome, Florence, Venice and Tuscany previously. So happy we visited Cinque Terre years ago before it became so busy! I understand it’s lne of the places they may be puttting tourist restrictions on due to high foot traffic.