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Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi
Hello!
My family of 7 will be traveling to southern Italy at the end of June 2020 (flying in and out of Naples), and I have a few questions. I've read that renting a car/van is a terrible idea, so I'm trying to understand how the logistics will actually work. We fly into Naples and will likely stay in Amalfi for 4 nights total, flying back out of Naples. We'd like to visit Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius and it seems that'd be easiest by train as soon as we arrive in Naples due to proximity. However, we'll have all of our luggage with us, so that doesn't seem feasible. So that means we'd take the train from Naples part of the way to Amalfi and then a taxi, which seems very expensive. And then we'd have to travel back North using the same transportation to visit Pompeii without our luggage. Is there a better way to do this? I realize we could stay in Sorrento or other locations that we could reach purely by train, but I've read that staying in Amalfi is stunning that it's worth the extra travel. Would love opinions. We are very open to renting a van and driving ourselves, but it seems all the experts say that's madness. Thanks in advance for all advice. |
Originally Posted by Familytripx7
(Post 17013579)
We fly into Naples and will likely stay in Amalfi for 4 nights total, flying back out of Naples. We'd like to visit Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius and it seems that'd be easiest by train as soon as we arrive in Naples due to proximity. However, we'll have all of our luggage with us, so that doesn't seem feasible.
That said, stopping en route might not be your best option: Pompeii is extensive, and even a highly selective visit can easily take 6 or more hours. You and your family might not want that long a visit, but even a shorter visit could be taxing after landing in Naples and moving on. Seeing both Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius on the same day, perhaps with jet lag?, could prove quite a challenge. I'm sure you know your family well enough to decide whether that's a good plan or not. |
Thank you! We won’t have jet lag as we will fly from Amsterdam. But definitely want to learn best itinerary to spend the day in Pompeii while busy the coast. |
You might consider splitting your time up. You could stay in Naples or Sorrento for a night or two and take the train to and from Pompeii. From Sorrento, you can take a ferry or bus to Amalfi. Something to consider is that ferries don't run when the water is rough (they weren't running one of the days we were there in October and the weather didn't seem that bad to me.)
The problem with a van is the roads are very narrow in that area. We rented a very small car and were glad we didn't have a larger one. |
Thank you |
The only morning plane of the whole week which leaves Amsterdam at a somewhat decent time lands at Naples airport Sunday at 11.20. The connecting shuttle bus leaves at 12.30 and arrrives at Amalfi at 14.30. The flat fare is 20 EUR/pax, whether you go to Amalfi or only up to Pompei Porta Marina Inferiore (entry to the archeological site).
If you want to do it in a cheaper manner, leave the airport by Alibus (about every 10-15 min) up to Naples railway station(20 min journey) and change there to the Cirumvesuviana train dp 12.41 - Sorrento ar 13.47, dp by bus 14.00 - Amalfi ar 15.40. The Circumvesuviana train runs about every 30 min and stops at Pompei 15 min after having left Naples. The last trains with bus connections from Sorrento to Amalfi (on Sundays) leave Pompei at 16.17 and 18.06. https://www.pintourbus.com/en/napoli...-04deeccb-89be ANM Web Site - Alibus da Aeroporto di Capodichino a Stazione Centrale e Porto https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/it/o...apoli-sorrento https://www.sitabus.it/en/5070-amalf...nto-timetable/ |
If the final destination is Amalfi, I wouldn't go via Sorrento and the Circumvesuviana train, then bus. I would take a train from Napoli Centrale to Salerno and then bus or ferry to Amalfi.
But with a large group, it would definitely be easier and faster to hire a driver to meet your flight and take you to your lodging in Amalfi. You'd need to research and compare the cost of a private driver and the various train and bus/ferry fares (times 7) to know which option works with your budget. You might have more trouble getting all 7 people on the same bus if you board in Sorrento as opposed to Salerno. |
so helpful thank you!
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We used a private driver for the Amalfi coast. The beloved poster LoveItaly recommended him to me years ago and he was wonderful!
sorrento car service Francesco Marrapese Sorrento private driver I had a hard time deciding on the logistics and how to deal with luggage etc. Our route was a bit different, but he made the transfers and visit to the Amalfi coast easy. We flew into Naples, and took the ferry over to Capri. When we returned to Sorrento, he was waiting and drove us around that day, delivering us to our hotel in Naples. We then took the train to Rome. He will customize the trip based on what you need/ want. Our original plan was to visit Pompeii but we dropped that from our plan. He can help sort out a solution for whatever leg of the trip you need help. I rent cars overseas and curvy roads don't bother me, but I was VERY relieved I was not driving along the Amalfi coast. I had driven the previous week in Tuscany with no problems. I 100% recommend using a private driver and he was fabulous! |
I’ve done this route many, many times and am quite familiar with it. When I was there last year, I once again used my go-to pick-up service: Seahorse Car Service, Via Atigliana 9, Sorrento http://www.seahorsecarservice.com/ who dispatched a very friendly driver that picked us up from the Naples Airport and took us directly to our hotel in Amalfi. He even helped carry our luggage up to our hotel several flights of stairs up! He went above and beyond and it was a terrific experience. The cost was not overly expensive, especially considering that we never rent a car and use public transportation all the time. We appreciated this extra special care and delivery directly to our hotel doorstop, it saved us the time and hassle we’ve had on previous trips. Normally, we would we would do the Alibus to the Naples train station then transfer to the Circumvesuviana train station to Sorrento, then take a SITA bus from the Sorrento station to Amalfi. Alternatively, we have also taken the ferry from Naples to Amalfi so that is an option if you wish to go down to the port from the airport. However, I think the easiest and most efficient route would be to have the car service pick you up and take you directly to your hotel so you can leave your baggage and plan your day from there. Perhaps seeing Amalfi and Capri in the immediate area might work better for that day, then the following day getting into Sorrento and taking the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii might be a better option. Whatever transport option you decide on, have a great trip to this fabulous area of Italia! |
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