We are meeting my husband in Napoli Centrale, he is coming from Rome, us from Venice. We will travel to Sorrento next afternoon.

I thought of renting something by the Train Station, but after lots of reading it seems not a good idea. I was thinking about the following place to be close to the ferries, but it may be to out of the way to do some sight seeing after we arrived and next day.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/b-na...king_confemail

Should we stay in the Centro Storico?
Can you recommend a nice place for the 5 of us maybe close to the metro or with easy access to the port?

If the Centro Storico, you might consider the B&B Medea, although I do not know what type of accommodations it would have for 5, and it is not close to the ferries or the train station.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57627058744325

Is Napoli merely a way point or a destination?
From Venice, you have to change train somewhere to reach Napoli at stations such as Bologna or Roma. If Napoli is a way point, would it be easier to get together in Roma and then travel straight to Sorrento without having to find a place to stay in Napoli?

I don't think you are too bad off staying near Centrale. If it is convenient, and the price is advantageous, there are indeed some business-class hotels right there (a stroll of a couple minutes across the piazza) that are indeed frequented by business people. Look at reviews for individual properties by people who have stayed there at www.venere.com (which has a great rating structure, and a nice mapping function). Complicating your trip by transiting other places might not gain you anything.

"greg on Apr 19, 12 at 6:39pm

Is Napoli merely a way point or a destination?
From Venice, you have to change train somewhere to reach Napoli at stations such as Bologna or Roma. If Napoli is a way point, would it be easier to get together in Roma and then travel straight to Sorrento without having to find a place to stay in Napoli?"

Greg,
Our reservation in Sorrento start the next day Sunday and we have the choice of adding a day to Sorrento, in another place our is booked or staying in Napoli to spend Sunday morning going to the Museum. We were in Rome in 2010 so we don't need to repeat. My husband can manage well enough to take the train to Napoli after arriving to FCO.

I will look more around the Centrale.

Personally, I'd avoid the area immediately around Piazza Garibaldi and Napoli Centrale station for a few more months yet - as it's an enormous building site......

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Campania.html

Of late there have been some good bargains to be had in the hotels there, however the Piazza Bellini area might be a more pleasant choice?

Peter

We LOVED the Hotel Piazza Bellini. Our favourite spot in Italy. And if I remember well, it was a 10-euro taxi ride to the train station. Don't stay near the station.

http://www.hotelpiazzabellini.com/index.php?id_lingua=3

Also, it's a 5-minute walk tops to the Archeology Museum.

I did try the Hotel Piazza Bellini, one of my first options. Unfortunately it's booked for the night we arrive to Naples.

I think we are going to keep the Santa Lucia 50 as it seems it's in a nicer part of the Harbour and away enough of the bad part.

That's very handy for many of the sites and sights, and indeed in one of the nicer areas...

In fact you'll be only a few doors from where our insurance broker has their office, and I'm sure they'd not be there if it wasn't!

But I trust the weather will be a better than it was the only time we've gone over to see them in person...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132568780

Peter