Do you think it is a good idea to be based at a hotel in Sorrento for one day and then take the train for the day to Pompeii (which we really want to see!). We will coming from Positano.....

OR

Go directly from Positano and stay at a hotel in Pompeii instead? We only have one day and the next morning we must get to Naples Airport for an airline flight. So I would like to be somewhat near the airport.

Opinions? Many thanks in advance!

Accommodation in modern Pompei is very limited and, as far as I can understand, not very convenient to ancient Pompeii.

I would therefore suggest that you do a day trip from Sorrento. The Circumvesuviana has a stop at Pompeii Scavi that is within a few hundred feet of the archeological site.

Modern Pompei is not that much closer to Capodichino as to make a difference in getting there the next day. Will you be driving? If not, consider a limousine transfer by one of the many services recommended here (search <limousine Sorrento> or <limousne Positano>.

Ideally, we would like to see Pompeii all in one day, on foot, because we don't have a car. Our flight leaves early the next day so we won't have time to see modern Pompeii before we go to the airport.

Is there a way to see the popular spots in one day by taking a train from Sorrento? It will be on a friday so i am assuming everythng will be open.

looking forward to hearing from you!

I second Eloise's suggestion. Assuming you were planning on taking the train, then the daytrip Pompeii from Sorrento is the better and more convenient choice.

There's simply way too much travelling involved with doing this from Positano.

4 hours was more than enough for us in that very hot day in Pompeii - and it does get hot in the ruins. Unless you are really very interested in the nitty gritty of each structure in the ruins, I am confident that you will find the 4 hours to be sufficient.

Unless you are a historian of classical Rome with a Ph.D. in archeology, one day in Pompeii will be more than sufficient.

But do not miss the Villa dei Misteri, which is a little away from "downtown" Pompeii and has the mosr splendid frecoes of all.

I agree with staying in Sorrento per Eloise's post.

You don't have to be a historian or scholar to want to spend more than one day in Pompeii. It's a thrilling site, and many people also want to visit Herculaneum. And whatever your background going in, some may find themselves with a brand new interest in ancient history after seeing Pompeii. Nobody can tell what will be "more than sufficient" for somebody else's intellect.

It can get very hot, and that alone cause some people to lose interest. Be sure to prepare yourself well with sunshade, water and sunblock. There is almost no shade in Pompeii

i stayed in sorrento and took day trips to naples, pompeii, and capri. i really enjoyed sorrento...it was quaint and relaxing...and just simply gorgeous.

All great advice - you. Because we will only have the chance to go on a Friday in August, we will stay in Sorrento and take the train. My only issue now is we have no where to store our luggage b/c the hotel won't take it or let us leave it there until 3 PM that same day!

I think 3 pm would be too late to go to Pompeii - no? We're not really historians but want to see this magnificent site that everyone has talked about.

we were fortunate to find a flyer for a tour of Pompeii in our Sorrento hotel. They picked us up in the tour bus in front of the hotel at 8am, took us to Pompeii, Vesuvio and lunch and then delivered us back to the hotel at 4pm.

The 4 hours or so in Pompeii was wonderful and we felt like we had seen enough.

Not sure if you want any more input but - I've stayed in Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii. Positano is a great place to stay/explore but, the bus ride to Sorrento to catch the train to Pompeii and then back would be a bit much for one day. Sorrento is very charming, great restaurants, very fun street market, and there are great opportunities for walks/hikes there. My favorite is the Italian Alpine Club's route out to the ruins on the Capo - Villa Pollio I think? Modern Pompeii is a busy place but, good food, good cappuccino, and very easy access to the ruins of ancient Pompeii and a direct train ride to Napoli. I've stayed at the Hotel Forum on three different occasions. It's clean, not fancy, has a great full breakfast and the staff is very friendly! It's a 5 minute walk to the rear enterence to the ruins (the line to get in is much shorter here). The train ride on the Circumvesuviana to Napoli takes about 30 minutes. If you have time, stop in Torre Annuziatta and visit the Villa Oplontis - amazing and never crowded. I think you'll find that one day is NOT enough - you'll just have to go back for more.

I don't quite understand the luggage problem, but you can also go from Positano to Sorrento by bus and on to Pompeii by train with your luggage. There is a free luggage deposit at Pompeii. Then take the Circumvesuviana to Napoli and spend a night in a hotel there (which you should pre-book). That way you would be very close to the airport for your flight out the next day.

Since you do not have more than one day to spend in Pompeii, I stated what almost all visitors to Pompeii feel: That a full day is sufficient to explore Pompeii.

If you subsequently develop an immense interest for classical Roman antiquities, there is nothing - and certainly not my remark - to stop you from returning to Pompeii for days or even weeks.

Pine Martin's post has a useful correction to earlier misinformation:

"I've stayed at the Hotel Forum on three different occasions. It's clean, not fancy, has a great full breakfast and the staff is very friendly! It's a 5 minute walk to the rear enterence to the ruins (the line to get in is much shorter here)."

I've never stayed myself in modern Pompeii, and not to pick on Eloise (again!) but following her report of the hotels there being inconvenient, I seconded her advice to stay in Sorrento. But now I think you should reconsider staying in Pompeii.


Three PM is definitely too late to start out to Pompeii. Are you locked into your Sorrento hotel?

And please start thinking that you have to be a historian or have some sort of immense interest in classicsm to find spending as much time as you can afford in Pompeii rewarding. And while it may be true that "nothing can stop you" from returning, most people can't traipse off to Italy at whim, and therefore need to try to maximize what is likely to be their only visit.

Perhaps you will want to leave after 15 minutes. But since you are only going to this area to see Pompeii, which you really want to see, why not stay at Pine Martin's hotel in modern Pompeii, which appears to be only 5 minutes from the ruins and is likely to take your luggage as soon as your arrive?

Sorry for the typo. I meant to post

"Please DON'T start thinking you have to be a historian"

i spent 3-4 hours at Pompeii and i was sufficiently happy. i didn't feel i needed to see each and every ruin. a lot of the stuff is simply barely worth the time to look over. i explored the more intact ruins and was really happy. but to each his/her own...btw, i am not a history buff if you may have noticed.

My husband and I have decided to do a day trip to Pompeii from Sorrento. Per your recommendations, we will take the Circumvesuviana to the Pompeii Scavi stop and then walk to the archaeological site. Lots of Water and sunblock are on the agenda. We will leave in the early afternoon and come back in the early evening - do you think this is enough time and worth the trip? We're not historians and really want to see the overview of Pompeii and take some pictures!