Rome to Pompeii to Amalfi Coast drive to Capri?
 

My husband and I are going on a trip to Italy in May 2011 for a much-overdue "get away from the kids" vacation. We are going to spend a few days in Rome, and then from there we will go to Capri for a couple of days, and fly home out of Naples. On the way from Rome to Capri, I would like to tour Pompeii if possible (just a couple of hours, not an exhaustive tour), then perhaps hire a driver to take us along the Amalfi Coast (I'm thinking Salerno to Positano) before catching a boat to Capri. Can we do all of this and still get to Capri at a reasonable hour? I really want to get a brief glimpse of the Amalfi Coast if we can then, rather than doing a day trip to the coast once we get settled in Capri. Does this sound like it will work out ok? My guess is that we will opt for the high-speed train from Rome to Naples, then either the train or a driver to Pompeii, then driver for the Amalfi Coast, then hydrofoil to Capri. Thanks for your help!

IMO, that's a long, busy day. You should check the train and ferry schedules and then decide whether you can fit in a couple of hours at Pompeii, lunch somewhere, and a little time in Positano before catching whichever boat departure you pick. Luckily, sunset in May isn't until after 8:00 pm.

Ferries don't run very late.

>>>then hydrofoil to Capri.<<<

From where?

Your plan seems like it may have a bit of backtracking because of the ferry. It may be better to train from Rome to Salerno, have the driver pick you up there to tour a bit of the coast on the way to Pompeii. You can store your luggage at Pompeii while touring then catch the commuter train to either Naples or Sorrento to catch a ferry.

We just returned from the Amalfi Coast and Capri. Your day sounds very busy to me - in a place where relaxing is the key. If you leave Rome early and get to Pompeii at a reasonable hour in the morning, I suggest a guided tour. You can get a very knowlegable guide at the Pompeii ticket office who will conduct a 3-hour tour with 8-10 people. The guide we had (I do not remember his name) added so much to the visit - he made it come alive. I wouldn't recommend touring on your own.

Depending on how much time you have for Capri, I would stay in Sorrento overnight and take the tour of the Amalfi Coast the following day and then take the ferry or hydofoil from Sorrento to Capri late in the afternoon.

We loved Capri. It is nice to be there in the late afternoon and evening after the day trippers have departed.

Thanks all for the advice about Pompeii, taking a train from Rome to Salerno, and for pointing out the need to actually eat during this day - somehow I forgot about that! :) Given that this is to be the more relaxing part of the trip after touring Rome, I am leaning toward skipping Pompeii since we don't really have enough time to do it justice, going straight from Rome to Salerno, then drive the Amalfi Coast to Positano, where we can catch the hydrofoil to Capri. When driving the coast, does it matter what side of the road we're on, or will the views be great either way? Most trips seem to go west to east, whereas I'm thinking about going east to west.... Also, can you see the Amalfi Coast from Capri? It's so picturesque, I want to see it somehow, whether by driving or in the distance from Capri...

Ok, so just looked at a map (what a novel idea!) and looks like seeing the Amalfi Coast from Capri is not an option...

>>>then drive the Amalfi Coast to Positano, where we can catch the hydrofoil to Capri. <<<

I'm not sure you can catch anything (except private water taxi) to Capri from Positano in May. Do you have a link for transport from Positano to Capri? I'm not sure Capri/Positano is an option.

You can always grab a bite to eat in Pompeii as Autogrill operates the cafeteria there.
http://www.pompeiisites.org/

Not likely - I think the ferries to Capri would have already left unless you start out from rome at about 4 am.

Also - most boats go from Sorrento or Naples to Capri - and they don;t run after late afternoon/early evening. We visited Capri from Sorrento is late May and the last boat back wasn;t much after 6 in the afternoon.

It doesn't take <i>all</i> that long to go around the coast -- less than an hour and a half from Sorrento to Amalfi on the Sita bus -- so it is feasible to do it in an afternoon... IMO the concern is definitely related to transport to Capri. When we were on the AC at the beginning of May, from what I recall there were no ferries running Positano-Capri that early in the season.

My suggestion would be to do one of the following, depending on your ambitions/energy:

1) Arrive Pompeii from Rome in the early morning; take a tour as noted by a previous poster; lunch in Sorrento; then tour the coast in the afternoon, returning to Sorrento. Depending on ferry timing, you could possibly get to Capri that evening. Otherwise, spend the night in Sorrento and catch the first boat out in the morning.

2) Go from Rome to Salerno; have a driver pick you up; make your way more leisurely -- for example, a stop in Amalfi -- with lunch at Positano; arrive in Sorrento in time for an afternoon boat to Capri.

One other thing: from the OP, your idea for Pompeii was "just a couple of hours, not an exhaustive tour". Later you say you're leaning towards skipping it "since we don't really have enough time to do it justice". IMO, while you won't be "doing it [complete] justice," even a few hours -- especially when in league with a guide -- will give you a good taste for the site. And it's different enough from the ancient sites in Rome as to be worthwhile...

Thanks all! Will definitely check into ferry schedule before planning any further...

I'd also think about an alternate plan in the event it's raining the day you leave Rome. Tramping around Pompeii in the rain would not be enjoyable at all.

Ferry schedules for May might not be available until March/April.

My wife and I are traveling from US to Rome towards end of February 2011 and then to Sorrento/Capri/Amalfi Coast/Naples from 1st March thru 8th. I was going to rent a car before leaving Rome on 1st March and then make my base in Sorrento. Would this make sense or should I use public transportation to get to this area. Also, is the weather reasonable that time of year??

John21w - you will need to plan ahead for time in Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Capri in early March. Many hotels and restaurants are closed so you should definitely make reservations ahead of time or at least be sure the accomodations you choose will be open at the time.

Normally, I would suggest using public transportation on the coast but at that time of year the traffic shouldn't be bad and a car would probably work. You can't use a car on Capri and you should check the ferry schedules for that time of year - ferries run less often in winter. Unfortunately, while it is possible that you might have decent weather, the odds are that it will not be great.

Thanks for the information (Mamcalice)will definitely check on accommodation, any thoughts on how I get info on restaurant openings for that time of year??

I think you will find plenty of places open in March on the coast, maybe less on Capri. I've been there the end of March (took the ferry from Sorrento to Capri) and most things were open in Sorrento.

I wouldn't drive in Naples.

>>>You can't use a car on Capri<<<

I think you can take a car to Capri in the off season (Nov-March), not that you would need it really.

I'm not clear if you were asking about staying in Sorrento or elsewhere. You might find this website helpful.

http://www.sorrentoinfo.com/

Thanks "kybourbon".
My plan is not to drive in Naples but head for Sorrento and stay there. Our provisional itinerary is to get the train to visit Naples from Sorrento and use the car for all the sites on the Amalfi coast ( any thoughts on best ones to visit?)
From Sorrento to Capri via ferry.
Would you suggest staying overnight on Capri or at any of the places around the Amalfi coast?
Do you have suggestions for accommodation or restaurants in Sorrento or ???
We will be in Sorrento late on 1st March and not leaving until 8th or 9th March, would you think this is too long a period?
Any overall suggestions/thoughts etc will be really appreciated.
Incidentally, we will be in Rome from 24th February to 1st March (my birthday is on 28th :-)) accommodation/restaurant input for Rome would also be appreciated.
Thanks

Haven't been, but I here that Capri is a tourist trap.
Maybe spend more time in Pompeii and only travel as far as Positano. Pompeii is truly awesome.

Thanks for the info..

I haven't been either, but many on this board say that Capri is worth the trip. Keep in mind, in March you won't be there during tourist season, so it will be much less of a "tourist trap"!

john21w, what are your interests? If you give us some ideas about what you're looking to do, we can provide feedback... Also, you may want to start a separate thread with your questions for Rome - it will get more targeted responses!