Rome to Sorrento by car question
 

I was planning to take the Marozzi bus from Rome to Sorrento next April, but it seems like that the marozzi bus (~3 hours journey) only runs from June 1 to October.

Flying is too expensive because there is no low-cost airline flying from Rome to Naples. Alitalia charges $300 for a 1 hour flight. With 4 people that's $1200.

The other option is train from Rome to Naples, but I do not like the idea of getting to the train station and all the hassles for such a short trip (I will still investigate).

The last option is renting a car. The problem is that we'll be staying in Rome for 5 nights first. So to pick up a car in Rome means that we have to pick one up in Central Rome. If anyone has done such trip driving from Central Rome on the A2 highway to the Sorrentine peninsula and to Sorrentino?

Just want to hear your thoughts: cost of one-way car rental, time it takes, and does the road gets narrow (2 lanes) when only when you get to the coast?

Picking up a car in central Rome and driving out is far more trouble than taking a taxi to the train station. With 5 nights in Rome, you can pick up your train tickets at a travel agency as you walk around Rome. (Almost all travel agents speak English.) Then no ticket line at the station.

There's lots of information about traveling by train at www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/index.htm

Would you drop the car in Sorrento? Then how will you get back? If you keep the car, have you investigated parking? And do you know the cost of a one-day rental car? Remember you must buy CDW in Italy and you must have an International Driver's Permit.

Let me try to put the car-vs-train question into perspective:

Car: Schlep through Rome to suburban Rome to pick up the A-1 Autostrada. Pay tolls. Buy gas for €6/gallon. Deal with traffic in Naples. Pay more tolls on A-3 autostrada. Deal with very congested 2-lane road for 15 miles between Castellamare and Sorrento. Find place to drop off car.

Train: Taxi to Roma Termini train station. High, higher, or highest-speed train to Naples. Transfer to adjacent Circumvesuviana train. Ride CV for 70 minutes. Exit train at last stop right in downtown Sorrento.

No contest. Take the train. First-class on the Eurostar Alta (highest-speed) is €43. CV is another €5 or so, plus the taxi. You'd spend at least that much in gas and tolls. Taking the train from Rome to Naples to Sorrento is easy, simple, and relatively stress-free. Unless you're trying to do your best Michael Schumacker or Mario Andretti impression, why fight Rome and Naples traffic when you can let someone else do the driving?

You can bypass Naples on the autostrada. You can train to FCO and rent a car there and use it on the Amalfi coast. Just another option.

I just thought if I can pick up a car in central Rome, and it takes one hour to get out, and 3 hours or so to get to Sorrento, I can be in Sorrento hotel in 4-5 hours, and drop off the car in Sorrento. The cost of rental + gas cannot be more than the $1200 that would cost 4 people flying Alitalia.

I don't mind taking the train, just don't want to spend the whole day on the train, and I also find it impossible to find information on the Trenitalia website - so hard to navigate. Yes I can take the train to Naples, then CV or take the ferry to Sorrento. If I want to do some driving I can always pick up a car in Sorrento for a day or two.

Thanks for all your advices.

OOPS, my fault.

Just check the RailEurope website: Rome to Naples takes only 1 hr 27 mins, so if we take the 9:30am train we should arrive in Naples at 11 am, and arrive in Sorrento in the early afternoon!!

I think that is the best way for you to get to Sorrento, go for it.

Just one more question:

There are trains from Roma Termini to either Napoli Centrali, or to Napoli Campi Fleg. The train to Napoli Centrali is 10 euros more (for first class).

Which one should I take to connect with CV to Sorrento, or connect with ferry to Sorrento??

Can anyone help?

Put Steve James name in the search box, he is an excellent source of correct information on that area.

Hi J,

>I also find it impossible to find information on the Trenitalia website - so hard to navigate.<

If you enter Rome and Naples at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
you will get a list of the available trains.

You can also find the prices by clicking on the shopping cart.

((I))

But does it help to have a car in Sorrento to get around there?

I think it would be great having a car in Sorrento. You would be doing some walking around the town, but if you would want to drive to Pompeii, Herculeneum, Montecassini, it would be easy, or any other sites and area around Sorrento.
If YOU don't mind navigating out of Rome and driving (which WE usually do, but haven't in that area) then I'd say "go for it".
Some wouldn't agree, but apparently the train train station in Naplesl isn't the best, cleanest, or safest. Thousands of travelers do take the train and use that station,...but with four people, lugging your bags, transfering stations....you probably have a good idea to rent a car.
How long will you be in Sorrento?...and where will you be going on to next.?~~~and I'm wondering if you can use the car on your next stop and just continue to use if for several days.
Ah Sorrento...it's wonderful,....spent 12 days there a few years ago.

Curreri lists a new bus service from Rome to Sorrento. Click English and then airport shuttle, scroll to the bottom of the page for the schedule. I'm not sure if it's seasonal and don't know of anyone that has used it yet. They list an e-mail contact so perhaps you could try that.
http://www.curreriviaggi.it/

If you train to Naples, you want Centrale. You don't change stations to get the Circumvesuviana as it's just down a flight of stairs in the same station. I would book 2nd cls on the AV (90minutes) or ES (2 hours) trains for such a short trip. Both are mandatory reserved seats only (included in price of ticket on Trenitalia, but not on railpass websites).

Parking is scarce on the coast and many hotels will charge a few to park, if they have parking at all. Pompeii/Herculaneum are easily reached by a short train ride. Other places such as Positano and Capri, by ferry.

Another possible option would be a bus shuttle with one of the companies to Pompeii, such as Enjoy Rome, for 55E per person. Leaves Rome at 7:30 am and drops you at Pompeii at 11. The cost is really for round trip, but they may let you take your luggage and not do the return. Pompeii has free luggage storage, so you could store your luggage and tour Pompeii and then catch the Circumvesuviana (just outside the entrance to Pompeii) on to Sorrento. Travel time from Pompeii to Sorrento is about 30-40 minutes.

I am planning to be in Sorrento for 5 nights.

Yes, we do plan to take ferry to Capri, Positano etc., and rent a car as needed for just a day or so to drive around; that way I don't have the car sitting in the hotel for nothing.

The next stop after Sorrento (Amalfi Coast) is Lisbon - a change of plan from going to Istanbul. That means we have to go to Naples (ferry, maybe), and then fly to Milan which has direct flight to Lisbon. So we don't really need a car to go to the "next stop". It's either that, or fly back from Naples to London, and then onto Lisbon.

Kybourbon: thanks for the Curreri info. I checked their website - they do have a NEW bus service from Rome to Sorrento, leaving Rome at 4:40pm and arriving at Sorrento at 8pm. The website however does not say where their bus station is, in Rome. Will have to do more research, or send them an email (and hoping that they respond!).

Thanks.

John - I would e-mail them. Steve and I were surprised by this "new" service since the Marozzi bus is rarely used. We couldn't imagine an additional bus on this route.

To get to the Naples airport for your flight to Lisbon, take the Curreri bus (6E) from Sorrento, if their schedule works for you. Don't take the ferry as that will get you to Naples, not Naples airport.

Hi John - The Marozzi service is year-round, not just June-Oct.

http://www.marozzivt.it/

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Thanks so much.

I got the information from another source (forgot which website) listing the Marozzi bus schedule, and that the Roma-Sorrento run only goes from June 1 to Sept30. I guess that's out-dated information. When I checked the Marozzi.it website there is no mention that the service is seasonal - only that there are 2 buses a day going to Sorrento. That makes life easier because the bus departs at 7:30am and arrives at Sorrento at 11am!!

Thanks also for the Curreri bus info of going from Sorrento to Naples airport.

Thanks again.

John - I believe the service is twice daily June-Sept - but only ONCE daily Mon-Sat the rest of the year.

N.B. In April I believe there is NO a.m departure.
It leaves at 15.00 (- arr. Sorrento 19.00 approx) Mon-Sat.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

P.S. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong :)

Thanks Steve, but how did you find out that there is only p.m. departure to Sorrento in April?? I didn't see that in the Marozzi website!

I guess the easy way to find out is when it's time to actually buy the ticket on-line (the website says I can); if the a.m. tickets are not available, then I will try the Curreri bus instead.

Thanks.