LornaUK

Hi! My husband and I are hoping to go to Naples and Sorrento for a Short Break (4 days) in April/May for as little cost as we can manage. We are first time travellers and want to plan everything well before we go. We are hoping to stay in Naples near the railway station. We want to visit Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Pompeii by train, and The Blue Grotto on Capri by taking a hydrofoil over to Sorrento, then ferry to Capri. We have been trying to find costs and timetables for airport shuttle bus, trains, hydrofoil and ferries but are finding it difficult as the websites are so hard to understand. Please can anyone offer us any advice or tips?

MrAmazed

Are you sure you want to stay in Naples? And by the train station? I would stay in Sorrento. All the things you want to see are easy to do by train or boat. You'll be far more relaxed and comfortable.

Dayle

Hi Lorna,

I stayed in Naples just for one night in Sept and really liked it. I would have enjoyed more time there. I was in the Chiaia (SP?) district, the "nicest" neighborhood in Naples. Hotel was Hotel Pinto Storey***, very nice great location. I had a single for 85E.

I don't think there is any reason to take a hydrofoil to Sorrento and then ferry to Capri. You can go directly from the Naples maria to Capri by several options, ferry (big, takes cars), boat or hydrofoil.

My own hydrofoil ride was very scary and not something I would do again - and I don't scare easily. Take one of the boats.

Buon viaggio!

Weadles

Hi LornaUK,

I agree with the other posters who suggest staying in Sorrento. Transportation to the places you want to go will be much easier.

By the way, we took the hydrofoil to Capri from Sorrento with no problem. If the weather is going to be too rough, the boats get cancelled, so don't worry too much about a bad ride.

A hotel to suggest in Sorrento: IL NIDO. Very basic, but within striking distance of town, and certainly won't break the bank.

Have a great time!

Dayle

Weadles,

Hate to tell you, but it's that last hydrofoil BEFORE the rest get canceled that's the scary one!

LoveItaly

Hi Dayle, my last hydrofoil ride to Capri from Naples sounds like yours. I wasn't scared about drowning but I sure was scared about being shall we say sick. The majority of the passengers (a lot of them Italians btw) were vomiting constantly. And I have a weak stomach, especially when it comes to bad odors.

Weadles, to say not to worry about a bad ride is not always true. Trust me on this statement.

Thankfully the ride back days later was so smooth I don't even remember it.

I would never discourage anyone about going to Capri..but do want people to know it can be a bit rough. And I have owned boats..so it is not that I am a landlubber.

ira

Hi Lorna,

I also don't recommend staying close by the train station.

We stayed in Spaccanapoli, up near the Archaeological Museum (see http://www.albergosansevero.it/)

For what you want to do, you could stay in Naples or in Sorrento.

Note that if the water is at all rough, you can't get into the Blue Grotto.

You might find the Naples part of my trip report helpful:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

Have a nice visit.

LornaUK

Sorry about starting a new thread and causing confusion. I have copied and pasted the other thread into this one to aid continuity. I hope thats Okay.

Author: LornaUK
Date: 11/10/2005, 04:12 am
Thankyou for the responses to my other thread.

We had considered staying in Sorrento instead of Naples but thought that staying in Naples would make things simpler. SO, OK, say we decided to stay in Sorrento instead, how do we get to Sorrento from Naples Airport? Would we have to catch a shuttle bus from the airport to Naples and then a train onto Sorrento or is there transport direct from the airport to Sorrento?

Also I'm still having trouble with understanding the transport websites.



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Author: Steve_James
Date: 11/10/2005, 07:20 am
Lorna - There is a direct shuttle bus (Curreri) between Capodichino airport and Sorrento several times daily.

Departures are at:
09.30 - 11.30 - 13.00 - 14.30 - 16.30 - 19.00

Fare: € 6. Pay on the bus.
Journey time: 1 hr
Here's the link:

Otherwise you can catch the bus (3S or Alibus) to Piazza Garibaldi and take the train (Circumvesuviana) to Sorrento from there.

The first option is quicker if your arrival time fits.

Hope this helps ...

Steve




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Author: Steve_James
Date: 11/10/2005, 07:21 am
Ooops - Forgot the link

www.curreriviaggi.it



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Author: ira
Date: 11/10/2005, 07:40 am
Hi Lorna,

It's easier on the readers, and leads to more efficient exchange of information, if you keep all of your posts in one thread.

If you can't find your earlier post, click on your name. It will come up in the left side column.

LornaUK

Thank you for all of your replies. We are looking at the Admiral on the sea front of Sorrento. Its quite a bit more than we were going to pay for the hotel in Naples, but we love the look of it.

I have also found a good website that explains step by step how to get to Vesuvius from Sorrento. I am hoping to find ones for Herculaneum and The Blue Grotto on Capri.

JoyceL

I agree with the Chiaia district recommendation. I liked the neighborhood a lot: a lot of nice shops, and also walkable to the harbor. But I did not like the Pinto Storey, where I stayed 2 nights. The location was great, but the walls was paper-thin. I could hear everything going on in the room next door. On the other hand, it was affordable. From the searching I did, it seems there are hardly any nice budget hotels in Naples.

You didn't say anything about your budget. But for the same amount of money, I think you can probably get a much nicer hotel in Sorrento. From Sorrento you can easily visit Naples in a daytrip.

Weadles

Dayle,

Apologies. I wasn't trying to make light of your experience. I guess we've been lucky with our hydrofoil rides from Sorrento- Capri.

Pausanias

Sorry, I can't help the sort of person who chooses Sorrento over Naples. I don't understand them.

mrsmass

I just returned from a 16 day trip. Milan, Bellagio, Venice, Florence, Sorrento and finally Rome. We stayed in Sorrento at Hotel Royal, 140E per night. They arranged our transfer from Naples train station to the hotel. I would not stay in Naples. It is about an hour ride to Sorrento. While in Sorrento we did an all day tour with Francesco Marrapese. Go to his web site and click on a tour. Great day with a very nice man.
http://www.francescomarrapese.com/

bbaby

Naples is not a place that I would consider for a short break. It is a huge, hectic, frenetic, dirty, yet interesting city best saved for a time when you can seek out its many hidden treasures. Stay in Sorrento and do all the others from there.

Dayle

Weadles, no problem. I was hopping to make the point that they don't seem to stop aliscafi service until it gets really bad!

I've been to Sorrento twice now and my impression is that it's just not my idea of the Amalfi Coast. I would stay in Naples to see the things that are in Naples, but in one of the coastal towns (Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Ravello) to do the rest. I'm not sure how busy it will be in April/May. The SITA buses were unbearably crowded, late, non-existent. If May is as busy as Sept was for me, I would stay in Positano or Amalfi just so I could get around by boat.

Buon viaggio!

LornaUK

OK. We have now booked our plane tickets to Naples airport and a hotel in Sorrento. We have chosen Hotel Admiral because it has a lovely sea view.

We are planning to get to Sorrento from Naples airport via the curreri bus. I have looked at there website but I am a little confused (it doesn't take much). Can we catch the bus from the airport and pay when we get on it, or do we have to book and/or pay beforehand?

GeoffHamer

Why are you "hoping" to stay near the railway station? I've stayed there several times and would happily stay there again. The first time I went to Italy, in 1979, I stayed in Sorrento. I've stayed in Sorrento since and in Ischia, but Napoli is so convenient for many purposes. There are innumerable hotels around the Piazza Garibaldi, the big square outside Napoli Centrale station. The main problems with staying near Napoli Centrale are the noise, and the fact that late at night, there are lots of prostitutes around. If you can cope with these, then it's a great place to stay, with good transport to everywhere else in the area, and great, cheap, restaurants nearby.

LornaUK

Thanks for your reply Geoff but you need to read my last message in this thread.