Hi everyone....<BR>My Wife and I are travelling to Italy during the last week of March. Towards the end of our trip we will be departing Rome to go to Sorrento. We are planning to stay for 2 nights, then go to capri for 1 night, then naples for 1 night, then fly back to nyc from there.<BR><BR>1)Frome naples is it better to take the train or hydrofoil to sorrento---what is the price difference?<BR>2)I am picking to stay in Sorrento as a good base, at Hotel Aminata, over staying in Positano, is this a good idea?<BR>Finally.....<BR>4)in capri which hotel has the best view---La minerva, ambassador weber, villa brunella, casa morgano or relais maresca?<BR><BR>lots of questions please help!!!

Not everyone will agree, but I liked Sorrento more than Positano. Positano is beautiful and a perfect place to sit on a terrace and stare at the scenery, but frankly not too much else. There is so much to do in and from Sorrento. I'd take the hydrofoil across the bay between Sorrento and Naples, but not sure what the price difference is. As I recall the boat price was pretty minimal.<BR><BR>Sorry, can't compare the views between the Capri hotels, but I'm glad you're staying overnight. I find the people who only do a day trip to Capri usually leave unimpressed.

I agree with Patrick. While the views in Positano are spectacular I prefer Sorrento. More to do, better base, etc.<BR><BR>From Naples to Sorrento. There has to be a price difference. The commuter train (circumvesuviana) only costs a couple of Euros. However...<BR><BR>Are you arriving in Naples by train and going directly to Sorrento? If so, then you are already in the train station. For the commuter you just go into the basement.<BR><BR>In favor of boating it is that the commuter train is not a class way to go. Not normal air-conditioned train cars. It's a little noisy commuter train.<BR><BR>We have taken it twice. Also, if you are going to Pompeii this is the way to go either from Naples or Sorrento.<BR><BR>The positive is that this commuter is used by the locals. Early in the morning you can see all the kids on their way to school. Sorrento is the big town of the area.<BR><BR>See my notes on other threads regarding being careful about taking the correct commuter train.<BR>

The Circumvesuviana fare is about $1.40 one way. The jet boat between Naples and Sorrento is about $7.50 one way. Travel time is about the same using either transport. <BR><BR>The train can be faster overall because they run more frequently than the boat. Less waiting around. Also, as Myer pointed out, if you're already in the Naples train station, the Circumvesuviana is just downstairs. <BR><BR>There is ferry service between Capri and Naples. Sorry, don't know the fare or duration of the crossing.<BR><BR>A note about the Circumvesuviana... It makes 25 stops between Naples and Sorrento. You begin to think you're never going to get there. Also, depending on your timing (day of week, time of day), it could be very crowded, and you may have to stand for several stops.

I agree, Sorrento is the much nicer place to stay and do stuff. Positano is very pretty, but there isn't much to do beside sitting and looking at the scenery. We took the Circumvesuvian train and found it to be very handy and cheap. We wanted to try the hydrofoil, but they only run 6 or 7 times a day if I remember correctly