Sorrento as a lodging base
 

Looking for suggestions. We did a cruise this past July to Italy and it wasn't enough time in each port. Our stops were Naples (we took the ferry to Capri), Rome (we saw the colosseum), Florence (we completely missed and I really wanted to see this one).

So we are thinking 2 weeks and using Sorrento as somewhat of a base point. I think 1 good day in Rome will do it for us. We want to see Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast and Florence. We do like to relax and swim in the ocean as well. Maybe Sicily? Any suggestions on how to do this? We are looking to go the beginning of Sept 2016. Thanks

You really can;t see the other places from Sorrento - there is just too much travel involved. It is fine to see Naples, Capri, Pompeii and the smaller towns on the AC.

But to see Rome (and I would allow a minimum of 3 days/4nights to see much) you need to stay there. Similarly if you want to see much of Florence - and any of the Tuscan hill towns - you need to base yourself there somewhere - exactly where depending on your must sees and willingness to rent a car - or wait for train or bus to smaller towns. Again 3 days/4 nights is a minimum.

Obviously Sicily is a whole other story - and you should probably allow a week for that to see much of anything.

You've only mentioned how much time you want to spend in Rome, so I think you need to think about what you want to see/do in Florence and during your time in Sorrento/Amalfi Coast. Did you want to drive a bit around Tuscany and see a couple of small towns, or would you rather stay in Florence and make a couple of day trips using public transportation, or neither?

Personally, I don't think you have time to include Sicily, but it's your trip and you can do whatever.

Sorrento may not be the best base if you don't want to spend any (more) time in Naples and on Capri. You could stay in one of the Amalfi Coast towns (which Sorrento isn't) and stop at Pompeii when you're traveling to or from the AC. Opinion here weighs heavily in favor of Positano, but I like Amalfi. You should do a little research before deciding.

Would you need to fly into and out of Rome? If so, you may want to head immediately north or south when you land and put your 2-3 nights in Rome at the end.

Oh, I didn't get the sense you wanted to stay in Sorrento and see the northern destinations as day trips. That's just simply impossible.

Just so you're aware the trains from Sorrento to Naples are about 4 hours - in each direction. So a day trip would involve 8 hours on the train - simpy doesn;t make sense.

And to the CT would take even longer.

Even Rome - about 2.5 hours each way doesn't really make sense - unless you want to just have lunch, see 1 sight, and train back.

When we were in Rome, we did a tour with a couple that said they were staying in Sorrento and it was a great base point, rent a car and drive or take a ferry or train. I really don't know more that that.

Maybe Sorrento isn't a great base point, I'm confused, I thought Cinque Terre was close to Sorrento?

We want to spend time on the Amalfi Coast, enjoying the scenery and beaches.

We are not big site seeing but enjoy the beautiful views and great food. Does this help?

I'm guessing nytraveler meant to say trains from Sorrento to Florence take 4 hours, not to Naples.

In any case, you certainly can't base in Sorrento to see any of the places you mention except the Amalfi Coast. And if it were me, and I wanted to see the Amalfi Coast, I would base somewhere on the Amalfi Coast. Positano or Amalfi would be my choice.

Thanks tuscanlifeedit. Ok So we are done with Sorrento then.

I will start researching Amalfi Coast for maybe 4 or 5 nights, Florence 4 nights, Rome 2 nights.....what can we add for another 4 nights?

You have an awful lot of great places to choose from. Myself, I'm partial to Umbria.

You mention the Cinque Terre, I think, in your original post. That would be a good place to add, but I think I would put 3 nights in Rome, using one day as a day to visit nearby Ostia Antica.

Then 3 nights in Cinque Terre would be nice.

Or make it 4 nights there and visit some other places on the Italian Riviera. Portofino, Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure, or south of the CT, Portovenere. Swim in the ocean: I've done so in both Santa Margherita Ligure and San Fruttuoso, a fast boat ride away. Monterosso al Mare in the CT has a small beach.

What do you like to do?

IMHO, Advice to start.

Buy a couple of good guide books. Compared with the cost of your trip, they are the best bargain you can buy.

Get, or print out, a good map of Italy, including train routes.

Italy is divided into about 20 regions with over a hundred Provinces. It is too big a country to base in one place. Pick three or four places, Provinces or regions you would most like to see. Base in that place or near there and explore that area.

While everybody has personal interests, some of the so called biggies as cities are Rome, Florence, Venice (which you did not mention) followed by others valued for particular things like food.

There are many popular scenic areas, but the Amalfi Coast and the Lakes in the North are popular with visitors. The CT has become popular in recent years.

Italy has some very nice beaches, but is not famous for them like the Caribbean or Southern Spain. The AC, for example, is a beautiful place to relax, but many of the beaches are pebbly or rocky. People do swim though.

If all you saw in Rome was the Coloseum, then you missed most of Rome. Even if you are not city people, I suggest you give at least a couple of days to Rome, even three, so you see some of the riches and history.

The CInque Terre is a long ways from Sorrento. Sorrento is on the Bay of Naples, just North of the Amalfi Coast. The Cinque Terre on West Coast North of Florence.
Refer to your map.

How interested are you in Art? Florence is a center for Art of the Renaissance. I would not miss it, but allow time as suits you. You might want only a day.

Look at Tuscany (where Florence is located) and the hill towns. You might want a car for a few days.

Sorrento is a great base for touring Pompeii and Herculaneum. Positano might be better for enjoying the AC. From your expressed interests, you might want the most time there.

The CT is another, but different Coast, lots of hiking.

You have a whole year to plan. Read and research a lot more before trying to nail everything down. Planning is part of the fun.

Besides reading some guide books, you should check out your flight options. Which cities can you easily fly into? Out of?

Did your cruise go to Venice? Do you think you had enough time there?

Sassafrass THANK YOU, great information. You are helping me gather my thoughts. I'm going to look into your suggestions and post back.

Jean....We spent 4 nights in Venice 2 years ago and LOVED it!!

As for what we love to do on vacation is relax, swim, view beautiful scenery/architecture, little art but not much and enjoy great cultural food.

So with that being said maybe 4 nights in Florence is too long. Maybe do a couple of areas in the AC.........

Yes, I did mean Florence. For train info (except the local train Naples to Sorrento which takes about an hour) go to bahn.de and it will have the entire schedule so you can figure travel time.

Be aware there is NO train on the AC (Sorrento is the end of the line) - just the local SITA bus, ferries (minimal schedule) and cabs.

I think Sorrento is a wonderful base but only for The Amalfi coast, Capri, Pompei, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Paestum. I prefer to stay in Naples a couple nights and be right there but Sorrento is an ok base for Naples too. If you really want beautiful beaches and swimming, are you willing to hit Calabria or Puglia? Swimming and beach are there in Sorrento and the Amalfi coast but not the gorgeous beaches of Southern Italy.
Consider breaking the trip up into maybe 3 parts. As another poster stated, I think 2 weeks is not enough for what you want and include Sicily. Maybe 2 nights in Rome, 3 nights Florence, 2 nights in one the Cinque Terre town, 2 nights Naples, 5 nights Sorrento or Amalfi Coast or venturing into Calabria or Puglia or even one of the Basilacata Beach Towns.
Try making a list of each thing you specifically want to do and then group them into areas. From this you can decide on how many nights where.
One other thought is getting a hotel with a nice pool in Sorrento, Positano or Amalfi. You could swim there and just enjoy the Amalfi Coast without having to depend on the beaches there. There are many boat trip from Positano, Amalfi, Capri, Sorrento that will take you to all the hidden little swimming places and snorkeling areas around Capri and the Amalfi Coast.
Just my thoughts... Happy Travel Planning, Nell'amore con l'Italia