lmont

We will be in the Sorrento area the second week of October. We would like to visit Capri, Positiano, and Almafi. Where can I find ferry schedules ? I know the seasonal change is in the beginning of October. . Am I still able to travel to each locaton by water ?

We were going to use Sorrento as a base to Pompeii, Capri , Positiano and Almafi. Also interested in Paestum and possibly Ravallo . Is there a better way to do this?

Thank you !

GeoffHamer

The boats are run by several companies and services in October are very difficult to predict. Services will be reduced as the holiday season draws to a close, and the weather in October can be very unpredictable.
Trips to Capri run all year, but boats serving the Amalfi coast will finish for the winter.
Sorrento is a good base, with buses to the Amalfi coast, and trains to Pompei and Napoli. It's a holiday resort that attracts mostly middle-aged visitors, particularly from Britain. Sorrento suits some people, but not others.

lmont

Thank you Geo - do you know if there is a website that I can look at schedules ?

We are coming from Rome. We could see Pompeii on our way . If Capri is the only area reachable by water from Sorrento, is it more advisable to stay elsewhere on the coast and drive to the various towns ? We could always do a day trip to Capri via Sorrento.

Is driving really bad ? Don't want to ruin a day by being super stressed.

Jean

The times we've been to the area, the ferry services switched to the off-season schedule after the second weekend. We've had great weather in October. We prefer using public trans in this area, mostly because it feels easier and more care free, but my husband still dreams about the coast road drive.

We liked Sorrento, even before we reached middle age.

But Sorrento to Paestum would be a very long day. How many days will you be in the area? If several, you might consider a few nights in Sorrento and a few nights somewhere on the AC.

crickmd

I've been in Sorrento twice and I think it's a great base. It's a short ferry ride to Capri, a short and inexpensive train ride to Pompeii, and a short and exciting bus ride to Positano. I wouldn't stop at Pompeii on your way to Sorrento because it will be a hassle with your luggage, it's a short backtrack from Sorrento, and you will want to spend at least half a day there.

nytraveler

In Octobere driving the coast should be fun (we love it in May before many of the tourists arrive). Easy drive to Pompeii and any of the towns down the coast. You just need to make sur eyour hotel has parking (most don't).

kybourbon

Metro del Mare used to cut their schedules back mid-September.

shmushma

There are still few companies that operate on regular schedules in off-season. I was in Sorrento last October and November and used water transport a few times. In october you can travel from Sorrento to Capri, to Naples, to Ischia. I remember that water route Sorrento - Positano/Amalfi don't operate in off-season. But you can always take the bus that regulary departs from Sorrento main train and bus terminal. I will write some ferry companies that operate in that area. "Caremar" , "Gescab", "Aliscafi". Their websites are mostly in italian, but i would not worry about the schedules too much, once you get to Sorrento, go down to the port and look up schedules. "Caremar" ferries also transport cars to Capri and other places if you travel by car. Hope it helps.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

For the various excursions by sea and ferry lines, this - from a couple of days ago - may be of interest...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._Campania.html

And, although awkward by public transport from Sorrento, Paestum is most definitely worth the effort...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/paestum

A firm in Sorrento (Golden Tours, maybe) has a weekly excursion that also calls in at Salerno - chiefly to visit the Duomo, I believe - an impressive building that houses the tomb said to contain Saint Matthew...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/salerno33

Here and elsewhere we've banged heads together in the search for an ideal route, which isn't helped by the odd train times... Nap 07:42, Sal 08:43 and arrive 09:16 or Nap 08:32, Sal 09:27 and arrive 09:59 - but then a gap of 4 1/2 hours before the next one!

The buses from Salerno are much more regular, but first you have to get there - and this may give an idea of how slow it is by SITA bus along the AC route - three hours or more:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132567370

It's perhaps one time when driving (on the Sorrento side of the peninsula) might be better.... otherwise a 7AM train to Naples, and then that 08:32, seems the best bet - and not quite as early as our start was from Ischia!

Peter

lmont

Thank you very much for the helpful replies and links. Before I even have a chance to search all the ideas, a quick question that I just remembered ( and Peter's post reminded me ) :

What is your opinion of Ischia ? The thermal pools are of the most interest and I'm just beginning to search for them. If time restraints choosing between Capri or Ischia, how would you pick ? The Blue Grotta was initially a strong choice,but in watching videos, it's beginning to feel a little claustrophobic.

lmont

Schmusman - thank you ! Do you remember when in October the schedules switched to Winter Season ? We will be there from Oct. 2nd to 8th. It sounds like there are still options to get to the Almafi Coast towns eitherway.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

I take it that those questions probably weren't meant for me - but here's something about the spas...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/spagards


And just about every ligging journalist will have visited one or another of them....
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._Campania.html

Peter

lmont

You're a gem Peter !! Thank you !

shmushma

Indeed .. just had a look at http://www.metrodelmare.net/orari-tratte-e-tariffe/ under Sorrento timetable ... at the bottom of the timetable it says .. validity till 08/10/2011 ... so yes you can go to Positano, Amalfi by boat still in the first week of October!

kybourbon

>>>shmushma on Apr 1, 11 at 11:48pm
Indeed .. just had a look at http://www.metrodelmare.net/orari-tratte-e-tariffe/ under Sorrento timetable ... at the bottom of the timetable it says .. validity till 08/10/2011 ...<<<

Many of them say 10/09 and nowhere do I see a year listed. These could be last year's schedules.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

I can confirm most definitely that what's on the site at present is from the 2010 schedule - and haven't seen anything new since the "Goodbye" message, last October.

One of the major tourism fairs is on in Naples at present, and I rather think that if no announcement is made there re the 2011 service, then we'll not see it at all this year!

http://www.bmtnapoli.com/

Peter

GeoffHamer

The Metro del Mare is a subsidised service which runs in summer, partly to ease road congestion in the area.
The year-round state-supported service from Sorrento to Capri is run by Caremar (www.caremar.it).
Various private operators run services from Sorrento and the Amalfi coast.
www.navlib.it
www.alilauro.it
www.coopsantandrea.com
Their schedules will vary according to the number of visitors and the weather.

A_Brit_In_Ischia

As I've just posted in a new thread here, from reports on two reliable local newspapers' sites today, the MdM is going to be running at all this year...

Peter

A_Brit_In_Ischia

*£)!^#§ etc etc

Forgive me please, but that should be "is not going to be running at all this year"

As I should have bothered to say... for more, see:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-for-2011.cfm

Peter