Sorrento/Naples/Amalfi Coast
 

Going to Southern Italy end of May, staying in Sorrento for 5 days. Any suggestions on what can be combined in one-day trips using public transportation? Places we want to visit are: Naples, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Paestum, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and Capri. Is it possible to see all in 5 days?

I'd suggest you get a Rick Steves guidebook - he has very practical info for planning daytrips.

What my guess would be
Capri - one full day

Positano, Amalfi, Ravello - another full day - best to splurge and get a private dirver. The SITA bus can be quite crowded.

Pompeii, probably a full day tho MAYBE combine with Naples depending on how much time you want to spend there.

I have not visited Vesuvius or Paestum so don't know how long these maight take.

Enjoy!

Hey PG,

>Is it possible to see all in 5 days?

Yes.

You will probably want to do a full day:
on Capri;
in Naples (Archaeological Museum and the Capella Sansevero are musts),
for Positano, Amalfi and Ravello - you can take the ferry from Sorrento to Amalfi and take the bus back to Sorrento;
for Pompeii and Vesuvius
for Paestum - you could take the ferry to Salerno and the train to Paestum, returning by train to Salerno and bus to Sorrento via Amalfi.

It would be nice if you had another day to relax. :)

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Thanks you both Suec1 and Ira! It seems that both of you suggest a full day for Capri and maybe doing Positano, Amalfi and Ravello in one day. Here is a question: can Capri be paired with one of those cities - and if so, which one would be the best? If Capri can be combined with one city, we can than tour other two cities on another day, Pompeii and Vesuvius on third day, Naples on fourth and Paestum on fifth. Is this too ambitious or just plain impossible?

Suec1 - I'll definitely would consider a private driver for at least one of the days, if not for two. Time of essence here and I don't want to lose any of it in fighting to get on a bus!

Ira - is is possible to avoid the bus on they way back to Sorrento? One of us gets pretty uncomfortable (motion sickness) and I've read a lot of reports that make me nervous about the Amalfi Coast drive... And yes, we'd have two days to relax - one day after arrival and one day before departure. We do have more than 5 days, I just don't want to overload our vacation with daily trips on each day. However if trying to squeeze all in 5 days is too much, I may reconsider and either add another day for the sightseeing, or cut off one of the destinations - which would be unfortunate.

Suec1, forgot to mention - went out and bought Rick Steves guidebook - thanks!

I used Joe Bannana (not his real name) tour guide last year for a full day to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. He was an excellent driver, took us to a wonderful restaurant perched high in the hills - La Tavala ?? something like that. I can't see how you would fit Capri into the same day. that's at least a 1/2 day trip that you can easily do on your own. Have fun.

Try to get to Pompeii early in the morning, right when it opens... that way you can be done before most of the crowds roll in and it will be less hot that way....

Many people combine Pompeii with Herculaneum because it takes a little less then half-day for each, but it is a lot of walking so if you can split it up into two days and leave the afternoons for a museum or something with less walking it will be nicer for you... also don't skip the Naples Museum it has fantastic sculptures.

Pick a clear day for the Amalfi Coast tour... because it is all about the views and hairpin turns :D

Pietro - you might be able to combine Capri with another of the Amalfi coast towns, depending on ferry schedule but IMO you can easily have a full day on Capri. Probably you will want to do the Blue Grotto - this can take awhile then explore Anacapri - the chairlift is alot of fun. Find an outdoor restaurant for a long lunch, wander around or ride the bus some more - this should use up most of the day. You might want to hire a taxi to take you around for the day - we have always used the bus here - the rides are not long but they can be pretty intense!

I'm glad you're going for a private driver along the coast - it makes the most sense IMO for the day going to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. You can relax and enjoy the scenery in uncrowded comfort. You can easily take the train to Pompeii and Naples. Enjoy your trip!

nmonte - do you remember where Joe Bannana is based? I mean which city-Positano, Naples, Sorrento? Also, do you know if we have to hire a tour guide that takes us to each place - which means less freedom to do our own thing, or can we just hire a private driver who could take us to one place and pick us up in the evening from another (and we'll get around on buses in between)?

Excellent advise Amy_J! Will try to get to Pomeii early am.
As far as Archaeological Museum in Naples - I'm determined to go there for sure, just don't know what would make more sense - going there before the Pompeii, or after?
Would definitely try to pick a clear day for Amalfi Coast tour :)

Thank you suec1, we'll probably get a private boat tour for Capri. More splurging coming up! :)

We just spent 4 nights in Sorrento a couple of weeks ago.
It rained every day but we still enjoyed ourselves immensely!
We took the ferry over to Capri for half a day or so (would have spent more time but it really started raining so we took the ferry back to Sorrento after lunch.
We took the local train to Pompeii and spent several hours there. Luckily for us that day, it didn't start raining heavy until we were done with Pompeii and ready for lunch.
We (there were 4 of us) hired a private driver through Sorrentocars from 9-5. He took us to Poisitano where we had an hour or so to explore, Ravello where we had about two hours or so (that was our lunch stop) and then to the the last town of Amalfi where we had another hour or so.
The day started off with heavy rain but got better as the day went on. Ugo, our driver, spent extra time with us on our way back to Sorrento and made several extra stops so we could take pictures in the nicer weather. The price was right and he spoke great English.
Hope this helps a bit.

Bettina222 - thanks for the tip! By any chance do you happened to know Ugo's last name? Could it be Ugo Mazzola?

Also - were 2 hours enough for Ravello? (We want to visit both Villa Rufolo and Villa Simbrone) Thanks in advance!

bettina222 - I leave on the 11th for Italy & am wondering what you paid for the private driver - there are only 2 of us, so not sure if a private driver will be cost effective. thx.

Hi,
Pietro, I do not know Ugo's last name but the email address is
[email protected]
2 hours was enough for us to see the shops, sample some lemoncello and have lunch but if you want more time, I'm sure you could arrange it.
CalgaryDoll, I think (but I can't remember for sure) that we paid about 230 euros for the 8 hour day.
Let me know how you both make out.

If the Archeological museum hours and your schedule permit it would be best to see it after seeing Herculaneum

...because the city is so well preserved you can actually see where some of the statues used to stand... and some of the interior walls and floor mosaics are still there... so when you see the ones in the museum it will help you place them in context and appreciate them so much more, bringing the whole thing to life... its just an amazing experience.

I believe JoeBananna was located in Sorrento. I was also concerned about not being able to browse as I wanted. He will give you as much time as you want in each place, of course making suggestions about where to go and how much time you will need. he has a cell phone w/him so we could reach him if we wanted to meet up with him at a different time or place. He will customize the trip to meet your needs & wants.
i don't remember the costs but at the time i thought it was well worth it. He was very flexible throughout the entire day. i truly felt that his goal was to accomodate us however we wanted.

Bettina222 and nmonte - thanks! I now have Ugo and JoeBananna names, so I already feel better about this trip.

Amy_J, thanks for your recommendation, I'll check schedule for the Museum and will plan accordingly.

CalcaryDoll - have a good trip! How long are you going for and to which cities?

Also, another idea/question to throw in - can Paestum be combined with any other destination or is it too far out from everything else?

It's not easy to combine Paestum with anything as it's trek by public transport from Sorrento. If you return via Salerno, you can catch the Sita bus and stop at one of the towns on the way back to Sorrento. Just be sure to look at bus schedules so you don't miss the last bus back to Sorrento. I stopped in Positano on the way back to Sorrento from Paestum.

Since you are planning so much travel along the coast, you might want to consider the 3 day Campania Artecard Tutta La Regione for 27€ if you can arrange your schedule to get the value. You get admission to two sites and transport along the coast (buses, local trains) from Naples to Paestum. The 3 day card is the only one that includes transport.

http://www.artecard.it/#

I would not count on ferries a lot for transport as summer schedules won't be in effect in May. Last summer there were a lot of cutbacks on ferries along the coast. They were still frequent between Sorrento/Capri, but not much options for towns along the coast.

Pietro_Gallo - yes, we are doing 2 days in Sorrento, 2 days on Capri & then another day in Sorrento. (we had to split our days to get the accomodation I wanted on Capri - 2nd guessing myself now...) We then have another partial day until we take the ferry from Napoli to Stromboli. I am sure I will need to book another Italian vacation sometime in the distant future, as we don't have time to do it all. This is our "volcano" vacation. We are climbing Vesuvius (sp), Stromboli & Etna with a bit of culture and food thrown in (& the Path to the Gods). 3 weeks vacation is just not enough, but that's all we have (plus, I don't think I would be able to afford anything more..) Enjoy your trip also.

Another question, if anybody knows, we are planning to take a Curreri Viaggi Shuttle Coach Bus from Naples Airport to Sorrento. Can we just purchase tickets right there at arrival or should we make reservations in advance?

CalgaryDoll - climbing Vesuvius, Stromboli & Etna - that sounds like you'll have an unforgettable experience. We were actually originally considering going go Sicily and Campania; My friend got a free 2-night stay at Rocco Forte Verdura which is near a small town Sciacca, in Agrigento area; so we thought we'd go there and than on the way back to Campania also visit Messina and Catania, but we realized that we simply don't have enough time for everything :(
So we decided to do Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi Coast this time and hopefully to come back for Sicily exclusively some time in a future.
Well, I'm sure you'd enjoy your trip, hope to hear all about it at some point via this wonderful blog!

When we stayed on Capri several years ago, we were able to arrange a private boat tour of the island by hiring one of the "Captains" down at Marina Grande ( where the boats come in from Sorrento and Positano). It was much cheaper than going through the hotel. There was also a tourist kiosk in Capri town where you could get information about typical rates for boat tours, etc. I don't know if it's stlll there, but it was directly to the left of the funicular exit ( if you are arriving from Marina Grande).

We've visited the AC several times and are going back in June. The SITA buses are HORRIBLE. Avoid them if you can. I am disappointed to read that the ferry service between towns may not be operating the way it did in the past. That was/is the best way to get back and forth between the towns on the coast. We found that many times the SITA buses seemed to have their own secret schedule and arrived/departed on whim. And when they did arrive, they were often so overstuffed that it made for a very uncomfortable and hot ride to wherever we were going.

I can highly recommend the driver we've used for many years, if you want another name. He's Giovanni Gargiulo and can be reached at: Tourofitaly.com. We've really enjoyed the trips we've taken with him or his son, Giancarlo.

Looking at your schedule, I'm wondering whether you might consider spending your last night in Naples instead of Sorrento. You could then spend the day and a half before you leave visiting the volcanoes and The Archaeological Museum. Also, Pompeii is only 20 minutes from Naples, so slightly closer than traveling there from Sorrento.

kybourbon - I'll check all info later, but thanks for providing the links and for all your suggestions! So it's at least may be a possibility to combine Paestum w/Positano...I'll do myb research. Thanks again!

Thank you Weadles for your suggestions as well, and for yet another name!

Any suggestions on what it is best and easiest to do re money (credit cards, cash via atm, etc)?

Some restaurants don't accept credit cards, so check first. I would highly suggest only using ATMS connected to banks rather than some of the others you may find. There's often more security/video surveillance.

Anything's possible - or so they say - but we've lived down near Naples for almost a decade now, and have yet to notice any ATMs not linked to a specific bank.

::::::::::::::::::::

On the practical side of things:

* Some assistance with the SITA bus timetables (reply #3 for versions valid for your May visit)...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Campania.html

* Either print, or just note, the scheduled timings of May's Circumvesuviana trains on the Naples - Ercolano Scavi (for Herculaneum) - Pompei Scavi (for Pompeii) - Sorrento route:

http://www.vesuviana.it/web/files/Or...%20dispari.pdf

http://www.vesuviana.it/web/files/Or...nto%20pari.pdf

* In building your itinerary, this may give an idea of travel times when using the various forms of public transport on offer locally:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132567370

* For the Curreri Viaggi buses from the airport, you buy tickets from the driver - no pre-booking! They've very recently gone over to their summer schedule, with 8 per day in each direction...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Campania.html

* This month the only regular services by sea from Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast are likely to be the two Alicost departures, which go first to Positano and then as far as Amalfi, but not on to Salerno!

http://www.alicost.it/content/?id=6

* And you'd do well to download a copy (the April/May edition at present) of the very useful visitor magazine for Naples and its surroundings - 'Qui Napoli' - from:

http://www.inaples.it/eng/quinapoli.htm

Peter

As for Paestum, by public transport it's a fairly tough daytrip - which is why this is a popular alternative:

http://www.goldentours.it/en/salerno_e_paestum.php

If concerned about the Amalfi Drive, note that their route begins with the S145, along the northern coast, to then turn inland and southeastwards for Salerno:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/imag...83118/original

Although not on your original list, that's an interesting city in its own right...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/salerno33

... but does of course cut the time you'd have amongst the temples:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/paestum

................................................

If making one's own arrangements, the slow but simple and cheap DIY plan would be to sit on an early CV train to the Piazza Garibaldi station in Naples, and then swap to a Trenitalia service direct to the one near the Paestum site - but each way some 2 1/2 hours travel, plus the change and probably a wait!

The departure times on this are out of date now, but do show the big gap after the morning's 'to work or school' trains:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/133086074

.... hence the need to leave Sorrento quite early!

By sea, the first Alicost departure would see you at Amalfi at 11:30, with then a 75 minute bus ride to Salerno... from where there's an hourly bus to Paestum, so you'd arrive well into the afternoon?

Although these people don't go as far as Sorrento, their various other routes may be useful for leapfrogging along the AC...

http://www.coopsantandrea.com/eng/se...ervizi_eng.asp

Lastly, particularly if going to Naples, but also for the museum at the Paestum site and elsewhere, do watch out for the 'staggered' pattern of closing days here in Campania:

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

Peter

A_Brit_In_Ischia and Peter - wow! Now all I need to do is just find time to study all the material you've sent me. Thank you guys, you've been great!

Is there a reason why you'd want to take a bus from Salerno to Paestum rather than the train? I thought a train ran that route and might be quicker. Is that not the case?

Yes, there appears to be a gap in train service from 9:30 until 1:45. The bus drops you by the ruins. The train station is further away.

No 'appears' about it!

As on many other rail routes in this area, that <<<big gap after the morning's 'to work or school' trains>>> is very much a reality...

A possible alternative from Sorrento, for those OK with a bit of a walk, might be to go to Pompei Scavi on the CV, and then get across to the town's Trenitalia station, from where there are Paestum trains until 09:02.... it's the one marked in red, on this:

http://www.unicocampania.it/files/mappe/pompei.pdf

Or, for the times of the CSTP #34 bus line, with the Concordia departure point being as shown here:
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132810174

- fairly frequent on week days:
http://www.cstp.it/linee/34fe.pdf

- but far fewer of them on Sundays:
http://www.cstp.it/linee/34fs.pdf

Peter

Peter, thanks for being a great info source on the area.

Could you decode the abbreviations on the Circumvesuviana schedule? D DD Fer

I've walked from the Pompeii Scavi station to the Pompeii Trenitalia station. It's a flat walk, but a good distance so allow plenty of time (or taxi between them).

The Sita buses arrive at the train station in Salerno so to catch the bus on to Paestum you have to walk to Piazza della Concordia.

AJP, thanks - and for those codes:

D is for Diretto... in the sense of no changes required, rather than non-stop!

DD is for.... who knows - Double Diretto? But those all skip some of intervening stations, and take slightly less time to do the trip!

FER is working weekdays only, Mon to Sat unless a public holiday - and never on a Sunday!

Not sure that all of the CV's problems are over, so perhaps allow a little slack in your itinerary?

......................

But unless things have changed, the SITA buses in Salerno do this...

- the one-way traffic system sees those heading northwards from the Via Vinciprova depot there (on their way to Vietri, Amalfi etc) pass by the train station in piazza Vittorio Veneto, where their stop is immediately in front of the station exit.

- those coming from Amalfi etc use the waterfront Lungomare Trieste in passing southwards through the town - with a stop at Piazza Concordia... to end that depot, off to the SE of this:

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132810174

... although I wasn't able to get Googlemaps at the correct enlargement for all of the white arrows to show up!

Peter

Peter and kybourbon: your info is really helpful, mille grazie.
We'll be staying in Amalfi in October and will make a day trip to Paestum and the 36th division monument -- I'm thinking that on the way there, we might walk around Salerno a bit since we'll have to change buses there anyway. It sounds like we should just use a SITA bus from Amalfi to Salerno, and then go by bus also to Paestum. Can you think of any reason not to do this? If we leave Amalfi early in the a.m. on a weekday morning, travel by bus to Salerno, walk around and maybe grab a snack or light lunch, then head to Piazza Concordia for the bus to Paestum, does that sound reasonable? I'm quite fond of ceramics and like to bring a piece home from our travels; am thinking we could stop on the way back to Amalfi in Vietri to check out some of the pottery there. Again, any reason you can think of not to do this?
I appreciate your input very much.
gailw

well, I apologize, but having printed Peter's map and re-reading the above directions, I am now totally confused: if I am coming by bus from Amalfi and going to Paestum, will our bus stop at Piazza della Concordia BUT CONTINUE ON TO PAESTUM? Or, do we have to get over to the train station to continue to Paestum? The above descriptions seem to indicate that it would be Amalfi-bound buses that depart from the train station stop, so we wouldn't have to go there until we are on our way back to the hotel at the end of the day. I'm sorry if I'm being dense about this, but I am directionally impaired.
grazie
gail

>>>if I am coming by bus from Amalfi and going to Paestum, will our bus stop at Piazza della Concordia BUT CONTINUE ON TO PAESTUM?<<<

AFAIK the Sit bus from Amalfi stops at the train station, not Piazza della Concordia. I can't find the online schedules (perhaps Peter can), but this schedule only shows one stop in Salerno.
http://www.amalficoastweb.com/orari_...imetables.html

I used the CSTP bus from Paestum (CSTP #34) to Salerno which I caught at Piazza della Concordia and it dropped us there on the way back. We then had to walk to the station to catch the Sita bus as did other travelers. I didn't take the Sita bus from Amalfi to Salerno (I arrived by train) so it's possible it could stop. Just watch for the area on Peter's last link and hop off if it stops. It will save you a bit of a walk if it does stop.

I would not wander Salerno on the way to Paestum. I would plan that for the route back in case buses aren't so frequent in Oct. That way, you can skip it if you don't have enough time or if you are too tired from Paestum.