TAKING TRAINS FROM ROME TO POSITANO
 

My trip is only 2 days away and we are so excited. I am really going to plead ignorance and confusion about which trains to take. I believe I will take a Eurostar from Rome to Sorrento (or Salerno) (trying to bypass Naples)then Sita or hydrofoil to Positano. Am I right?

Do I need to buy all tickets ahead of time?
Why am I making this so hard???????And some I need to reserve a seat in addition to the initial ticket. Some I have to stamp my ticket before boarding the train? It is not a proud person who can declare such ignorance is it!

I do thank you for everything I have learned here but I have a real mental block about this and I think it is again just fear of the unknown.

I made the same trip this time last year. We took the train from Rome to Salerno. You can book your tickets at the station the day you leave. And yes you need to reserve a seat along with booking your ticket. I don't think the train goes to Sorrento. Your options are either Naples or Salerno.

Hydrofoil is the best way to go, but the schedule this time of the year is limited. We found that out the hard way. We arrived in Salerno, walked to the beach, took an hour to find the port, and then found out the boat wasn't scheduled until "next," as in the next day. Walked back to the train station to catch a SITA bus.

My recomendation would be to take the train to Naples, a taxi to the port, and then a boat to Positano. There are number of posts on this site that refernces the website so you can get the exact schedule. You can also hire a driver to take you the whole way. It'll cost a little more, but take out the risk of connections.

It may seem like a lot to reach Positano, but its one of the best places around, and worth the extra hassle/planning. Enjoy.

You cannot take the Eurostar to Sorrento. You can take the Eurostar from Rome to Naples but from there you have to transfer to the local train (Circumvesuviana) to get to Sorrento. They run about every half hour and take around one hour to reach Sorrento. They are more like a subway car than a train and make frequent stops along the way but the end of the line is Sorrento. It is better to but your tickets ahead of time for the Eurostar but not necessary for the Circumvesuviana. You validate your tickets before getting on the train by inserting them in the yellow boxes that are posted everywhere. Yes, you can take bus or a ferry from Sorrento to Positano. Bus may be easier as it leaves from the train station and runs more frequently than the ferry.

Zee, Train to Salerno--buy the tickets the day before--then have a driver meet you at Salerno and take you to the hotel--the hotel can book it for you.

see my post "Rome to Positano: the FAST way"

Thank you, Thank you, you are all so great. I feel better. See it's just the fear of the unknown.

Hi Zee,

I strongly recommend against hiring a driver from Salerno to Positano.

If you really wish to avoid Naples, take the train to Salerno. Just outside the exit from the train station is the bus stop. Take the SITA bus to Amalfi.

Change buses at Amalfi for the SITA bus to Sorrento. It stops at Positano. First at the top of the hill, and second at the bottom. Tell the driver which stop you want.

You can also take the train to Naples. You change at the Naples station to the Circumvsuviana line to Sorrento. The SITA bus to Positano leaves from the stop directly across the street from the exit from the train station.

Take the ES* if you can. They are more reliable than the IC trains.

If you have luggage, you are better off taking a train to Naples and then hiring a driver to take you to Positano. it will cost around 90 Euro but it is the easiest way to get there.

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A helpful thread on transportation between Rome and Positano >>> http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34520231