Things to do in Sorrento
 

Hi All,

I'm trying to determine how much time I should allocate to walking through and seeing the sights in Sorrento. It will be our base to explore the rest of the Amalfi coast. From what I see in my guidebooks there is only a small area to explore in Sorrento. How much time should I allow to see the actual city and sights of Sorrento? Any recommendations for things that are a must see?

Thank You!

When we were in Sorrento threee years ago this spring, we used one day to visit Pompeii from our base in Sorrento (an easy train trip of about 30 minutes), with that evening and the following day to wander around the city. To me, Sorrento was more about experiencing the ambiance of the town (great shops and lanes for wandering, etc.) and less about particular sights to see. So you could "see" Sorrento in a brief amount of time, but you could also just relax and spend a long time there too, sipping limoncello and eating gelato! We loved our time there and plan to return in 2013.

Sorrento is a pleasant and convenient town in which to stay to visit other places. It has a nice town center with lots of shops and restaurants - but no specific sights that I am aware of. The first time we visited we drove down from rome and went into town to have a late lunch and explore. That was enough except for dining and a little window-shopping. but our hotel did have a nice pool and gorgeous gardens.

The pretty part of Sorrento is very small. You could cover it in a couple of hours if you look in all the shops. There is a church near Piazza Tasso (main square) but I can't remember anything about it although I did go in and look at it.

I enjoyed staying in Sorrento but it was mostly for the convenience for day trips to Naples, AC, and Pompeii/Herculaneum.

Thank you all--- This is very helpful! :)

Sorrento is an excellent choice as a base for the Amalfi Coast. A local specialty there is furniture, music and jewel boxes hand made of inlaid wook and of course limoncello. Things to do:

day trip by train to Pompeii
bus trip to Positano
bus trip to Amalfi and Ravello (don't miss Ravello)

The bus trip itself from Sorrento down the Amalfi coast is spectacular. The windy narrow road above the sea will give you many terrific views. Sit on the right side of the bus when leaving Sorrento.

I agree that if you are basing there you don't really need to add a lot of time. Most day trips you'll be back in Sorrento for evening and a few evenings is enough. That said, we had eight days and ended up spending two of them just in Sorrento as we wanted some 'down time' and found it really an enjoyable place to explore. Here's my trip report, you can see what we did in Sorrento itself. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm

Agree that the shops selling those beautifully mad wooden boxes are a treat. Wonderful and interresting designs in all sizes. Just bring your CC.

1. Enjoy the car-free (and care-free) passagiata in the evenings.
2. Pizzaria de Franco
3. gelato at Davide
4. take the ferry to Amalfi and Positano (even to Capri) rather than the bus. nothing is quite as spectacular as approaching Positano from the sea.
5. Once you get to Amalfi town, you can take a public bus south to experience the beauty of the coastline. Sit on the right (starboard) side for the best views.

Thank you for the additional information. Just a silly question- I want to make sure I get on the right side of the bus for the views. From Sorrento to Amalfi/Positano/Ravello do you reccomend sitting on my right side when I enter the bus or the right side if I am facing the driver and front windshield??

You want to be on the left side of the bus as you enter, or the side opposite the driver, to be on the "outside" (the cliff side). You'd want the other side for the return trip, but there will be the opposing lane of traffic between you and the view anyway. I highly recommend taking the ferry or hydrofoil back to Sorrento for a completely different view of the coast.

It's the right side facing the driver. However, as the bus swung around the many curves, with the sea a hundred feet or more below my right shoulder, it began to seem not so desireable a seat. And I'm not prone to motion sickness.

Sit on the right side as you face the front of the bus and the driver. You will have the sea on your right as you travel along the coast. If your bus has a large unobstructed window at the rear, that's also a good place to sit, with a window to your right and also behind your head.

Thank you all for the specifics! I will also look into the ferry or hydrofoil on the way back for a different view :)