Train to Positano, how long?
 

So far our itinerary is as follows:

Rome for 5 nights, train to Florence.
Florence for 3 days.
Train to Positano, positano for 2 days.

How long is the train ride to Naples and on to Positano?

This is an easy one. There is no train to Positano.

Oh, ok. Well how far to Naples, then taking a bus to Positano?

However, there is a Eurostar train from Florence to Sorrento departing at 7:53 in the morning that takes just over 4 and a half hours. From Sorrento, you might want to opt for a car service -- the alternative is a bus or not very dependable connections to the port and then a boat.

mayerfan83,
The train from Florence to Naples is about 3.5 to 4 hours. From Naples you can take the local commuter train to Sorrento then bus or taxi to Positano. You can, depending on the season, take a ferry from Naples to Positano. See http://www.trenitalia.com/ for train schedules or http://www.metrodelmare.com/inglese/home.htm or http://www.metrodelmare.com/inglese/home.htm for ferries.

But I don't think there is any reason to take the train to Naples then the commuter train to Sorrento if you can take the 7:53 Eurostar directly to Sorrento.

The ferry to Positano (Metro del Mare) from Naples took 1 1/2 hours and cost about 9 euros. We thought it was wonderful. We flew into Naples and took the bus to Beverello port, crossed the street from the busstop to the port, turned right and bought our tickets at the Metro Del Mare counter and off we went.

Hmmm ! Patrick, are you sure you do not mean Salerno?

NeoPatrick,
There is no Eurostar to Sorrento because the FS doesn't go to Sorrento. Now they may have a link with a bus or ferry.

OK, I give up. Earlier I swear I went to the DB site and found 0 connections from Firenze to Sorrento Mare from 7:53 to 12:29. I thought that must be something new. Now I bring it up and the same schedule shows two connections for that -- one in Rome and one in Naples. But oddly, rather than show different trains, it still only shows that as being ES -- which it clearly is not from Naples to Sorrento.

Meanwhile that is a point about taking the Eurostar to Salerno (less than 4 and a half hours), where it is a short stroll even with luggage to the docks and getting a boat to Positano. We left Ravello to take the boat from Amalfi (which was actually coming from Positano) to Salerno, with a quick and easy walk to the train station for a train direct to Rome.

Meanwhile, mayerfan, when are you going? Those boats can all be very undependable going to Positano.

I have made the trip several times from Rome to Sorrento. You can take an ES (not Eurostar) train to Naples and then it's a 70 minute trip to Sorrento on the Circumvesuviana Railway. You might want to consider a stop-over at Pompeii as the train stops right in front of the entrance to the ruins. Sorrento is the end of the line for the C.V. railway. You can take a bus to Positano from the train station that takes about 45 minutes. Both the C.V. train and the SITA bus trips are dirt cheap.

Larry J

OK, this part I am sure of. It does show the train from Naples Centrale to Sorrento Mare as 35 minutes! Is that not right?

There is Sorrento and there is Sorrento Mare, Sorrento Piano etc. Sorrento is about 70 minutes from Naples Centrale Station (you go downstairs from the FS station to get to the CV Railway). Sorrento is the end of the CV Railway. The FS mainline trains run a little inland south of Naples to Salerno while the CV runs along Naples Bay.

Larry J

NeoPatrick,
Don't be too sure. It shows a "nave link" not a train that takes 35 minutes. I would guess that it is the ferry to Sorrento.
Henry

Well, what I'm looking at on the DB site shows a little picture of a train engine and it says ZUG 70, 2nd class only. Departs Naples Centrale at 11:54 and arrives Sorrento Mare at 12:29. So I don't think that's a ferry.
But now I guess Sorrento Mare is not the same as the Sorrento station that is at the end of the CV line, as Larry describes.

Meanwhile I'm still trying to figure out why that site showed 0 connections until I clicked the "show intermediate stops" and then it changed to 2 connections. Has my faithful DB site failed me?

NeoPatrick,
Check http://www.trenitalia.com/

Now I'm confused! LarryJ - Since when is the ES train not Eurostar? Here's a link for Trenitalia train descriptions and it says Eurostar Italia Trains(ES).
http://www.trenitalia.com/en/treni_stazioni/index.html

Of course there are other trains - IC, AV,D, R, etc.

mayerfan83 - The website for Italian trains is www.trenitalia.com. You can either take the train from Florence to Naples or Salerno. The connection on to Positano will probably be easier from Salerno.

The only way to get to Sorrento by Train is by the Circumvesuviana Railway.

Hi M,

To get to Positano from Florence, you might want to take the train to SALERNO and the ferry from Salerno to Positano.

The ferry docks are about 3 blks from the train station.

The ride along the coast is quite pleasant.

The ferries are less crowded than the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento.

For Ferry schedules Positano – Amalfi - Salerno (P.zza della Concordia):
See http://tinyurl.com/j4ufa

((I))

OK, Henry I did check that and when you click details it shows a TRAIN from Naples Centrale to Sorrento Mare, second class only at the exact times I gave. I don't think any ferries go from Naples Centrale Station -- do they?
The DB site is so much more user friendly, that's why I prefer it (not to mention that it also covers country lines as well).

I guess my big question now is: since both DB and Trenitalia sites show frequent trains from Naples Centrale to Sorrento Mare that take 35 minutes and have NO intermediate stops -- where the heck is this Sorrento Mare station? Is this something new? It certainly isn't a stop along the Circumvesuviana route past Pompeii. Or is this now a new direct train that goes to the main station in Sorrento? I've been googling all over the place and can't seem to figure out what this 35 minute train is and where it goes.

Hi NP,

Neither have I.

((I))

To Kybourbon,

I maybe should have gone into more detail about the ES trains in Italy. Yes there are "Eurostar Italia" trains which refers to the power units and rolling stock being the same as the famous "Eurostars" that operate on the ultra high speed lines linking London-Paris, London-Brussels. When I said ES but not Eurostar my point was that these trains are not "the" Eurostars that service London-Paris-Brussels but are instead the premier intercity trains operating only in Italy. So there are Eurostar trains and there are Eurostar Italia trains. I should have been more precise. Even an old professional track engineer can't get away with anything on this board.

Larry J

Patrick/Ira - It's a hydrofoil connection (- 'Nave link').

You have to get from Napoli Centrale to Molo Beverello by public transport (or taxi) as usual - and connect with the hydrofoil service.

The Trenitalia timing doesn't appear to include the journey time by bus/taxi.

Unless there is a new connecting bus service at those particular times - with a guaranteed connection to the hydrofoil service - it's misleading IMO ...

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Steve, that would make sense, except the timing specifically includes the exact time for departure from Naples Central and arrival AT Sorrento Mare 35 minutes later, and it shows a picture of a train engine and says ZUG 70, 2nd class only. That doesn't sound like what you are talking about at all.

There are other links for other times which DO even show walking from Naples Centrale to Naples Circumvesuviana stations including 5 minutes to do so, so I can't imagine how this exact schedule they've given is supposed to include transport to the port. In fact it couldn't possibly be a schedule that anyone could follow as it does not allow enough time to get from Naples Centrale to the port to catch a hydrofoil at that time. What's more the scedule would indicate that the hydrofoil departs FROM Naples Centrale --explain that to me.

If it is supposed to indicate the taking of a hydrofoil, that is the most misleading schedule I've ever seen as it could not possbily be accomplished, and it appears both on the Trenitalia site and the DeutscheBahn site.

I agree Patrick - it's very misleading.

I think it's a new addition to the Trenitalia site (- can't speak for the DB site - I never use it).
I'm sure Trenitalia hasn't previously shown Sorrento as an arrival point - for obvious reasons, it's not on the FS network.

Which is why I suspect there may be a new bus service - run by or in coordination with Trenitalia - from the station direct to Molo Beverello with a guaranteed hydrofoil connection.

Even if that's the case I agree with you - I don't think the timing's right.

Unless there's a new hydrofoil which does it in 20 minutes, there's no way it's 35 mins from N. Centrale to Sorrento.

Misleading is an understatement ...

Steve

Aren't the ferries seasonal?

To mayerfan83, as you can see from the proceeding discussion, the trip from Florence to Positano is not a quick one. And you would probably have to change trains in Rome and Naples, and then switch to a bus in Sorrento. Training to Salerno might be easier--depends on the time of year.

Do you have round trip tickets into and out of Rome? If not, maybe you can get open jaw tickets into Rome and out of Florence or Pisa. Then you could go to the Amalfi Coast/Positano from Rome, which would be slightly simpler. Of course, you would still have to get to Florence from Positano. Some people with big budgets hire a car to meet them at the Naples train station and drive them to Positano.

I am not the most oriented person at times, so I was wondering what the easiest way to get from Florence to Positano is. I am leaving on Friday, and I see that I can take a train to Salerno or Naples and catch a ferry from there. Do ferries run in November? Which is easiest, to catch a train and go to Salerno, or to Naples and then go to Positano? If someone could help me out (I'm leaving this Friday) that would be great.

I would train to either Naples or Salerno and hire a driver from there---ferries only run during season on a regular basis.

Mayerfan83 ... Just got back from Positano and Rome and have to agree with the previous poster. After October 15, the ferries between towns and/or islands off the Amalfi Coast are extremely limited.

We had taken the Eurostar from Rome to Naples (fabulous, 1 1/2 hours, left and arrived exactly on time, DON'T go first class - no need- second class was spotless with free drinks). Either taxis or car services from Naples to Positano will charge you 90 euros so don't let any taxi drivers convince you that it's otherwise. Buon viaggio !!

P.S. It's roughly an hour from Naples to Positano between the traffic around Naples and the one-lane extremely winding roads nearer to Positano.