Traveling to Sorrento Italy and surroundings
 

We are planning a short vacation to Sorrento and the surrounding area. A friend recommended the Europa Hotel. Its website was impressive and we are leaning toward it. He recommended taking the train from Rome to Naples and then the train that goes around the coast and to Pompeii. We have always traveled by car so this is a new experience for us. Is there a tour to mt Vesuvius. Is there much walking involved as I'm not as spry as I used to be?

You will love Sorrento and the surrounding area. You can take the fast train from Rome directly into Naples, then the Circumvensuviana (go down stairs at the Naples train station to purchase your tickets and catch train). It's very easy! Yes, there are tours to Mt Vesuvius (a shuttle will take you up as far as it can, then you walk the rest of the way...wear comfortable shoes as you'll be walking on stones/cinders). It's an amazing experience! I think you're given about 1-1/2 hrs from the time the shuttle drops you off to when you need to get back to it). It's somewhat of a steep walk, so pace yourself and have a water bottle with you to keep hydrated. You're in for a beautiful trip!

How short is this vacation? Because there's a lot to see around Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Like the beautiful towns along the Amalfi coast, the isle of Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, the archaeological museum in Naples with the best finds from Pompeii. How long you stay depends on your interests and travel style. But I would want 3 or 4 full days minimum.

This is the hotel we stayed at and it's practically in the center of town. hotelantichemura.com

Better yet, if taking the train with luggage, it is perhaps a few hundred yards on a sidewalk, on the left walking down a grade.

Very easy--have fun.

Pompeii is a LOT of walking. Of course you can limit what you see - but the whole thing will take at least 4 or 5 hours - and there is no shade/it gets very hot.

We arrived when it opened and left after about 4 hours - since it was just too hot to stay longer - spend the afternoon at the pool. And on vacation we often walk 5 up to 10 miles per day.

Sorrento is a great place to stay and get places from - also a cute town with nice restaurants and shops to browse.

Another vote for the hotel Antiche Mura. Another option from Rome to Sorrento is to take the bus, which allows you to completely skip the train change in Naples- we have done this twice and found it very convenient (about a 4 hour trip, with a brief stop enroute for a bathroom break). From Sorrento it is very easy to take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii as well as to Herculaneum. To go down the coast it is possible to take the bus, but our experience was that the bus gets extremely crowded (we were there in April) and frankly unpleasant on what is a VERY windy road (gorgeous but nauseating). If budget allows I would spring for a private driver to do the Amalfi coast drive. As others have said, this is a beautiful part of Italy and you could easily spend 4 days or so there.

I think if you want to see Pompei and some of the amalfi coast you should not worry too much about "completing" the full tour of these places. Go and enjoy what time you have there in a relaxed way even if you don't spend 5 hours at Pompei or 5 days seeing every village and famous sight in the area. Many people go to Pompei and tour for about 2 hours and many people take the drive from Sorrento to Positano and get the point. That is the most beautiful stretch of the Amalfi drive. The towns are mainly for shopping and while there are delightful gardens or vistas or restaurants in each it is also just a treat to sit down and relax in such a beautiful place.

However you should be aware that the Amalfi towns are very STEEP. So arrange to arrive at the top of a town like Positano and walk down or visit the flatter town Amalfi. I believe there is also a little shuttle bus in Positano that is there for the locals who have bad knees and tourists are welcome to use it too.

Regarding Pompei and Vesuvius: You can arrange for tours from Sorrento. Walking around the old crooked stones of Pompei is tiring even for the spry. To walk along the crater ridge of Vesuvius involves a hike and a climb. You will want to avoid doing either on hot afternoons.

Some people enjoy seeing Herculaneum instead of Pompei because it is somewhat easier to navigate and finish in under 2 hours.

Most people who go to this area feel it is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable and everybody wishes they had longer (even if they stay a week). But many people stay just a few days and are still wowed. Even if you don't climb Mt Vesuvius (I didn't) it is still pretty amazing.

I think if you want to see Pompei and some of the amalfi coast you should not worry too much about "completing" the full tour of these places. Go and enjoy what time you have there in a relaxed way even if you don't spend 5 hours at Pompei or 5 days seeing every village and famous sight in the area. Many people go to Pompei and tour for about 2 hours and many people take the drive from Sorrento to Positano and get the point. That is the most beautiful stretch of the Amalfi drive. The towns are mainly for shopping and while there are delightful gardens or vistas or restaurants in each it is also just a treat to sit down and relax in such a beautiful place.

However you should be aware that the Amalfi towns are very STEEP. So arrange to arrive at the top of a town like Positano and walk down or visit the flatter town Amalfi. I believe there is also a little shuttle bus in Positano that is there for the locals who have bad knees and tourists are welcome to use it too.

Regarding Pompei and Vesuvius: You can arrange for tours from Sorrento. Walking around the old crooked stones of Pompei is tiring even for the spry. To walk along the crater ridge of Vesuvius involves a hike and a climb. You will want to avoid doing either on hot afternoons.

Some people enjoy seeing Herculaneum instead of Pompei because it is somewhat easier to navigate and finish in under 2 hours.

Most people who go to this area feel it is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable and everybody wishes they had longer (even if they stay a week). But many people stay just a few days and are still wowed. Even if you don't climb Mt Vesuvius (I didn't) it is still pretty amazing.

sorry for the double post! don't know what happened

Thank you all. I do have some difficulty walking as I used to walk. I'm 71 and not as spry as I used to be.

Spry can have very different meanings. My mom is 93 and no longer perfectly steady on stairways - although she is fine on the flat, just slower than she used to be. But she has some friends who need a walker just to go one block.

I would consider:

Distance you can easily walk

Footing - Pompeii was a buried roman city and the footing is uneven throughout - not sidewalks - and in many places there are deep furrows for the wheels of chariots or wagons - with stepping stone pavements between them - so you need reasonable balance

Also there are parts that you require uphill or climbing (amphitheater ruins)

Definitely consider what you will be comfortable with - and I would hire a guide at the entrance - who will know the best way to the exit if you decide you have had enough

Considering what you said about mobility:

If you're going to take the train and are unaccustomed to it, be aware: pack light. As mentioned, in Naples, you'll have to go downstairs to catch the train to Sorrento, plus handle your baggage on the train and getting off (beware of illicit porters in Naples who look for tourists struggling with baggage).

I don't know your budget, but you may want to consider hiring a driver to take you from Naples to Sorrento. They'll pick you up at the train station and drop you at your hotel, or take you to Pompeii. Probably cost you about 100 euros or less direct to the hotel. Just something to consider.

Taking the train is generally easy, but it can be a bit trying in a strange place, with baggage, if strength and mobility are issues. Most people who say it's easy have already done it, so of course it seems easy to them. Not trying to discourage you from taking the train, but you should take into consideration the obstacles and your comfort with the situation.

Just to give you idea of the cost. A private driver from Naples to Sorrento is about E90 or less. That is door to door.
We used Carmine Cacace and he is wonderful.
[email protected]

He also is a great tour guide.
We just returned from Sorrento and had a wonderful time.

Be prepared if you are going soon that it can be quite hot with high humidity and that might have an effect on your walking. If you go to Pompeii take water and wear some sort of head covering.

Have a wonderful time.

The last half of my long trip report from 2012 covers our trip from Rome to Sorrento and our touring in the area and may interest you. The trip from Rome to Sorrento involved the fast train, going down one level in Naples to get to the Circumvesuviana, and then getting from the Sorrento station to our hotel. The whole trip was about 3.5 hours.

If you take the bus, it will leave you at the same place in Sorrento without having to move your luggage in Naples. We had just a single carry-on each, so it was no problem, but if you are worried, take the bus.

As for walking, there will be a lot. We found that there was a lot of walking in Pompeii. The roads are large rounded pieces of basalt (typical of Roman roads) with irregularities of level and edges. There are walking areas adjacent, unpaved and less uneven. There are no trees or sources of shade, so bring water. Herculaneum may be better for you, except for missing the iconic Pompeii name. The place is smaller and the buildings are much better preserved.

Most of the art and artefacts from both Pompeii and Herculaneum are in the museum in Naples, which I strongly recommend seeing if you have any interest at all in ancient art.

Ditto about AVOID the local bus from Sorrento to Positano or Amalfi. It is hot, winding, nauseating and you may not get a seat during the day. We had a rental car last year but decided that it would be easier to go on the bus. Big mistake. We are going again in mid October and will take our car this time.

When are you traveling? In season, there are boats between Sorrento and the Amalfi coast towns. Here's a link to the Alicost schedule: http://www.alicost.it/content/?id=6.

I understand the Metro del Mare boats are not running this year?

Mimar, the Metro del Mare has not run for several years. Another website for the ferries from Sorrento to the Amalfi Coast is www.coopsantandrea.com