redtop969

Hi all,
Im very new at posting so i'll give it my best shot. My husband and I are traveling to italy from new jersey in May flying into Rome. We will be staying in Positano first 5 nights and then onto Rome for the last 4 days. So getting to Positano from Rome airport is the challenge. I have been told repeatedly that the train goes to naples and it's a very unsafe train station..this is causing me much stress. Does anyone have any suggestions ?

jamikins

You will need to take the train from the airport in Rome to termini, then the train to Naples...from there you can get a car service or take the local commuter train and there are options form there. The Naples train station is fine, just use your common sense, don't let people help you or carry your luggage, and don't keep valuables in view..

pizzocchieri

The train station in Naples is safer than the train stations in New York, Newark and Philadelphia by a factor of about 1,000. It is also comparable to the train station in Rome. You need to put your passport and money away in a money belt, and not carry so much luggage you look like a great target for someone who wants to pick your pockets, but that's it. No guns, no psychopaths, no road rage, no people galloping to catch their commuter trains home they knock you over.

You can take a bus from Rome to Sorrento and get to Positano from there. I don't have the details, but if you ask on the TripAdvisor message board for Sorrento, someone will walk you through it.

PalenQ

I have been told repeatedly that the train goes to naples and it's a very unsafe train station>

Naples itself may have some problems with street crime but IME not in the train station itself - though take jamikins advice about people coming up to you.

The CircumVesuviana train to Sorrento leaves from a station attached to Naples Centrale - the main station with most of the train from Rome - there is a walkway between the two - from where that train ends in Sorrento you hop the world-famous Amalfi Coast buses to Positano.

an alternative route avoiding Naples would have you taking a train from Rome to Salerno, then by Amalfi Coast bus or fast catamaran boats to Positano - this route may take a bit longer but IMO is more scenic and you need not worry about transiting Naples.

For lots of great info on Italian trains I always spotlight these IMO superb sites - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. Check www.trenitalia.com for fares and schedules - you will always be able to get on trains IME as there are so so many, especially to Naples - you can get online discounts if you book early enough but beware that those are in practice hard to change or refund so build in a lot of fudge factor time for your plane to be late - you also have to take the Leonardo Express from the airport into Rome Termini station.

redtop969

Thanks guys.. if someone could please explain the difference between IMO & IME . I really like the idea of going to Sorrento and then ferry but is it a much longer route and are the prices much different ?

PalenQ

Going to Salerno then ferry you could also get a ferry from Sorrento but that is if you come via Naples.

In my opinion
In my experience

nytraveler

Can't comment on the train station in Newark - but those in Rome and Naples are most certainly NOT safer than those in NY or Philly - which are perfectly safe unless you are very careless with your belongings. (Granted commuters run to trains but they aren;t know for actually running down other people.) And the armed soldiers in Penn ST and Grand Central tend to discourage criminal activity.

Getting off a plane from NY to Rome and then taking multiple trains (3) to Sorrento and then a bus to Positano is NOT the way I would choose to travel. (Ferry might not be an option since they don't run late in the day and there might not be any by the time you get there.)

If it were me I would either get a car and driver to take me (YES, very big $) from the airport to Positano - or stay in Rome for the night and make the trip the next day when you are not exhausted and jetlagged.

There is a bus I believe from Rome direct to Sorrento ad you could get either the local bus or a taxi from there. Caveat: we have done this trip only by car so don;t have details on the bus.

Part of what will make most sense for you is how much luggage you have and how willing/able you are to schlep it on and off trains and through train stations (again remember possibly after a sleepless night and partly disoriented). Our rule is the day we land never to travel more than an hour or so the from the airport.

PSKid

Last year we discovered that a flight from Boston to Rome, then Rome to Naples was actually cheaper than just Boston to Rome. So, if you haven't bought your plane tickets yet, you might check this out. We hired a driver to take us from the Naples airport to Ravello. That was 110 euros and a very pleasant experience. On our return the driver took us from Ravello to the Salerno train station, where we got a train to Rome. I would not attempt to take trains, buses and/or boats to Positano with luggage.

pizzocchieri

nytraveler's post is simply a lot of hooey.

In recent trips to NYC, I have twice needed to change my daily plans because of gunfire in the center of Manhattan. Nothing remotely comparable happens in Italy. Yes, there are pickpockets in Rome or Naples (or most of touristic Europe). I would rather deal with a pickpocket than either NJ's or NY's population of violent thugs.

I would love to know when the last time nytraveler was in Naples, or in Italy, or indeed away from her computer posting idiocies about Europe. I think "traveler" in the screen name must refer to some long ago life and weird memories.

It is a ridiculous expense to hire private driver to take you to Sorrento when you can get a bus there.

Like I said, ask on TripAdvisor. You will get accurate, detailed assistance, not hysteria.

Weadles

How about staying in Rome first, then making your way down to Positano? It is a really exhausting day otherwise. Rome to Positano is about a 3-hour drive. Of course if you're training to Naples first it's longer.

And if you can't change your itinerary, I highly recommend opting for a private driver from FCO ( Rome airport) to Positano, if at all possible. It would be much less of a headache than transferring luggage to/from a train to/from a boat or bus to Positano.

kybourbon

What time does your flight arrive in Rome? There is a once daily bus to Salerno where you could catch a ferry to Positano or changes buses to Positano. Ferries don't run late so you would need to check schedules for May.

>>>I have been told repeatedly that the train goes to naples and it's a very unsafe train station.<<<

Not sure who told you that, but the train is safe. The fast train from Rome to Naples is reserved seating only so there are not random people wandering around the train. Everyone on there is in their seat they've paid for. The station in Naples has a few scammers trying to make a buck. They meet arriving trains and target people with luggage heading to the commuter train to Sorrento. They attempt to look like official baggage transporters and offer to help with luggage. They want (more like demand) a tip for helping. There are also random pickpockets so you need to watch your belongings.

You are talking about a long day:

Train from airport to Rome - 30 minutes plus connection time (only runs every 30 minutes).

Train from Rome to Naples - 70 minutes

Train from Naples to Sorrento 75 minutes (runs every 30 minutes)

Bus from Sorrento to Positano - 60 minutes

Ferries don't run as often as the buses. You may have to wait for a ferry a few hours.

epatlovich

There is no train to Positano. You will have to get there either by ferry, bus or private car. As mentioned above, the bus runs from Sorrento. Not the best option in my opinion. The ferry is a much better choice. You can take a cab from the Naples train station to the port and take a ferry from there to Positano. It will take about an hour and a half by ferry, but it is a nice ride.

The actual train from Rome Termini to Naples is quick and safe. Once you are on the train you have nothing to worry about. Public transportation from the Rome airport to Termini station will take about 45 min. You can take a cab which will cost about 40 euros and take 30-45 min depending on traffic. Both train stations are like most others in Europe. Your only real concern should be theft. Make sure to secure your money and passports and always keep an eye on your luggage. And do not let anyone handle your luggage in the station.

If you are concerned about the safety of either train station the best and easiest way to travel is by private car. We took a private car from Naples to Rome and from Naples all along the coast. The car from Rome to Naples cost 300 euro and took a couple hours. A car from Rome to Positano will be around that amount, maybe a little more and will take 3-4 hours. A private car from the Naples train station to Positano will take about 1-1.5 hours and cost 100-130 euro. I would suggest not going through the hotel if you go with a private car since they add a little extra on top.

nytraveler

pizzaguy -

Sorry - I have been to erope more than 100 times - the last in December. And have been to Italy numerous times - and Naples/Amalfi cost twice.

Based on what I have read tourist crime rate in Naples is much higher than in NYC - when you consider that tourists are usually victims in train stations, airports and similar. (No one would argue that the US has - very sadly - much more violent crime - but this is typically either personal/familial or gang related - and not focused on tourists). And I am not suggesting trains in Italy are not safe. As far as I am aware they are very safe. However, when jetlagged and disoriented, tourists have a habit of not keeping perfect control of their belongings are are subject to pickpockets and scammers.

Separately, if you keep running into gunfire in the middle of Manhattan you must be the unluckiest person on the face of the earth. I have lived here my entire adult life - for almost all that time regularly riding the subway and going out to dinners, theaters, etc in the evening on a regular basis. And in more than 30 years have never run into gunfire in midtown Manhattan.

Since NYC is the safest largest city in the US, I would really like to know the details of the gunfire in the middle of Manhattan that you're talking about. Please - specific time, date and event that can be verified in public sources. (And even if this can be verified - it has nothing to do with the experience of the average tourist.)

And I am not suggesting that the OP hire a driver. Just that after an overnight flight, and probably being jetlagged, a further journey of many hours involving 3 trains and a bus is probably not a really good idea. (Per the list above, with waiting for trains, riding trains, then walking to the next one, waiting for that and taking that - the trip from FCO to Positano will take at least 6 hours - probably more like 8 hours from the plane's wheels down - and going through Immigration, waiting for luggage and going through Customs).

downtownbrown

Here is what I would do.
Take the train from Rome airport to Termini, then train to Naples. Then have a driver take you to Positano.

P.S. NY is safe. Newark is safe. Rome and Naples are generally safe. Just avoid people who volunteer to 'help' you.

PalenQ

Train from Naples to Sorrento 75 minutes (runs every 30 minutes)>

this is sadly dated info - fast trains now all seem to take 37 minutes Naples Centrale to Salerno and there is even some direct trains from Rome to Salerno that take 1 h 57 minutes. So the trip is not nearly as long as kybourbon says and not having to change in hectic-looking to novice travelers perhaps Naples Centrale.

Amalfi buses I believe leave from very close to the Salerno train station and boats not far away either.

So rather than a minimum of 3 changes via Naples and Sorrento (unless the sporadic Naples to Positano ferry is running) I'd rather do the only one change, from train to bus or boat in Salerno, a much smaller station than the much busier Naples Centrale.

Jean

There are some trains from Rome to Salerno with no change in Naples, so you can possibly skip the debate on which train stations are more dangerous. You only change trains at Roma Termini, and the connecting time is a very comfortable 30 minutes. What time does your flight land at Fiumicino?

I didn't find the Naples station scary, but I think the option via Salerno is more scenic.

redtop969

WOW 1ST let me say thanks to all of you. 2ND big thanks to the defenders of the NYC trains. My husband an I live in Jersey directly across the Hudson River and are in the city all the time. Never ever had a bad experience. I also want to say that the statement about the safety in Naples was not meant to offend anyone,so if it did , my apology. Well let me start with saying our flight arrives at 7:45 am and I can almost guarantee I wont get even a little snooze on plane. So having said that the idea of multiple trains and buses and ferries are making me tired just reading it
Now so far I've figured out that the ride from Rome train to Termini is 1/2 hr then from termini to Naples on the fast train 70 mins. Now if I take a car (how do it get car? ) from Naples to hotel in the heart of Positano how long of a drive is that? Also if you know the approximate price for the car ride( which I dont know how to get) from Naples to Positano that would help also.
Again thank you all for your help and patience. ?"

scatcat

Reading this with interest since I am doing this same thing in May.

redtop969

Hey scatcat are you getting a driver from Naples ?

cathies

What time does your flight land in Rome? That will affect how feasible this trip will be to do on the same day.