We will be staying in Sorrento for a week along with our family which will total 11 people ( 1 child that will be 1 1/2 years old and an 8 year old boy). My question is, has anyone taken the various day trip tours that take you to Capri and the Blue Grotto etc. and did you think it was worthwhile or would we be better to just take the ferry over and tour around ourselves?

It’s easy to do on your own. Get a couple of guide books, search the internet, etc. to see what interests you there. Then layout your plan and go.

And don’t let the ferry ticket seller on the way over try to talk you into buying your return ticket at the same time. Buy it on Capri when you’re almost ready to leave.

I took a tour to Capri from Sorrento. It was fine as it was part of another tour I took from Rome.

It was a full day and the only thing that I could say might be concerning was after the blue grotto. The grotto boat didn't take us back to where we boarded, we were taken to another boat further out and we had to transfer. It was difficult for some to from boat to boat as you very literally had to step over the side of one boat to other side of the other boat. I felt so bad for one young lady who had special needs. She was terrified as the boats were rocking back and forth. She made it but if I was her family and knew that was going to happen, I would have not booked that tour and one that was more easier and caution for the younger ones in your group. I didn't know and don't think anyone else did either. I think it was done to get us back to the ferry departure faster.

This is the only way you can enter the grotto... Arrive on a large boat and transfer to a small, shallow-keel boat.

I would recommend against taking the toddler to the blue Grotto.

We entered by land down some steps into the row boats that entered the grotto. We left transferring from the small grotto boat to a bigger one in the middle of the water. I don’t know if people were allowed to leave by land as well as my tour didn’t. It wasn’t something I thought to ask about.

Until reading this, I had forgotten about needing to get from one boat to another. We visited as part of a tour, the sea was a little choppy and there wasn't much help to get across from a larger boat to the small boat. I remember one woman who was really struggling, it would have been easy in hindsight for someone to end up in the water. We were sitting in the small boat and suddenly told to duck down, as the entrance to the Blue Grotto was quite low. Luckily we were paying attention as my husband was tall and he would have ended with a really nasty head wound if he had hit the rock. Our time in the grotto was only a few minutes and I thought afterwards, it wasn't really worth it. If anyone is heading to Malta, there is a blue grotto there, too (on Gozo?). We didn't go to that one so can't comment if it's a similar situation.

On a second visit to Sorrento, years later, we walked from the main street down to the port, bought tickets on the next ferry and once on Capri, just went where we felt like it. If you do a bit of research, that may be a better option, for some of your group at least.

I wouldn't take a tour simply because you're a group of 11 people of all ages. I think it would be tough to assume the toddler would be happy, able or possibly even awake for all that the adults would want to do, and I would expect that the group would want or need to split up and regroup as circumstances arise and interests vary.

For example, one of our favorite things is riding the chairlift from Anacapri to the top of Mt. Solaro, but it might not be something everyone would want or be allowed to do.

But I would book private boat transfers between Sorrento and Capri just to make that aspect of the day easier. Otherwise, you need to purchase ferry tickets at the first opportunity to assure you're all on the same boats, and then you're "committed" to specific departure times.