Day trip from Rome to Sorrento / Amalfi Coast / Capri

We are going to be in Rome in late September, 4 adults and 2 children.
We want to take a day trip (no overnight) to Sorrento and Capri and see
the Amalfi Coast. If we take the train, I know we don't get any
coastal viewing, but if we rent a car isn't it a long drive in each
direction? We looked into a private car but it was over 600 Euro plus
gratuity for the 6 of us. We're thinking maybe we'll take a rental car
or bus down and then come back by train. Any thoughts or ideas?

On Mon, 27 Aug 2006, gadgetlady wrote:

We are going to be in Rome in late September, 4 adults and 2 children.
We want to take a day trip (no overnight) to Sorrento and Capri and see
the Amalfi Coast. If we take the train, I know we don't get any
coastal viewing,

Seems too many things for a day trip. You can get from Rome to Naples in
1 hour and half with the high speed train (and yes, there is no coastal
view, but there is none either with the motorway which is likely to
take longer, and any other coastal route is likely to be longer, and not
worth).

From Naples you can easily change to the local Circumvesuviana trains
which leads you to Pompei (that is suitable for a day trip) and Sorrento
along the northern side of the Penisola Sorrentina. The train terminates
there, and I suppose you get some view when it's not in tunnel (vague
recall, many years ago).

From Naples you can go to the harbour and take a boat to Capri. You can
also take a boat from Sorrento to Capri. So in principle you can make a
round trip Naples-Capri-Sorrento-Naples or viceversa. But I'm seriously
afraid this will leave you little time to enjoy Capri (specially walks
out of the tourist trail like going to the Villa di Tiberio and
returning via the Natural Arch).

The Costiera Amalfitana is the southern side of the Penisola Sorrentina
and is the part with definitely the nicest views. Probably there are
buses around there, but I have no idea of the timetables (try google for
"orari autobus costiera amalfitana" or also "orari trasporti pubblici
costiera amalfitana").

So another possibility for a day trip would be train up to Sorrento, bus
to some place like Positano or Amalfi, lunch and continue bus to
Salerno, then train back to Rome (change in Naples or direct, in about 3
hrs). No deep knowledge of the area, so I have no idea if you can take a
bus to a place before Salerno with a rail station. That will be a local
station for a slower regional train which surely implies a change in
Naples. From Salerno you have the possibility to take non-stop trains to
Naples or even direct to Rome.

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"gadgetlady" wrote in message
ups.com...
We are going to be in Rome in late September, 4 adults and 2 children.
We want to take a day trip (no overnight) to Sorrento and Capri and see
the Amalfi Coast. If we take the train, I know we don't get any
coastal viewing, but if we rent a car isn't it a long drive in each
direction? We looked into a private car but it was over 600 Euro plus
gratuity for the 6 of us. We're thinking maybe we'll take a rental car
or bus down and then come back by train. Any thoughts or ideas?


Save your coastal viewing time for the Amalfi coast - that's the big sight.
You can probably get a 'package' coach trip for a very long day if that
suits you better - but the route may well be inland - you have Monte Cassino
en route, for instance.
But with kids, I'd train direct to Sorrento and get one of the many package
coach trips for Amalfi etc. from there. To actually go to Capri as well is
pushing it! One overnight in Sorrento would probably be wiser - and you
could possibly 'do' Pompeii/Herculaneum as well, then.

Surreyman

gadgetlady wrote:

We are going to be in Rome in late September, 4 adults and 2 children.
We want to take a day trip (no overnight) to Sorrento and Capri and
see the Amalfi Coast. If we take the train, I know we don't get any
coastal viewing, but if we rent a car isn't it a long drive in each
direction? We looked into a private car but it was over 600 Euro plus
gratuity for the 6 of us. We're thinking maybe we'll take a rental
car or bus down and then come back by train. Any thoughts or ideas?


Yes, I have a couple of thoughts. That's *much* too much for a day trip. The
transportation will take you half a day alone. You could see the Amalfi
cost, but either Sorrento or Capri deserves more than the few minutes you'll
have left for them.

If you do do this, I would definitely avoid renting a car. I recommend
taking the train to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. In
Sorrento, take the local bus to Amalfi and back. That will let you see the
coast and , in my view is greatly preferable to driving the coastal road by
ourself. I don't claim that driving the road is dangerous, as some people
do, but it does take the driver's attention and he won't be able to see very
much.

Also, it's often difficult to find a rental car big enough for six, and if
you do, it will be that much harder to drive, park, etc.

If it were me, I'd do it in three days: the above as I recommended on the
first day, overnight in Sorrento, take the ferry from Sorrento to Capri the
morning of the second day, then the ferry from Capri to Naples the third
day, and the train back to Rome. Even that gives you barely enough time to
see just the highlists of Capri. I personally love Capri, and have been
there many times, sometimes staying as long as a week.

--
Ken Blake
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On 27 Aug 2006 20:29:01 -0700, "gadgetlady"
wrote:

We are going to be in Rome in late September, 4 adults and 2 children.
We want to take a day trip (no overnight) to Sorrento and Capri and see
the Amalfi Coast. If we take the train, I know we don't get any
coastal viewing, but if we rent a car isn't it a long drive in each
direction? We looked into a private car but it was over 600 Euro plus
gratuity for the 6 of us. We're thinking maybe we'll take a rental car
or bus down and then come back by train. Any thoughts or ideas?

I think that's entirely too much for one day. You could see either the
Amalfi or Capri, with a *brief* stopover in Sorrento, but I don't see
how you could possibily fit both Capri and the Amalfi coast into the
day. Giovanni Drogo gave detailed information on getting to Sorrento,
so I won't repeat it.

Once you are in Sorrento you could either take the boat to Capri, or
continue south to see the Amalfi coast. It's probably best to take a
bus, because if you rent a car, the driver won't be able to take her
eyes off the road to see the scenery.

I would suggest the Amalfi coast instead of Capri, because you
wouldn't have enough time in Capri to see much of the island.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

.. Any thoughts or ideas?

My thought if I were dead set on doing this would be to do the train through
to Salerno and work my way up the coast via ferry/hydrofoil from that
position. I think I would opt for Amalfi, Positano, Capri and Naples for
the return train ride. Sorrento is wonderful but many use it simply as a
base to do what is outlined above and something had to give within your
itinerary. You will get views of Sorrento from the boat(s).
Finally the view(s) from on high are fantastic and this may be accomplished
by walking into town center in Positano and taking the local bus to the top
of the hill exiting and then boarding yet another local bus later to
complete the circumnavigation of the city. There is yet another local bus
that goes much higher to a town called Montepertuso before completing the
circle around Positano.
With your time line I would engage a open air taxi and get the tour. The
driver will wait while you take the chair lift to the "top" of the island
which I believe to be necessary.
IMHO the true casualty will be Naples which I consider to be far under rated
and of course Pompeii and environs.
Good luck! s

The reference below to an "open air taxi" and tour refers to Capri. Sorry!
s

"Steve Cain" wrote in message
...
. Any thoughts or ideas?

My thought if I were dead set on doing this would be to do the train
through to Salerno and work my way up the coast via ferry/hydrofoil from
that position. I think I would opt for Amalfi, Positano, Capri and Naples
for the return train ride. Sorrento is wonderful but many use it simply
as a base to do what is outlined above and something had to give within
your itinerary. You will get views of Sorrento from the boat(s).
Finally the view(s) from on high are fantastic and this may be
accomplished by walking into town center in Positano and taking the local
bus to the top of the hill exiting and then boarding yet another local bus
later to complete the circumnavigation of the city. There is yet another
local bus that goes much higher to a town called Montepertuso before
completing the circle around Positano.
With your time line I would engage a open air taxi and get the tour. The
driver will wait while you take the chair lift to the "top" of the island
which I believe to be necessary.
IMHO the true casualty will be Naples which I consider to be far under
rated and of course Pompeii and environs.
Good luck! s

What no one else has mentioned in all these excellent responses is the
traffic. When I drove a rental car around Sorrento and down the Amalfi
coast, it was practically bumper to bumper all the time everywhere.
Granted, that was in the summer, but it's something you want to think
*very* seriously about in planning any kind of driving in that area.
Like others, I cannot imagine you being able to do the things you want
to do in a single day.

Greg M.

You guys are awesome! OK, we're rethinking everything. We're thinking
about skipping Rome (been there many times, going back again in May
anyway) and insteading heading from Venice directly to Sorrento and
staying there for the entire time (5 days). Of course, now I have a
lot of legwork to do because we're leaving in 3 weeks for Venice.
Obvoiusly, I need to find a reasonably priced hotel (Sorrento?
Positano?), and then figure out a way to get back to the cruise ship
terminal (Rome port) on the day the ship departs. I know we can't take
a train there -- any other thoughts?

On 28 Aug 2006 14:54:21 -0700, "gadgetlady"
wrote:

You guys are awesome! OK, we're rethinking everything. We're thinking
about skipping Rome (been there many times, going back again in May
anyway) and insteading heading from Venice directly to Sorrento and
staying there for the entire time (5 days). Of course, now I have a
lot of legwork to do because we're leaving in 3 weeks for Venice.
Obvoiusly, I need to find a reasonably priced hotel (Sorrento?
Positano?), and then figure out a way to get back to the cruise ship
terminal (Rome port) on the day the ship departs. I know we can't take
a train there -- any other thoughts?

5 Days in Sorrento sounds like a good idea. It's a good transportation
hub, and you'll have time to see everything you want to see.

I don't know if you're looking for a budget hotel, but here is one
that might suit you if you a

Sorrento, Hotel Loreley and Londres, Via Califano 12
Phone +39-081-8073187

I've never stayed there, but a friend of mine did and liked it a lot.
Double rooms are around 100 euros and there is a great view of the
sea. It's a bit ramshackle and quirky, according to what I've heard,
but very charming. Check out these reviews on tripadvisor:

http://tinyurl.com/kcdl9

(If the link doesn't work, go to www.tripadvisor.com and search on
"Lorelei Sorrento", then pick the 23 traveller reviews.) You will see
that people tend to give this hotel either very high marks or very low
ones.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup