Sorrento

[Tinkerbell 1]

DD and I are booked to go to Sorrento in September 🤞

We’re hoping for a trip to Capri. Any other recommendations? Who should we book trips with?

[Bartswife]

We did a private amalfi coast day tour, the smaller vehicle got to places the larger coach trips couldn’t get to, we returned the following day on a boat trip to view the coast from the sea. We adored Positano. We did Herculaneum, train ride up from Sorrento and as I had just had a foot operation It was a smaller site to explore because I couldn’t manage the larger Pompeii. Did a boat trip to Capri And caught the rack and pinion up to the top and then climbed upto a view point. Hopeless with remembering names of places!

This was the view of Vesuvius from our balcony. Unfortunately I don’t have many pictures. They are all on an old phone and no idea how to move them.

[Anne K]

Definitely recommend a guided tour in Pompeii.

As above Positano is lovely

For Capri we just walked to the harbour and got the next boat going. We also used the railway up and then did a hike to Archo Naturale.

All were lovely days out

[sam7]

We went to Sorrento in September a couple of years ago, absolutely loved it. We visited Pompeii and Herculeum, went to both using the train. Did a trip up Vesuvius - absolutely loved this, booked it in a tourist office near the entrance to Pompeii, had to get the train back to pompeii to catch the tour bus. Also did an organised trip to Amalfi which stopped at Positano, trip was worth it, booked in Sorrento near the train station, but there is also a hop on hop off bus that goes there.
We also got the train into Naples, it was ok - some nice buildings but lots of graphiti - beware of pick pockets here.
Sorrento itself is well worth a wander round, there is a lovely restaurant down by the habour that the cruise ship tugs land. The other Sorrento harbour is worth a look too, lovely little noddy train goes round the town and the ice cream shops are to die for.

[JohnD]

If you're going to Capri, it's worth reading 'The story of San Michele' by Axel Munthe for some background to the villa.

[tonymc]

We also visited a couple of years ago - really enjoyed it both as a resort and a base to visit other areas. It was nice to wander around the town and plenty of bars in the evening to enjoy a drink - our favourite was opposite a newly installed roundabout that usually had a couple of near misses each night...

We used the train to take us to Pompeii then onto the bus up to Mount Vesuvius - cheap way of getting there. Beware that when you get off the train, there may be "representatives" taking you to buy tickets for Pompeii itself - best avoided. We were also approached by someone trying to get us to go on a coach to Vesuvius - tales of it taking hours on the bus! Needless to say we ignored him and the coach was still parked up when we set off on the bus.

If you are going to Capri, book ferry tickets as early as you can. We booked a couple of weeks beforehand, but could only get from Sorrento around 10:00 and return at 15:30-ish. Also, don't try walking up from the ferry port - we tried it and almost passed out! Take the funicular up, but walk back down.

We also visited Amalfi and used the local bus - the views along the coast are spectacular. It may also be possible to use the bus one way and then return on a boat. If using the bus, make sure you turn up early as they do get extremely busy.

[Tinkerbell 1]

Thanks for all the tips!

Is Pompeii doable via train in half a day?

[cornishfrogboy]

Sorrento is a stunning vacation destination. We recently spent 14 days there (minus a 3 day mini break to Rome, which is only an hour and 11 minutes from Napoli by train). I have seen a fair bit of Italy and this area knocks everything else for six with stunning scenery, beautiful clean streets and great food with Italian wine. It really is the best place in the world to eat Gellato and slosh back Aperol.

I have visited both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Both are very different and I would say that each is as good as the other, but very different. Both are on the Circumvesuvia railway line that runs from central Sorrento to Naples. Whilst Pompeii is a bigger site and was covered in Ash, Herculaneum was covered in boiling mud that preserved colours really well. Either is sold short at half a day. That is akin to doing Magic Kingdom in a morning. They are truly world class sites.

Positano is very beautiful and we much preferred it to the rather more pretentious Capri.

Our highlight day was an 8 hour hire of a Rib boat from Sorrento for around 200€ . We went round Capri, across to Amalfi, back to Positano and then stopped for a swim under the cliffs before you return around Sorrento headland. It was one of my very best vacation days ever!