Capri Transportation

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There's a rather impressive system for purchasing ferry/hydrofoil/bus/funicular tickets at the port side in Capri. Turn right at the end of the quay and you'll see a booth (with organised queuing) where you can buy any ticket you want. There's an electronic display board too, giving the times of the next few ferries/hyrdrofoils.

Look for the big yellow sign.

Just a slight warning here. I took the hydrofoil from Sorrento over to Capri (takes around 25 minutes, costs 27 euro return as of Feb 2008) and that was fine. It's easy to buy tickets at the dock in Sorrento.

The journey there went smoothly , but the return hydrofoil was 30 minutes late arriving. This didn't matter to me, but it might to you if you have an onward journey to make.

So, basically, just be aware that even if the sea is calm and the weather good, the hydrofoil might not be on time!

The best overall value for getting to Capri is using the Caremar ferry service. The rates as of Feb. 2008 is 7.30 euro each way and the journey time is about 75 minutes. The hydrofoils are about 16 euro each way and their journey time is 55 minutes. I found the Caremar to be fast enough for the price and the journey times were perfect for a day trip. The first ferry leaves at 9:05 and the next to last one leaves at 16:15 (4:15). You can catch the ferry on the Molo Beverello Harbor. It arrives and leaves from the Marina Grande in Capri.

Capri being an island, you are limited in terms of transportation of getting there. You either go there by air or sea. As for me, I prefer the cheaper mode which was by sea

I went to Capri from Sorrento by sea on one of the hydrofoil services that run between these two destinations. You can reach the Isle of Capri from other towns by sea as well e.g Naples. Perhaps it was because I went to Capri on 1st Jan because the ticket price fr the ferry was pretty expensive ~ about 12 euros one-way between Sorrento & Capri. The journey takes approximately 20-30 mins

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Arriving by boat, take the funicolare (funicular) from the port Marina Grande up the steep cliffs to the town of Capri. The ride only takes a few minutes, and you have great panoramic views below. However you'll probably be so impatient waiting in line to board the funicular, and then pushing & shoving yourself inside, that you'll lose some interest.

Many people choose to come to Capri for a day trip. Because of this, they want to spend as much time as possible on the island before having to return to their starting location. Therefore, the boat tickets sell out for the later times pretty quickly.

Save yourself heartache and hassle by purchasing your return boat tickets as soon as you reach Capri. That way, on your rush to get down the funiculare and to the dock, you don't have to stand in the long lines to purchase boat tickets.

Also, if those times are sold out when you reach the dock at the end of the day, you will be spending a night on Capri (not such a horrible thing!). Be smart. Buy tickets when you get there.

For those who go on a daytrip to Capri (I hope that you decide to spend more time than that), be careful about timing. If you buy tickets for the Funiculare and plan to take that back down at the end of the day, buy 2 tickets for each person in the morning. That way, you don't have to wait in line at the end of the day to buy tickets and THEN wait in line to get on the funiculare.

Also, give yourself enough time to get down to the boat at the end of the day. My husband and I waited in line for nearly 45 minutes to get onto the funiculare on the day we left. We left plenty of time for that wait, but we heard many people worried about whether they would miss their boat or not. Once the last boat leaves, you are stuck on the island!

Capri ferries arrive at the port of Marina Grande. From Marina Grande, buses run up to Capri town and Anacapri. There is also a funicular which travels to Capri town. If you don't fancy lugging your suitcases around, you can hand them over to a porter who will deliver them to your hotel for a fee (many hotels will arrange a porter service for you). Buses travel busily around the island, connecting Capri, Anacapri, Marina Grande, the Grotta Azzurra, Faro and Marina Piccola. Boats also run around the coastline. The island, however, is highly walkable so you may not bother too much about public transport when you're there.