Sorrento Transportation

We found it very easy to get to Sorrento from Naples by train, so it’s not necessary to take a sightseeing tour unless you want to. There’s a great little line called the Circumvesuviana that leaves from an off-shoot of the Centrale railway station in the city. You can buy your tickets at a counter there, or in the main ticket office (where you need to go to the specially indicated counters – 7 & 8 when we were there). We tried both and found the former was quicker so I suggest you head straight to that area of the station.

Trains seemed to be pretty frequent (we waited about 10 minutes on our way there and about 20 on our return. It takes about an hour and a quarter to get to Sorrento. Tickets are really good value. We paid €5 for a weekend pass as we were travelling on a Saturday – the ticket seller assured us this was the best value even if we weren’t going to use it again the next day, though I suspect he may have been wrong. Whatever – it was still pretty cheap by UK standards!

The scenery, especially for the second half of the journey, is lovely – try to sit on the right going / left coming back if you want good views of the bay. On arriving at Sorrento, walk straight ahead for a minute or so to the first junction, turn left along the main shopping street and you’ll find yourself in the central square, the Piazza Tasso, within five minutes.

The easiest way to get to Sorrento is to catch the train from Naples.

It is a fairly slow trip - there are lots of stops along the way. Towards the end it becomes more scenic. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to Sorrento.

You can even get off the train at Pompeii for a visit, which is halfway between Naples and Sorrento

When staying in Sorrento, why not hire a scooter and ride along the Amalfi Coast.

We hired a cheap scooter and travelled to Positano and Amalfi.

The scenery along the way is breathtaking.

Just watch out for the tourist buses driving the other direction on the narrow roads!

2 more images

The best and cheapest way to visit the likes of Pompeii herculaneum and naples is to get the Circumvesuviana train. The station is just a short walk from the centre or Sorrento (at the top of the road opposite piazza A. Lauro) tickets can be purchased from the station (either the shop before you enter or the ticket office) and you can travel for 100 minutes for 1.80 euro. So to get to Pompeii or herculaneum it costs 1.80 euro one way to get to naples you must purchase a 3.20 euro ticket.

The time starts from the moment you put your ticket into the machine in the station (whith validates it and prints the time on it) so most locals will wait untill the last minute but even if you have just missed one train as you go through you will still have plenty of time to get on the next one and complete your journy before your time runs out. Most locals will carry spare tickets so should their time run out they can put another into the machine on the train (if you can find it )

We found the train to be easy to use, Fast and efficient a copy of the time table is usefull and cam be obtained from http://www.sorrentotourism.com or here at the official site http://www.massalubrense.it/circum.htm

4 more images

The fast catamaran proved to be the most efficient means of transport at the Amalfi Coast. We used the service of Metro del Mare a few times (from Amalfi to Sorrento, from Positano to Sorrento) and the ferry always left right on time (which cannot be said from the bus service!).

Another PRO is the splendid views on the coastline that are included in the price.

You can reach Sorrento by Circumvesuviana, a local commuter train connecting Naples to Sorrento, and stopping at all the important achaeological sites in-between. Tickets are priced depending on the length of your journey, and are valid for a certain number of minutes, including return trips (if they are within the time limit). Buy your ticket directly at the station, and if there is time remaining at the end of your trip you can use it to connect with local city busses. You can see ticket prices at the site below.

Main Stops: Napoli Centrali Train Station (lower level), Pompeii Scavi (archaeological site), Ercolano (archaeological site), Sorrento (via degli Aranci, five minutes by foot to city center).

Many people report having purses or wallets stolen on this train. I personally did not have any problems, nor did my family when they visited. It's always best to keep your hands on your purse at all times, and to keep your valuables where wandering eyes (and hands) can't see them!

Busses connect all of the Amalfi Coast, from Naples all the way to Salerno (with stops in Sorrento). Besides being unreasonably slow (busses take twice as long as boats) the bus ride made me feel really sick. It's very twisty and turny, with lots of up up up and down down down. Then around and around. You've got decent views of the coastline from the bus... but it's not worth it in my opinion. In some places the busses are traveling on single-land roads, which leads to long waits, and in other places traffic is backed up for miles because some crazy person parked in the middle of the road! Why put yourself through the pain and torture when you could travel by boat so much more easily?

If you must take the bus, I've linked to Campania timetables below.

If you're a masochist, sit on the right-side window seat when travelling in the direction of Naples -> Salerno. You'll have the scariest view and the highest probability of vomiting!

I was surprised to find that the price for a hydrofoil ride to Capri was pretty expensive, about 12 euros one-way from Sorrento, especially when the journey takes approx. 20 min. Well, to catch a hydrofoil or ferry to this infamous island, you will have to go to Marina Picolo by bus (orange color) or foot (climbing the steep steps will definitely take your breath away, if not from the view!)

You can buy tickets from several counters and board the vessel according to the ticket. The view of the Sorrento - Amalfi coast is fantastic as well

For value for money, this trip might well be the bargain of the century... The return trip to Amalfi is Euro 3.90 and takes about an hour and forty minutes. The scenery is absolutely stunning and although the road does goes along vertiginous routes at times, the drivers are totally competent. The buses depart from the train station (actually, from the road just below the train station) and the bus stop is clearly marked, although anyone hanging around the train station will be able to point you in the right direction. When we travelled in February, there was only ourselves plus another couple, who got off at Positano, plus the odd local who got on and off at various points along the route. A truly memorable trip and a highlight of our stay.

The bus is a cheap way to go to Amalfi. It cost me around $4 for a bus ticket (120 min after validation) from Sorrento to Amalfi, via the winding roads that goes along the coast. You have to buy the ticket from a tobacco/book shop before boarding because the tickets are not sold on the bus

The bus is called the SITA bus and it is blue in color. You catch it from the train station in Sorrento. Be warned that even during winter, the queue can be long and many will stand on the bus for as long as an hour. So try to use the early or later buses (this if your final destination is either Positano or Amalfi) if you want to have a better chance for a good seat

To get a better view of the coast, sit on the right side of the bus from Sorrento to Amalfi and the other side during the return trip