Capri or stay in Naples?

Going to be in Naples on a cruise stop from 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM and am wondering if it is going to be cutting it too close to take a ferry to Capri. The option would be to stay in Naples but really had my heart set on Capri. Any advice as to if I would be able to do this in such a short amount of time? The cruise ship is not even offering it as an excursion, which also is sending a red flag and I certainly do not want to miss not making it back to the ship in time. Was hoping the ship would arrive in Naples earlier, but that is not going to be the case. Also, any advise as to what to do in Naples as an alternative?

It is a shame you'll have such a short time in a port that really benefits from a full day. :(

If your heart is set on Capri, you can certainly get there, but you'll be limited in how much you have time to do.

Timing of the ferries/hydrofoils somewhat depends on when you are going to be there, but for example, currently there are hydrofoils departing the ferry pier in Naples at 11:10, 11:35, and 11:55. The ferry pier is right next to where the cruise ships dock but it seems unlikely you could make the 11:10 UNLESS your ship arrives a bit early.

So, if you gt the 11:35 you will arrive at Capri around 12:20. The latest hydrofoil I'd advise for return is at 4:30, which puts you back at the Naples pier at 5:15, just enough time to walk back to your ship for the (presumed) 5:30 all-aboard. It's calling it a bit tight, but....:cool: If you do this, be sure to stop and buy your return ticket at the ferry ticket counter in Capri as soon as you arrive to avoid a sellout on the return you want.

This will give you four hours in Capri, certainly enough time to look around a bit. What is it that you most want to do there?

Link to the Naples--Capri hydrofoil schedule: http://www.capri.net/en/ferry-schedule

Thanks so much for the info. I guess just taking the funicular to the town for the views and a look around and not doing a full island tour would be the priority for me. Do not need to do the Blue Grotto, which I am sure there would not be enough time to do anyway. It all seems a bit rushed so I guess I need to consider the alternative and just staying in Naples or considering an excursion closer to the city if there are any, do you have any suggestions? Just not so sure there would be enough of interest to me in Naples to spend the whole day there and I prefer the small villages in Italy to a large city such as Naples.

You would probably have time to look around Capri Town and maybe a quick bus ride (not to be missed for the sheer drops) to Anacapri and back. If you want a leisurely lunch, then skip Anacapri. I also would advise not planning on the Blue Grotto or on doing the Monte Solara chair lift. Still, enough time to get a sense of the place. Many ships tours spend less time!

In the amount of port time you have, I don't know what else to recommend. You could take a ferry to Sorrento, but it takes about as long as to Capri and IMO Sorrento has less to recommend it unless you are a shopper...

If you are interested in ancient ruins, Herculaneum is about 20 minutes away from Naples by local train and can easily be done on your own -- it is smaller than Pompeii by quite a bit.

In Naples itself there are quite a few sights worth seeing, but then I like cities....

You would probably have time to look around Capri Town and maybe a quick bus ride (not to be missed for the sheer drops) to Anacapri and back. If you want a leisurely lunch, then skip Anacapri. I also would advise not planning on the Blue Grotto or on doing the Monte Solara chair lift. Still, enough time to get a sense of the place. Many ships tours spend less time!

 

In the amount of port time you have, I don't know what else to recommend. You could take a ferry to Sorrento, but it takes about as long as to Capri and IMO Sorrento has less to recommend it unless you are a shopper...

 

If you are interested in ancient ruins, Herculaneum is about 20 minutes away from Naples by local train and can easily be done on your own -- it is smaller than Pompeii by quite a bit.

 

In Naples itself there are quite a few sights worth seeing, but then I like cities....

Just a suggestion. Have a late breakfast or bring a snack. Go to Anacapri first. Then to Capri Town to look around and lunch. Like that you can judge the time you have for the return and maybe just grab a quick panino and gelato.

Unfortunately, it looks like the ferry schedule will not even permit my going to Capri. Would not be able to get a ferry over until about 1:00, and the ferries back do not leave until 5:00, so I think I will need to change plans. Might Sorrento and/or Pompeii be an option by train? Might be less risky since the trains seem to leave every 30 mins. Could I squeeze both in or would I need to stick with one over the other and fit a bit of naples in also. This seems like it might be less frenetic with limited time, even if I were able to coordinate the ferry schedules in Capri. Thanks much.

Unfortunately, it looks like the ferry schedule will not even permit my going to Capri. Would not be able to get a ferry over until about 1:00, and the ferries back do not leave until 5:00, so I think I will need to change plans. Might Sorrento and/or Pompeii be an option by train? Might be less risky since the trains seem to leave every 30 mins. Could I squeeze both in or would I need to stick with one over the other and fit a bit of naples in also. This seems like it might be less frenetic with limited time, even if I were able to coordinate the ferry schedules in Capri. Thanks much.

When are you going to be in Naples?

Just as an FYI, Sorrento takes about 70 minutes by train. Eats up quite a bit of your time just to get there and back. And as I said above, Sorrento really isn't that charming unless you are looking to go shopping.

Pompeii takes about 40 minutes by train, and it is huge. I would not try to do more than that, given the amount of time you have.

There are quite a few previous posts here on how to get the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii. It is the same train that would take you go Herculaneum (closer) or Sorrento (farther).

Will not be going until mid-May, but doing all of my research now. Exploring further it does seem that there are multiple ferry companies offering options that would get me to Capri by 1:00 and return at 4:30, so I would have about 3.5 hours to spend there which might be OK. Or could still consider doing either Pompeii or Sorrento, although per you advise it does not seem that Sorrento would be as interesting. I am not a huge archeological buff, so Pompeii would not be tops on my list, but others I will be traveling with might enjoy it and coupling it with naples might make it more attractive. I have read lots of conflicting reviews on Naples, some say it is gritty and dirty and not worth a visit and others say they love it. I would like to see the Galleria Umberto and have pizza at Pizzeria Da Michele so Naples might be OK. Still not sure what would make the most sense and offer the best experience factoring in the time I have to spend.

I am in Naples now and all those who talk about dirt and grit etc - forget them! Yes there is all that but there is so much to see and take in. I had a blast my two days here seeing both tourist areas and where hardly any are. Food is fantastic and cheap. Shopping is great. I like to call this city delightfully insane. Love it. There are many who will tell you the same about NYC. This is a big bustling city.

Sorry your cruise is going to spend so little time in Naples. It needs a full day or longer to do the area justice. We are going to Capri on our next cruise as we are in port much longer than you. I wouldn't consider it otherwise.

We did Pompeii and positano on last cruise and although we are not big history buffs, the site was incredible.

Hopefully you will be able to enjoy the sites. If not- you had better get another cruise booked for 2017!

Still not sure what would make the most sense and offer the best experience factoring in the time I have to spend.

Only you can decide in the end what makes sense for you based on your likes and interests. When you have a concrete idea of what you'd like to do, there are several of us who can help you with the specifics.