purple_cruiser

yes, that is the view we want to capture. Is there a trail we can hike up to the east of the town for the best view?

Good point, I think you're right about the C-t-C timetable, so the SITA bus is it, with a taxi as your fallback. In that case, be sure to leave yourself plenty of extra time if you can't get on the first bus.

 

As for the views, if this is what you have in mind (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YqGVAJ_MyIM/U6cKTidX7aI/AAAAAAAACmc/ne5qkCO-Gws/s1600/DSC01113.jpg) you can see that it is taken from a point slightly east of town and down toward the beach but not all the way down. The issue with Positano is that close up you miss the big picture (well actually, that's the case everywhere) so you need to get a little way away from town to get this kind of shot.

hi euro_cruiser,

I really appreciate your information. we are going to be in Naples in mid November, and I checked the coast to coast bus schedule, and seems like they are only operating until Oct 31, is that correct? does that mean we will have no choice but to take the SITA bus?

when we arrive in Positano, where is the best place to view the pastel houses on the coast? or where should we go to get the best views of Positano?

thanks a lot!

It sounds like the Amalfi Coast is really what you want to see. In that case I would do as you suggest and take the train from Naples to Salerno (Trenitalia, not the Circumvesuviana), then the SITA bus from Salerno to Amalfi. At that point you can choose either the SITA bus from Amalfi to Positano, or the City Sightseeing "Coast to Coast" bus. The later is more expensive but you're much more likely to get a seat. More info on that here: http://www.sorrento.city-sightseeing.it/mappa_coast_to_coast.pdf

 

I suspect that Positano is what you are looking for regarding the houses but there are several lovely towns along the coast and the bus ride gives you at least a glimpse of each of them (except Ravello, which is up above the coast).

 

So, with a 7 AM arrival I would walk out of the port and head to the new Municipio metro station, where you would take the metro to Garibaldi, the stop for Napoli Centrale station. I would shoot for the 7:55 train to Salerno (ignore the 7:41, it actually gets there later) as you'll probably not get off the ship fast enough to make the 7:25. That puts you in Salerno at 8:34, plenty of time to have a coffee before the next SITA bus departure at 9 AM (schedule here: http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/archivio/Download/corse/sitasud/Campania/Salerno/d76a3fe2-3fda-4ccb-af45-45aaeeb18906_QUADROXV_2015_AUTUNNO_5.pdf/0), putting you in Amalfi at 10:15 AM.

 

The trickiest part of the return is the Positano to Sorrento section. Even in the off season the public buses are sometimes so full they won't take on any new passengers, which is why the HOHO bus might be a good alternative even at the higher cost. Certainly there are always taxis as a fall back option if you get in trouble but it would be a costly ride.

 

For a 6 PM departure you'd need to be on the 4:25 PM ferry from Sorrento back to Naples. This is a far more comfortable way to get back than the train and it's faster too. Info on the ferry here: http://www.alilauro.it/orari-e-tariffe?route_group_id=3

thanks euro cruiser for your reply. What if we give up pompeii? is it better to travel from port to salerno then take the SITA bus to positano and sorrento, OR travel from port to sorrento then take the SITA bus to positano and back to sorrento?

it is my first time going to naples, and I have been reading comments for positano over sorrento. What would you suggest? Should I give up positano? my main interest is the pastel houses on the amalfi coast, where would be the best place to view that?

thanks a lot!

You simply cannot do all of this using public transit within the confines of a port day, unless you just go to each stop but don't get off the train/bus.

 

Okay, that's an overstatement but I'm trying to make a point. It's just too much.

 

The transit between Sorrento and Positano is the biggest time hog, it's an hour each way plus the time you wait for a bus. If you drop Positano you can easily see the others, or else drop Pompei. Dropping Sorrento doesn't really buy you much time.

hi euro_cruiser! I noticed there is no ferries during the winter from Positano to Sorrento. What would you suggest for transportation during november?

we want to travel from port of Napoli to Positano, then from Positano to Sorrento, and Sorrento to Pompeii and back to the cruise port. We will be there from 0700 to 1800 at the Naples port. We didn't plan to stay in Pompeii for long time, just want to go there and take a look and take the train back to the port.

please advise.

Okay, here's what I would do. First, I wouldn't worry so much about hitting Sorrento at a particular time, for two reasons. First, the shops that cater to tourists will stay open all day and, second, you can buy pretty much the same stuff in Amalfi and Positano that you'll find in Sorrento.

 

Arrive at 7 AM and head right for the metro to Napoli Centrale.

 

Take the 7:55 train to Salerno (not Sorrento). You should have plenty of time to get to the station (at most about five minutes on the metro) even if they are a bit late letting you off the ship.

 

Arrive Salerno at 8:34 (more likely a bit later than this, it's a commuter train and doesn't run as precisely as you'd like). Your next step is a high speed ferry at 9:40 AM so you've got time to have a cup of coffee between the station and the ferry port, which is three blocks away at Piazza Concordia, on the waterfront.

 

Take the 9:40 AM ferry to either Amalfi or Positano, your choice. If you can let go of Sorrento you've got time for both.

 

If you want to return by water you need to get to Sorrento in time for the 4:25 ferry, which will get you back hours early. There is a later crossing, at 6:45 PM that arrives at 7:30 PM but I think that's too late for you.

 

You could also choose to return by train from Sorrento to Naples, which gives you a lot more options regarding time and allows you to stay longer. In fact, if you plan out your day with a couple of hours at Amalfi (10:15 AM - 12:30 PM), followed by a couple of hours at Positano (1 PM - 3 PM), and then on to Sorrento you'd be there when all of the shops re-open for the evening at 4 PM so that solves that problem as well.

 

The section that's hard to plan is Positano to Sorrento. There is ferry service between the two but the company isn't posting a schedule on line. I would plan on having to spend the money for a taxi for this segment and be pleasantly surprised if you can take a ferry instead.

 

Here are the links for the transit info:

 

Trenitalia: http://www.trenitalia.com/trenitalia.html

 

Ferries from Salerno to Amalfi, and Amalfi to Positano: http://www.travelmar.it/it/orari

 

Ferry from Positano to Sorrento (maybe if you e-mail them you can get times): http://www.coopsantandrea.com/

 

Ferries between Naples/Sorrento: http://www.alilauro.it/orari-e-tariffe?route_group_id=3

 

Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Naples: http://www.eavsrl.it/web/sites/default/files/orariautomobilisti/SO-NA%20con%20Poz.pdf