Advice please on trip to Sorrento

[yorkiescot]

We are sailing on Star Princess in early September and hope to visit Sorrento from Naples. We prefer organising our own trips and on a previous cruise we enjoyed a day in Capri travelling by hydrofoil. Is it possible to catch a ferry or hydrofoil direct to Sorrento?

[ollienbertsmum]

We are sailing on Star Princess in early September and hope to visit Sorrento from Naples. We prefer organising our own trips and on a previous cruise we enjoyed a day in Capri travelling by hydrofoil. Is it possible to catch a ferry or hydrofoil direct to Sorrento?

 

Short answer is yes

 

I am not sure what time it leaves because we went there by train. The return journey was at 4.25 pm and cost 11 euro. It took about half an hour.

Having lunch by the boats was one of my cruise highlights (limoncello effect??)

[Richard in Panama]

Easiest way is to go by train. The train line that runs to Sorrento is called "Vesuiana" and is a narrow-gage line that leaves from the lower level of the Central Station in Naples which is in good walking distance or a short cab ride from the pier. It's about an hour to Sorrento - here's the Web site http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en for schedules and fares. Same train also to Herculaneum and Pompeii. At both places be sure to get off at "Scavi" ("ruins") stations not the main stations.

 

Have a great trip! Richard

[ollienbertsmum]

Easiest way is to go by train. The train line that runs to Sorrento is called "Vesuiana" and is a narrow-gage line that leaves from the lower level of the Central Station in Naples which is in good walking distance or a short cab ride from the pier. It's about an hour to Sorrento - here's the Web site http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en for schedules and fares. Same train also to Herculaneum and Pompeii. At both places be sure to get off at "Scavi" ("ruins") stations not the main stations.

 

Have a great trip! Richard

 

Richard I would have to disagree that the train is necessarily easier than the ferry. The ship stops right beside the ferry terminal so by going on the ferry you do not have to go into Naples. The ferry route is much more attractive and quicket, especially compared to the slow train which took us 70 minutes. The train is however half the price of the ferry.

 

For anyone using the train, There is a Circumvesuviana station that is slightly nearer than the Garibaldi station. You will have to look on a map. It is the stop before Garibaldi and we found that by getting on there we got ourselves seats. If we had got on at Garibaldi we would have had to have stood until the train reached Pompeii.

 

I see the train being a good idea if you want to do Pompeii and Sorrento on your own. Leave the ship early, get to Pompeii by train, see the excavation and then continue on to Sorrento and you can look around, have a late lunch and get the 4.25 ferry back. That works if you have a 7 am - 7 pm stop like we did.

[5326jan]

You'll have to figure out the best way once you arrive. If the water is too rough, sometimes the ferry won't run. Also, the train stops like a bus :rolleyes:, so it seems longer b/c of all the stop and go.

[trabeler]

For anyone using the train, There is a Circumvesuviana station that is slightly nearer than the Garibaldi station. You will have to look on a map. It is the stop before Garibaldi and we found that by getting on there we got ourselves seats. If we had got on at Garibaldi we would have had to have stood until the train reached Pompeii.

 

The closer station is called Porta Nolana and is the starting station for all the Circumvesuviana trains. It's at least a 20 minute walk from the cruise terminal, but you can take the #1 tram from the street in front of the terminal building. That tram has a stop in front of the Porta Nolana station.

[eh2zed]

There is regular hydrofoil service to Sorrento from Naples. The main ferry dock is right beside the cruise terminal where we docked. About a 30 minute ride. Much faster than getting to the train station and catching the train. We took it over to Sorrento and then trained back stopping at Pompeii Scavi station.

[yorkiescot]

Thanks for all the advice.

[Gamin2008]

Richard I would have to disagree that the train is necessarily easier than the ferry. The ship stops right beside the ferry terminal so by going on the ferry you do not have to go into Naples. The ferry route is much more attractive and quicket, especially compared to the slow train which took us 70 minutes. The train is however half the price of the ferry.

 

For anyone using the train, There is a Circumvesuviana station that is slightly nearer than the Garibaldi station. You will have to look on a map. It is the stop before Garibaldi and we found that by getting on there we got ourselves seats. If we had got on at Garibaldi we would have had to have stood until the train reached Pompeii.

 

I see the train being a good idea if you want to do Pompeii and Sorrento on your own. Leave the ship early, get to Pompeii by train, see the excavation and then continue on to Sorrento and you can look around, have a late lunch and get the 4.25 ferry back. That works if you have a 7 am - 7 pm stop like we did.

 

All good advice but can't find the schedule for October nor which train to take. Looking to do Pompeii and Sorrento on october 30th. Seems like there is no hydrofoil service that time of year. Perhaps no ferry either!