pompei and sorrento vs. pompei and amalfi coast

Sorrento is the Almalfi coast!!!!! Why not spend time enjoying the views, sipping coffee, eating at one of the delightful restaurants and take it in rather than viewing everything from a car? I lived in Italy for ten years.... Sorrento is without a doubt the most beautiful city I visited during my time there!

 

 

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Had to smile at your post. Having driven all over Italy (from the Swiss and French borders to the south of Sicily) we would not rate Sorrento in our top 100 most beautiful places. But I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder :).

The folks that live along the Amalfi Coast (we have friends in Praiano) view Sorrento as the "big city" where they go to do their pre-school shopping, major purchases, etc. It is also the closest city to the Amalfi Drive that has multiple large tourist-class reasonably priced motels/hotels that can be used by many of the land tours. But comparing the beauty of Sorrento to the beauty of a place like Ravello is almost laughable.

But one also needs to understand that "Sorrento is not even on the Amalfi Coast." In fact, it is on the opposite side of the Sorrentine Pennisula from the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento is located on the Gulf of Naples....whereas the Amalfi Coast is part of the Gulf of Salerno!

Hank

Had to smile at your post. Having driven all over Italy (from the Swiss and French borders to the south of Sicily) we would not rate Sorrento in our top 100 most beautiful places. But I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder :).

The folks that live along the Amalfi Coast (we have friends in Praiano) view Sorrento as the "big city" where they go to do their pre-school shopping, major purchases, etc. It is also the closest city to the Amalfi Drive that has multiple large tourist-class reasonably priced motels/hotels that can be used by many of the land tours. But comparing the beauty of Sorrento to the beauty of a place like Ravello is almost laughable.

Hank

It's true Hank! Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder... I suppose driving all over Italy would give you a very different perspective than the one I would have simply living on the coast itself. I spent many months over a ten year period walking the streets of Sorrento, eating the food and experiencing the culture... that's the beauty of Sorrento. It was our family's favorite vacation spot. I lived right on the beach in Sicily which is also breathtakingly beautiful but there are many people who think Sicily is ugly based on a quick visit. For me, it is more about the entire experience that a culture or area has to offer rather than just a quick drive by. Cheers!

Sorrento is the Almalfi coast!!!!! Sorrento is without a doubt the most beautiful city I visited during my time there!

It's true Hank! Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

True, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if you prefer Sorrento that's wonderful. But Sorrento still is not part of the Amalfi Coast. It's nearby, but it's not part of the Amalfi Coast. It's an entirely different coastline on an entirely different body of water. ;)

We used Rome in Limo (a driver and car for the day) and also hired a private guide for Pompei.

While this sounds extravagant (and certainly felt it), it worked out cheaper than the ships excursion.

For 8 people in a Mercedes Vito (large 9 seat SUV with leather and aircon) and the Pompei guide, it worked out to about 80 euro each, the ships equivalent being 130 for the coach party equivalent.

The Pompei guide, Barbara was amazing as she planned the route to avoid the coach parties and whenever we turned a corner and spotted a crowd, she knew a different route and/or order to see things which meant most of our visit, apart from the main square and entrance, felt like we were the only ones there!

We beat the crowds to the best preserved house with the recreated garden and original mosaics and paintings on the room walls and ceilings; amazing! She was also very knowledgeable, spoke excellent English and was happy to play cameraman for us!

Empty Pompei street, the amazing house and our wonderful guide, Barbara -

The driver took us through the Amalfi coast, reversing the route, so starting in Ravello and working our way back to try to best avoid the traffic (it was a public holiday on the day we were there).

He took us to a Limoncello makers for a tasting and even took us into the Hotel Caruso, a 1000+ euro a night hotel in Ravello and took a photo of each couple on the terrace overlooking the coast, one of the best views in the world (see photo)!

I could not recommend them highly enough!

We used them for Florence and Pisa and the lovely Canadian family we shared with also used them for the Rome day.

If you have limited time and really want to see how the Romans lived, I would do Herculaneum. Fantastic place to explore. I have done both and found Herculaneum to be superior in my opinion. The following year, I toured Herculaneum again, but this time I made arrangement with the tour guide to go out on my own and I was able to see what I we did not have time to do the year before. Last year I did Herculaneum a third time with a friend, who later did Pompei. He enjoyed both, but if one only has time to do one or the other, he too would suggest doing Herculaneum.:)

We had a great experience with seeamalficoast.com. Had an all day excursion with 4 others (6 total). We spent time at Herculaneum with a private tour guide( a great alternative to Pompeii). We went on a drive of the Amalfi coast, including Positano with a fabulous lunch at a family owned and operated restaurant overlooking the coast. Wealso stopped at an olive oil factory for some yummy tastings.

If you have not seen Pompeii, you need to. I prefer the exquisite beauty of Herculaneum but Pompeii is the number one attraction, and rightfully so. And the crown jewel of the Amalfi Coast is Positano, at least for me. We have done the "coast" over and over again, by land and by sea, all the towns, along the coast, behind the mountains, ship's tours, private tours - I say just do Pompeii and Positano, take your time at each stop, and do a private tour with a guide for Pompeii. Do Pompeii early before the crowds get there and leave Positano early so that you don't have to worry about the time factor in getting back to the ship. No problem at all. You will have a fabulous, unforgettable day. We personally love eduardoshoreexcursions.com.

Thanks so much For your info! Any recommendations for private tours to Pompei & Positano?

I found Herculaneum also a great excursion - it was a richer town than Pompeii - the history about it is really wonderful. This is the one I would recommend.

Ditto for Herculaneum. Pompei was good but we found Herculaneum to be far more interesting.

It all depends if you dock in Naples or Salerno. If you dock in Naples you can easily go by train to Pompei and Sorento using the same train and it is far cheaper. Get off the ship until you come to main road , there is a small cabin on the left that sells tickets for the tram that drops you outside of the station and off you go. It is a lot cheaper and more of an adventure.

If you dock in Salerno there is a free bus that drops you in the town and then it is a short walk towards the train station. Outside of the train station there are buses that take you to Amalfi. The journey is great fun with the twisting roads that take you to Amalfi. When you get back into the town the bus will drop you off near the free bus back to the ship. Which ever you choose have a great time.

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We did the a ships tour on our two Med Cruises that stopped in the areas that was kind of like a cross between a typical ship's tour and a private tour. I don't know if this is still offered as this was several years ago but if it is you might consider this:

The tour was called "Exclusive Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sorrento & Pompeii”. It was a bit pricey but it was done in a small van that carried about a dozen passengers so it was small enough to get into Positano. The tour went to Positano for a little over an hour, then traveled to Sorrento with a fair amount of time in Sorrento and then to a hotel on the coast near Sorrento for a really nice lunch. It then went to Pompeii for an afternoon stop.

Advantages were that since it was a ship tour we didn't need to worry about missing the ship, there was both a driver and a licensed tour guide so the guide was able to show us around Pompeii (a lot of private tours only include a driver who is not licensed as a tour guide unless you arrange this separately), relatively small group which was much smaller than a tour bus full but a bit larger than a typical private tour.

Disadvantages: Pretty pricey but worth it in our opinion. Group was large enough that there were some things a little more like a ship's tour than a private tour. For example a couple different groups doing the same excursion met at the hotel for lunch. While lunch was excellent it was still a set menu (with options for entrée) and not as flexible as a big lunch on your own. Also, you're tied to the set itinerary for the day vs. a more flexible private tour.

Photos:

One more question for you guys who have done this via private tour. I get a feeling that Pompeii done 1st is the better option. Did any of you feel like you were rushed through Pompeii, when combining this? Any regrets that you didn't focus on just Pompeii? thanks again.

Our stop at Pompeii was first thing in the morning. It was Holloween, last year. The place was deserted. He had a private guide, arranged by seeamalficoast.com, who was wonderful. We absolutely never felt rushed. We got to Trattoria il Tagliata for lunch probably about 12:30, after our scenic drive along the Amalfi coast. Then a stop in Sorrento. It was an incredible day!

Thanks for your reply Eddie's girl!

We did the Pompeii tour first also, and got there before the crowds. It was beginning to get crowded when we left. It was also quite hot, so earlier is better (this was in May).

I personally would have liked more time there, but then I am a big history and archaeology buff and could spend hours in museums and sites. I would have enjoyed a more in depth tour covering other parts of the site, but I don't think most people would.

It's quite a drive down the windy and narrow roads of the Amalfi coast, with stops at various towns, so I was satisfied with our Pompeii tour; with a longer tour there we would have missed other things, like an hour in Positano.

As a group of eight, we decided to forego a big and long lunch meal, which was offered, for more time in the various towns. We had about an hour or more in Ravello, and each couple found their own lunch. We had a delightful pizza and pastry snack at a little cafe and ate overlooking the stunning view.

I think the best part was that after our meandering trip down the coast we zipped back along the freeway to Sorrento and had time there for some wandering, shopping and snacking before taking the ferry across the Bay of Naples, which was a great experience in itself. The ferry landed very close to our cruise ship, maybe two blocks or less. One of our favorite tours ever.

Lsimon -

Thank for sharing your experience and pictures of this tour. We're sailing on the Equinox on Sept 20 and have booked it but haven't been able to find many reviews about it so was happy to read yours. It was pricey but we liked the idea of the smaller group size and being able to go to Positano.

We have done the Pompeii and Sorrento ship's excursion. It was superb. Our group was small (about 15) and we had one of the best guides ever. I would not discount the ship excursion for this area. We spent a lot of time at Pompeii and were well versed in the history and special areas before arriving at the site and were able to tour portions of Pompeii not otherwise accessible to the general public. There were virtually no obligatory souvenir stops. Our time in Sorrento gave us an additional two hours on our own. We were there in the fall, with fewer tourists than summer, and enjoyed much of our time just strolling and taking photographs. Our guide recommended a few restaurants and then gave us the wise tip to look for the big chimneys above the pizza places if we wanted pizza. Those with the big chimneys have the big old wood-fired ovens. Those without chimneys are not doing the authentic pizzas. Our trip to Sorrento included a local farm visit featuring ricotta cheese and a light meal. Be sure to taste the local cheese during your day in Sorrento.

We do private excursions in some ports, ship's excursions occasionally, and some ports just on our own. The choice depends on the port location, time in port, destinations, sights, and whether we would learn more about the local area from a knowledgeable guide.

Nebr.cruiser : I have been trying to figure out what to do in Naples for a month now. I travel in August and what you're describing sounds perfect. Would you mind sharing which private company you toured with?

We rarely do ship excursions, and we didn't in Naples either. We booked a very good private tour with several other couples from our roll call which went to Pompeii first (before the crowds), then toured along the stunning Amalfi Coast, with lunch on our own in Ravello (we could have chosen to eat as a group). We had a brief stop in Amalfi and an hour or so in Positano.

 

Then we zipped back on the freeway to Sorrento, where we had about 45 minutes to wander the streets and have a gelato before taking the ferry back to Naples--this was an awesome way to end a great day. It's a lot to see in a one day tour, but I was glad we hit the highlights.

I have been trying to figure out what to do in Naples for a month now. I travel in August and what you're describing sounds perfect. Would you mind sharing which private company you toured with?

Six of us did a private 8 hour excursion to Sorrento, Positano and had our own tour guide in Pompeii. Pick up and delivery were flawless. We stopped at a nice restaurant just outside of Sorrento for lunch. The company we used was http://www.seeamalficoast.com. Our driver, Ciro was fantastic and the cost was much less than that of the ship's. Highly recommend them!!

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Discman213...we also used seeamalficoast dot com. We've travel a lot and this was the best excursion we have ever done. Beside visiting Pompeii and driving along the Amalfi coast we had the most amazing lunch up on the mountain above the coast. After that we spent some time in Sorrento. I set up this tour on my Roll Call and there were so many people interested that I actually was able to organize 3 vans: 24 people. It is a little expensive for just 2 people (IMO) so getting a group together is cheaper and more fun. Also you can request a private guide for Pompei. Well worth it! Enjoy if you do it.

Six of us did a private 8 hour excursion to Sorrento, Positano and had our own tour guide in Pompeii. Pick up and delivery were flawless. We stopped at a nice restaurant just outside of Sorrento for lunch. The company we used was http://www.seeamalficoast.com. Our driver, Ciro was fantastic and the cost was much less than that of the ship's. Highly recommend them!!

 

 

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Discman213...we also used seeamalficoast dot com. We've travel a lot and this was the best excursion we have ever done. Beside visiting Pompeii and driving along the Amalfi coast we had the most amazing lunch up on the mountain above the coast. After that we spent some time in Sorrento. I set up this tour on my Roll Call and there were so many people interested that I actually was able to organize 3 vans: 24 people. It is a little expensive for just 2 people (IMO) so getting a group together is cheaper and more fun. Also you can request a private guide for Pompei. Well worth it! Enjoy if you do it.

Awesome! Thank you both so much!

We are booked on Celebrity Constellation for next May for their eastern Med.cruise. We are ancient history buffs, so Pompei is a given. What I'm not sure of is if we should do Celebrity's shore excursion that combines Pompeii with Sorrento or the Amalfi coast drive. Any thoughts or comments on cruisers who have done this itinerary?

We have done Pompeii (I have done it twice), Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. I didn't do it on one tour.

Sorrento is beautiful, but compared to the Amalfi Coast, I would go with the Amalfi Coast. One thing that surprises me, what activities do you have in Sorrento? The Amalfi Coast part of our tour took a fair amount of time.

Go back and see Capri and do the Blue Grotto, that is wonderful.

We have done Pompeii (I have done it twice), Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. I didn't do it on one tour.

 

Sorrento is beautiful, but compared to the Amalfi Coast, I would go with the Amalfi Coast. One thing that surprises me, what activities do you have in Sorrento? The Amalfi Coast part of our tour took a fair amount of time.

 

Go back and see Capri and do the Blue Grotto, that is wonderful.

It looks like lunch and some market time is in Sorrento. I'm hearing a lot of "Sorrento is beautiful, but..." so I'm thinking focusing more on Amalfi Coast (some people are mentioning Ravello as well). Did you take a private tour or did you make other arrangements?

It looks like lunch and some market time is in Sorrento. I'm hearing a lot of "Sorrento is beautiful, but..." so I'm thinking focusing more on Amalfi Coast (some people are mentioning Ravello as well). Did you take a private tour or did you make other arrangements?

We took a ship's excursions, since I had a problem generating a private tour on the roll call.

It was a good tour, but I would suggest trying to join a smaller group if you can.