Naples excursions???? (merged)

[dancing]

What is the best tour in Naples for a first time visitor? Pompeii and Positano or Pompeii, Sorento & Capri? IS Pompeii better in the am or pm or doesn't it matter? I have heard that Capri is worth it and then again not worth it. Also the jetfoil ride is choppy on a good day and you need more time in Capri. But then again Capri is a waste. I know it depends on taste but would love some feed back from those who have been to these places. Many thanks

[Kindlychap]

What is the best tour in Naples for a first time visitor? Pompeii and Positano or Pompeii, Sorento & Capri? IS Pompeii better in the am or pm or doesn't it matter? I have heard that Capri is worth it and then again not worth it. Also the jetfoil ride is choppy on a good day and you need more time in Capri. But then again Capri is a waste. I know it depends on taste but would love some feed back from those who have been to these places. Many thanks

 

Capri requires a full day to make the crossing worthwhile. It is a wonderful island. The Blue Grotto is magical, Anacapri is delightful and the chairlift to Monte Solaro has the most amazing views.

 

If you are going in summer, bear in mind that everything will be very hot indeed. Pompei more than most. It is a huge site as well. Ideally, you'll need a lot longer than the two hours most trips give you. Think about Ercolano instead. Far smaller, and two hours is adequate. More would be ideal.

 

As for the coast, I've not been along it, although I have visited Positano very briefly (about 45 minutes, and from the sea).

 

Don't write Naples itself off either. The area around Teatro San Carlo (the Opera House) has some impressive architecture. There are open top buses as well, which we thought worthwhile.

 

Matthew

[golfergal]

Tell us a little bit about yourself? What do you like to do? What places or sites have you loved on other trips?

 

We spent 10 days in Positano, Capri, and Sorrento a couple years ago and went back for a week villa rental in Positano this past September. Clearly we love the area.

 

Staying in Capri (and anywhere) is better than just day trip of course, but we did a day trip this past year and it was nice. We just leisurely walked around Capritown and then took a convertible cab ride upto to Anacapri for lunch. It was a pleasant day and a great ferry trip. I will add that we had a horrible ferry ride the first time after a very bad rainstorm. Many people tell you Capri is a waste of time, but it depends on your likes and even patience level that day.

 

Positano is heaven on earth to me. Small resort town with beautiful views, decent shopping, and yummy food. It is just a wonderful place for wandering.

 

Pompeii is amazingly interesting and most people could spend hours there like my husband. Personally 2-3 hours was enough for me, but again days are not enough for others. I do think it is a must for the area.

 

Sorrento was ok. It is the biggest city and has the pros and cons of that. Some great restaurants, really good shopping, pretty churches, etc.

 

If the tours are about the same cost and duration, I think it depends on how much time you want in Pompeii.

[LRDR01]

First of all, the DH and I are not bus people. We would rather be out on our own any day of the week, but, with this being our first port we hit, and we knew the distances that we would like to travel, we thought doing this on our own would be risky time wise.

We did a good introductory tour called Amalfi Drive & Pompeii

The tour was about 10 hours and a lot of time in a bus, but, having been our first experience in the Naples area, we wanted to see as much as possible. The bus along the Amalfi Coast was pleasant. It's amazing how good those bus drivers really are. I would have had difficulty manuevering a car in places where he moved that bus. Anyways, we passed by Positano :( - busses just don't fit there. But, we stopped in the town of Amalfi (so did about 15 other busses) Amalfi was a charming town and fun to walk around. Lunch was included on this tour and we ate a a little restaurant just south of Amalfi. Wow. Fantastic food. Then to Pompeii. We did this tour because we both agreed that we MUST see the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. We were not dissappointed with this tour. And, our tour guide was fabulous.

But, next time, we will go on our own.

[texancruzer]

We did a private tour with 3 other couples from our ship. We went straight to Pompeii for a 2-1/2 hr private guided tour (which I thought was just right for our 1st time there :) ) then to Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and then to Sorrento. We had free time to explore, shop or eat or whatever in each place. We took the ferry back to Naples from Sorrento so did get in some "boat time". It was really nice day.

 

The Amalfi coast is such a unique and interesting place - my vote is for the land tour versus Capri for your first visit. You can always visit Capri on your next visit :D Good reason to go back !!!

[tom_uk]

I have heard that Capri is worth it and then again not worth it. Also the jetfoil ride is choppy on a good day and you need more time in Capri. But then again Capri is a waste.

 

We went to Capri in June 2006. We did a guided ship's excursion; about 5 and a half hours, and we enjoyed it. The big advantage in doing an official excursion to Capri is that they will get you back by hook or by crook.

 

Here's a link to some pictures I took that day:

http://www.*****/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2514

[Hlitner]

Dancing, We have been to all those places (several times) and will be back for 4 days in May. But, what you have heard is quite true. What tour is best (or even what do-it-yourself tour) is really based on personal preference. That is one reason we like to spend a few days to a week on the Amalfi coast....because than we can do it all! However, I will offer one piece of advice. If you are there in the summer and its a typically hot/humid day, than Pompeii is best done in the morning. Pompeii has no shelter from the sun and heat! There are plenty of places just outside the entrance to Pompeii where you can buy water, beer, soda, etc. But once you are inside, there is only a single snack bar area which is not always convenient depending on your location in the extensive grounds.

 

Hank

[m_i_a]

Just wondering if texancruiser can recommend a good company to arrange the private tour?

 

Thanks!

[texancruzer]

We used APTours and they were fabulous.

 

Driver (impeccably dressed and cute too;) ) picked us up at the dock in a brand new van. Then straight to Pompeii where they had arranged for a private guide (extra fee) for 2-1/2 hr tour. Pina was great !!!

 

Then to Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and ended in Sorrento. We had We had "on our own time" in each place. We had voted to take the ferry back to Naples instead of driving back. 9 euros per person and much fun !!!!! Got the see the coastline from the water and a spectacular sunset (they also arranged just for us :rolleyes: ) and then the ferry docked right next to our ship for a very short walk back.

 

This was definately my favorite day of our 9 night cruise.

[pmdc5696]

Last time I was there with my then 18 year old daughter. We booked an afternoon tour of Pompeii. In the morning, we caught a cab to the national museum and saw everything that was taken out of Pompeii for safe keeping. By the time we got to Pompeii, we had a beautiful idea of how vibrant this city was. This museum is labeled in Italian, but English guide books are available to purchase. This was one of our two very best days on our cruise.

[PIC-2 psychologist]

What is the best tour in Naples for a first time visitor? Pompeii and Positano or Pompeii, Sorento & Capri? IS Pompeii better in the am or pm or doesn't it matter? I have heard that Capri is worth it and then again not worth it. Also the jetfoil ride is choppy on a good day and you need more time in Capri. But then again Capri is a waste. I know it depends on taste but would love some feed back from those who have been to these places. Many thanks

 

Some other things to consider: When do you visit Naples (temperature)? What day do you visit Naples (go to Cruisecal.com and determine how many cruise ships are in port on "your" day). In our case, we will be in Naples on Wednesday 28 May as will be two other very large cruise ships. What will we do? We joined a private tour group early on and we have 16 passengers in 2 vans going directly to Pompeii to obtain a guide as the site opens and spend 2 hours there in the "cool" of the morning while we are rested. We will then spend the day driving Amalfi and visiting towns mentioned, lunching in Ravello at a small restaurant. I wonder about another posting with a ship's tour with lunch in a small restaurant. By my calculations, thousands of tourists are going to have lunch at Sorrento. Sorrento must have some large catering operations! For us, if we wanted to experience Capri (as something different than Catalina, etc.) I would first want to visualize what Capri looks like with 1000s of tourists (and nowhere to sit). Am concerned enough re Amalfi drive jamed with dozens of tour buses.

 

An aside re Pompeii: I'm in a suburb of Houston (4th largest city in US). We have a world-class fine arts museum. What is opening here in days through 22 June? A exhibit on Pompeii and other Vesuvius sites. Our thoughts are that we will appreciate the 100s of choice artifacts more once we have the actual background experienced. Yes, we are very excited about Pompeii and Ephesus as well!

 

Those of you with actual experience in the Amalfi towns, how would you rank them? If you would take the time to walk around two of them, which two would they be and why?

 

David

[Hlitner]

Regarding the Amalfi towns the number one place (by far) is Positano. This city is built on the side of a steep hill, has some very cute shops, nice restaurants and cafes, and even has a small beach. However, walking around Positano can be difficult since there are many steps and steep slopes. I think I would rank Amalfi and Ravello as # 2. I put those two together because the only way to get to Ravello is through Amalfi. Think of Amalfi as the lower town (its on the water) and Ravello sits on the hilltop overlooking Amalfi.

 

Hank

[texancruzer]

Oh man.....they are all so amazing. Ravello was like a little village tucked into the hills......sleepy dogs lazing on the steps to the cathedral while some of the villagers sat and read the paper. Also a group of small children playing tag and laughing. Then right before we were getting ready to head back to the van....the church bells began ringing. It was very loud in the main plaza but really really cool. Then to Amalfi where as we walked into the main plaza area there was a wedding party coming down the gigantic steps that descend from the cathedral there. Everyone smiling..... all festive and happy.... the bride in her very formal gown with a train from here to there..... small stores and little step streets going off here and there..... then we found a small place and ordered the best pizza my dh said he has ever eaten.... Positano was next - what a magical place. Be ready to walk stairs and inclines ! You won't see anyone in a wheelchair here..... no handicap accessible ramps in sight. No wonder no fat people in Italy. But tiny winding little adventures just waiting to be explored. I could lose myself in them for days !! Plan to hopefully next spring if all goes as planned. Then one will open up and voila' you are on the beach. Do a websearch for images. Lots will come up and some are so amazing you think they can't be photos but paintings someone has painted and maybe not true to life. But they are.

 

Anyway. If you only spend 2-2&1/2 hrs in Pompeii you have time to experience all 3 of these really neat places. Not in depth but enough to know you will want more. Naples and Sorrento are pretty much big city areas which we only used to start and end our day.

 

Take the ferry back to Naples from Sorrento. That was the perfect ending.

 

PS: We were there the very end of November. All the trees were in their fall colors..... no crowds no traffic. Beautiful cool weather - not cold (even a little hot at Pompeii)

[Hockeymom0431]

My husband and I will be doing our first trip to Europe in June/July. We are not sure how we want to spend the day ship docs in Naples. We may be nuts, but have no desire to see Pompei or Vesuvius. While the Amalfi coast sounds gorgeous, tours seem like A LOT of time in a bus. Is it worth it? We were considering doing the RCCL tour that goes to Sorrento, followed by several hours at a beach. Anyone familiar with that? thanks

[Hlitner]

Regarding the last posting, a day in Sorrento would be low on our list of favorite places. Keep in mind that Sorrento closes-up around 1:30 in the afternoon (every decent shop will be closed for Siesta) and the nearby beaches are nothing special. If you want to avoid buses, why don't you consider just going to Capri. Its only a 5 min stroll from the cruise ship pier to the hydrofoil/ferry pier where you can simply buy a ticket on the fast boats (about 50 min to Capri). Capri is easy to do on your own and, IMHO, much more rewarding for the tourist than is Sorrento. The other possibility is to take the train from Naples to Sorrento, spend an hour or two in Sorrento during the morning, and than take the ferry over to Capri (about 20 mins from Sorrento). After seeing some of Capri you can than take the fast jetboat back to Naples.

 

Hank

[Cruise Cat]

We plan on doing the 8:15 am 4 hour pompeii tour through RCCL vs. the afternoon one because of the heat. What will the options in Naples be for eating and shopping in the afternoon? Will everything be closed for Siesta and what times do they practice it?

[amanda blake]

We did a private tour with 3 other couples from our ship. We went straight to Pompeii for a 2-1/2 hr private guided tour (which I thought was just right for our 1st time there :) ) then to Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and then to Sorrento. We had free time to explore, shop or eat or whatever in each place. We took the ferry back to Naples from Sorrento so did get in some "boat time". It was really nice day.

 

The Amalfi coast is such a unique and interesting place - my vote is for the land tour versus Capri for your first visit. You can always visit Capri on your next visit :D Good reason to go back !!!

 

what tour company did you use for this adventure..sounds just great....

[cindilouwho]

Just wondering if texancruiser can recommend a good company to arrange the private tour?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi there!

 

I have used and am using again, Mariano fiorentino from Pleasant Tours - 2 years ago we got the most wonderful "Salami Tour" from him...we were picked up from Naples at 7:30 whisked away to Sorrento and then stopped at his magnificent "farm" where we ate and drank homemade goodies and toured the grounds then to Amalfi, Positano, Ravello and stopped at Pompeii for a couple of hours. It was extremely reasonable. We are doing it again next month only this time from Sorrento where our ship drops and we are only doing Sorrento and Capri - he demands that we visit his farm again as his wife wants to feed me again!

 

This guy is THE BEST!! His email is Fiorentino Mariano [info@pleasantravel.com]

 

Enjoy

[texancruzer]

what tour company did you use for this adventure..sounds just great....

 

Amanda: As posted in post #9 : we used www.APTours.it for our day on the Amalfi coast.

 

It was great ! I can't wait to go back to Italy and explore both Tuscany and Amalfi coast areas in much more detail. We loved both areas !

[amanda blake]

thanks tex..I emailed fm at the info location...will see what reply I get..our cruise is in Oct...so still lots of time..

 

I must say I am quite overwhelmed planning for this cruise...10 ports...all intensive..all expensive....

 

any and all advice is appreciated...

 

aqtwitch@hotmail.com

[Hockeymom0431]

Regarding the last posting, a day in Sorrento would be low on our list of favorite places. Keep in mind that Sorrento closes-up around 1:30 in the afternoon (every decent shop will be closed for Siesta) and the nearby beaches are nothing special. If you want to avoid buses, why don't you consider just going to Capri. Its only a 5 min stroll from the cruise ship pier to the hydrofoil/ferry pier where you can simply buy a ticket on the fast boats (about 50 min to Capri). Capri is easy to do on your own and, IMHO, much more rewarding for the tourist than is Sorrento. The other possibility is to take the train from Naples to Sorrento, spend an hour or two in Sorrento during the morning, and than take the ferry over to Capri (about 20 mins from Sorrento). After seeing some of Capri you can than take the fast jetboat back to Naples.

 

Hank

thanks for the input. I am not certain that the beach in the tour is actually in Sorrento and was wondering if anyone had done this, or knew specifically what beach. thanks

[texancruzer]

thanks tex..I emailed fm at the info location...will see what reply I get..our cruise is in Oct...so still lots of time..

 

I must say I am quite overwhelmed planning for this cruise...10 ports...all intensive..all expensive....

 

any and all advice is appreciated...

 

aqtwitch@hotmail.com

 

Amanda,

 

I know what you mean. At least you have lots of lead time to research and plan. We had originally booked another Caribbean cruise but due to dh's work schedule we had to cancel - but it was almost paid for..... soooo I saw the 11/23 Brilliance 9 nighter and our balcony cabin was only $899 pp (cheaper than the 7 nite Caribbean one!) so I booked it. This was in late September (past final pmt date). So I had to get airfare, hotels at each end (Rome and Barcelona) excursions etc.....all the planning and reservations in basically 30-45 days. I was stressed !

 

We did alot of cruiseline excursions. I just ran out of time and most of the cc'ers on our roll call had their groups already full ..... did manage to join a group for the ride from Rome hotel to port and this one in Naples with APTours. Dubrovnik we did on our own....just took RCI shuttle from Port to Old Town ($8.00 US) Corfu Greece did ship tour, Livorno did Pisa/Florence On Your Own, Villefranche did Nice, Eze,Monaco,Monte Carlo with ship tour, Toulon we did the ship tour Aix-en-Provence. We were pleasantly surprised with all our ships tours. Did not get that "herded" feeling you normally do with them. Most of the buses were not full and all our riders were careful to return to bus on time - so no stragglers holding everyone up that you hear about. We usually like to rent cars and do our own thing.....but this was so much easier for dh and ended up for me too.

 

My best advice is to go go go when you can and rest on the ship. We did not see one show while on board..... did go to the hot tub a couple of times to soothe sore feet and muscles from all the walking ;) and hit the casino and Quest. Dh worked out in gym....but mostly we ate and rested !! I cruise for the ports anyway.....the ship is a nice moving hotel room for me altho we usually do a little more than we did on this cruise. Just really port intensive.

 

anyway.....you will have a marvelous time no matter. Tex

[amanda blake]

thanks Tex...we are seriously looking at only doing two private tours...one in Naples with fm and one in Nice...to save time and see Eze, Capri and Monte Carlo....

 

in venice, dubrovnik, kusadasi and Barcelona we will get off the ship and just walk around on our own

 

in Rome and Florence, we will use the ships tour called On your own..they get you there and back....

 

let me know if you think I should do a private tour anywhere else...

 

have I gotten a good balance?

 

my first time in the Baltic, I got it all wrong...12 hour tours in russia...3 hours in the hermitage...welll all the churches, palaces, museums were just a blur....we were exhausted..and to top it off we learned NOTHING about the city itself...

 

I vowed I would never do that again...

 

just a general overview ...I do not want to see a city inside of anything...not the first time...maybe next time will get more in depth....

 

we have a very small cc group..and they are interested in intesive guided tours of vatican, museums, pompeii...I may be crazy for just wanting a drive/walk through...so we are on our own for most of it..may be lucky to do a group private tour in one place...

 

let me know if you think I am on the right track...

[amanda blake]

Cindilouwho....

 

could you tell me how payment was made to Mariano....I am impressed with the casualness of the experience he is willing to provide ....

 

aqtwitch@hotmail.com

 

I am leaving my email in case there are a few particulars I wish to ask about...

 

thanks so much...

[texancruzer]

thanks Tex...we are seriously looking at only doing two private tours...one in Naples with fm and one in Nice...to save time and see Eze, Capri and Monte Carlo....

 

in venice, dubrovnik, kusadasi and Barcelona we will get off the ship and just walk around on our own

 

in Rome and Florence, we will use the ships tour called On your own..they get you there and back....

 

let me know if you think I should do a private tour anywhere else...

 

have I gotten a good balance?

 

let me know if you think I am on the right track...

 

Amanda: think you have it pretty well tied down....considering you know you don't want intense.

 

Just a note tho: Capri visit would be during a Naples stop - not Nice. Wrong country :eek: Loved EZE !!!! Just a neat place.

 

We did the Pisa/Florence On Your Own...... was good as they gave you some history and info on the bus while driving over and then gave us a good map and a time to be back at meeting spot and say BYE BYE so we could explore on our own. Worked great !! Really liked Florence too. Very comfortable place. Bought some goodies on the Ponte Vecchio then walked around. Try to peek inside the Duomo - just huge. We did not do any museums or such either. Not in 4 hours :rolleyes: but do want to go back to Italy in the future for more intense visit. Mainly Tuscany and Amalfi area.

 

In Barcelona (our disembark port) we stayed overnight due to flight restrictions out......so had all day and a night to explore. You might want to get a taxi and just drive around a bit..... negotiate a price. The Sagadra Familia is impressive even if just from the outside altho we did a quick walk around the inside. We stayed right on Las Ramblas so walked that both during the day and again at night as we went out for dinner. DH went up in Columbus statue - not me - 3 people at a time can fit in the elevator - No Way Jose :o

 

In Rome (our embark port) we flew in early and stayed 2 nights in the heart of the city. We did all of our sightseeing on one day tho and hired a private guide for both the Vatican and the Coliseum/Forum. Worth every penny......just her and dh and I. Was blown away by Rome !! So much to see.

 

I AM SOOOO JEALOUS. Want to go too :( TEX