Naples/Sorrento/Pompei-can this be done?

[janfran813]

We have an 11 hour stop in Naples.

 

My plan:

 

Taking the hydrofoil to Sorrento (30-45 min.)

 

Taking the train back to Pompei (30 min.)

 

Hop back on the Circumvestiviana [sp] back to Naples (30 min.)

 

The timeframes are all gleaned from various websites. They are approximations. Also, this is a Sunday.

 

Doable in 11 hours??

[lambs2]

Don't count on being able to get this all done on your own. Read this thread to see some of the complications that can occur: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=783451

 

Wish I could find the post by a very recent Princess cruiser who planned a roll call group tour from Naples - and they even had a private driver with times all pre-arranged (or so they thought!) The six of them ended up missing the ship - and they didn't even attempt Capri that day. Had to spend a couple nights in hotels and fly to catch the ship whose next stop was a Greek Island! Luckily, the couple who did the write-up had travel insurance that actually paid up!

 

Perhaps SOMEONE has been successful doing all you want to do in one day on your own. A big problem will be the huge lines for the lift in Capri and that the hydro foils might be all filled at the time you want to use them. Or - heaven forbid - the seas might get rough and they get cancelled.

 

Sunday train and hydrofoil schedules will be different, too!!

 

Good luck! We found once we got to Pompei (we did the train ride there first) that there was so much to see that we ended up spending extra hours there even after our tour was completed because it was so fascinating so we even gave up on going on to Sorrento and just went back on the train to Naples. So we just need to go back oneday!

[agabbymama]

Lambs2, I don't see any mention of Capri, did you see this in another post? Don't quite understand your response.

 

Janfran813, I plan a similar itinerary, but the other direction. I'm going to take the train from Naples to Pompeii, then on to Sorrento. We will watch the return time, try to do the hydrofoil, but if unavailable or rough seas, then still have time to take the train back to Naples. We will be in Naples on Monday but about the same 11 hours. Of course with any independent trips one has to be certain of the time zone, what time to be back aboard, and how long needed to get from point a to point b, and set a definite time to depart with plenty of cushion. I don't have my notes here at work, but I believe there is a 2 or 2:30 hydrofoil getting us back to Naples around 4, and our ship doesn't depart Naples until 7:00.

 

What month are you doing this? We are in October '08.

[lambs2]

OOPS! Thought I saw the word Capri in the title. Sorry! Got it confused with the other post!

[janfran813]

Thanks agabbymama and lambs2. I know Capri or Positano will be cutting it too close so I thought Sorrento would be a good option. My thoughts regarding visiting Sorrento first, were to possibly go the farthest afield and make our way back; hopefully just the opposite of what most cruisers will be doing. I know Pompei will be HOT and SUNNY in the early afternoon but sunscreen and water should combat that. I so want to see the "Veiled Christ" in the Chapel of Sansevero in Naples but if I leave it until last and we miss it, it will be a convenient excuse to go back!

[janfran813]

Oh sorry agabbymama, we will be there on June 29th with Celebrity's Galaxy. I can't wait!

[agabbymama]

Oh sorry agabbymama, we will be there on June 29th with Celebrity's Galaxy. I can't wait!

 

Be sure to post upon your return. I'll be looking for your trip review, especially if the trip to Pompeii & Sorrento worked out for you.

 

Have a wonderful trip!:p

[janfran813]

Thanks for the info. everyone. aholland- we are only doing one tour and that's in Turkey. We're doing everything on our own. Cruising the Med. is our step off point to a more independent travel experience. Actually the Mediterranean is perfect for learning the ropes as many of the ports are a train ride or short flight away from each other. We've traveled in the U.S. extensively and we've found that around every corner there's a surprise waiting!

agabbymama-I will most definitely post a review of our trip. We'll be back early in July but I am a perfectionist and my review has to go through the rigors of my editing!

 

Thanks again everyone!

[mad4mky]

I think if you do it all on your own--you are cutting the timelines close.

 

I would suggest hiring a private guide/driver to do these items (minus the hydrofoil)--and you'll have plenty of time.

 

We were able to see with our guide--Pompeii (took a 2 hour tour), Sorrento and Positano (which--was the best of all the places. It's a do not miss if you have never been there).

 

Sorrento, we enjoyed a lovely lunch down in the harbor, and had time to shop. Positano--we shopped--and got wet in the Mediterranean. :)

[Mike073]

You could also do Herculaneum instead of Pompeii as it is even closer to the ship for the return trip.

 

Two years ago we did get to Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Pompeii. It was a quick stop in each place but it did give a good overview and wonderful views of the Amalfi coast. Very limited shopping time.

 

We used a private driver for the day.

[theduffys]

We just got back from a Med cruise and what you are planning is exactly what we did--with time to spare. We had to take the ferry to Sorrento because the sea was too rough for the hydrophoil. Took in all the sights and had a wonderful lunch, then took the train to Pompii. We sepent about 3 hours there and took the train back to Naples and a taxi back to the ship for dinner. It was a really great day!!!

[janfran813]

Thanks theduffys! I knew it could be done. Where there's a will, there's a way!

 

Happy travels:p

[katiebeth]

Dear JanFran813,

 

We were on the Celebrity Millennium two years ago and took the ship sponsored tour to Capri, Sorrento, and then Pompeii. As far as ship excursion go, it was one of our favorites. We took the hydrofoil to Capri and had a brief walking tour and then approximately one hour to explore on our own. We then took the hydrofoil to Sorrento which is breathtaking (as is Capri) as you approach from the water. A most wonderful lunch with a sparkling wine toast with salad, appetizer, main entree, and dessert (along with wine and coffee was included. We even had a live quartet playing Italian music. It was really memorable.

 

We then had about 45 minutes to shop in Sorrento and then it was off to Pompeii on a motorcoach. We had a guided tour of Pompeii that lasted a couple of hours and then back to the ship.

 

I know that ship excursions are not for everyone, but we really enjoyed this one. Surprising it was rather relaxing and we did not feel rushed. I am not a big fan of large buses so the hydrofoils were wonderful.

 

I would guess that this same excursion would be available on your cruise. If so, I would consider it.

 

You will have no worries about getting back to the ship in time.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[texancruzer]

I agree with some of the other posters that getting around in this area REALLY DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU ARE THERE. Summer months are much more crowded and very difficult to move about (especially July/Aug). Someone asked when you are going to be there....don't believe you replied.

 

We were there on the very last cruise before Brilliance headed back to USA for Caribbean season. End of Nov/beg. of Dec. We loved this time of year......no crowds - no lines - we had great weather......

 

From Naples we did a full morning in Pompeii, then to Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and then to Sorrento. But again - there was no traffic on the roads. We had plenty of time in each place and never felt rushed.

 

You are smart to head to furthest point and work your way back....this is always the rule of thumb for us when we do our own thing. Another thing is to always have a Plan B. This is in case the weather is bad and hydrofoil/ferry is not an option or if there is a train strike (a common occurance in Italy) or any number of other "monkey wrenches" that can get thrown into your plan. :D

[janfran813]

Thanks texancruzer. I believe it's doable only because we'll not be on the roads. I've heard about the train strikes:eek: and hopefully there won't be one on the day we're there. If there is a train strike, we'd have to take to the roads and hire a taxi or bus it to Pompei. I have a walking tour of Naples that takes a few hours. That's my plan B. I'd definitely leave out any of the Amalfi coast sights.

 

Oh, and if you scroll up you'll see that I mentioned that we'll be there on June 29th.

 

Thanks!

[texancruzer]

Sorry, did scroll up but must have missed the date :o

[nhtraveler313]

I'm looking forward to reading about your stop in Naples because we're planning the same path in November.

 

Several posters who questioned the feasibility of your plans mentioned Capri and the Amalfi coast, and I would agree if you were going to those places as well. But from reading the posts of others who have done Pompeii and Sorrento and checking the train schedules etc., I think it's quite feasible (and I hope your day there confirms that!:D )

 

We plan to take the early hydrofoil to Sorrento on a Saturday and spend the morning there. One, because I've read about hydrofoils being full or seas being too rough for return trips; two, because many shops might close between 1 and 4 p.m. (though I don't know about Sundays); and three, so we're getting closer to the ship as the day grows shorter. If the seas are rough, we'll take the train both ways.

 

After an early lunch, we'll head to Pompeii. Because we're taking the train instead of a bus, don't have to wait for other people in a group or make stops we're not interested in - such as the cameo tour - we should have plenty of time in Pompeii. And if we've seen enough of Sorrento after an hour or two, we can head there earlier. Or, if we love Sorrento, we can cut into Pompeii.

 

Plus, I prefer the idea of a train (of course, I'll be checking about possible strikes before we go :eek: ). The real delays seem to be with the heavy traffic on the roads. I know many suggest a private tour (something I definitely would do if we were going to the Amalfi coast), but if you get stuck in traffic, you're out of luck if you're late. The ship only waits for those on its excursions. I'd rather take my chances with a train on my own schedule.

 

As for the six who missed the ship, they were not on their own, but with a private tour. A traffic accident resulted in a five-hour ride from Sorrento to Naples. As I read the post, I kept wondering if the driver could have gotten off the road and taken them to the Pompeii train stop. If you want to read that very detailed post: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=162744

[agabbymama]

I read somewhere, but of course can't find it now with the search feature disabled, that the Circumvesuviana (sp?) train is a private train and not usually affected by the strikes that hit the regular train lines. Does anyone know for a fact whether this is true or not??? It would eliminate some of the worry factor if it is.

[janfran813]

Thanks for the vote of confidence nhtraveler313! I've planned the day exactly because of the reasons you mentioned in your post. Even though my DH is PARANOID about missing the ship, which I don't think we will, it's our last stop before our Civitavecchia disembarkation and if the worst happens, it's a few hour train ride back to the ship. Of course, a lot depends on the train strikes :rolleyes:

I love a challenge!

[texancruzer]

While it may be an adventure to miss the ship, it will take valuable time from your vacation to straighten it out - don't forget that your REAL passport is on the ship and all you have is a piece of paper.

 

While on our recent Royal Caribbean cruise (Brilliance of the Seas) we kept our passports the entire time. There has been alot of discussion on why sometimes they take them and sometimes they don't. But we have never had our passports held by the ship and have had them in our possession the entire time. Just an FYI

[janfran813]

Thanks for the warning ohiosuzyq. If you did that itinerary by car, then I'm sure we can do it with the train and hydrofoil, barring strikes and bad weather. If you read my original post, I'm planning an extremely simple itinerary. We aren't even attempting to do Positano or Amalfi, only Sorrento. Since we will not be on the roads, we won't have to account for bad traffic, accidents or anything like that.

As far as the passports go, we were going to take a copy with us in port stops but tex, you got me thinkin'...

[Thedabraddock]

We're going in August but just have one day for the port call. We were just planning on resting in Naples but does anyone have any suggestions as to Pompeii or Sorento or anywhere else? Is there one that's better than the other and should we even try something else or just stick with Naples? And, how do we get from Naples to Pompeii or Sorento? I saw someone said something about a hydrofoil (what's that)? or trains? We don't want to do any private tours or hire/rent a car, just something on our own and if its not feasible we'll just stick with Naples...Anyone have any suggestions?

[agabbymama]

We're going in August but just have one day for the port call. We were just planning on resting in Naples but does anyone have any suggestions as to Pompeii or Sorento or anywhere else? Is there one that's better than the other and should we even try something else or just stick with Naples? And, how do we get from Naples to Pompeii or Sorento? I saw someone said something about a hydrofoil (what's that)? or trains? We don't want to do any private tours or hire/rent a car, just something on our own and if its not feasible we'll just stick with Naples...Anyone have any suggestions?

 

This is a lovely website. He gives lots of info and even nice photos so you know what to look for. About 3/4 of the way down the page is the hydrofoil to Sorrento. It's a small faster boat than a ferry, it raises up on a cushion of air so it flies across the water. I think the train from Naples to Sorrento is an hour, the hydrofoil does the trip in 30 minutes.

 

We are two older ladies traveling and plan to take the hydrofoil to Sorrento and train back, the same as the OP. It's a lot less expensive than a private tour.

 

Of course, we have to be sure to have a plan to fall back on if there are strikes or rough water, so that we don't miss the ship, but lots of folks do it.

[travelingran]

i too read the "missed the ship" post. that was unbelievably horrible. wouldn't ever want to take a chance of letting that happen.

 

i really think the most important thing is to go to the farthest point and work your way back. that way you will be able to make adjustments is anything unexpected happens.

 

i also wondered after reading the "missed" post why they did not try to get a train. make plans as to what options you have before you go. i think sometimes the drivers think they can take care of everything and think they know best. that is not the case. we need to think for ourselves.

 

i know you will have a great trip.

[janfran813]

agabbymama--you are thinking just like me. I made this itinerary only AFTER studying the maps, checking websites for train, hydrofoil, and ferry schedules. It can be done less expensively, and much more efficiently than if you were stuck on the road with a shorex or a private tour. Also, as I said in an earlier post, we'll be going in the opposite direction of most people who will first head out to Pompei on tours and on their own. I've read on these boards that Pompei dies down in the afternoon when all of the tours leave. Again, I know that it will be HOT and SUNNY but that's what sunscreen, a good hat, and portable water bottles are for. Just think, when Pompei was thriving people lived there in the heat of the summer...until Vesuvius yawned:eek: