Sorrento/Pompei; Amalfi/Positano/Ravello

[Rusky]

First post here. We are on the Insignia Sept 4 cruise and would appreciate some help planning our stops in Sorrento and Amalfi/Positano. At Sorrento we dock at 8.00 a.m. and leave at 11.30 p.m. Next day we dock at Amalfi/Positano at 8.00 a.m. and depart at 3.00 p.m.

 

In Sorrento we (3 couples) are thinking of doing a private morning tour of Pompei. Can anybody suggest what we might do with the rest of that day? Is there enough in Sorrento to occupy the afternoon and evening? Or should we be thinking of keeping the van+driver and heading somewhere else in the afternoon? But where?

 

Regarding Amalfi/Positano, I am a little bit confused; am I correct in assuming that the ship moors off Amalfi and that we will be tendered to Amalfi?

 

From the posts here it seems that the Amalfi Coast drive to Positano is a "must". Also that Ravello is very special and a "must". Could we accomplish this all before 3.00 p.m.? I see that Oceania is selling a half-day "Beautiful Positano and Amalfi" Tour (Code: AML-C) which appears to offer being tendered from the ship to Positano and then going from Positano to Amalfi by boat (or ferry?). This would save some time to-ing and fro-ing from Amalfi-Positano-Amalfi but apparently we would miss the all-important Coast Drive! Can some kind person please suggest the best plan. We are willing to get a private van+driver if it makes sense but equally we're prepared to do buses/taxis/ferries if that is the smarter option.

 

Any suggestions or advice will be appreciated.

[pondnana]

We did most of what you are talking about a couple of years ago with a delightful driver, Aldo Esposito of www.aldotaxi.net. We had a wonderful time with him and would recommend him highly. I would also recommend that you put the questions in your post to him. He could then map out an itinerary for you which would respect the on - off times of the ship. Good luck. I know you will enjoy your stay on the Amalfi coast.

Diana

[tropicalkerry2002]

We just did a bit of walking in Sorrento, then took the ferry to Capri, and spent most of the day there.

The next day,Amalfi/Positano, we had a guide who took us to Ravello, then to Pompeii(where we had a Pompeii guide for 2 hours), and after that a drive along the coast to Positano, where we had a gret lunch and did some wandering, then more driving along the coast back to the ship. You can read my review and get the huides name under the Regatta Reviews in this site our cruise was in 10/07. Have fun!

[LHT28]

Also check out the ROLL CALL for your cruise

There may be others that have tours to share

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420

[CintiPam]

We just had the same ports and port times on our Nautica cruise last month. Because we are big history/archaelogy buffs, we spent most of the first day in Pompeii DIY, taking the excellent Circumvesuviana train, a 30-minute train ride right to Pompeii. Upon our return, we ate a very late pizza lunch at Da Franco and then did some wandering/shopping in Sorrento itself. We had talked of going out to Capri but, not unexpectedly, we were too tired.

 

BTW, Oceania provided free shuttle bus service from the port up and down the very steep hill to the main plaza, Piazza Tasso, in Sorrento until 4:30 PM that day.

 

The second day, we anchored off of Amalfi and tendered in. That day, indeed a short one, we shared a private tour with four wonderful fellow roll call friends, who kindly included us in their arrangements with the friendly and knowledgable Marcello of seesorrento, who took us first over to a bit past Positano, then back through Amalfi over to Maori, up the mountains a bit to Tremonte, down to Ravello, and over to small Pontone for the lunch of a lifetime (special, but made even more so because it was my birthday and my friends arranged for champagne and a special birthday cake there). None of us were shoppers, so we did cover a lot of territory in a short time, with spectacular views at every turn.

 

After Marcello dropped us off back in Amalfi, we did a small bit of shopping in the lovely open square in front of the church in Amalfi.

 

We felt that with such a short day, we needed a private tour rather than relying on public transportation connections.

 

Two lovely days on the Amalfi Coast.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[ClaudiaF]

You can do Pompei from either port. If from Sorrento..you tender there:

I would see Pompei in the morning ( 2 to 3 hours is plenty of time there) get back to beautiful Sorrento for lunch. You can loose the driver there as the dock provides a free shuttle bus to the ship area from town down to the dock and from dock up to the town.

Make reservations for lunch at Caruso's restaurant in Sorrento ( have your driver drop you there)..it is WONDERFUL. A fabulous delicious restaurant dedicated to opera singer Caruso ( with all kinds of memorabilia all over the place)..I go to sorrento on cruises only to dine there... ;-)

You can walk the town and then head back to ship .

From Amafi I would do the coast drive ( probably with ship as you do not have the full day and the traffic on coast can be relentless..you don't want to "miss the boat"

The other idea is to reverse:

Do Amalfi coast w/ driver from Sorrento so you have time to really take it in, have lunch at hidden gem restaurant overlooking Positano from high above ( your private driver will know where to take you)..then head back to Sorrento for dinner in town ( Caruso's) and the shops all around town are open late giving you time to stroll around Sorrento before taking the tender back to ship for 11:30 departure to Amalfi. Then from Amalfi next am go to Pompei.

Have fun.

[Jancruz]

You can do Pompei from either port. If from Sorrento..you tender there:

I would see Pompei in the morning ( 2 to 3 hours is plenty of time there) get back to beautiful Sorrento for lunch. You can loose the driver there as the dock provides a free shuttle bus to the ship area from town down to the dock and from dock up to the town.

Make reservations for lunch at Caruso's restaurant in Sorrento ( have your driver drop you there)..it is WONDERFUL. A fabulous delicious restaurant dedicated to opera singer Caruso ( with all kinds of memorabilia all over the place)..I go to sorrento on cruises only to dine there... ;-)

You can walk the town and then head back to ship .

From Amafi I would do the coast drive ( probably with ship as you do not have the full day and the traffic on coast can be relentless..you don't want to "miss the boat"

The other idea is to reverse:

Do Amalfi coast w/ driver from Sorrento so you have time to really take it in, have lunch at hidden gem restaurant overlooking Positano from high above ( your private driver will know where to take you)..then head back to Sorrento for dinner in town ( Caruso's) and the shops all around town are open late giving you time to stroll around Sorrento before taking the tender back to ship for 11:30 departure to Amalfi. Then from Amalfi next am go to Pompei.

Have fun.

 

I am so glad I read this thread..we were in Sorrento a few years ago and took Claudias advice and had dinner at Carusos..it was wonderful..(I had forgotten)since we are going again shortly, I have just made reservations. Thanks Claudia!!

Jancruz1

[Rusky]

Thank you so much everybody for your excellent advice and insight. Very helpful!

 

Russell

[nparmelee]

We had the same 2 day schedule this last May on our Venice to Rome cruise. On the Sorrento day we tendered in, walked up to the train station and took the train to Pompeii Scavi and spent a few hours at Pompeii. Then we took the train into Naples, walked to Da Michele and had pizza there followed by the archaeological museum. Then we took the hydrofoil back to Sorrento, wandered the streets, did some shopping had a nice dinner and finally went back to the ship. The next day we joined up with others and used Drive Amalfi to take us to Positano, Ravello and Amalfi. Lots of photo stops and a shopping stop or two as well. It all worked out really well for us.

[hondorner]

We had the same 2 day schedule this last May on our Venice to Rome cruise. On the Sorrento day we tendered in, walked up to the train station and took the train to Pompeii Scavi and spent a few hours at Pompeii. Then we took the train into Naples, walked to Da Michele and had pizza there followed by the archaeological museum. Then we took the hydrofoil back to Sorrento, wandered the streets, did some shopping had a nice dinner and finally went back to the ship. The next day we joined up with others and used Drive Amalfi to take us to Positano, Ravello and Amalfi. Lots of photo stops and a shopping stop or two as well. It all worked out really well for us.

Now, I'm going to show my ignorance of foreign travel. How did you locate the train station? How did you know which tickets to buy? Did you have to have enough Italian to figure it out? Did the ticket seller understand any English? Did you pay for the tickets in Euros? How did you know how much money to have with you? Same questions for the train to Naples, and add in questions about how to find the hydrofoil back to Sorrento, and how much walking was involved.

 

You see, that is exactly the kind of day we would like to have next April, but as much as I enjoy research, it's a bit like seeing an elephant blindfolded. I'm not really asking you to lay out all the specifics of your day, but how did you get started on the information? Did you use a travel guide? Which one? I really am naive about this sort of thing.

[legaleaglegreen]

Get a map of Sorrento from any travel guide or google maps. The train station is a short walk from the main square. English is spoken widely in tourist destinations in Italy and many Italians (especially shopkeepers) will be able to give directions. Still it helps to know simple phrases such as "dove stazione al treni." [smile] The Sorrento station is the end of the line so you can't get on the wrong train. The ticket sellers understand simple English too. Yes you must pay for the tickets, admission to Pompei and almost everything else in Euros--they really don't want dollars anymore. As a recall, the ticket was less than ten euros. The simplest way is to get a few hundred euros from any ATM--they are everywhere in Italy. It may sound a little intimidating, but really it's simple and painless. Good luck and enjoy.

[legaleaglegreen]

As to a travel guide, stongly recommend Rick Steve's, which is full of practical information for the DIY traveler.

[seafare]

Now, I'm going to show my ignorance of foreign travel. How did you locate the train station? How did you know which tickets to buy? Did you have to have enough Italian to figure it out? Did the ticket seller understand any English? Did you pay for the tickets in Euros? How did you know how much money to have with you? Same questions for the train to Naples, and add in questions about how to find the hydrofoil back to Sorrento, and how much walking was involved.

 

You see, that is exactly the kind of day we would like to have next April, but as much as I enjoy research, it's a bit like seeing an elephant blindfolded. I'm not really asking you to lay out all the specifics of your day, but how did you get started on the information? Did you use a travel guide? Which one? I really am naive about this sort of thing.

 

 

Don,

 

If you go onto the Italy forum there is a Gentleman there who uses the screen name HeinBloed, do a search for a posting from him and at the bottom of the page of each of his postings he lists links for "How to" including pictures. You might find it helpfull.

 

Jill

[CintiPam]

Rick Steves' guidebooks are full of wonderful practical information for the DIY traveler in Europe, and every chapter has a section called "Transportation Connections". He includes directions to the train, bus, ferry and hydrofoil stations, their costs, how often they run to the sights you will be interested in visiting, etc. There also are hand-drawn maps clearly indicating where the train and bus stations are located.

 

We purchased his Italy 2009 guidebook in preparation for our many Italian cruise port stops last month and used it for all our DIY days in Italy, but your local library should have copies for you to access as well.

 

BTW, a RT ticket from Sorrento to Pompeii Scavi (right across the street from an entrance to the excavations) was a little less than 6 Euros per person.

 

Also, Oceania always has a local tourist information person come on board ship with maps and other tourist information in the AM. I seldom wait in the line for his/her information, but I always pick up the excellent map. The Sorrento person had a good map of Sorrento.

[hondorner]

Thanks for all the fantastically helpful information. It gives me the confidence to go off on my own. I had the same kind of help when we went to Barcelona, and it gave me the confidence to rent a car and travel 100 km to the Parador Cardona with a stop at Montserrat -- and we made it back in one piece, with no dents in the car :D.

 

I have stated elsewhere that we are thrifty, and it just delights me that we can see everything we want to see for a few Euros each rather than pay exorbitant tour or guide fees. I just need a little kick in the pants from time to time.

[KathyPet]

Can someone give me some assistance on the best way to see Pompeii? I gather that the venue itself does not give guided tours and that the options are to either take a self-guided do it yourself walking tour or hire a guide from the guides that stand around outside the entrance way. Did you hire a guide or take the self guided tour. If you did hire a guide how much did it cost you and was it worth it?

[Wineart]

We rented the headsets at both Pompeii and Herculaneum and found them to be excellent.

[seafare]

Kathy Pet,

 

You can hire a guide at the entrance for about 100 Euros for a two hour tour.

 

Jill

[hondorner]

Kathy Pet,

 

You can hire a guide at the entrance for about 100 Euros for a two hour tour.

 

Jill

I think I better bone up on Pompeii and become a guide! :eek: At least for a couple of weeks so I can pay for my next cruise...

[nparmelee]

Now, I'm going to show my ignorance of foreign travel. How did you locate the train station? How did you know which tickets to buy? Did you have to have enough Italian to figure it out? Did the ticket seller understand any English? Did you pay for the tickets in Euros? How did you know how much money to have with you? Same questions for the train to Naples, and add in questions about how to find the hydrofoil back to Sorrento, and how much walking was involved.

 

Don, Google maps now has street view in Sorrento so we walked our way to the train station virtually before we got there. What can I say, we're geeks. At most train stations, if you know the train station you want to go to, thats most of what you need to know. "Due (two) a (to) Pompeii Scavi (station)" from any Circumvesuviana train station is all you need to know. We paid in euros, it was only 3-5 euros for both of us. From Pompeii, if you want to go to Naples, "Due a Napoli Garibaldi" or "Due a Sorrento" depending on if you want to go to Naples or Sorrento. Due = 2, if just one ticket is needed, Un instead. Generally the ticket people at the stations know enough English that your attempts and theirs plus some sign language is enough, I did do some Italian courses before we went though since we were also spending time in Tuscany on our own, it was a good investment of my time. Get a good guide book ahead of time and do your research and you should be fine.

[macruise]

We did Pompeii from Sorrento on our own. There were no free shuttles into town from our ship:( when we were there in June, so we just walked to the main square and followed the signs(stazzione) to the station from the main square. Be sure that when you enter the station that you validate your ticket before boarding the train. Although I though I had did it, there was no validation mark, so I had to go back and do it again. I think the fine for having an unvalidated ticket is 50Euros and they did nab somebody on our trip back.

Get off at the station - Pompeii Scavi and turn right and it's just a short way to the site. We like to do things on our own, so didn't use a guide. Be sure to go to the info window(right near the ticket window, but back toward the entrance) and get a booklet that describes what you will see.

They only had maps for those people who rented the audio tour. In the past, the maps were available to everybody whether you did the audio tour or not.

The tiny "map" in the booklet are very difficult and just show the general area. So, I recommend that you print out a map of the site beforehand.

I found this one:

 

http://www.archaeology.co.uk/images/stories/cwa/pompeii/pompeii-map2.htm

 

BTW, we found that even the people with the audio tours had trouble finding where they were. The numbers don't seem to follow any order - or at least, we couldn't figure any systematic numbering. Do see the casts on the Via dell'Abbondanza.

 

Just in case you don't speak Italian, don't pronounce "due" as we do in English. It's more like do-eh.

 

Pompeii was excellent; we spent about 5 hours there and didn't see it all.

Be sure to take lots of water with you and wear sunscreen.

 

Enjoy

[CintiPam]

We like to do things on our own, so didn't use a guide. Be sure to go to the info window(right near the ticket window, but back toward the entrance) and get a booklet that describes what you will see.

They only had maps for those people who rented the audio tour. In the past, the maps were available to everybody whether you did the audio tour or not.

...

Enjoy

 

That's odd; we were there on June 12 and were given a huge map with our ticket, which corresponded with the numbers in the booklet, which we also requested and obtained at another window.

[pallas66]

We will also be on the September 4th Oceania cruise and are planning to go to Pompeii from the Sorrento port via the train. We would like to hire a guide ahead of time, but are not sure how long it will take us to get to Pompeii. We found the train schedule, but are not sure how long to allow for the tender to shore and the walk to the train station. If we are reading the Google map correctly, it is a .8km/9 min walk from the port to the Circum train station, but we also read that there is a big hill and that Oceania provides a shuttle up the hill to the main square, so we are not sure if we need to allow more time. The itinerary says we are in port at 8:00am. Does anyone know if it would be realistic to catch a 9:11 or 9:37 train to Pompeii?

 

Any information would be very much appreciated.

 

Lara

[CintiPam]

We will also be on the September 4th Oceania cruise and are planning to go to Pompeii from the Sorrento port via the train. We would like to hire a guide ahead of time, but are not sure how long it will take us to get to Pompeii. We found the train schedule, but are not sure how long to allow for the tender to shore and the walk to the train station. If we are reading the Google map correctly, it is a .8km/9 min walk from the port to the Circum train station, but we also read that there is a big hill and that Oceania provides a shuttle up the hill to the main square, so we are not sure if we need to allow more time. The itinerary says we are in port at 8:00am. Does anyone know if it would be realistic to catch a 9:11 or 9:37 train to Pompeii?

 

Any information would be very much appreciated.

 

Lara

 

You would have to have wings to be able to walk up that steep hill and over to the train station in 9 minutes. It's about an 8-minute walk to the station from the main piazza, Piazza Tasso, on the top of the hill! The shuttle only took perhaps 5-8 minutes to get up the hill and over to the piazza.

 

Once you catch the train, it's about 30 minutes to Pompeii Scavi.

 

We are not early people, so the only time we even tried to catch an Oceania tender early was the following day, the Amalfi day, because it was so short (ship departing at 3 PM). But we had no trouble getting the tender we wanted and being at the dock in Amalfi for our 8 AM tour pick-up. On our Pompeii day, we caught a later train than you are discussing, but the weather was nice, not too hot, and breezy, and we were in no rush, knowing that Pompeii was our destination for the day. (We spent about five hours before we totally wore out there.)

 

Enjoy your trip!

[pallas66]

Thank you so much! This is exactly the information we needed.

 

-Lara