Naples is a great jumping-off point for a number of day trips. I wanted to go to the Amalfi Coast and Paul wanted to explore Naples a bit more, so Katie and I set off for a day in Sorrento. Located only about 30 miles south of Naples, it's a perfect day trip.
We were lucky to have beautiful weather the entire trip, but our day in Sorrento was picture-perfect. In terms of the Amalfi Coast, this day trip equated to dipping our toes in the water and it left us wanting to experience more of the gorgeous coast. The combination of the deep blue water, the cliffs jutting out to the sea, the architecture and the quaint, narrow streets full of everything lemon was magical. And with a population of only 16,000, it's easy to navigate.
There are several ways to get to Sorrento from Naples including driving, ferry, bus, taxi or train. Katie and I chose the train. It's called the Circumvesuviana, it's narrow gauge and very local!
The best part was the cost; €3,90 one way to Sorrento which is the end of the line. You can get on at either Porta Nolana, its terminus in Naples, or one stop later at the main station, Garibaldi. We went on a Saturday and got on at Garibaldi. It was mid-morning in March and standing room only. It took about an hour because it stopped at every tiny "stazione" between Naples and Sorrento. Most passengers got off at Pompeii after which we were able to sit. We were very happy it wasn't any warmer; I definitely wouldn't take it during the summer!
The train station in Sorrento is about a five-minute walk from the center of town. Follow everyone else and you'll end up at beautiful Piazza Tasso, the main square.
From Piazza Tasso you can easily wind your way through the narrow lanes selling everything lemon; limoncello, limoncello cream, lemon soap, lemon candy, lemon-themed kitchen ware and lemons larger than grapefruit. Even the buildings are yellow; it's a lemon-yellow paradise!
And from the train, acres and acres of lemon orchards. Or are they groves?
Feeling a bit peckish after walking around for a while, we stumbled upon Frankie's Pizza Bar. Not exactly the name you'd expect in Sorrento, but we took a chance. It was SO good! We highly recommend Frankie's Pizza Bar if you visit Sorrento; it was the best pizza we had on our trip!
Not far from Piazza Tasso is the Villa Comunale park with beautiful views of the Bay of Naples.
This is the ferry port just below town.
We decided to take the ferry back to enjoy the views from the Bay of Naples, but before we left, we took a 30-minute trolley ride around town which went down to the beach. When we got back to Piazza Tasso and realized how long the walk would have been back down to the port, we decided to save our legs and take the train back. There's an elevator from the upper part of town to the port, but unfortunately it wasn't working the day we were there. I imagine the ferry ride is beautiful and I'd love to take it someday.
This was on the return trip on the train; much less crowded! The return didn't stop at as many towns and was faster than the the morning trip.
We thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the streets of lovely Sorrento...
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Sorrento is a very easy day trip from Naples, no matter what type of transportation you choose.
If you leave Naples early enough, you could add Positano which is just across the peninsula from Sorrento. It would be a long day, but it would be doable. We had planned to fit both in, but by the time we left Sorrento we had run out of time.
Beautiful, so colorful!
This reminds me of that movie "Under the Tuscan Sun." :).
I used to make limoncello. We first tried it on a Princess cruise and i was told the make it on the ship. Mine was pretty good I think but figuring the cost of the booze and the lemons it made more sense to just buy it.
Ciao!
Hi Betsy, glad you enjoyed the post! We were planning to take the bus to Positano and either the bus or a taxi back to Sorrento. We loved Sorrento so much and spent more time there than we had originally planned. I do want to explore the Amalfi Coast more, though and as I said in the post, I want to take the ferry someday; I'm sure it's gorgeous. Naples is situated so well for day- and other short trips!
Wonderful post with beautiful pictures!! When you were planning to go to Positano in the same day, how were you planning to get there? Would you take a bus? Taxi? Take a local tour? Would love to know the options you considered since you took the train from Naples. I love that you took the train -- it's the best way to feel like a local in this extraordinary part of Italy! I enjoyed your post!