Pompeii and Sorrento

[SuperMoonIsKeepingMeUpToo]

Am planning a trip to Pompeii next May/June (half term week). Taking children - twins of 14. I'm aware that Pompeii isn't a week's long trip so we'd like to couple it with another beachy place. I was thinking of flying to Naples, staying in Sorrento and visiting Capri. Is there enough to do in Sorrento and do we need a car?

The places you mention are well linked by a lovely local train, the Circumvesuviana, which goes through lemon groves along the coast.

Capri in September will be a dream, but personally I don't like Sorrento, it has a very strong British clientele (think pub grub and a pint of beer). My best friend had her honeymoon at a posh Sorrento hotel and as they were AI they invited us for dinner. The maitre said to the waiter "Watch out, there are some Italians at that table!"

So if you want the authentic experience, try to avoid Sorrento, but your holiday sounds great!

Sorry, you said May/June, another lovely time. Pompei can take a day at least to get around, it's fascinating and will not last much longer, the way it's being neglected.

I'd choose Herculaneum rather than Pompeii.

I loved Sorrento and didn't find it at all pub grubby TBH. It is utterly beautiful. I took my 2 DC's who were 7 and 10 at the time and we all really enjoyed it. The food is incredible. INCREDIBLE!

Pompeii is huge so you will easily eat up a full day there. Agree with PP who urged you to see Herculaneum as well. Transport links are fab, cheap and easy.

We didn't get to Capri but I've been reliably informed that it is beautiful.

I would suggest a hotel with a pool - that will keep the kids happy and give you a bit of down time too - lots and lots of walking and exploring in Sorrento can leave you a bit shattered.

Oh I'm jealous!

Whoops, didn't answer the question v well. There aren't really beaches as such - it's very rocky so Defoe look for a place with a pool. Car wise I would say NO WAY! The Italian drivers are pretty bonkers TBH and you honestly can get around really well without a car.

Sorrento has a beach but it's at the foot of an ugly cliff and not in the town. Agree about not driving, think hairpin bends and rally drivers.
Also a good guide makes a tour so much more interesting. This restaurant in Sorrento was recommended to us and was fab.

I didn't find Sorrento too british but it was a good while ago that I went.

Pompeii one day.
Herculaneum half a day
go along the coast to Amalfi and Positano another day.

Limited stuff of specific interest to 14 year olds. Though I'm sure they'll love the hairpin bends on the bus.

Pompei can take a day at least to get around, it's fascinating and will not last much longer, the way it's being neglected.

I heard a few years ago they may close it to the public due to the pounding it is taking, which prompted our visit a couple of years ago.

As PP have said, there isn't much beach in Sorrento but lots of the larger hotels have pools and some of the cliff top ones also have pool + lift down through the cliffs to a bathing deck at the foot of the cliffs. This is not as alarming as it sounds, as they have created artificial rock barriers (correct word escapes me) which take the brunt of the waves, so you have a sheltered sea area for swimming and snorkelling - there are plenty of small fish if you do take a snorkel and mask.

We stayed in Sorrento and found it very touristy and crowded, though we were there in high summer (my God the heat!!!). I would try to find a self catered apartment with air con, as eating out can also be very expensive. We stayed in the Rota Suites and had the use of the pool and bathing platform at the sister cliff top hotel 5 mins round the corner. The Rota Suites were good, actually, and a couple of UK tour operators offer packages with them included. We were on the front, looking out to sea/across a lemon grove - the views were fantastic, as were the sunsets, but it was noisy when all the Apes (little three wheeler vans) and mopeds were thundering past. It was OK with the windows shut, though, as the double glazing was very effective. I've heard some of the little villages around Sorrento are nicer (e.g. St Agnello) and some of the hotels in satellite villages have a free shuttle service into Sorrento.

Remortgage your house if you decide to go to Capri for the day as it is even more expensive than Sorrento - or take a packed lunch and drinks to keep costs down. IIRC it was about €120 for day return fares for 2 adults and 2 children under 10 to Capri on the fast ferry/hydrofoil. There's not that much to see in the town you land at, although I've heard there is some lovely hiking countryside on the island - tricky to do in a day though.

We had half of our honeymoon in Sorrento and didn't need a car. We also stayed in Rome for five days. We went to Pompeii on an organised trip - early start and a coach trip but an amazing experience. We also went to Capri on an organised trip. Bit scary on the coach on the way up.... Offered a boat trip but passed as I'm scared of water.

Sorrento is lovely, Capri was great too.

I spent a week in Rome earlier this year with the DCs and we visited Pompeii for the day on the train. It was really easy.

Pompeii is easily done in a day but Rome can fill a week over and over.

Another vote for Positano and Herculaneum and the Circumvesuviana. Also the museum in Naples where they keep all the Roman relics found in Pompeii.

I also loved Ravello and they have wonderful open air concerts on the cliffs there. I love the whole area so much I am taking DH for a surprise for our wedding anniversary.
Enjoy!

We booked a local licensed guide Lucia for a tour of Pompeii. She lives in Sorrento and met us at the train station, as we'd arranged to visit first thing in the morning to beat the heat. It meant we had the benefit of her expertise and knowledge for the hour's train trip to Pompeii, as well as the 2 hours we'd booked for our tour. She was excellent and pitched our tour really well to keep our kids' interest, as well as ours. She wasn't cheap, but it was very worthwhile and I think we got so much more out of Pompeii than if we hadn't booked her. As she'd explained things so well in the first couple of hours, once we were exploring independently we knew what we were looking for/at.

I would recommend staying somewhere on the Amalfi coast rather than Sorrento itself. Sorrento is a lovely place to spend an afternoon but the beach isn't great and it is very busy. No need for a car- the drivers are terrifying and there are really good bus links to all the local towns. We stayed in Maiori and got a bus to Pompeii, Naples, Amalfi and probably more places I've forgotten about and there are loads of boat trips from Amalfi to Sorrento, Capri, Positano... plenty to see and do.

I forgot to say - it was worth booking Lucia for a tour, as she also told us where all the good, reasonably priced restaurants that the locals frequent were in Sorrento. Unfortunately I can't remember any of them - she marked up a tourist map we had with us at the time.

Oh YY - we stayed in St Agnello which meant a walk into Sorrento - this was the best option I think.

We have just got back from Rome/Pompeii with a 13 and 14 yo.

We flew into Rome. Had 3 days there. Train down to Naples then circumvesuviana to Pompeii (5 days). We stayed at Azienda Agrituristica Vivi Natura in Pompeii- great hotel with pool. We were perfectly located for Pompeii, Herculaneum, climbing Vesuvius, visiting Sorrento and a beach day at Meta.

We flew out of Naples back to UK.

Watching

To echo breward, I'd spend some time in Rome, of which one day in Ostia (bit like Pompeii but better preserved and more accessible), then a couple of nights near Pompeii/ Herculaneum. The temperature at the end of May will be pretty warm for all that walking imo (& I'm Italian). Def no car, public transport is good & will let all of you enjoy the view. Have you considered Ponza instead of Capri?

Oh loving all the tips on here! We're looking to go in April and want advise! Sorry to hijack! Are we best doing Rome then Pompeii? Just me a 14 yo and a 12 yo who are interested in the history but also want some chill time! Got the Easter ha so could go any duration depending on cost!

"we stayed in St Agnello which meant a walk into Sorrento"

We stayed there as well in the Majestic Palace. The walk into Sorrento was horrible - narrow pavements and horrifically busy and noisy roads. It was 34 degrees so we just took a train in instead.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed with Sorrento as you can't walk along the coast as it is so built up to the tops of the cliffs. It isn't a place to do much walking unless you like to mooch around the shops.

We enjoyed Pompeii and a boat trip to Amalfi though. I wish that we had gone to Hercualaneum as well, but as it was so hot we didn't fancy spending over an hour in a train with no aircon.