Pompeii in Easter - where to stay? Where else to go?

[theunrivalledjoysofparenting]

Sorrento? Amalfi coast? Capri? If anyone has great hotel recommendations, or ideas for things to do, please shout!

We’re travelling by train. Dc are 16 and 13.

We stayed in Naples in an Airbnb. Naples was gritty but we loved it. We hired a private guide for Pompeii which was worth every penny.

We stayed in Sorrento at Easter a few years ago. Went to Pompeii, Herculaneum, up Vesuvius, over to Capri, round the Amalfi Coast. Loved it all and Sorrento felt like a great place to base ourselves.

Don’t miss staying in Naples. It’s vibrant, city life with the best food ever and near to the Museum with all the artefacts removes from Pompeii and Herculaneum, churches, markets and harbour. There is a simple to understand train service from Naples all the way up the coast to get to Sorrento. The street life at night in Naples is fascinating people watching, especially all the tiny shops that open that are the “fronts” one the caves under the city. Your teens will love it - mine did. It’s an eye opener. There’s amazing gelato!

We stayed in St agnello just outside sorrento in an air

Thanks. Have heard very mixed reviews of Naples...

Can anyone recommend a hotel/apartment?

@Whateveryouwish - that sounds like what we want to do! Any tips? Did you hire a car or go by train?

We stayed in Naples and got the train to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius. Definitely get a guide for Pompeii, well worth it for the information her will tell you. If you hang around at the entrance to Pompeii and try to gather a small group of English speakers, you can split the cost.

Naples is quite gritty but it is convenient for the train. We stayed in an Air b&b.

We stayed in Sorrento at the Rota Suites good for us - and probably for you - as there is a bedroom and then a sofa bed in the living room so they could sleep up to 4. I didn't love Sorrento as much as I thought I would but it's a great base for Pompeii and Capri and other destinations and felt safe unlike Naples train station.

@theunrivalledjoysofparenting we didn’t hire a car but we did the Amalfi Coast as part of a tour. Otherwise we organised everything ourselves, train mainly and a boat to Capri. We arrived on Easter Sunday and there were lots of parades. The weather was wet on a few days and warm on the rest. It was a great holiday, doing something different everyday.

Naples is indeed as a PP has said ‘gritty’ - been twice and it’s too much on the ropey side of gritty for me. Personally, I wouldn’t stay there but maybe do a day trip in for the museums and good food! Sorrento to Pompei is easy - about 30 minutes on the train. I know lots of people like Sorrento and while it’s got a lot going for it, for me it had too many Hotel after Hotel and Brit tourists. I prefer Amalfi which is gorgeous! It’s a bit of a pain to get to but worth it (you catch a bus from outside Sorrento station, it’s about an hour on from there and winds around the coastal road with spectacular scenery). To get to Pompei, you’d need to get back the bus back to Sorrento or onto Vietri sul Mare and catch the train onto Pompei from there. It would be more of a faff and Sorrento is the easier option in terms of where to stay but it’s what I’d do!

PS - Naples to Sorrento is easy - there is a direct train. All trains can be booked cheaper in advance on the Trenitalia site