Panicking - sorrento with teens

[Teakettletrio]

We are off to Sorrento for half term with three teenagers. We all want to go to Pompeii and Vesuvius so that’s easy. However the rest of the time my kids just want to swim. The weather forecast is not looking great - rainy and 18-20 degrees. My plan had been to go to the thermal baths on Ischia for the day but that worked out at £350 for us to go and that’s beyond our budget for a day trip. So that’s off the table. What can we do?
We have a hire car, so we can travel about a bit but what are we going to do with them? I’m now thinking I’ve picked the wrong place to go and it’s going to be a miserable holiday with lots of moaning. Help!

Boat trip to Capri
Ice cream and sorbet making - we all loved that!
Herculaneum
We love just pottering around Sorrento
Lots of trips along the coast road etc
Eating!!!!!

Boat trips are out by the way. Too expensive for the 5 of us. They total 200 euros for any option - Ischia, Capri, Positano etc

Then bus trips

Herculaneum.
drive along the amalfi coast (can also do this by bus)

mainline train to visit Paestum.

Getting parked in Sorrento is nigh on impossible.

There is a beach club down at the Marina Grande where you can hire the loungers, it’s on a pontoon thing. The sea will be warm enough to swim, I was in the south of Italy last week in variable weather and there were people swimming. Could you investigate doing half a day of kayaking? I would really recommend at least one the boat trips for £200, Capri was well worth it and they would like the cable car at the top in Anacapri.

I think there’s a cheaper ferry type boat to Capri? I know the private transfers are expensive.

Yes there is, we did the ferry and it wasn't expensive

You get the ferry yourselves from Sorrento to Capri, it shouldn’t be too expensive, we did it, but it was many years ago, but don’t remember it being expensive. Do you have an indoor pool where you are staying.

It’s 40 euros per person return on the ferry to either Capri or Ischia. No under 18s discounts. So that’s 200 euros for us. I dread to think how much a private boat would cost.

Don't discount Naples either we did a great walking tour. The pizza is amazing.

Try also the Marina Piccola and the Bagni Regina Giovanna. They also seem to have kayaking/SUP at the latter.

There is a fantastic archeological museum in Naples too.

SUP might be an option.
Ive read some bad reviews of the Regina Giovanni saying it’s dirty, full of litter and possibly sewage! Is that right?

Go into Naples. It's so buzzy! Napoli won the football league again 5his year, when we went exactly 2 years ago the streets of the Spanish Quarter were festooned with banners. Just wandering the streets is great fun, there is fantastic street art and the Maradona worship is something to see. At the top of the hill Castell sant'Elmo has sweeping views, you get there by funicular. It's an hour and a bit on the train but Italian trains are cheaper than UK.

Naples is completely amazing. Walking around is fascinating if you keep your wits about you, the archaeology museum is ace especially if you have visited Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the pizza is outstanding. If everyone is keen on Pompeii, I strongly recommend Herculaneum. It's a better site to visit in many ways (you can see more, it's better preserved, and it's smaller/easier to get around), it's just less famous than Pompeii.

@LezUlez oh that will please my teenage boys. Can you visit the stadium?
I’d ruled out Naples as people had given me the impression it was a no go zone.

Sorrento is an expensive place, all of the Amalfi coast is, especially the nearer you are to the sea. We paid €120 for 6 beers and 3 plates of chips! Thankfully we were staying further away in Santa Agata which was lovely and great value.

Train from sorrento to Pompeii and Herculaneum and even Naples. Local buses from sorrento to positano and almalfi, a long day but will be scenic, think there’s a coastal route . Ask at your hotel reception- I’m sure they’ll be helpful. We went on a boat tour to amalfi and positano for 5 of us- it was a very expensive outing, but enjoyable. We used lots of local buses other than that. Also, go down the tourist trap shops identified by the lemons- loads of free chocolate and limoncello being handed out! They also had a lovely walnutcello in one of them too!!!

Don't discount Naples. That reputation is not really justified. It's not inherently dangerous for tourists, it's just a busy, bustling city with a higher than average number of pickpockets. Leave valuables and expensive jewelry in a safe at the hotel, and keep your bags across your bodies. You'll be fine. It's absolutely fantastic.

is there a pool? Go to the beach? Potter about in local town? In a week I’d never do more than a couple of paid trips

Good article in the Times a couple of weeks ago about a trip to Naples with 2 boys etc with some good ideas https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/italy/naples/naples-teens-family-amalfi-d2cgs67pz

@mamagogo1 and @Lennonjingles we do have a pool at the hotel but it’s outdoor and not heated.

@Londonmummy66 oh that’s a great article. Thank you. That’s given me hope!