Excursion to Capri & Positano from Naples Port

[SSAA33]

We will be in Naples in September for 12 hours (7AM to 7PM).

 

Our plan is: Hydrofoil from Naples to Capril; hydrofoil from Capri to Positano; SITA bus from Positano to Sorrento; Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Naples.

 

We want to take the earliest hydrofoil to Capri (I understand that we can quickly walk to the hydrofoil/ferry area from the ship?) and get there around 9. In Capri, we want to take the boat ride to the Blue Grotta and then if there is time, funicular to Capri town for a quick walk.

We will then need to catch the 12PM ferry to Positano that we pre-booked (if we miss this, we will have to take a ferry to Sorrento instead).

 

From Positano, we will take the SITA bus to Sorrento and go straight to the train station to head back to Naples. (How long does the bus ride usually take?)

 

We are planning to get back to Naples with enough time for a stop a DaMichele for pizza. We will be getting off at the train station that is a 5 minute walk to the pizza place.

 

Is this a feasible plan?

[SSAA33]

Also, is there buses or trams to get from the DaMichele (near train station) area back to the port? If someone can explain how to get back to the port using public transportation, that would be great!

 

Of course, if we are running late we will catch a taxi instead.

[euro cruiser]

It can be done but you'll be spending most of your day in transit, rather than enjoying the places you are going to.

 

You will arrive at Positano around 12:45 PM. How much time do you plan to spend in Positano? You also need to leave time to get from the port area up to the SITA bus stop on the SS163. It's only a little over a half mile but much of that is uphill. There is a local bus you can use but I don't know how frequently it runs.

 

It takes an hour to get from Positano to Sorrento on the bus. The first possible bus you could get would be the 1:40, although that would leave you almost no time in Positano. This bus gets you to Sorrento at 2:40. The next bus, at 2:10, gets to Sorrento at 3 PM and the following one is 2:30, arriving at 3:15. (Bus schedule here: http://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/public/tpl/campania/5070.pdf)

 

The Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Naples takes between 50 - 70 minutes, depending on the train.

 

The very first train you could get (which means no time in Positano) would be the 2:55 that arrives in Naples at 4:02.

 

If you spend a little time in Positano you could still make the 3:26 train that arrives in Naples at 4:17. The next train is at 4:07 and arrives at 5:14. (Circumvesuviana schedule here: http://www.vesuviana.it/web/files/Napoli%20Sorrento%20A4.pdf)

 

Let's say you take the train that arrives at 4:17. It's about a half mile from the Porta Nolana station; you'll arrive there at about 4:40 or so. Assuming they are serving at that hour, you can allow about an hour at Da Michele. From here to the port is about a mile. You can get a bus on Corso Umberto to the intersection of Via Gasperi and Calata San Marco, which is only a couple of short blocks from the port. There are several buses that take this route, including the R2.

[SSAA33]

Thank you so much for breaking that down and helping me get an idea of how much time we'll spend in transit.

 

We had actually planned on taking the 1:40 or 2:10 out of Positano (I had hoped the hydrofoil from Capri-Positano would take 30 mins but 45 is probably more realistic!). I do see that we won't be able to spend much time in Positano and I considered skipping it. But since I really want to at least see the Amalfi Coast so I figured taking the ferry into Positano and then the bus drive to Sorrento (eventhough we'll be on the left side of the road) would be part of the experience. The plan is to start slowly heading up towards the SITA bus stop as soon as we get into Positano - stopping to take pictures and what not. Let me know if this is a good way to see Positano quickly.

With regards to getting to the SITA stop, we have directions from Google maps - but I am hoping that it's fairly straightforward getting there and we won't waste a lot of time getting lost..?

 

Is Da Michele in a good area to experience 'the heard of Naples' while we're there. It seems like we might not have enough time to walk down the Spaccanapoli so I'm hoping we get to experience the best of Naples while we're going to Da Michele.

 

I have always wanted to try pizza at one of those street carts too. Is this common in downtown Naples?

[SSAA33]

Also, assuming we finish around 5:40 at DaMichele like you said - is it best to just take the bus back to port at this point and not attempt to walk?

[account4fun]

We will be in Naples in September for 12 hours (7AM to 7PM).

 

Our plan is: Hydrofoil from Naples to Capril; hydrofoil from Capri to Positano; SITA bus from Positano to Sorrento; Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Naples.

 

We want to take the earliest hydrofoil to Capri (I understand that we can quickly walk to the hydrofoil/ferry area from the ship?) and get there around 9. In Capri, we want to take the boat ride to the Blue Grotta and then if there is time, funicular to Capri town for a quick walk.

We will then need to catch the 12PM ferry to Positano that we pre-booked (if we miss this, we will have to take a ferry to Sorrento instead).

 

From Positano, we will take the SITA bus to Sorrento and go straight to the train station to head back to Naples. (How long does the bus ride usually take?)

 

We are planning to get back to Naples with enough time for a stop a DaMichele for pizza. We will be getting off at the train station that is a 5 minute walk to the pizza place.

 

Is this a feasible plan?

 

Wow that's a very ambitious plan..I agree with others that said you will be spending most of your time in transit... so what's the point? I think it would be better to pick one and really be able to experience that place. We took the 8:05 hydrofoil to Capri and got there at 9am. Then we took a 3 hour boat tour with Gianni around the island. Afterwards we walked around town, had lunch etc. It was a fantastic day! Capri is beautiful and worthy of a full day visit! We did not feel that we missed anything by not seeing the Amalfi coast. Maybe someday...:)

[SSAA33]

Wow that's a very ambitious plan..I agree with others that said you will be spending most of your time in transit... so what's the point? I think it would be better to pick one and really be able to experience that place. We took the 8:05 hydrofoil to Capri and got there at 9am. Then we took a 3 hour boat tour with Gianni around the island. Afterwards we walked around town, had lunch etc. It was a fantastic day! Capri is beautiful and worthy of a full day visit! We did not feel that we missed anything by not seeing the Amalfi coast. Maybe someday...:)

 

Thanks!

 

<sigh> I thought I had made our plan more reasonable by skipping Pompeii but I guess it is still ambitious lol We do obviously realize that we won't have much time for meals but we're okay with granola bars until we reach the 'temple of pizza' in Naples.

[Hlitner]

Perhaps another example of what we call the "It its Tuesday it must be Belgium" syndrome (google this movie). Keep in mind that just going from Naples to Capri will cost you 17 Euros (expect a price increase soon) per person each way. So a couple is spending about $85 for just the transportation to get to and from Capri. Also, the excursion over the the Blue Grotto (if its open) is quite pricy (plus they want additional tips) and can take nearly 2 hours (depending on how long you wait for a boat). The Blue Grotto is the mostly touristy place on Capri (and some would argue in Italy) and to go all the way to Capri to only visit this tacky site is a waste. You should also take the funicular up to Capri Town and even consider grabbing the bus up to Anacapri so you can take the chair lift up to the top of Mt Solara (amazing views). Also be advised that some of the shopping in Capri Town rivals the boutiques of Rodeo Drive (we have seen 600 Euro ripped jeans) and can be fun. My point is that by rushing from place to place you will really see very little of anyplace and will spend a lot of money just getting from place to place.

 

DW loves Capri and its always a full day trip for us whenever we vacation on the Amalfi Coast (and sometimes when we are in Naples for a port day). The Amalfi Coast is also an amazing area but is best done as a full day excursion (we simply rent a car) so you enjoy the views from the Amalfi Drive and visit Positano, Ravello, and Amalfi.

 

Hank

P.S. We must always post this warning! Most cruise line excursions to the Amalfi Coast are done on large tour buses which are never permitted to enter the streets of Positano. So these tours give you a glance of Positano from the road above.....but do not allow you to actually go into this charming city. Only vans and cars (and the regional bus line) can enter the city.

 

Hank

[aquilegia]

But since I really want to at least see the Amalfi Coast so I figured taking the ferry into Positano and then the bus drive to Sorrento (eventhough we'll be on the left side of the road) would be part of the experience.

 

Presumably you mean even though you won't be on the left side of the road.

[SSAA33]

Presumably you mean even though you won't be on the left side of the road.

 

Yes - ie we'll be on the opposite side than the coast. Hoping we'll still get some good views though.

[SSAA33]

Thanks for that insight Hank!

 

We did go back and forth about Capri & the Blue Grotto, as it will end up being quite expensive (w/ the hydrofoils Naples-Capri & Capri-Positano and the Blue Grotto visit).

 

We decided in the end that it would be a unique experience even if it is touristy and it can be our 'spurlge' since we're DIYing all the ports. I do intend to confirm with Laser Capri that Blue Grotto is open before getting on the boat though. If we're not able to enter the Blue Grotto, Capri & Anacapri are definitely plan B. Otherwise, we're hoping to get to Capri by 9 and be back from the Blue Grotto by 11 so we still have time for the funicular upto Capri and a quick walk there. We made reservations on the 12pm hydrofoil from Capri to Positano.

 

Do you have any recommendations for a more reasonable itinerary? We do want to stick to DIYing without a tour group and I'd rather not rent a car so I don't have to worry about traffic & parking. Like I said before, we're not looking to have any sit-down meals besides the pizza in Naples.

Perhaps we should consider skipping Positano?

[account4fun]

Thanks for that insight Hank!

 

We did go back and forth about Capri & the Blue Grotto, as it will end up being quite expensive (w/ the hydrofoils Naples-Capri & Capri-Positano and the Blue Grotto visit).

 

We decided in the end that it would be a unique experience even if it is touristy and it can be our 'spurlge' since we're DIYing all the ports. I do intend to confirm with Laser Capri that Blue Grotto is open before getting on the boat though. If we're not able to enter the Blue Grotto, Capri & Anacapri are definitely plan B. Otherwise, we're hoping to get to Capri by 9 and be back from the Blue Grotto by 11 so we still have time for the funicular upto Capri and a quick walk there. We made reservations on the 12pm hydrofoil from Capri to Positano.

 

Do you have any recommendations for a more reasonable itinerary? We do want to stick to DIYing without a tour group and I'd rather not rent a car so I don't have to worry about traffic & parking. Like I said before, we're not looking to have any sit-down meals besides the pizza in Naples.

Perhaps we should consider skipping Positano?

 

We were not able to visit the blue grotto on our visit because it was too windy and the sea was rough. That said we saw other very beautiful grottos including the green grotto that was definitely worth the visit. I think this would have to be done on a private excursion though.

[Hlitner]

Thanks for that insight Hank!

 

We did go back and forth about Capri & the Blue Grotto, as it will end up being quite expensive (w/ the hydrofoils Naples-Capri & Capri-Positano and the Blue Grotto visit).

 

We decided in the end that it would be a unique experience even if it is touristy and it can be our 'spurlge' since we're DIYing all the ports. I do intend to confirm with Laser Capri that Blue Grotto is open before getting on the boat though. If we're not able to enter the Blue Grotto, Capri & Anacapri are definitely plan B. Otherwise, we're hoping to get to Capri by 9 and be back from the Blue Grotto by 11 so we still have time for the funicular upto Capri and a quick walk there. We made reservations on the 12pm hydrofoil from Capri to Positano.

 

Do you have any recommendations for a more reasonable itinerary? We do want to stick to DIYing without a tour group and I'd rather not rent a car so I don't have to worry about traffic & parking. Like I said before, we're not looking to have any sit-down meals besides the pizza in Naples.

Perhaps we should consider skipping Positano?

 

Being a long time confirmed DIYer we have always used a basic philosophy of knowing all one's options and then being very flexibile. The idea of locking into a specific itinerary is against my personal religion :). So if Capri is on your "to do" list by all means grab the earliest jetboat/hydrofoil and go to Capri. From that point just do what feels right at the time. We are not sure if you need reservations on the noon hydrofoil, but as long as they do not require a deposit you still will have flexibility. I guess my point is that we would never recommend anyone go to Capri to only see the Blue Grotto (and yes, we have taken that tacky tour ourselves).

 

As an aside, we ourselves will have 3 days in Naples in October and November and are also trying to look at options. Knowing the region as well as we do does not make it any easier :). On a recent European cruise we got in a conversation with a group of other frequent travelers and the subject of Naples was discussed. In response to a question (what haven't we done in the area) the only thing that came to mind was taking a jetboat over to Procida (turned out one of the group had actually been to that island). Naples is a great cruise port because there are just so many options.

 

One piece of advice we have for any DIYer is always try to have a Plan B and be prepared for the unexpected. You need to allow for a delay (such as the SITA bus from Positano to Naples being delayed) and be prepared to adapt. We were once on the train from Naples to Sorrento when the train suddenly stopped and all the passengers were told to get off. It turned out that there was a fire near the train tracks that had closed the tracks. In the end we finally hired a taxi to drive us to Positano (from where the train was stopped) and later got back to Naples using jetboats. Worse case is we could have missed the ship in which case we would have caught up the following day (the ship would be in Livorno).

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

As an aside, we ourselves will have 3 days in Naples in October and November and are also trying to look at options.

Hank, if you haven't yet been to Caserta to visit the palace and gardens, it's well worth the short trip (half an hour) from Naples.

[SSAA33]

Thank you again for the advice, Hank!

 

I agree about the flexibility - we have included Plans B, C and so forth in our 'itinerary'. I am trying to plan and research as much as I can in advance and then go with the flow once we are there. And we will definitely be making some decisions based on our mood on the specific day :)

 

Can you expand on specifically why you didn't like the Blue Grotto trip? Like I said before, we went back and forth about it a few times (from the reviews it seems that people either love it or hate it). We usually steer clear of the 'tourist trap' type activities. But for this we decided that even though it will be overpriced, crowded & rushed/quick, it definitely is a unique experience.

 

Did you find the Grotto to not be as pretty as the videos and pictures make it seem?? That would be one thing that might make me re-think the plan of going there!

 

For the reservations, we had read that the Capri to Positano hydrofoil gets filled quickly since it doesn't run as frequently and it is one of the few where you can make a reservation. It is not pre-paid but I beleive they do have a 24-hour cancellation policy - we had to submit our credit card info as part of the reservation so I'm guessing they will charge us for a no-show. Unfortunately, the ferries that go from Capri to Sorrento (or even back to Naples) are under a different company so if we miss (or decide not to go on) the Positano ferry we will lose that money and have to pay for additional tickets.

 

During my research I was amazing by how many different excursions one can go on from Naples! You are so lucky to have visited this areas so often. I hope you have another wonderful trip in October!

 

Reading threads on cruisecritic is quickly making me aware of the range of things that can 'go wrong'. I am trying to prepare by including alternate train, bus & ferry schedules in my itinerary and information about the alternate ports the cruises occasionally dock at. The biggest let-down would be if are not able to stop in Naples at all due to weather!

[SSAA33]

Is the walk from the Marina up to the Sponda bus station a good way to see Positano quickly?

[euro cruiser]

Positano is not a place to be seen quickly on foot. Have you seen pictures? Unless you are in really good shape, the trip up that hill is going to take a while.

 

 

 

Edited: sorry, the picture I attached was too large and came out unclear.

[euro cruiser]

Let's try that again:

 

Edit: Still didn't work. Just use google image and look at Positano shots.

[SSAA33]

Thanks, EC! I was concerned about the walk being steep and taking a long time but I was advised (on a TripAdvisor forum) that the walk from the dock to Via Sponda can be done in 20 minutes. So I figured 1 to 1.5 hour will give us enough time to do it at a leisurely pace. Should we expect it to take longer?

[SSAA33]

Planning on discussing whether we should skip the Blue Grotto and spend the 3 hours exploring Capri instead with the husband this weekend..

[Hlitner]

Hank, if you haven't yet been to Caserta to visit the palace and gardens, it's well worth the short trip (half an hour) from Naples.

 

What a great suggestion! We have never gone to Caserta because we normally do not travel to the North when in Naples. I noticed that there are pretty good train connections between Naples and Caserta so do you know about the logistics of getting from the Caserta train station to the palace? One of our 3 days in Naples will be a shorter day (ship leaves at 4pm) so Caserta would make a lot of sense for that day. Of course we could rent a car but the train seems to make more sense.

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

Ok, so now we are asked to comment on our Blue Grotto experience which we normally avoid because we do not want to spoil the experience for others :) I ran this by DW and her comments are "its small," "it doesnt really glow," "it can be crowded inside," "you have to transfer from one small boat to an even smaller boat (like a row boat)," "and you might have the joy of a stranger sitting between your legs," and as expensive as the excursion is....the rowers still insist on additional tips. DW has 2 words to describe the Blue Grotto which is "Rip Off." Ok, so now DW has expressed herself. My feeling is that the place is a horrible tourist trap...but, it is one tourist trap that can be a lot of fun so I am not as negative as DW. I would add that the boat ride from Marina Grande around the island (to get you to the row boats that take you into the Grotto) is fun and gives you a nice sea view of Capri.

 

In our case we had been to Capri more then 8 times before we decided to go to the Blue Grotto just to satisfy our curiosity. Despite DWs comments we did have a lot of fun although she still is annoyed that we got conned into paying around $60 to spend less them 4 minutes in a water cave (we have seen a lot better on some of the Greek Islands).

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

I understand Hank's better half's conclusions, but for me it falls in the realm of those things that you do once, but never bother to repeat. (With one exception; if I could swim in after hours, as someone I know did, I'd go again.)

 

This past October about half of our group of 40 went to the grotto. One of those who did was a lovely, shy, 60-ish woman who was traveling alone. Her inhibitions made it difficult for her to get to know people, but she wanted so badly to see the Blue Grotto that she screwed up her courage and went with the others. She was beaming when they returned. (I should note that she was unable to get herself from one boat to the other, but the guys running the boats moved her quite efficiently, according to witnesses.)

 

About a month ago we buried her, after a sudden illness. My enduring memory of Diane is that smile when she came back from the grotto, so while I'll likely not go there again, I appreciate the impact it can have on people (of perhaps it's the impact of realizing a long-held dream, either way it works for me).

[Hlitner]

Euro, Did you miss my question about the Caserta Train station? The Palace web site was not much help. Thinking a bit out loud our next cruise will have us overnighting in Naples on Nov 1 and 2. Since Nov 1 is a full day and we have no worries about missing the ship we are thinking about renting a car for the day and heading down to the Amalfi Coast. We would normally plan on turning in the car later that same day. You now have us thinking that our 2nd (short day) would work fine to go to Caserta. If it's not convenient to get from the Caserta train station to the Palace we might consider just keeping the car for a 2nd day (trying to figure where to park it overnight might be a challenge for my small mind). I am thinking that we will be out of the season and there will be few crowds at Caserta.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

What a great suggestion! We have never gone to Caserta because we normally do not travel to the North when in Naples. I noticed that there are pretty good train connections between Naples and Caserta so do you know about the logistics of getting from the Caserta train station to the palace? One of our 3 days in Naples will be a shorter day (ship leaves at 4pm) so Caserta would make a lot of sense for that day. Of course we could rent a car but the train seems to make more sense.

I did miss it!

 

The palace is directly across the street from the train station, it couldn't be easier or closer. If you do decide to drive, however, there is an underground parking lot right in front of the palace, under the garden between the train station and the palace.

 

One time (I've been there three or four times now) there wasn't a convenient train coming back (early afternoon, there was a two hour gap between trains) so I took the bus. The same ticket (it's a UnicoCampania ticket) works for the (regional) train or the bus, and the bus depot is right next to the train station. The bus drops you off in Piazza Garibaldi, in front of the train station in Naples.

 

If you go to Caserta, do get the audioguide. I noticed when we were there in October that the signs in the rooms are now in English, but there's still a lot more information on the audioguide.

 

As for crowds, not a problem. I've never seen many people there, the largest numbers seem to be school groups and they run them through so fast that they won't be in your way for more than a couple of minutes.