4pm sorrento-naples hydro--lines, cancellations in summer?

[elaine5]

we are going to pompeii in the AM and want to take the 4:20pm hydro back from sorrento to naples. Do they ever run out of tickets on the 4:20 in the summer (end of July)? I read the pm hydros can be cancelled due to weather? how often? also, can I buy our tickets in advance when we get to sorrento? Is it far from main city area? If the 4:20 is cancelled, do most then take the circumvensia back to the boat?

should I play it safe and take the earlier hydro? does anyone know what time the next earliest would typically run in the summer? thanks, Elaine

[euro cruiser]

It is fairly rare for boats to be cancelled, but I can't provide you with any firm statistics. I'm not sure if they are kept and, if so, which government agency to check. Bear in mind that if it were to happen with any kind of regularity you'd hear about it loud and clear on these boards.

 

If it is cancelled, the Circumvesuviana is a good alternative from Sorrento to Naples.

 

This kind of possibility, no matter how rare, is why I always recommend that you take the next to the last train or boat that will get you back to port on time, rather than wait for the last one. You have no fall back if something goes wrong if you've waiting for the last one.

 

They can sell out, so it's wise to get your return ticket as soon as possible after arrival.

[elaine5]

thanks. Unfortunately, it appears the next earlier hydro is at 1:45pm. Sort of a wide time difference for summer travel. As our ship leaves at 7pm, I don't know if a 5pm circumvensia would give us enough time to get back to the ship. I think we might be better reversing the route and going to Sorrento 1st--if we make the 9am hydro.

[euro cruiser]

I think you have plenty of time to put a fall back plan in place if the 4:30 boat is cancelled.

 

First, the odds of it happening are slim.

 

Second, if it does you'll know before 4:30 (presumably you'd be at the dock, ready to go at least 15 minutes earlier).

 

There are two trains from Sorrento that you could still take and be back to your ship on time, a 4:37 (which you could make if you found out at 4:15 that the boat was not running) and a 5:07. That second one would be very tight and would require a cab from the Porta Nolana train station back to the port, but you could do it if you had to. The 4:37 would leave you with plenty of pad time.

 

http://www.vesuviana.it/web/files/Orario%20So_Na%20dal%2017%20settembre%202012.pdf

[lsmommy]

How close is the train station in Sorrento to the ferry dock?

[Softball20]

We're looking at the train as a Plan B, as well. How far is the train station in Naples back to the port? We have no problems walking or taking a cab. It will be a Sunday in June, and while I know that Sundays are very busy in the Amalfi area, I'm curious as to whether it might be difficult to get a cab around 5:00 p.m. or so???

[euro cruiser]

From the marina in Sorrento to the Circumvesuviana station is less than a mile, but it's largely uphill. It's faster to take the local bus up from the port.

 

From the Porta Nolana circumvesuviana station in Naples, the end of the line, to the cruise port at Molo Angioino is one and a third miles. You can get the #1 tram from the street in front of the train station right to the cruise port. At the moment, while construction on the metro station at Piazza Municipio is ongoing, the #1 tram ends right in front of the cruise port.

[Softball20]

Thanks! Still hoping to take a ferry, but I like to have a back up.

[euro cruiser]

Ferry really is the better option, but having a plan B is critical for successful DIYing.