Sorrento

My wife and I are going to Sorrento in the first week in September.

Just wondered had anyone any insights on

• how to get from Naples airport to Sorrento - taxi or shuttle
• we like our food - so if anyone has any recommendations for restaurants in the area
• are there any daytrips/ sights that we should take in during our week

We've got some great advice on destinations here in the past so any opinions on Sorrento would be much appreciated!

Was in Sorento a few years back - some people complain that it is a bit 'touristy', but we enjoyed it. Bearing in mind that a lot of Italian hotels do half board as standard - have you booked this?

We had a shuttle bus collect us. It's about 40 mins from Naples to Sorrento. Not sure abiout doing this independently - a taxi might be wort the expense.

We found a place in the old harbour - follow Via Del Mare - can't remember the name, but it was a floating restaurant. Really nice food, full of locals, off the beaten track

Daytrips/ sights - Pompeii (train goes from Sorento - the 'circumvesuviana', Capri (by hydrofoil), rent an car and drive the amalfi coats to Ravello / Amalfi town / Positano

Very touristy!
Nearly everyone speaks English!
Lots of tourist 'tat' for sale along with Armani and designer stuff
Very pleasant to walk around.
Recommend Capri by Hydrofoil and Pompeii
Lots of pleasant/reasonable places to eat
Positano/Napoli etc all very accessible on (Dart-like) train
They get VERY upset if you don't stamp your train ticket before you get on the train. Smaller stations don't have ticket sellers open all day so buy your ticket at the nearest tabac

Thanks quinno & Danmo (ye're not soccer players by any chance only the - o at the end of the names could mean ye're playing in the Premier league )

So Capri looks like an option - is there much to do there or it that a sunbathing trip?
I don't intend hiring a car as I always end up doing the driving and I'm going on holidays to give myself a break from that. What is the public transport like around Sorrento?

Re the food- is it traditional italian fare or is it aimed at the tourists i.e. much the same as you'd get in any tourist destination. If there are any places that are a 'must eat here' then we'd appreciate the tip-off!

BTW what is a tabac??

Hi,

Myself and my husband first went to Sorrento 5 years ago for our honeymoon and it was great. We went back again last year and it has got considerably more "touristy" but it is still a great place to visit.

You can get a bus from the Airport to Sorrento and it will drop you off in the square in Sorrento. This is central to get to anywhere in Sorrento (it's not very big).

There is a lovely restaurant down at the harbour connected to a hotel (if you walk down the steps/road to the harbour you will see it) sorry I can't remember the name of it. Great seafood and steak.

Definitely try to get over to Capri, do the Amalfi Coast, Positano etc. Take a walk up the back streets around Sorrento to experience things that are not quite as touristy as they are around the square. There is plenty to keep you busy.

Delfinos Restaurant down on the water as others described above (bout 10 minutes steepish down harbour road - actually right out on the water like a pier! - was lovely. Good prices and the sunset over the bay of Naples thrown in for good measure along with good food. Some of the ones in the town centre are a bit tacky and touristy so observe well before you sit down. Don't know whereabouts you are staying but if over the San Agnello area theres a wonderful little gem about 15 minutes from town centre - really great, old style Italian cooking and great value on 125 Corsa Italia called Il Poeta. We found Herculaneum a easier to cope with than Pompeii - not too crowded and easier to explore and Naples is a surprisingly lovely city especially down by the bay where the castles are and the shopping is great too! Tabacs are little shops with a very big (blue I think) T overhead that sell cigarettes, etc and transport tickets. They are very easy to find and anyone can point one out. Some newagents sell them too but usually the Tabac is the place. Don't worry as they are well used to tourists trying to buy their tickets on board and then having to race off to the Tabac to get one just as the bus pulls out!

Many thanks folks,

tinkerbell, we are staying in San Agnello (the Grand Hotel La Pace, I think!) so we'll check out your recommendation for there for sure.

laragh said:

Thanks quinno & Danmo (ye're not soccer players by any chance only the - o at the end of the names could mean ye're playing in the Premier league )

Click to expand...

If only.....

Capri is worth the trip - Capri town itself is nice, although expect to pay a premium for food there. Not too much though, as we recall.

There's an open cable car that takes you from Capri town to a hill at the top of the island. The views are superb over the Bay of Naples. We enjoyed that.

Delfinos sounds like the place we ate in Sorrento - I can vouch, it was really nice.

There's also a nice bar in the centre of Sorrento called "Fauna" - it has a terrace out the front, and is great for people watching, especially at te weekend when the locals come out to strut their stuff.

The amalfi coast definitely has top be seen to be believed - a bus trip probably won't give you the feel, take your point with the car but it's worth getting, expecially to see all the little towns that are out of the way in the mountains off the coast.

Just checked and Il Poeta is actually 325 Corsa Italia - I was just 200 out! The waiter is a real Italian gentleman who has great pride in the food and I guarantee you will be full for about two days after! Its hard to notice as its besides a pizza place and quiet small but excellent. Delfinos - just found the directions we were given as its a little hard to find first time. "Delfinos on Via Del Mare" - head out of the main square on that narrow little pedestrianised alley like street full of souvenir shops to the very very end. Then you see a road swing right and downhill past a big sport type complex whose name I just cant recall but it has a carpark and the attendant there was very helpful directing us. Keep going downhill past Ulysses Hostel until you think you are in the wrong place as it becomes a bit unlikely any nice restaurants could be there!! Keep on until you hit the little harbour and wow - you will see several really nice restaurants right on the waters edge. Take left as you reach the harbour past several restaurants and behind Tonys Bar Delfinos is the last as you reach the end. Absolutely lovely but others looked nice too. Bring a jacket as we ended up pretty cold but well worth the walk for a really memorable meal. Bring a camera as unfortunately we didn't and the views and sunset were amazing with the Bay as the backdrop.

There's not a whole lot to do in Capri. There's a "blue grotto" boat trip which I didn't go on but anyone I know who did told me it was a big rip off and they were hounded for tips the minute they set foot in the boat - they even stipulated that they wanted notes not coins!! We had a fab lunch there by the harbour. Take the funicular up to the town of Ana Capril and stroll around. The queues can be quite long after the ferry comes in but go have a coffee and go back 20 mins later and it will be empty! Try the ice cream! I can also recommend Fauna in Sorrento. Nice for a snack/glass wine or something more substantial. Enjoy! Be prepared to eat loads of pizza and pasta!! All good though.

Thanks for all your help and info. I'm really looking forward to the break now!