1. What month of the year will you be travelling? The hydrofoil operates only from late April through September, or so.
2. Where are you leaving from? If you're near the Port, the hydrofoil is great, but if you're near the central train station, you might consider going to Positano by combination rail/bus (via Sorrento)
3. What time of day will you be travelling? The hydrofoil schedule is very limited. The rail/bus combination operates throughout the entire day. Circumvesuviana trains run every 30 minutes; SITA buses from Sorrento every 60 mins. or so.
4. How long a trip can you tolerate? The hydrofoil takes about one hour; the combination rail/bus nearly two hours, PLUS connection time in Sorrento.
5. Are you apt to getting sea sick?
6. Are you uncomfortable if the hydrofoil starts shaking on the water?
7. Are you price-sensitive? The hydrofoil to Positano costs 8 Euros; a combination train/bus via Sorrento costs 4.45 Euros.
NOTE: SITA Bus Lines has a DIRECT bus to Positano Monday through Saturday in the morning, taking two hours and passing through Sorrento. There is no change to be made. This could be an interesting possibility.
We will be arriving by train from Rome in the morning then on to Positano. I checked the link for the hydrofoil and it says service suspended...how can I find out when that service resumes?
In 2004, service was from 23 April through 30 September, twice per day at 8:50 and 13:45 from Molo Beverello. 2005 schedules apparently have not yet been published on the website. You should check back later in the month.
As you will be arriving by train from Rome, you should consider proceeding by Circumvesuviana commuter rail to Sorrento, then by SITA bus.
Otherwise, if you're determined to take the hydrofoil, you'll have to take a taxi, the city bus, or walk (2 kms.) from the central train station to Molo Beverello.
The hydrofoil is subject to cancellation due to bad weather. Not so the train/bus.
If one were to chose hydrofoil option, what is the best way to get from Naples Airport to hydrofoil? Cost? I'm going to Positano too, and my hotel is recommending a taxi (arranged by them) for about 90 Euro. The hydrofoil option is intriguing, not to mention cheaper. The taxi option sound like a lot less hastle though. Slow Travelers, what thinkest thou?
90 euro taxi ride. Mamma mia! That's insane. That would have been 2 days budget for us. We gladly blew the budget on important things like food and wine. But a taxi ride/private driver? Never. Guess depends upon one's priorities.
Transportation maestro GAC has given you the lowdown on the options. We've done both. Either way if you're at all prone to motion sickness head to the nearest farmacia and get some travel gum or tablets. Really works. I've done the motion sickness bit on the Amalfi Coast bus and I can tell you spaghetti alle vongole don't taste too good coming up. Have also done, Jennifer and I together in fact, the green on the boat leaning over the garbage can wish I were dead thing. Generally though, we found the boat to be more pleasant unless the seas were strong.
If the weather's lovely and the times work you go for the boat. It's a lovely ride around the Sorrentine Penisula and onto the Amalfi Coast. On the other hand the circumvesuviana is fun because it's a nice slice of mezzogiorno-ness. Some people don't like it for exactly that reason. We damnn near lived on the train for 2 weeks last spring. Didn't mind it one bit. Kind of a Naples on wheels.
Finally, consider spending a little time in Naples itself. It's a jewel. Perhaps tarnished, but still radiant and beautiful nonetheless.
Anthony and Jennifer
Posts: 284 | Location: New Orleans | Registered: 01 July 2003
You can take the train from Rome to Naples, then transfer to the train from Naples to Sorrento(you have to walk upstairs and outside to do this), and then the bus from Sorrento to Positano. It's a lovely bus ride, and the bus is very comfortable. Sit on the right side of the bus. You look straight down the cliff to the sea... Once at the top of Positano(the bus drops you in front of a little store there) you can jump on the local bus for I think a euro, and it brings you right into the center of town.
I think this is the most cost effective way to go. A bit of an adventure, but worth it.
The information here has been very helpful, but I had one further question -- is it easier/better to take a train from Naples to Sorrento or to Salerno before transferring to a Positano-bound bus? I was under the impression that Salerno was faster/more convenient (a post on Fodors, I think). Any opinions? Thanks in advance.
If you are coming from the Naples airport, I think the easiest way is to walk right out of the arrival terminal and get on the Curreri bus to Sorrento. It drops you off at Piazza Tasso and you can take the SITA bus (or a taxi, or the ferry) from there to Positano. http://www.curreriviaggi.it/pagine/agenzia_viaggi.htm
Posts: 186 | Location: Rochester NY | Registered: 10 December 2002
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