Naples is a wonderful, interesting and vibrant city, but it isn’t for everyone. Pretty Sorrento sits at almost the end of the Sorrentine Peninsula, overlooking the Gulf of Naples, offering travellers an alternative base in which to explore the ruins of Pompei, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius and the stunning coastline of the Amalfi Coast. Whether you’re heading to Sorrento as a day trip from Naples or planning on staying there to explore the beautiful towns along the Amalfi Coast, there are numerous ways to travel from Naples to Sorrento and below I’ll be breaking them all down for you so you can choose the best option, based on your budget.
How to get from Naples to Sorrento
You have a few different options on how to get to Sorrento from Naples, but it depends on your budget and the method of travel you prefer and the time of year you are travelling.
Below is a complete guide to travelling between Naples and Sorrento including how to get from Naples Airport to Sorrento and how to get from Naples train station and the cruise terminal to Sorrento too!
Quick Summary!
For those who don’t mind taking public transport (like me!), taking the Circumvesuviana train or Campania Express train from Naples Train Station to Sorrento is your best option.
There is a choice of scheduled ferry services which run between Naples and Sorrento which can be a little faster, but they are more expensive. And finally you can travel by car with a private transfer but this is the most expensive option.
While car rental is an option – it is not one I recommend and you can read below as to why!
- Cheapest - Circumvesuviana
- Cheapest (but more comfortable) - Campania Express Train
- Scenic - Ferry
- Car Rental (Not advised)
- Most Expensive (But Comfortable if you have lots of luggage) - Private Transfer
Taking the train from Naples Central Station (Napoli Centrale) to Sorrento - The budget option!
If you arrive at Napoli Centrale (Naples Central Station) from another Italian city and want to travel onwards to Sorrento, the easiest and cheapest method is by taking the train.
The distance between Naples and Sorrento is 48 km.
Getting from Naples to Sorrento by train is very easy. There are two services that run the Naples to Sorrento route, the Circumvesuviana (a commuter train) and a train operated more for tourists called the Campania Express.
The Circumvesuviana train service is cheap and takes about 75 minutes running along the coastline. Between Naples and Sorrento (depending on which train you choose), you can also stop at Herculaneum and Pompeii, as well as several other coastal towns. The Circumvesuviana train departs from the lower level of the Naples Centrale train station, below the high-speed train platforms. Tickets can be purchased from any of the newsagents in the station, or from any of the ticket machines or ticket windows.
There is also a privately run service called the Campania Express specially targeted at tourists, guaranteeing them a seat and space for luggage. It departs from the same location as the Circumvesuviana train but is faster but slightly more expensive.
Click here for a detailed step by step guide on taking the train from naples to sorrentoFast ferry boats from Naples to Sorrento - The scenic option!
A faster and more picturesque option is to travel to Sorrento from Naples by public ferry. Enjoy beautiful views of the coastline and Mount Vesuvius as you travel across the bay to Sorrento. Taking the trip via the water is slightly more expensive than going by train, and there are a couple of options with regard to which ferry you catch as well.
Most of the ferries are Hydrofoils so you’ll be seated inside. Don’t expect to be able to walk around on deck taking pictures. The Bay of Naples can get quite rough at times so it is safer to stay indoors.
Ferries depart from Naples Molo Baverello port. A taxi from the main train station will be approx. €15. There are multiple sailings during the day and there are 2 main ferry companies, NLG and Alilauro. You can check ferry schedules here.
Tickets cost approx. $20/£15/€17 per person for a one way journey. They can be purchased online prior to travel (which I highly recommend) or at the port on the day, however during peak travel seasons you will need to get to the port 1.5 hour before your planned sailings as the ticket office is always manic and extremely disorganised.
Sorrento Marina Piccolo is located at the foot of a cliff so when you arrive you’ll either need to walk up a steep hill with steps, take a taxi into the town (approx. €10-€20) or if you walk to the right of the port towards the Lido there is an elevator which will take you up to the town for €1 per person.
Taking the bus from Naples Airport to Sorrento - Most direct option!
There is a direct bus that runs from Naples Airport to Sorrento, operated by a bus service called Curreri. The journey takes approximately 1.25 hours and the bus runs every day (although the frequency and departure times will vary with the season) and drops you at Sorrento train station.
The train to Sorrento from Naples is so reliable, fast, and cheap, that you may not want to consider this option. However if you’re arriving at the airport, you will need to take a bus or taxi to the Napoli Centrale rail station (approx. 4km away) to take the train from there.
However, there are some advantages to taking the bus. You will see a lot more scenery from the window of the bus, and you’ll have a guaranteed seat! The bus fare is €10/$12 one way per person.
Where to find the bus stop?
When you get to the arrivals halls, you should follow the signs for P1 parking (in the image below it is the blue parking). There will be a bus stop from where multiple buses will depart.
Renting a car and driving to Sorrento - I do not recommend!
If you have rented a car from Naples then you might look at driving to Sorrento from Naples. However, even though the distance is less than 50 km, the trip will still take approximately 1 hour.
We have taken this trip ourselves (we hired a car through Rentalcars.com) we actually wouldn’t recommend it, especially in the summer months when traffic is considerably bad in and around Naples. We were stuck in a 4 hour traffic jam on our last trip (2018). There is also one toll fee to pay on the highway/motorway that connects Naples to Sorrento.
Another thing to consider is the high cost of parking fees (think €5-7 euro an hour) and in the summer months the lack of parking spaces available in Sorrento. For this reason, again, we do not recommend driving.
Take a private transfer - Most expensive option!
The last option is to take a private car from Naples to Sorrento. While this may be the most convenient and most comfortable way to travel, it is unfortunately the most expensive with transfers costing on average €100 one way for a standard car for 2 adults. It will take around 1 hour in normal traffic to reach Sorrento by car with the added benefit that it will drop you off at your hotel, saving you having to walk or take a taxi from Sorrento’s train station.
I highly recommend daytrip which has the option to make additional stopovers on the way to Sorrento such as Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii and Positano.
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My husband has a fear of heights phobia although I am really keen to visit Sorrento but he thinks he would have problems with the steep cliffs bends on travelling to and from the airport. I’ve thought about the train would this be better although think getting g to and from the station would be a pain. Would also like the best hotel possible not at the top of a cliff - any advice would be helpful
HI Catherine
You can take the Campania Express train from Napoli Centrale station (the station is adjoined together for Campania Express). It is faster service to Sorrento (more comfortable than Circumvesuviana). Most of the hotels in Sorrento are not on the cliff edges but are in the town. So you shouldn’t have too many problems with finding a suitable one. Some of the 5 stars are on the cliff edge locations but not all. 🙂 Hope this helps 🙂