In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Sorrento
Base here 2–3 nights for Pompeii and Capri by boat or train; skip it if you want quiet beaches or cheap beds in July–August.
Sorrento sits on cliffs above the Bay of Naples, on the Circumvesuviana line from Naples and a short ferry hop from Capri. It works as a base for Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast, but the town itself is small and hotel prices climb hard in summer. Two nights covers the centre and one big day trip; three lets you add Capri or the coast.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, heat, peak prices), and the August 15 week
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €100–160 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · Coast guard 1530
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café table on Piazza Tasso | €1.50–3 |
| Pizza at a casual pizzeria | €6–12 |
| Gnocchi alla Sorrentina in a trattoria | €12–18 |
| Gelato | €2.50–4 |
| Limoncello tasting at a shop | free with purchase |
| Scooter hire, one day | €35–45 |
| Beach club sunbed and umbrella at Marina Piccola | €5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NAP · Naples Capodichino
- Curreri Viaggi bus to Sorrento about 6 times daily; also taxi or train via Naples
Typical fares
- Circumvesuviana Sorrento → Naples
- about €4.90, 1 h 20 min
- Campania Express Sorrento → Naples
- about €15, 50 min, mid-March to end of October
- Ferry Sorrento → Capri
- about €20, 20–30 min
- Curreri bus Naples airport → Sorrento
- about €10, 1.5 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable. Circumvesuviana trains run to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples; SITA buses run along the Amalfi Coast to Positano and Amalfi; ferries leave Marina Piccola for Capri, Ischia, Positano and Amalfi. Local buses and taxis cover the hills. Scooter hire runs about €35–45 a day, but traffic on the coast road is heavy.
See and do
Known for
- Clifftop views over the Bay of Naples
- Limoncello and lemon groves
- Gateway to Capri and the Amalfi Coast
- Circumvesuviana access to Pompeii
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pompeii | Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Capri | Ferry from Marina Piccola, about 20–30 min | About 1 h |
| Herculaneum | Circumvesuviana to Ercolano Scavi, then a 10-min walk downhill | About 1 h |
| Naples | Circumvesuviana to Napoli Porta Nolana or Garibaldi, or Campania Express in season | About 1.5 h |
| Positano and Amalfi | SITA bus from outside Sorrento station, or seasonal ferry from Marina Piccola | 1–2 h |
| Procida | Ferry via Naples or seasonal direct service | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Centro Storico (Piazza Tasso area)
- Walk to everything: Corso Italia, Via San Cesareo, restaurants. Noisy at night in summer.
- Marina Grande
- Waterfront fishing quarter with seafood restaurants; 15–20 min walk uphill to the centre.
- Sant'Agnello
- Quieter, cheaper, one Circumvesuviana stop or a 20–30 min walk from the centre.
- Sorrento hills (Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi)
- Views and pools, but you need a bus or car for every trip into town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ScusiSKOO-zee |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAH-tsee-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?KWAN-toh KOS-tah |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favoreeel KON-toh per fah-VOH-reh |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta?POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | Dov'è il bagno?doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Circumvesuviana trains are crowded and often lack air conditioning; board at Naples Porta Nolana for a seat.
- Ticket machines are scarce and often out of order; buy on the Unico Campania app or at staffed counters.
- Parking is very limited and the coast road is slow: driving into Sorrento in summer can cost 1.5 hours from Naples.
- Beach clubs at Marina Piccola charge about €5–10 for a sunbed and umbrella.
- Ferries to Capri sell out on summer mornings: book ahead or go early.
Sorrento is a safe, well-policed tourist town. The real risks are summer heat, pickpockets on crowded Circumvesuviana trains, and scooter traffic on the coast road: wear a helmet if you rent one, and watch your bag on the train.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sorrento yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Clifftop views over the Bay of Naples
- Limoncello and lemon groves
- Gateway to Capri and the Amalfi Coast
- Circumvesuviana access to Pompeii
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Naples Capodichino Airport: www.aeroportodinapoli.it/en
- Curreri Viaggi airport shuttle: www.curreriviaggi.it/en/naples-airport-shuttle
- Alilauro ferries: www.alilauro.it/it/
- Wikivoyage: Sorrento, revision 5237071 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237071
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Sorrento
A questo indirizzo, per favore
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries: embassies in Rome, consulates in Naples. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sorrento). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.