Practical Information for visiting Sorrento

Sorrento’s centre is small and walkable, and a car is a liability rather than an asset: parking is scarce and expensive, and the coast road is often at a standstill.

The Circumvesuviana railway runs from Sorrento to Naples in about an hour, stopping at Pompeii and Herculaneum on the way. It is cheap and frequent, and it is also crowded, hot and unreliable — budget more time than the timetable suggests. A faster, dearer Campania Express runs seasonally on the same track.

SITA buses go over the ridge to Positano and Amalfi. The road is spectacular and narrow, and in summer the journey can take twice the scheduled time. Ferries and hydrofoils leave Marina Piccola for Capri, Naples, Positano and Amalfi, and are usually the better option when they are running.

Within the town, a lift and a set of ramps connect the cliff-top centre to Marina Grande and Marina Piccola.

Naples Capodichino is the nearest airport, about an hour away by direct coach; there is no rail link straight from the airport, so the coach or a transfer is the practical choice. Sorrento is the end of the Circumvesuviana line, which connects to the main national rail network at Naples Centrale. Ferry services to Capri and the Amalfi Coast run roughly from March to November and thin out sharply in winter, when the bus and train become the only reliable links.

Sorrento is a low-crime town and the main risks are ordinary ones. Pickpockets work the Circumvesuviana, particularly on crowded trains to and from Naples and at Pompeii — keep bags closed and in front of you.

Traffic is the more likely hazard. Streets are narrow, scooters are fast and pavements often disappear; the coast road has no shoulder in many places. Cliff paths and the steps down to the marinas are uneven and slippery after rain.

Swimming is from platforms and rocks rather than sand. Currents through the channel towards Capri are stronger than they look, and boat traffic near the marinas is heavy in summer.

No vaccinations or special precautions are needed. Tap water is safe to drink. Pharmacies are easy to find in the centre and operate a rota for nights and holidays, posted in the window.

Sorrento has its own hospital, and larger facilities are in Naples about an hour away. EU and UK visitors should carry a valid EHIC or GHIC; everyone else should have travel insurance that covers evacuation from the islands, which is the expensive scenario here.

Practical risks are sun and heat between June and September, dehydration on the coast walks, and jellyfish, which appear in some summers and not others.

The single emergency number across Italy is 112, which reaches police, fire and ambulance and has English-speaking operators. 118 still works for medical emergencies directly.

At sea, the coast guard is reached on 1530 — worth knowing on a coast where a good many incidents happen on or in the water.

Sorrento has a local police station and a Carabinieri post in the centre. Consulates for most countries are in Naples or Rome.