Quote:
Originally posted by Detroit Mark:
Great stuff Hank!
Why do they reference Capris on the Naples port stop? Is that something a lot of folks do, run across in a ferry or something? I've never been to that part of Italy. Pompeii sounds way cooler, and Capris just looks like shopping and scenic drives on a Google Earth fly by.
What can you tell me about the island?
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There is no reason to reference Capri other than marketing. Capri is actually quite a distance from Naples (50 minutes by very fast jet boats) and probably not even the most popular tour (I would guess that would be Pompeii). As to Capri, we happen to love this place, but than it fits into our lifestyle of sitting in a nice cafe, enjoying the view and people watching, and just relaxing. Capri does have some great high quality shopping (we are talking Rodeo Drive quality) and on our last trip we saw a pair of ripped jeans that were priced at 600 Euros. But, Capri is truly a beautiful place. They also have that tourist trap place called the Blue Grotto. Another nice option on Capri is to take the bus from Capri Town up to Anacapri where you can take a chair lift up to the top of the island (you need about 1 1/2 hours to do this side trip).
As to Pompeii, if you have an interest in history and ruins, this would rank as one of the best excavations in the world (I could make an argument that Ephesus in Turkey is even better). The thing about the port of Naples is that there are enough options to keep you busy on several cruises. We finally got tired of our rushed days in that port and spend a week on the Amalfi Coast. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are spending 4 more nights on the Amalfi Coast (Praiano) this coming May. Most of the cruise lines do include a "marathon" tour that takes you to Pompeii, than on to Sorrento, than a ferry over the Capri, and finally a longer ferry ride back to Naples and the ship. You hardly have time to stop and enjoy yourself, but its actually a pretty neat option for those who want to see a lot in one day.
Hank
But, I will take a crack at your itinerary question. I am assuming you would hire a car/driver as opposed to renting your own car (my method of transport). Going to Pompeii, and than driving along the Amalfi Coast (with some time to stop in Positano, Amalfi and Ravello) makes for a great itinerary. Positano and Amalfi both have some fun shopping, but keep in mind that Positano does involve some climbing up steps (its built on the side of a steep hill). I would not recommend adding Herculanium since you will probably be "ruined" out after spending a couple of hours in Pompeii. But, Herculanium is certainly possible (its a bit closer to Naples than Pompeii) but would leave you short of time to really enjoy the Amalfi Coast. As to Paestum, its simply too far from Naples and should not even be a consideration. As to choosing between Pompeii and Herculanium (they actually sell a combination admission ticket that covers both sites) they both are great excavations. But, if I had to choose only one, I think Pompeii would be the choice. Keep in mind that the Amalfi Coast does take several hours and you will want to leave time for a nice lunch along the coast (the private drivers all have their favorite places). Even sqeezing Pompeii into a trip to the Amalfi Coast is a bit of a stretch time-wise (but its doable). Regarding private cars/drivers, we have heard that Amalfitours.com does a pretty decent job. 
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