My day was a total mess! From the moment I woke up I knew things wouldn't turn out the way I wanted.
This was my plan: wake up super early, get the metro to the train station, get the train to Sorrento and get the bus to Amalfi with the most amazing view ever, wander all day between Amalfi and Salerno, and then go back to Naples to eat the best pizza in the world.
Waking up super early went down the drain since I had a VERY annoying guy on the bed on top of mine, who decided to be the worst roomate ever and ended up talked all night and making so much noise doing god knows what. And since I couldn't really sleep, by the time my alarm clock rang, I was way too tired and said the typical "five more minutes and I'll get up". Well, I didn't! By the time I got up it was already 9am and I was way too late, I knew I was!
This was my plan: wake up super early, get the metro to the train station, get the train to Sorrento and get the bus to Amalfi with the most amazing view ever, wander all day between Amalfi and Salerno, and then go back to Naples to eat the best pizza in the world.
Waking up super early went down the drain since I had a VERY annoying guy on the bed on top of mine, who decided to be the worst roomate ever and ended up talked all night and making so much noise doing god knows what. And since I couldn't really sleep, by the time my alarm clock rang, I was way too tired and said the typical "five more minutes and I'll get up". Well, I didn't! By the time I got up it was already 9am and I was way too late, I knew I was!
Got out as fast as I could, but I guess when you're in a real hurry things tend to make you later! I only had a 20 and I needed coins to buy to metro ticket, and being Sunday, the only thing open was like a newspaper stand with a very old lady in it. Now, try explaining this simple thing "hello, I need to change this 20 for coins for the metro ticket, please" to a lady who doesn't speak a word of English and can only speak Italian. Come on, I know some Italian (I'm getting better and better by the day!), but that was one hell of a push for my Italian, so between English, Italian, Portuguese and even Spanish, and a lot of gestures and about 30 minutes later I got what I wanted!
After trying to find myself an option to the Circumvesuviana train, I finally accepted that If I wanted to go to the Amalfi Coast (the only thing that made me go to Naples in the first place) I would have to deal with an hour on that train and imagine it was a great ride.
This part I am not proud of, but the problem in Naples, the big one, is the beggers. You cannot move an inch without having someone begging you for some money. I've never seen so many in my life! And their favorite trick is to get the kids to ask for the money which is just mean because they make puppie faces that really make it hard to say no to. At this train line you'll get a man or a woman playing some instrument and very loud (but funny) music, and then the kid (with adorable clothes) will ask people money. So what am I not proud of? Well, I was trying to buy a sandwich for my lunch later, and a boy, young one, maybe 15 years old, kept asking me money. And I said no, but he didn't leave and he insisted again and again, and I ended up yelling at the poor kid. Luckily I yelled in Portuguese so I'm sure he didn't understand a thing, but I felt horrible after.
This part I am not proud of, but the problem in Naples, the big one, is the beggers. You cannot move an inch without having someone begging you for some money. I've never seen so many in my life! And their favorite trick is to get the kids to ask for the money which is just mean because they make puppie faces that really make it hard to say no to. At this train line you'll get a man or a woman playing some instrument and very loud (but funny) music, and then the kid (with adorable clothes) will ask people money. So what am I not proud of? Well, I was trying to buy a sandwich for my lunch later, and a boy, young one, maybe 15 years old, kept asking me money. And I said no, but he didn't leave and he insisted again and again, and I ended up yelling at the poor kid. Luckily I yelled in Portuguese so I'm sure he didn't understand a thing, but I felt horrible after.
Hop on the train, and was lucky to have some cuties sitting next to me who at least spoke English, which was funny once they realized I spoke English too and I had understood everything they were saying the entire time. Note to self: after arriving at an unknown train station, don't go to the bathroom, because everybody will basically disappear and you won't know where to go from there.
This is what happened, once I got back up to the station, there was nobody there, and as I got out of the station I didn't know where to get the bus to Amalfi, so I decided to look for it - bad, bad idea!
This is what happened, once I got back up to the station, there was nobody there, and as I got out of the station I didn't know where to get the bus to Amalfi, so I decided to look for it - bad, bad idea!
I was lost. Wandered everywhere and there was no sign of a bus station. Eventually I gave up. It was already too late to get the bus anyway, since it would take 1h30 to get to Amalfi and other 1h30 to get back to Sorrento, so I decided that was it. But if I was not getting to Amalfi, at least I would get to know Sorrento, which was not in my plans at all, but it was a nice (still, definitely not Amalfi by far!).
There's not much to do in Sorrento really. It is a very, very small place straddling in a cliff and with a centro storico with loud souvenir stores, churches, cafes and restaurants. So, if you happen to be stuck in Sorrento for a few hours like me, try to enjoy it the best you can. Walk around, watch the locals, sit at Villa Comunale Park and enjoy the amazing view - you can get a sight of the Vesuvius and Naples across the Bay of Naples which is very impressive and made my train ride worth it.
The train from Naples to Sorrento will cost you 3,6€ (7,2€ round-trip) and it will take about 1h to get there. If you plan to go to the Amalfi Coast as a day trip from Naples, I suggest you wake up with the birds (or earlier) because it will take you 1h to Sorrento and then 1h30 by bus to Amalfi. The bus to Amalfi leaves right outsider the Sorrento train station, so don't go looking for it, like I did. Just wait outsider the train station if it isn't there and it will eventually show up.