From Rome to Sorrento

Video: on the train between Naples and Sorrento, view of Vesuvius

Five days out from my initial COVID symptoms, we headed to Sorrento (masked of course). Since we were staying near Rome Termini (train station), getting to Sorrento was pretty simple: express train to Naples, switch to the Circumvesuviana (local train), get off at Sorrento (end of the line).

But then Citi Visa decided to flag my card for fraud when I tried to buy tickets via the Trenitalia app. Despite A) knowing I was traveling, and B) 10 days of Visa use so far - in Italy. And while we waited for that to get sorted (Visa did manage to call me eventually, apologize for the “error” and reinstate the card) we walked over to the train station and bought tickets at the kiosk for the first leg to Naples.

The train to Naples worked just fine, but Naples being - well, Naples - the local train was a bit of a chore. We bought our tickets, hoping to get the next train…and it was cancelled. No reason provided (this is a recurring theme of this trip, and possibly of Italy transportation in general). So we waited 45 minutes, along with about 500 other people in the same situation. Plus another few hundred people, showing up for this later train.

I have not been on a train this packed since I was in NYC during the Pride Parade. My comment to Bob - “I think half this train will get off at Pompeii” - turned out, thankfully, to be true.

We made it to Sorrento - later than planned, also a theme of this trip - and checked into the Hotel Antiche Mura. Beautiful hotel, great location, and a breakfast that deserves its own post.