19 – 25 July 2026

Sorrento

Naples · Pompeii · Capri · Positano · Amalfi
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Anna · Noah · Amelia & Dad ✈️ BER → NAP 🏠 Maison Amalia 🍋 …
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📅 The Plan — 7 Days

Tap a day to expand it. 💶 amounts are rough estimates for all four of you, July-2026 level.

Arrival
Sun 19 July
Naples (NAP) 13:50
Departure
Sat 25 July
Naples (NAP) 18:20
1
Arrival → SorrentoSunday 19 July
▼
Travel day
08:30
🧳 Leave for BER Terminal 1 — bags dropped by 09:30
11:30
✈️ EasyJet U2 5051 departs Berlin
13:50
🛬 Land in Naples (NAP)
14:30
🚐 Private transfer to Sorrento — driver waits at arrivals~1 h 15 min · ~€120 fixed for the four of you
16:00
🔑 Check in — Maison Amalia, Via Torquato Tasso 11 (heart of the old town)
17:30
🚶 First stroll: Piazza Tasso → Corso Italia → Via San Cesareo lanes
18:30
🍦 First gelato — the Gelato Leaderboard opens! (start at Raki or Davide)
19:45
🌅 Sunset from the Villa Comunale terrace — Vesuvius across the bay
20:30
🍕 Dinner: Pizzeria Da Franco — wooden boards, zero fuss, great pizza (~€55)
💡 Tonight: book the week's big tickets — Pompeii (vivaticket), Capri & Positano/Amalfi ferries. Grab water + breakfast snacks from a market before it closes.
🗺️ Day route (🚐 transfer)
1 Naples Airport (NAP)
~55 km · ~1 h 15 min · A3 → SS145
2 Maison Amalia, Via Torquato Tasso 11, Sorrento
🚐 Private transfer 📍 Navigate
💶 Day estimate: ~€200 (transfer €120 · gelato €15 · dinner €55)
Easy dayOn foot
09:00
☕ Slow breakfast — cornetto alla crema for the kids
09:45
🏛️ Old-town loop: Sedile Dominova, the Duomo, Cloister of San Francesco
10:30
🏞️ Vallone dei Mulini — the abandoned mill in the gorge (5-min photo stop)
11:00
🍋 I Giardini di Cataldo lemon garden — granita for Noah & Amelia, limoncello sips for the grown-upsfree to wander · tastings ~€10
12:30
🥪 Panini to go from a salumeria
13:30
🤿 Bagni della Regina Giovanna — Roman villa ruins wrapped around a natural rock pool (free)the walk + views carry it even without a swim; water shoes if anyone dips
17:30
🚶 Walk back via Marina Grande — pastel fishermen's village, nets and boats
20:00
🐟 Dinner: Da Emilia, on the water since 1946 — gnocchi alla sorrentina, fried calamari (~€90)
💡 Regina Giovanna: ~30 min on foot or Bus A toward Capo di Sorrento. The rocks are slippery — water shoes for all four. Book Da Emilia in the morning.
🗺️ Today's walking route — tap a stop to preview, or open the whole thing in Google Maps
Map loads when you open this day…
🧭 Open full walking route in Google Maps

Full loop ≈ 6 km with the Regina Giovanna out-and-back. Realistically you'll navigate one leg at a time — tap ▸ next to any stop.

    💶 Day estimate: ~€150
    ✓ Done todayTrain
    08:20
    🚆 Campania Express / Circumvesuviana Sorrento → Pompei Scavi (~30 min)
    09:00
    🏛️ Pompeii — timed entryadults €23 · Noah & Amelia free (under 18)
    09:15
    👣 Forum → Stabian Baths → House of the Faun → bakery millstones → plaster casts → amphitheatre & gladiator barracks
    12:30
    🥤 Lunch + shade near Porta Marina
    14:00
    🌋 Vesuvius crater option — or train home to swim & rest
    17:30
    🚆 Back in Sorrento
    20:30
    🍝 Dinner: La Cantinaccia del Popolo — hams from the ceiling, huge plates (~€80)
    💡 Hope Pompeii was a hit! Rehydrate, cool off — and don't forget to rate today's gelato on the leaderboard. 🍦
    🗺️ Day route (🚆 train)
    1 Sorrento station
    ~30 min · Campania Express
    2 Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri
    🚆 By train 📍 Navigate
    💶 Day estimate: ~€180 · with Vesuvius ~€290
    Day tripCampania ExpressShopping · pizza · markets
    🔴 Revised live, Wed 11:15 — the real bargain-leather flea market (Poggioreale) only runs Fri–Mon, so today re-routes through La Pignasecca and the 13:00 MANN tickets. The hour-by-hour below is the updated plan.
    🧭 Walk to Pignasecca Pignasecca → MANN
    08:50
    🚆 Campania Express Sorrento → Napoli Porta Nolana (~1 h 10, reserved A/C seats)~€25 pp return · kids reduced · you arrive right at the market & old town
    10:05
    🥐 Warm sfogliatella at Sfogliatelle Attanasio — a station-side Naples legend, follow your nose
    10:25
    🐟 Mercato di Porta Nolana — a loud, glorious 15th-century food & fish market right by the stationopen till ~13:30 · pure Naples theatre
    10:45
    🎭 Centro storico wander — San Gregorio Armeno + a look at Bottega21 ✓ done (verdict: artisan & pricey, not the flea-market vibe)
    11:15
    🚶 Walk to La Pignasecca via Piazza del Gesù (~15 min)
    11:30
    🛍️ La Pignasecca market — Naples' oldest daily street market: bargain bag/shoe/clothes stalls + the surrounding discount shopsruns till ~13:30 · haggle politely, check stitching
    12:00
    🍕 Street lunch in the market: pizza a portafoglio (folded "wallet pizza", €2–3) or a cuoppo of fried things — kid heaven
    12:35
    🚇 Metro Line 2, Montesanto → Piazza Cavour — one stop, ~3 min; Cavour exit is 4 min from the museum door
    13:00
    🗿 MANN — tickets in hand! 2 h in the A/C with Pompeii's actual treasures: the Alexander Mosaic (yesterday's House of the Faun floor — the original), the colossal Farnese Bull, gladiator armorNoah & Amelia free · big bags go in the free cloakroom
    15:15
    🍕 Still hungry? Sorbillo / Di Matteo on Via dei Tribunali have no queues at this hour — the sit-down pizza redemption round
    16:00
    🗿 Veiled Christ if you have a slot — else gelato + the Spaccanapoli shrines on the amble east
    16:30
    👜 Corso Umberto & Piazza Garibaldi stalls — the last-chance cheap-bag trawl, conveniently on the walk to the station
    17:20
    🚆 Campania Express Napoli → Sorrento (arrive ~18:30)
    20:00
    🍝 Relaxed dinner back in Sorrento — feet up, you earned it
    💡 City smarts: Naples is loud, gritty and wonderful — keep phones pocketed and bags zipped & worn in front around Porta Nolana / Garibaldi and in the market crush. Book the Veiled Christ (Cappella Sansevero) online before you go — same-day slots sell out. Serious leather bargain-hunters: the huge Poggioreale market (Fri–Mon) has cheap leather shoes & bags, but it's out east and overwhelming — the centro storico shops are the calmer call.
    🔁 If there's spare energy after MANN: 🏛️ Galleria Umberto I + Via Toledo (15-min walk south, then Metro L1 Toledo → Garibaldi back) · 👛 Tramontano on Via Chiaia if the hand-stitched splurge bag calls after all · 🕳️ Napoli Sotterranea (~€12, hourly English tours).
    🗺️ Naples walking loop — tap a stop to preview, or open it all in Google Maps
    Map loads when you open this day…
    🧭 Open the rest of today in Google Maps

    Revised loop: Pignasecca → MANN (metro L2, 1 stop) → Tribunali pizza → Corso Umberto stalls → Garibaldi. Tap ▸ next to any stop to walk it leg by leg.

      💶 Day estimate: ~€220 + whatever the market does to you (train ~€90 · MANN €44 · street lunch ~€15 · pizza round two ~€25 · metro & treats ~€25)
      Island dayFerry 09:55No boat lap — more island time
      ✅ Return ferry: BOOKED — 18:30. Be at the Marina Grande docks by 18:15 with tickets ready. Everything else today — funicular, bus, chairlift, gardens, villa — is pay-on-the-spot, nothing to pre-book.
      09:30
      🚶 Down to Marina Piccola port (10 min walk or the €1.10 lift from Villa Comunale)
      09:55
      ⛴️ Your boat to Capri — 20 min across the bay, arrive Marina Grande ~10:15
      10:20
      🎫 Sort the return ferry FIRST (kiosk/Ferryhopper), then skip the Blue Grotto touts
      10:35
      🚡 Funicular up to Capri town (€2.50 pp, 4 min) → step into the Piazzetta
      11:00
      🚶 Boutique lanes: Via Vittorio Emanuele → Via Camerelle (window-shop the absurd price tags) → 10 min to the gardens
      11:20
      🌸 Gardens of Augustus (€2.50) — THE Faraglioni postcard + the Via Krupp switchbacks below
      12:00
      🚶 Optional: flat, gorgeous Via Tragara stroll to the Faraglioni overlook (~30 min round) — or straight to the bus
      12:40
      🚌 Bus to Anacapri (€2.50 pp, 15 min) — the cliff-hugging ride is an attraction itself; grab the right-hand side
      13:00
      🍽️ Lunch in Anacapri — calmer & cheaper: Trattoria Il Solitario (garden) or La Rondinella; caprese is mandatory on Capri
      14:15
      🚠 Monte Solaro chairlift (€14 return) — 12 silent minutes floating over gardens to the island's roof at 589 msingle-seaters with a safety bar — Amelia rides between you two
      14:30
      🏔️ Summit: 360° — Faraglioni straight below, Vesuvius, both bays; drinks kiosk up top. Ride back down ~15:10
      15:30
      🏛️ Villa San Michele (~€10, kids reduced) — Axel Munthe's white villa: the sphinx terrace over the whole gulf, gardens, 45 unhurried minutes5-min walk from the chairlift base — the boat-lap time bought you this
      16:45
      🚌 Bus back to Capri town (queue early — post-siesta rush)
      17:05
      🍦 Buonocore — the fresh-baked waffle cone you can smell from the street (leaderboard contender!)
      17:30
      🚡 Funicular down to the port
      17:50
      🚶 Unhurried port stroll at Marina Grande — boats, pebbles, last island photos
      18:20
      🧭 To the gangway — tickets out
      18:30
      ⛴️ Ferry home (booked) — Sorrento by ~19:00
      19:10
      🩱 Deep-water evening swim, Sorrento-style — the free strip under Villa Comunale, right next to Leonelli's, 2 min from the dock: ladder-and-rocks entry straight into the deep clear stuff the kids orderedgolden-hour water, Vesuvius view · water shoes for the entry
      19:55
      🛗 The €1.10 lift up to Villa Comunale (runs late in July) → home for a 15-min change
      20:45
      🧀 Dinner: Inn Bufalito — buffalo-mozzarella tasting (~€75)nudge the booking to 20:45 — the swim is worth it
      🚡 Funicular + the Piazzetta
      €2.50 pp4 min

      Tickets at the kiosk left of the funicular entrance. Up top: Capri's tiny "living room" square — one overpriced coffee here is a rite of passage (stand at the bar to pay half).

      📍 Map📸 Photos
      🌸 Gardens of Augustus
      €2.5030 mineasy

      Terraced gardens with the island's best cheap view: the Faraglioni sea stacks one way, the impossible Via Krupp zigzag the other. Cash for tickets helps.

      📍 Map📸 Photos
      🚠 Monte Solaro chairlift
      €14 return12 min upkids' highlight

      Single-seat chairs from Anacapri's Piazza Vittoria float you silently over vineyards and rooftops to 589 m. Pay at the base — card OK. Sunhat on; there's no shade on the ride.

      📍 Map📸 Photos
      🏛️ Villa San Michele
      ~€10 · kids reduced45 minnew — boat-lap swap

      Swedish doctor Axel Munthe's dream villa: white loggias, antiquities, gardens, and the granite sphinx staring across the entire Gulf of Naples. The single most beautiful man-made spot on the island.

      📍 Map📸 Photos
      🚶 Via Tragara → Faraglioni overlook
      Free~30 min roundoptional

      Flat, pine-shaded lane past dream villas ending at a balcony right over the three sea stacks. The best free thing in Capri town — do it if the legs vote yes.

      📍 Map📸 Photos
      🍦 Buonocore Gelateria
      ~€4Via Vittorio Emanuele

      They bake the waffle cones in the window — follow the smell. Get the cone, not the cup; rate it for the leaderboard before it melts.

      📍 Map📸 Photos
      🔁 Skipped by choice: the boat lap. If anyone changes their mind, group boats leave Marina Grande all day (~2 h, ~€25–45 pp, swim stop included) — just walk the dock and pick one. Blue Grotto solo: only if the queue is <45 min.
      🗺️ Capri island route — tap a stop for its map
      Map loads when you open this day…
      🧭 Open the island route in Google Maps

      Getting around Capri is funicular + bus + chairlift, not walking — the map shows where each stop sits; tap 📍 for its Google Maps pin.

        💶 Day estimate: ~€310 (ferries ~€190 · funicular/bus ~€35 · chairlift ~€50 · gardens + villa ~€40 · lunch & gelato on top)
        Coast dayBoats booked 12:05 + 18:40Last night
        ✅ Boats booked: Sorrento → Positano 12:05 · Positano → Sorrento 18:40. Be at the Positano jetty by 18:25, tickets out — it's the boat you cannot miss on your last night. The free morning is a gift: breakfast, souvenirs, and get the suitcases 80% packed before you leave.
        08:45
        ☕ Slow last-morning breakfast — Bar Tasso on your corner or brunch at Radical (host's picks)
        09:30
        🛍️ Souvenir run, old town: intarsio inlaid-wood box, limoncello bottles, handmade sandals, lemon soaps
        10:45
        🧳 Pre-pack — suitcases mostly done now saves the evening
        11:35
        🚶 Down to Marina Piccola (walk or the €1.10 lift)
        12:05
        ⛴️ Boat to Positano (booked) — ~40 min; arriving by sea IS the postcard, cameras ready on the left side
        12:50
        🍽️ Lunch by the beach — Chez Black on the seafront (the classic; try to reserve) or casual pizza in the lanes
        14:15
        🏖️ Spiaggia Grande — free strip by the jetty; the bottom drops off quickly, so the deep-water kids will approveclubs €25–35 for two beds if you want service
        15:45
        🚶 Pick your afternoon (options below): Fornillo cove · the boutique staircases + the majolica-domed church · or the Amalfi side-hop
        17:30
        🍋 Golden hour: lemon sorbet in a carved lemon, last photos under the pastel stack
        18:25
        🧭 At the jetty, tickets out
        18:40
        ⛴️ Boat home (booked) — Sorrento ~19:20
        20:30
        🥂 Farewell dinner: L'Antica Trattoria garden terrace — nudge the booking to 20:30 — or Bagni Delfino on the Marina Grande pier (~€130)
        21:45
        🍦👑 Gelato Leaderboard — grand final. Crown the champion below in the Food section!
        🗳️ The 15:45 choice — three good afternoons: 🏄 A · Fornillo cove — 10-min cliff footpath from the jetty tower: quieter pebbles, chiller water, walk back for golden hour (the relaxed pick)
        ⛪ B · Lanes & the dome — boutique staircases, Santa Maria Assunta (the majolica dome + Black Madonna, free, 15 min), gelato on the steps
        ⛴️ C · Amalfi side-hop — only if the 14:00-ish Positano→Amalfi boat runs on time: Duomo steps + sfogliatella at Pansa, then be ON a return boat by 17:15 at the latest — your 18:40 home boat leaves from Positano, no exceptions. Doable (~€90 for 4 extra) but it spends your beach time and adds last-night stress. Our vote: A or B.
        🗺️ Amalfi Coast route — tap a stop for its map
        Map loads when you open this day…
        🧭 Open the Positano walk in Google Maps

        Boats booked 12:05 out / 18:40 home — everything in between is on foot in Positano (Amalfi hop optional, pin 7). Tap 📍 next to any stop for its Google Maps pin.

          💶 Day estimate: ~€360 incl. farewell dinner (boats ~€150 · beach + sorbets ~€40 · lunch ~€60 · dinner ~€130 · +~€90 if the Amalfi hop happens)
          Travel day
          09:00
          ☕ Last breakfast, finish packing
          11:00
          🧳 Check-out — bags stay at Maison Amalia
          11:30
          🚶 Final lap: Piazza Tasso photo, one last delizia al limone
          13:45
          🚐 Private transfer to NAP (~€120)Saturday-in-July changeover traffic — buffer built in
          15:30
          🛫 At the airport — bag drop, security, duty-free limoncello
          18:20
          ✈️ EasyJet U2 5054 departs Naples
          20:40
          🛬 Land Berlin — leg one of the journey home done. Gelato withdrawal begins
          💡 Confirm the pickup time with the driver the night before. No big plans in the morning — the flight is the mission.
          🗺️ Day route (🚐 transfer)
          1 Maison Amalia, Sorrento
          ~55 km · 1 h 15 min – 1 h 45 min with traffic
          2 Naples Airport (NAP)
          🚐 Private transfer 📍 Navigate
          💶 Day estimate: ~€180

          ✈️ Flights

          EasyJet · booking confirmation KCRNHRL · check in online via the EasyJet app (opens 30 days before).

          🛫To Italy — U2 5051

          Outbound
          Departure
          11:30
          Berlin (BER) · T1
          Sun 19 July 2026
          Arrival
          13:50
          Naples (NAP)
          Sun 19 July 2026
          Confirmation
          KCRNHRL
          ⏰ At BER by 09:30 · gate closes 30 min before departure

          🛬Home — U2 5054

          Return
          Departure
          18:20
          Naples (NAP)
          Sat 25 July 2026
          Arrival
          20:40
          Berlin (BER)
          Sat 25 July 2026
          Confirmation
          KCRNHRL
          ⏰ At NAP by 15:45 · Saturday queues are real in July
          🎒 Baggage: every EasyJet fare includes one small under-seat bag (45×36×20 cm). Check your booking in the app for added cabin/hold bags before packing day. Drone batteries always go in cabin luggage.

          🎟️ Book It

          Every ticket the trip needs, in booking order. Do the first group from home this week; the second is best booked in Sorrento a day ahead.

          ✈️ Before you fly
          ✈️EasyJet online check-inapp or site · conf. KCRNHRL · opens 30 days before each flightOpen ↗ 🚐Airport transferCurreri private/bus — or a driver via Welcome Pickups · Sun 19 ~14:15 + Sat 25 ~13:45Book ↗ 🗿Veiled Christ / Cappella Sansevero — Wed 22Naples day · timed slots sell out — BOOK TONIGHT · adults €10, kids reducedBook ↗ 🏺MANN museum — Wed 22 (Plan B)Pompeii's treasures · adults ~€22 · under-18 free · closed Tuesdays, open Wed ✓Book ↗ 🕳️Napoli Sotterranea — Wed 22 (optional)Naples add-on · book the English tour slot · ~€12 / ~€8 kidsBook ↗
          🌅 From Sorrento, a day ahead
          ⛴️All ferries — one appCapri ✓ · Positano Fri 12:05 out / 18:40 home ✓ — all bookedBook ↗ 🚢NLG — ferry operatordirect booking alternative to FerryhopperOpen ↗ 🚢Alilauro — ferry operatorSorrento ⇄ Naples & coast routesOpen ↗ 🚆Campania Express — Wed (Naples)reserved A/C seats to Napoli Porta Nolana · ~€25 pp return · come home on the 17:20Book ↗ 🌋Vesuvius crater — only if doing Option Atimed entry €15 via the official park site · plus Pompei shuttleBook ↗ 🚤Capri island boat lap — Thu 23~2 h group tour with swim stop · ~€25–45 ppBrowse ↗ 🚠Monte Solaro chairliftno pre-booking — pay at the base in Anacapri, €14 returnInfo ↗ 🥂Farewell dinner table — Fri 24, 20:00call or reserve online via their listing · book days aheadReserve ↗
          💡 Screenshot every confirmation into one album called “Sorrento” — ticket QR codes work offline, apps at the port don't always.

          🚆 Getting Around

          The whole week runs on trains, ferries and feet — here's how, plus the rental-car math.

          🚐Airport ⇄ Sorrento

          Day 1 & 7
          Private transfer ✓ our pick
          ~€120 fixed · 1 h 15 · door-to-door
          Curreri Viaggi direct bus
          €10 pp (€18 return) · ~80 min · 8×/day
          Alibus + train
          ~€5 pp · slowest, luggage hassle
          Taxi (metered/fixed)
          ~€120–150 · negotiate before boarding
          💡 After a 2.5-h flight with two kids and four bags, the private transfer earns its €80 premium over the bus. Book a driver who monitors the flight (e.g. via the B&B's host, Welcome Pickups, or Curreri's private service).

          🚗Rental car? Our verdict: skip it

          ✅ What a car would give you

          • · Door-to-door freedom, no timetables
          • · Cheap per-seat for 4 people
          • · Easy detours (Paestum, inland villages)
          • · No transfer bookings needed

          ❌ What it actually costs you here

          • · Maison Amalia has no parking — garages €15–20/day
          • · It can't go to Capri — your biggest day is a ferry anyway
          • · Amalfi road in July = gridlock; Positano parking €5–8/h if any
          • · ZTL camera zones in Sorrento/Positano/Amalfi — €100+ per accidental pass
          • · July rental premium + full-cover insurance + deposit stress
          • · Narrow-road driving = the opposite of a holiday
          The week, costed🚗 Car⛴️ Train + ferry
          Compact rental, 6 days, July + full cover€300–450—
          Fuel + A3 tolls€60–80—
          Parking (Sorrento 6 days + day trips)€110–160—
          Airport transfers ×2—€240
          Trains (Pompeii + Naples days)~€90~€145
          Ferries (Capri + coast day) — needed either way~€400~€400
          Total€960–1,180~€785
          🏁 Verdict: no car. This trip is train-and-ferry shaped — the boats aren't just transport, they're the scenery. A car would spend 5 of 6 days in a €18/day garage and still miss Capri.

          🚆Trains to Pompeii

          Campania Express — reserved seats, AC, ~30 min, ~€7 pp each way. The upgrade that matters in July.

          Circumvesuviana — same line, every ~30 min, ~€2.90. Crowded; fine off-peak. Watch pockets when it's packed.

          💡 Sorrento station is a 7-min walk from the B&B. Kids' fares: ask at the counter — reduced under 12.

          ⛴️Ferries from Marina Piccola

          RouteTime≈ pp
          Sorrento → Capri25 min€24
          Sorrento → Positano40 min€19
          Positano → Amalfi25 min€11
          Amalfi → Sorrento75 min€19
          Sorrento ⇄ Naples45 min€16
          💡 Operators: NLG, Alilauro. Book the evening before in July (Ferryhopper app or port kiosk). Amelia (11) often rides ~half price — always ask “bambini?”

          🚶Sorrento on foot

          The old town is small and flat — everything from Maison Amalia is under 15 minutes. The cliff is the only climb: take the Villa Comunale lift (€1.50) down to the beach platforms, or the stairs/lanes down to Marina Piccola port (~10 min downhill).

          🏠 Home Base

          🍋Maison Amalia

          6 nights
          📍 Via Torquato Tasso 11, 80067 Sorrento
          Check-in
          Sun 19 July · from 15:00
          Check-out
          Sat 25 July · by 11:00
          Confirmation
          6620012750
          Sleeps
          4 — the whole crew
          1 min → Piazza Tasso7 min → train station 12 min → ferry port15 min → Marina Grande
          💡 Ask the host on arrival: AC remote quirks, beach-towel policy, breakfast spot, luggage storage for day 7, and their favorite restaurant — hosts always know.
          🗺️ Open in Google Maps

          🏖️ Beaches & Swimming

          The honest truth: Sorrento sits on cliffs, so its own “beaches” are wooden/concrete sun-decks and pebble coves, not sand — you climb down a ladder into deep, clear water. The nearest proper sand with a gentle, kid-easy entry is a short train ride east (Meta) or bus west (Puolo). Sea temp in July: a bath-warm 26–27 °C.

          🏆 For easy, good swimming with Noah & Amelia: take the train to Meta / Alimuri (real sand, gentle slope) or the bus to Marina di Puolo (sand-and-pebble, shallow, clearer & cheaper). Want it right now? The €1.10 Sorrento Lift drops you at Marameo/Leonelli's for deep, clean water off the deck — the kids are strong enough swimmers for the ladder entry. Free & scenic: Regina Giovanna, but it's a rocky scramble, not a lazy swim.
          SpotType2 beds + umbrella*Getting thereKids' swim
          Meta / Alimuri🏖️ Sand~€20 (free strips too)Train ~10 min E★★★★★ easiest
          Marina di Puolo🏖️ Sand + pebble~€20Bus/taxi ~15 min W★★★★★ shallow
          Marina Piccola lidos🪵 Sun-decks~€36–46Lift €1.10 / 10-min walk★★★★ deep, ladders
          Marina Grande⚪ Pebble + free stripfrom ~€12 (beds €6 ea)Walk ~15 min★★★★ calm cove
          Regina Giovanna🪨 Rock poolFree · no serviceBus + rocky path★★★ adventure

          *Approx. 2025 lido rates — verify on the day. Single sunbed ≈ €14–15, umbrella ≈ €6, towel ≈ €3 at the Marina Piccola decks; premium clubs run higher.

          ① Meta / Alimuri — the family sand day

          ★★★★★
          Meta di Sorrento · ~10 min by Circumvesuviana (2 stops)
          Real sandGentle slopeBest for kids

          The widest, sandiest stretch on the peninsula, sheltered by a breakwater so the water deepens slowly — exactly what you want for relaxed, safe swimming. Lido Marinella has sunbeds, umbrellas, hot showers, changing rooms, a restaurant & snack bar, kayak rental and a kids' playground with entertainers. Free public strips sit between the lidos too.

          Cost
          Lido set ~€20 · free strips exist
          Water entry
          Sand, gradual — toddler-easy
          Getting there
          Train to Meta, ~10-min walk down
          Facilities
          Full: showers, food, playground
          💡 The one downside: it's a proper resort beach, so it's busy and not walkable — but for a genuine sand-and-swim day with the kids, it's the pick. No sunbed booking needed midweek; weekends fill.
          🗺️ Map 🚆 Directions

          ② Marina di Puolo — the local's beach

          ★★★★★
          Massa Lubrense · ~15 min bus/taxi west
          Sand + pebbleClear & shallowCheaper

          A sheltered little bay below a fishing hamlet — grey sand and pebble, crystal-clear water that stays shallow for a good stretch, so kids can wade and swim easily. Quieter and less touristy than the town lidos, with a handful of seafood trattorias right behind the beach at fair prices.

          Cost
          ~€20 sunbeds + umbrella
          Water entry
          Smooth, shallow — kid-friendly
          Getting there
          SITA bus / taxi (~10-15 min)
          Vibe
          Local, calm, good-value fish lunch
          💡 Best value swim near Sorrento — clean water, cheaper beds, real charm. Combine it with lunch at one of the beach trattorias.
          🗺️ Map 🚌 Directions

          ③ Marina Piccola lidos — closest & easiest

          ★★★★
          Below Villa Comunale · the €1.10 Sorrento Lift
          Sun-decksDeep, clearFull service

          Sorrento's signature swim: wooden and concrete platforms built over the water — Marameo (floating beds, jacuzzi, 30 changing cabins), Leonelli's, Peter's Beach (has a small sand patch) and Bagni Salvatore. You ladder straight into deep, clear water with Vesuvius across the bay. Strong swimmers only for the little ones — but 11 and 13 are well up to it.

          Cost
          Bed ~€15 · umbrella ~€6 · towel €3
          Water entry
          Ladders into deep water (no wading)
          Getting there
          Sorrento Lift €1.10, opposite Marameo
          Facilities
          Cabins, showers, bar, restaurants
          💡 The lift from Villa Comunale takes 20 seconds and runs till 01:00 in July — the no-sweat way down and back up. Peter's Beach has the only real sand patch if someone wants to stand in the shallows.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk to lift

          ④ Marina Grande — free & walkable

          ★★★★
          Sorrento fishing village · ~15 min walk
          Free stripPebbleSeafood

          The old fishing village has a coarse-pebble beach with a genuinely free towel strip, plus cheap loungers (beds from ~€6) and the pier lido Bagni Sant'Anna. Calmer, shallower water than the open-sea decks, with Da Emilia and Bagni Delfino right behind you for lunch. The easy, low-cost, walk-from-home option.

          Cost
          Free strip · beds from ~€6
          Water entry
          Pebble, calmer — water shoes help
          Getting there
          ~15 min walk or short bus
          Bonus
          Best seafood lunch of the trip
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          ⑤ Bagni della Regina Giovanna — the wild one

          ★★★★
          Capo di Sorrento · 30–40 min walk or bus + path
          Natural rock poolFreeSnorkeling

          A stunning natural sea-pool ringed by rock and a stone arch, inside the ruins of a Roman villa. Crystal water, little fish, cliff-jumping for the brave — Noah & Amelia's kind of adventure. But it's a rocky scramble in and out with no facilities: this is a beautiful swim, not an easy beach day.

          Cost
          Free · no service at all
          Water entry
          Off rocks into deep water
          Getting there
          EAV bus to Capo + 10-15 min path
          Best time
          Before 11:00 — it fills up
          💡 Water shoes non-negotiable on the slippery rocks; bring your own water & snacks — there's nothing to buy. Go early to beat the crowds and the midday sun.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          🌈 Day-trip beaches (Positano's Spiaggia Grande & Fornillo) are covered in the Day 6 plan — arrive by ferry, free strip near the jetty, clubs €25–35.

          🍝 Food — the Real Mission

          You're in the birthplace of gnocchi alla sorrentina, an espresso shot from Naples pizza, in the world capital of lemons. Eat accordingly.

          🎯Must-eat list

          The signature
          🍅 Gnocchi alla sorrentina
          The dessert
          🍋 Delizia al limone
          Born in Sorrento
          🍝 Cannelloni
          Seafood classics
          🐚 Vongole · frittura di paranza
          From Naples
          🍕 Pizza · sfogliatella · babà
          On Capri
          🥗 Caprese · torta caprese
          Kids' currency
          🍦 Gelato + lemon granita
          Parents only
          🥃 Limoncello (after dinner)

          Pizzeria Da Franco

          ★ 4.3 €
          Sorrento · pizza

          🍽️ Pizza on wooden boards, paper cups, benches. Loud, fast, brilliant.

          💡 No reservations — the queue moves fast. Perfect for tired-kid nights.
          🗺️ Google Maps

          Da Emilia

          ★ 4.4 €€
          Marina Grande · seafood, since 1946

          🍽️ Gnocchi alla sorrentina, fried calamari, spaghetti alle vongole — at tables over the water.

          💡 Book a waterside table for sunset. Cash-friendly, kid-friendly.
          🗺️ Google Maps

          La Cantinaccia del Popolo

          ★ 4.6 €€
          Sorrento · trattoria

          🍽️ Hand-cut prosciutto, spaghetti al pomodoro in the pan, portions like grandma's.

          💡 Cult favorite — be there by 19:45 or queue. Worth it either way.
          🗺️ Google Maps

          Inn Bufalito

          ★ 4.4 €€
          Sorrento · mozzarella bar

          🍽️ Buffalo mozzarella tasting flights, burrata, cheese-heavy pastas. Anna's night.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Zi'Ntonio

          ★ 4.4 €€
          Sorrento · classic trattoria

          🍽️ Wood-oven pizza + full menu, big tables, zero pretension — the reliable weeknight pick.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          L'Antica Trattoria

          ★ 4.6 €€€
          Sorrento · the splurge

          🍽️ Vine-covered garden terrace, refined takes on the classics — the farewell dinner.

          💡 Reserve days ahead for 20:00 on Friday.
          🗺️ Google Maps

          Ristorante Bagni Delfino

          ★ 4.5 €€€
          Marina Grande · seafood on the pier

          🍽️ Seafood pasta served practically in the sea. Farewell-dinner alternative.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Day-trip picks

          ★ mixed
          Naples · Capri · Positano · Amalfi

          🍽️ Sorbillo / Da Michele (Naples, ★4.5 €) the original pizzas · Buonocore (Capri, ★4.7 €) waffle-cone gelato · Pasticceria Pansa (Amalfi, ★4.5 €€) sfogliatella since 1830 · Chez Black (Positano, ★4.2 €€€) beachfront classic.

          🗺️ Sorbillo Da Michele Buonocore Pansa Chez Black

          ★ ratings ≈ Google at planning time — spot-check before you go.

          🍦The Gelato Leaderboard

          Official family business

          One gelato per day minimum (rules are rules). Score each gelateria out of 10 as a family — the champion is crowned at Friday's farewell dinner. Scores save on this phone.

          🗺️ Scout the contenders: Raki Davide Primavera Bougainvillea Buonocore Collina

          🌟 Host's Picks

          Straight from your Maison Amalia host — a local's own shortlist. Tap 🚶 Walk on any spot for door-to-door directions from Via Tasso 11.

          ☕ Breakfast & coffee

          Bar Tasso

          café
          Right on the corner of the maison — the host's everyday spot. Cornetto + cappuccino to start, aperitivo later. (a.k.a. Tasso Lounge Bar, Via Tasso)
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Bar Ercolano

          ★ 4.2 Piazza Tasso
          A 135-year-old café on Piazza Tasso — coffee and pastries while Sorrento drifts by. 2-min walk.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Radical

          brunch · specialty coffee
          Modern brunch spot — bread baked before the town wakes, single-origin coffee, proper eggs. The kids' pancake-and-juice morning.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk
          🍝 Restaurants

          'O Parrucchiano La Favorita

          ★ 4.1 €€€
          Close to the maison. Sorrento's most famous historic restaurant (since 1868) — dine in a giant lemon-and-vine greenhouse. The birthplace, legend says, of cannelloni.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Donna Sofia

          ★ 4.3 €€€
          Close to the maison. Intimate, family-run, walls covered in Sophia Loren photos — refined pasta & seafood. They'll fetch you from the center (the lane's too narrow for cars).
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Semola Pasta Bar

          ★ 4.6 €€
          On your own street (Via Tasso 53, ~1 min!) — fresh pasta made daily in-house. The ravioli and lasagne are the calls. Small; go early or book.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Bagni Sant'Anna

          🌊 on the water
          Seafood on a floating dock at Marina Grande — tables literally over the sea, Vesuvius as the backdrop, live music some evenings. Book a sunset table.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Il Monazzero di Teresina

          🐟 Marina Grande
          Quiet trattoria at the far end of Marina Grande — sea bream, seafood risotto, sea-and-Vesuvius view, easy prices. A local favorite for fish.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          'O Puledrone

          ★ 4.5 🐟 Marina Grande
          Family-run trattoria on the Marina Grande waterfront — the owners catch the fish themselves. Fresh, honest seafood right by the boats.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          La Terrazza delle Sirene

          ★ 4.0 🌋 view
          The Foreigners' Club terrace (Circolo dei Forestieri) — you come for the sweeping Bay-of-Naples-and-Vesuvius view. Great for a sundowner or a relaxed dinner.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Inn Bufalito

          ★ 4.4 🧀 & meat
          Host's pick for meat — plus buffalo-mozzarella tasting flights and Campania cured meats. Already on our dinner shortlist for Capri night.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk
          🍹 Aperitivo

          Syrenuse

          Piazza Tasso
          The classic Piazza Tasso aperitivo — spritz around 7–8 pm with a spread of little snacks, sea-view balcony at the back. Front-row seat on Sorrento's buzz.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Prosit

          ★ 4.4 wine & cured meat
          Prosciutteria & wine bar on Corso Italia — cured-meat & cheese boards with a good glass. A grown-up aperitivo.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Lorelei

          ★ 4.8 🌅 sunset
          Michelin-guide spot with a cliff-edge sunset terrace (La Colonna bar) — the special-occasion aperitivo, drink in hand as the sun drops into the bay.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          Ara Maris — Lumi Sky Lounge

          🌇 rooftop
          Panoramic rooftop bar atop the 5-star Ara Maris — gourmet tapas and cocktails over the Gulf of Naples. The dress-up sunset option.
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk
          🍋 Limoncello tasting

          Il Giardino di Cataldo

          free to wander
          A working lemon & orange grove in the middle of town — wander the trees, limoncello tasting for the grown-ups, lemon granita for Noah & Amelia. (Also on the Day 2 plan.)
          🗺️ Map 🚶 Walk

          ★ ratings ≈ Google/TripAdvisor at planning time — tap Map for the live rating. Spots without a number are local gems the host vouches for.

          🏛️ Things to See

          Pompeii

          ★★★★★
          Day 3 (Tue) · 30 min by train
          €23 · under-18 free3–4 h

          A whole Roman city stopped mid-breakfast in 79 AD. Streets with chariot ruts, a bakery with its millstones, gladiator barracks, and the casts of the people who never left. History lesson disguised as time travel — a 13- and 11-year-old's dream if you go early and keep it to the hits.

          💡 Book timed entry on vivaticket. Enter at Porta Marina at opening (09:00) — by noon it's a frying pan.
          🗺️ Google Maps

          Mount Vesuvius

          ★★★★
          Day 3 option · shuttle from Pompei
          €15 + shuttleHalf-day add-on

          Stand on the rim of the volcano that did it. 25-min gravel climb, steaming vents, the whole bay at your feet.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Monte Solaro chairlift

          ★★★★★
          Day 5 · Anacapri
          €14 return12 min up

          Single-seat chairs floating silently over vineyards to Capri's highest point. The family's most-quoted memory, guaranteed.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Blue Grotto

          ★★★
          Day 5 optional · Capri
          ~€18 + rowboat tipQueue warning

          Glowing electric-blue cave — magical, but July queues run 1–2 h for a 5-minute visit. The island boat lap sees grottos without the wait.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Gardens of Augustus

          ★★★★
          Day 5 · Capri town
          €2.5030 min

          The postcard balcony: Faraglioni sea stacks on one side, the Via Krupp switchbacks below. €2.50 for Capri's best view.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Positano

          ★★★★★
          Day 6 · 40 min by ferry
          Free to wander

          The vertical village — pastel houses stacked to the sky. Arrive by sea, swim, climb the boutique staircases, sorbet in a lemon.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Amalfi: Duomo + Paper Museum

          ★★★★
          Day 6 optional hop · ferry from Positano
          €3 + ~€5

          The striped cathedral atop its 62 steps, then a 13th-century paper mill where the kids make a sheet of paper by hand.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Naples in a day

          ★★★★★
          Day 4 (Wed) · Campania Express
          Leather · pizza · marketsFull day

          Leather-goods shopping in the centro storico, the world's best pizza at Da Michele, the Porta Nolana & San Gregorio Armeno markets, and the jaw-dropping Veiled Christ. Loud, gritty, unforgettable — see the full Day 4 plan.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Herculaneum

          ★★★★
          Day 3 (Tue) alternative · 35 min by train
          ~€16 · under-18 free2–3 h

          Pompeii's smaller sibling — better preserved (wooden beams! mosaics in place!), shadier, and a fraction of the crowd.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          Sorrento itself

          ★★★★
          Every evening · free
          Free

          Sedile Dominova's faded frescoes, the lemon-scented lanes, Marina Grande at golden hour, Villa Comunale at sunset. The reason you based here.

          🗺️ Google Maps

          🗺️ The Map

          The whole week at a glance — tap a pin for the Google Maps link. Before you fly: in Google Maps, download the offline area “Sorrento + Bay of Naples”.

          Loading map…

          🍋 = home base · pinch or use +/− to zoom · tap any pin

          Home base
          🏠 Maison Amalia Open ↗ 🟨 Piazza Tasso Open ↗ 🚆 Sorrento station Open ↗ ⛴️ Ferry port (Marina Piccola) Open ↗ 🌅 Villa Comunale (sunset spot) Open ↗ 🏞️ Vallone dei Mulini Open ↗ ✈️ Naples Airport (NAP) Open ↗
          Day trips
          🏛️ Pompeii (Porta Marina) Open ↗ 🌋 Vesuvius crater Open ↗ 🏝️ Capri — Marina Grande Open ↗ 🚠 Monte Solaro chairlift Open ↗ 🌸 Gardens of Augustus Open ↗ 💙 Blue Grotto Open ↗ 🌈 Positano Open ↗ ⛪ Amalfi Duomo Open ↗ 📜 Paper Museum, Amalfi Open ↗ 🏺 Herculaneum Open ↗ 🏛️ Archaeological Museum, Naples Open ↗ 🕳️ Napoli Sotterranea Open ↗ 🍕 Sorbillo, Naples Open ↗ 🍕 Da Michele, Naples Open ↗ 🐟 Porta Nolana market Open ↗ 🗿 Veiled Christ (Sansevero) Open ↗ 🎭 San Gregorio Armeno Open ↗
          Swim & eat
          🤿 Regina Giovanna pool Open ↗ 🎣 Marina Grande, Sorrento Open ↗ 🏖️ Alimuri sand beach, Meta Open ↗ 🐟 Da Emilia Open ↗ 🍝 La Cantinaccia del Popolo Open ↗ 🍋 Lemon garden (Cataldo) Open ↗ 🏄 Fornillo beach, Positano Open ↗ 🍕 Pizzeria Da Franco Open ↗ 🧀 Inn Bufalito Open ↗ 🍝 Zi'Ntonio Open ↗ 🥂 L'Antica Trattoria Open ↗ 🦐 Bagni Delfino Open ↗ 🍰 Pasticceria Pansa, Amalfi Open ↗
          Gelato leaderboard contenders
          🍦 Raki Open ↗ 🍦 Davide Il Gelato Open ↗ 🍦 Primavera Open ↗ 🍦 Bougainvillea Open ↗ 🍦 Buonocore, Capri Open ↗ 🍦 Collina, Positano Open ↗

          🚁 Drone Corner

          All the rules and spots, tucked away — tap to expand when planning a flight.

          📋Paperwork that must be in the bag

          ✔︎
          EU operator ID — your FAA registration does NOT count in Europe. Before the trip, register as a UAS operator with Italy's ENAC on d-flight.it (non-EU residents register in the first EASA country they fly in; one EU registration then covers all of them). Put the operator-ID sticker on the drone
          ✔︎
          Liability insurance — mandatory in Italy even for sub-250 g, and US drone policies rarely cover the EU; buy short-term EU liability cover before flying
          ✔︎
          A1/A3 certificate if the drone is ≥250 g — free online EASA exam, do it from home (sub-250 g: not required, rules still apply)
          ✔︎
          d-flight map check before every flight · max 120 m AGL · always line-of-sight
          ✔︎
          Batteries in cabin bag — never in checked luggage (TSA and EU agree on this one)

          🚫 Hard no-fly

          · Pompeii, Herculaneum & all archaeological parks — explicit ban, serious fines
          · Vesuvius National Park
          · Naples airport CTR (northern bay)
          · Over people: beaches with swimmers, the Piazzetta, ferry ports, town centers in daytime
          · Punta Campanella marine reserve & Capri's protected coast — check the map

          ✅ Where it can work

          Early morning (06:00–07:30), nobody around, map checked green:
          · Sorrento cliff line & Marina Grande at sunrise
          · Regina Giovanna arch before the swimmers
          · Meta/Alimuri coast at dawn
          · Open coastline away from ports and ferry lanes

          💡 Golden rule: launch early, land the moment people arrive.

          🎬The shot list

          Noah directs · Amelia produces

          1. Sunrise over Vesuvius from the Sorrento cliff line — slow pan
          2. Marina Grande fishing boats, top-down at 30 m
          3. The Regina Giovanna arch — low reveal through the gap
          4. Lemon terraces — slow rise from between the trees

          💡 Good to Know

          ☀️ July on the peninsula

          Days
          29–32 °C
          Nights
          22–24 °C
          Sea
          26–27 °C 🛁
          Rain
          Basically never

          UV is extreme 11:00–16:00 — sights in the morning, swim & siesta after lunch, live in the evening like the locals.

          💶 Money

          Cards work everywhere; keep ~€100–150 cash for granita stands, sunbeds and bus tickets. Coperto (€1.50–3 pp cover charge) is normal, not a scam. Tipping: round up, done.

          US-card rules: bring a no-foreign-fee card if you have one, tell the bank you're traveling, pull cash from bank ATMs — and when a terminal offers to charge in dollars, always pick EUR, never USD (that "convenience" costs 5–10%).

          💡 Kids pay less almost everywhere — Pompeii/Herculaneum FREE under 18 for all nationalities (bring the passports!), ferries often ~half for Amelia. Always ask.

          🔌 Practical bits (US edition)

          · US plugs don't fit — pack EU adapters (Type C/F, a 3-pack covers the family). Italy is 230 V: phones/laptops are fine, check hair tools are dual-voltage
          · Phones: buy an eSIM (Airalo/Holafly, ~$10–20 for the week) or use your carrier's international day pass (~$10–12/day per line)
          · Passports valid well beyond the return date; no visa for stays under 90 days — expect biometric kiosks (EES) at your first EU entry
          · Travel medical insurance — US health plans rarely cover you in Italy; carry the policy PDF offline
          · Tap water is safe; refill at street fountains
          · Pharmacies = green cross; emergencies = 112; lost passports → US Consulate General, Naples
          · Shops nap ~13:30–16:30; churches want covered shoulders (pack a light scarf)

          📱 Apps before you fly

          · EasyJet — boarding passes
          · Google Maps + offline area
          · Ferryhopper — ferry tickets
          · Vivaticket — Pompeii entry
          · d-flight — drone zones
          · Airalo (or your carrier's travel-pass app) — eSIM data
          · A translator app for menu adventures

          🗣️ Italian survival kit

          deploy generously
          Buongiorno / BuonaseraGood morning / good evening
          Per favore / Grazie millePlease / thanks a million
          ScusiExcuse me (to get someone's attention)
          Permesso!“Coming through!” — crowded lanes & ferry gangways
          Parla inglese?Do you speak English?
          Non capiscoI don't understand
          Quanto costa?How much?
          Posso pagare con carta?Can I pay by card?
          Un tavolo per quattroA table for four
          Il conto, per favoreThe bill, please
          Acqua naturale / frizzanteStill / sparkling water (they will ask)
          Quattro biglietti, per favoreFour tickets, please — trains & ferries
          A che ora parte l'ultimo traghetto?What time is the last ferry? (the question that saves the day)
          Dov'è il bagno?Where's the bathroom? (essential with kids)
          Due gelati, per favoreTwo gelatos, please (Noah & Amelia's line)
          Un cono con due gustiA cone with two flavors (advanced gelato)
          Che buono!So good!
          Arrivederci!Goodbye! (say it on the way out — always lands)

          🧳 Packing checklist

          saves on this phone

          💶 The week, ballpark

          family of 4
          Airport transfers ×2~€240
          Trains (Pompeii + Naples days, Campania Express)~€145
          Ferries (Capri + coast day)~€400
          Entries & activities (Pompeii, chairlift, boat lap, Veiled Christ…)€400–550
          Eating out (6 dinners + lunches out)€700–900
          Gelato-critical reserves 🍦~€80
          Grand total (± shopping)≈ €2,000–2,400

          All amounts are mid-2026 estimates for planning — verify big-ticket items when you book.