(Terryo) wrote in message om...
I'm planning to spend (alone) about two weeks in the Naples, Sorrento,
Amalfi Coast area and another two weeks in Sicily. I have some
questions:

1 - I'd like to swim at the beaches in Sicily. Will the water be warm
enough in May, or should I wait until September?

I always find the Med cold.


2 - All the travel guides (and posters here) recommend staying in
Sorrento and just taking a day trip to Naples. But it looks like the
sights I want to see in Naples will take at least three days. I
realize Naples is crowded, bustling, and (allegedly) crime-ridden, but
is it REALLY such a bad idea to stay there?

No, not if you really have things you want to do. The crime
thing has changed alot lately (although probably still not as
good as other areas).

I could stay in Naples,
e.g., 5 days, seeing Naples and Cumae, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius
-- then move on to Sorrento to stay for several more days, seeing
Sorrento, Capri and other islands, Positano and the Amalfi Coast, and
Paestum. It just seems that would be better than trying to do
EVERYTHING out of Sorrento, spending a lot of time commuting to
Naples, missing Naples nightlife, etc.....

Well, I guess I'd probably say stay in Naples when you're gonna
visit Naples, then move on. You may, or may not, find the "nightlife"
in Naples interesting. That's a tough one and only you can decide.


3- I had planned to take the train from Sorrento to Sicily, but now
I'm reading that that is not such a good idea -- it's a long trip, the
trains are uncomfortable and schedules undependable (unlike those I've
ridden all over northern Italy). I've been told that a boat or
hydrofoil out of Naples or Sorrento to Sicily would be better. Is
this true? What are the relative costs and length of time? Would I
miss worthwhile southern Italy sights by doing this (e.g., Salerno)?

If you have no plans to stop anywhere between Sorrento and Sicily,
I guess I'd take the hydrofoil. Not sure about the costs but you
should be able to find them online.

[snip]
5 - Tips, things to see or avoid, recommended restaurants and hotels
(80 euro range), are very welcome. (I have Rick Steves's Italy and
the new Eyewitness Guides to Naples/Amalfi Coast and Sicily.)

I'm not exactly sure why you want to "camp" in one town so much.
Stay in the town you're visiting. I can understand some day tripping,
but I'd probably visit Sorrento, then move on to Positano and stay
there, and so on. But I'll admit some distaste for day tripping that
you may not share. Day tripping does mean more traveling, but it
does cut down on the packing.

If you do this, it may influence your train/boat decision to Sicily.
Going by boat, you may want to end up in Naples, whereas by train,
you might want to end up in Salerno.