TRAIN FROM SORRENTO TO NAPLES TO ROME
Today was our journey back to Rome via the Naples train station. The train Station is in the heart of Sorrento, literally a 4 minute drive from the hotel… a little to far to walk with suitcases. Waiting for taxis was the worst of it (about 45 minutes) and we had to dash through the station to make our train with about 5 minutes to spare. On this leg of our travels, the conductors were not happy with us and fellow travelers looked at us in awe or disgust as we dragged our 20 parcels onto the train.
After much research, traveling by train from Sorrento to Naples then transferring to Rome was the cheapest for our party of 11. And it was surprisingly easy!!! We purchased all of our tickets about a month beforehand and did not want to leave anything to chance. We took the Campania Express (https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule) out of Sorrento. We were able to pick our seats and paid €15 euros per person. This brought us to Naples Piazza Garibaldi Train Station. Once there, we needed to go upstairs and follow signs to Napoli Centrale. We were very confused at first, but they are located in the SAME station, just different areas! From Naples to Rome we took Trenitalia (https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html). This train line was definitely more high-end with very comfortable seating and they gave out drinks, pretzels and hand wipes. Our tickets were €31 per person.
As I said, we did our research beforehand and we were ready for any pickpockets that would be running around Naples Station. I must admit, I was a bit disappointed that I heard no one screaming “pickpocket” with said individuals running away. We saw so many videos of this display on TikTok throughout Italy, we did not encounter any, although there were probably some lurking nearby… it must have been our $100 travel purses that deterred them all!
The ride from both Sorrento to Naples and Naples Rome was beautiful. We passed so many villages and farm land, however, the iPhone camera really does no justice to the views…. so I will share the lame photos I was able to take.
PRATI, ROME
When we arrived in Rome, we ordered Ubers and headed to our Airbnb. We attempted taxis as they are much less expensive, but it was very difficult to flag them down. Most of them just waved at us as if they were unable to stop in certain areas. It was definitely more expensive, but the less aggravation made it more worth it. Our Airbnb was in the heart of Prati. Prati is an awesome location. Walking distance to many locations, including the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Vatican City. We were also able to walk to Trastevere during our stay.
PRATI AIRBNB
The Airbnb was an awesome space for 11 of us. I highly recommend! It had all of the amenities and each family had their own bathroom. The elevator was a bit sketchy, but luckily my fearless daughter agreed to hop in and go up and down with all of our luggage. Some of the rooms had balconies overlooking the streets. We decided to head to the grocery store and grab some appetizers and drinks and relax a bit before heading out for the evening.
LA FRASCHETTA ROMANESCA
From a recommendation from a friend, we ventured to the restaurant La Fraschetta Romanesca (https://lafraschettaromanesca.shop/). It was a wonderful restaurant with a great atmosphere. When we arrived we were led down a staircase to an old wine cellar. We made a reservation since we had a larger party and they were accommodating. Tonight it seemed was pasta and wine night for everyone! The owner went and greeted his guests at the tables and gave us some really good recommendations. This was our most reasonable dinner to date. We had appetizers, meals, drinks, and dessert for only €150 for 11 of us!
IL BARETTO DI 40
We then decided to split up and some went to meet some friends from home who were also in Rome at the time! It was awesome to have our paths cross and be able to meet up with them before they traveled home. After passing fountain after fountain, we finally arrived at a tiny little bar, Il Baretto di 40 (https://restaurantguru.com/Il-baretto-di-40-Rome). It had this cool red pick up truck outside with a little barstool set around it for seating. Lots of locals were sprinkled along the sidewalk enjoying drinks. Going inside there was a record player with music and just an extremely cool vibe. This music filtered outside and Highly recommend if you are in the area to stop and get a drink and then take some pictures at the beautiful fountain across the street. After a couple drinks, we headed back to the Airbnb which was about a 15 minute walk and felt quite safe.
My Italian Adventures 