Excursion to Capri - Getting to Capri

Date: Friday, January 6, 2006
Places visited: Capri, Campania
Sights seen: Capri town, Certosa Monastery, Villa Jovis and billy goats
Weather: bright and sunny, temp. fluctuated between 60s-70s F. on the island as we hiked up to Villa Jovis

Getting to Capri
Even though you may have an itinerary of where you want to go, you may have to revamp it like we did for one reason or another. We had to because mother nature wasn't on our side for the first three days of our trip - it just rained. Fortunately, by Wednesday, it had cleared up magically and we were ready to explore. The previous day we had done the SITA bus ride to the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi Town). Today, we decided to visit Capri.

We didn't really know what to expect. In fact, I was expecting a really kitschy island overrun with tourists, shoppers, and just a lot of tacky gawkers or people. I don't know, maybe I have been reading too many magazines (I don't). We had to get to Sorrento (from Sant'Agnello) to catch the hydrofoil to Capri. BTW, you can either take a bus from Via Tasso or the stairs, also from Via Tasso (near all the world flags), straight down to the pier.

*During the winter, the transportation to Capri doesn't run as frequently as it would during the summer. Also, the option to go to Capri and then come back via Amalfi Coast is not as readily available. Definitely more options, but more traffic, during the summer/spring months. There are different carriers who will take you to and fro Capri and they charge different rates (the time difference is minimal, maybe 10+ minutes, but the cost is $$). I think it's more for convenience, as one line does not operate as frequently as another. Therefore, plan ahead!

Remember to buy your tickets at the pier before boarding (we didn't do that and were charged slightly higher prices upon boarding). You can also purchase your return ticket at the pier in Sorrento if you know what time you want to return. If you don't see anyone, ask any Italian. They all start to swarm like 5-10 minutes before the boat leaves. It's not like the U.S. where we all stand so early before departure. Also, ask which dock the boat for Capri leaves from - usually the company departs from the same dock like clockwork.

Once you dock at Marina Grande in Capri you will most likely want to purchase funicular tickets. Unless you want to walk around the area you were dropped off in - by all means, linger. But, I think we took a quick look and split. There are some bars and restaurants in the area, but we didn't stick around in that area. Depending on how much you're gonna use the funicular, a day pass can be useful. Transporatation within Capri is fun, and the funicular is part of the Capri experience.

Note: Before we arrived in Italy, I had a map of Capri. I had requested one years ago from the Tourism Board of Italy. It was pretty helpful in orienting us. The title of the map is "Azienda Autonoma Cura Soggiorno e Turismo Isola di Capri".

Helpful Sites:
Capri Tourism Information www.capritourism.com
Via Michelin www.viamichelin.co.uk