Is Sorrento Safe in September 2026?

The Naples-Sorrento Circumvesuviana line is notorious for pickpockets who work the crowded carriages and doorways. A common tactic is a group, sometimes using a stroller or children, that crowds or blocks the door at a stop so you cannot move while an accomplice goes through your bag or pockets. Bags left on the floor or open backpacks are the prime targets.

How to avoid: Wear bags across your front and keep phones and wallets in zipped inner pockets, never in a back pocket or open tote. Take early, less crowded trains or pay extra for the limited-stop Campania Express, and stay alert and create space when people press toward the doors at stations.

Sorrento taxis often quote a flat 'fixed fare' instead of running the meter for long runs to Positano, Pompeii, or Naples Airport, then inflate it well above the official rate (e.g. Naples Airport is commonly around 110 euros). Drivers may also tack on per-bag, night, or vague 'extra' surcharges that were never mentioned. Without a posted meter reading, you have no way to contest the number once you arrive.

How to avoid: Agree the total price in euros out loud before getting in and ask if luggage or surcharges are extra; for the airport ask for the official set tariff. Prefer the Curreri airport bus, the train, or a pre-booked transfer with a written quote. Use only marked white taxis from the official rank at Piazza Tasso, not drivers who approach you.

Sorrento restaurants legitimately add a coperto (cover charge), but in tourist spots this can be inflated and buried in small print, and some waiters tell foreign diners 'service is not included' to pressure an American-style tip on top, even though staff are already salaried. At Marina Grande this has included a 'free' lift home offered alongside the service-not-included line. The charges add up on what looked like a cheap meal.

How to avoid: Check the menu for the coperto and any servizio before sitting down, and remember service is normally already covered in Italy, so any extra tip is optional and small. Scrutinise the itemised bill and politely query anything you did not agree to.

Booking a private boat from Sorrento to Capri, some operators show a 23-25ft boat and price, then send a smaller, lower-spec craft on the day, sometimes too small for a comfortable open-sea crossing or for the advertised drinks. In some cases the boat turns back before reaching Capri yet the full price is still charged. Pick-ups can also detour to collect other 'private' guests, eating into your time.

How to avoid: Book through reputable platforms with reviews and buyer protection, and get the exact boat model, size, route and inclusions confirmed in writing. Photograph the listing, and if the boat doesn't match on arrival, refuse to board and dispute the charge with your card provider.

On Sorrento-Pompeii day trips, touts outside the ruins sell 'skip-the-line' access that is really just a voucher you still have to queue to exchange, or pose as official guides and steer you off. Pompeii's own staff warn that anyone giving directions or guiding at the gates who isn't on the official team is a tout. You can lose money and time and still end up in the normal queue.

How to avoid: Buy entry from the official Pompeii ticket office or a recognised operator like Viator or GetYourGuide before you go, and ignore anyone soliciting at the gates. Verify a guide is licensed and never follow 'third-party' directions inside the site.