Heading to Pompeii on a day-trip from Naples? In this post, we've shared all the essential information on your transport options from the city to the famous Roman ruins at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.

Article updated with summer 2021 visitor + ticket information - Pompeii is open!

THE ESSENTIALS
// A Naples to Pompeii train costs €2.80, takes 35 minutes.
// The bus costs €2.80, takes 45 minutes.
// Various Pompeii tours from Naples, including transport.
// Round-trip private transfers cost €25+.
// Buy your Pompeii ticket in advance.

HOW TO GET FROM NAPLES TO POMPEII

TRAIN FROM NAPLES TO POMPEII

The most accessible and convenient way to travel to Pompeii from Naples is via two regular train services, both of which depart from the same station.

It’s highly recommended to book your Pompeii ticket in advance online before you travel, especially as entrances are now allocated to specific time slots - book your Pompeii ticket here.

THE EAV CIRCUMVESUVIANA

This slow public train connects locals with towns and suburbs along the Gulf of Naples, and brings thousands of visitors each day to Pompeii.

It departs from Porta Nolana Station (Google Maps), but the easiest access point for you to get on will be at the next stop in Napoli Piazza Garibaldi (Google Maps), which is a separate station within the same building as Napoli Centrale Train Station (the city's main one).

That may sound complicated, but it's nothing to worry about.

Simply make your way to Napoli Centrale (Google Maps) and, once inside, follow the blue signs for the Circumvesuviana. This will take you downstairs to the lower floor and along a covered walkway toward the staffed ticket office of Napoli Piazza Garibaldi, which consists of three or four kiosks opposite the barriers on the left hand side.

From the main entrance of Napoli Centrale to Piazza Garibaldi station, it's about a 5-minute walk

You want to take the blue 'Sorrento' line; when purchasing your ticket, ask for ‘Pompei Scavi’'; there is also 'Pompei' station but this isn't the right one to go for!

It's €2.80 per person one-way, and travel time is around 35 minutes. A one-way ticket is fine. There are a lot of station stops along the way, but some services run a little quicker as they skip a dozen or so.

Note that you can only buy tickets in person at either Porta Nolana or Napoli Piazza Garibaldi station. Cash is definitely preferred by the staff, but you can pay by card (don't bank on this working though). As this is not a TrenItalia train service, you will not find tickets online or on their website. There are no seat reservations.

Once tickets are purchased, pass through the barriers and go downstairs to the platforms. There are screens with departures/arrivals information, and just make certain that you get on the train with 'Sorrento' as its final destination, as there will be other Circumvesuviana lines passing through.

The Circumvesuviana timetable we saw taped up at the kiosk in September 2020 had services starting at 06:11, with departures twice an hour at 11 minutes past and 41 minutes past. There was also an additional service at 08:13.

You can see current schedules here - click 'Orario Treni' then select 'L1 Napoli-Sorrento'. Note that 'DD' on the schedule denotes an express service.

In our experiences of riding the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii, it's a relatively small, surprisingly tired, and worn down service in comparison to some of the excellent Regionale trains you'll find across Italy. It's more like an old, crap commuter train in London than a sparkly tourist shuttle service, but that's no big issue.

It can become frightfully hot and a bit crowded though.

Disembark at Pompei Scavi station (sometimes written as 'Pompei Scavi-Villa Misteri'), and you'll be a two-minute walk from the Porta Marina entrance to Pompeii!

POMPEII CIRCUMVESUVIANA TRAVEL TIPS

// This train route is notorious for pickpockets, so keep your daypack on your person and don't leave your phone or wallet temptingly positioned in a back pocket. Also, note that both city stations are in an area which may feel a little rough around the edges at times, so be aware of this if returning back late to Napoli.

// If arriving for an early train and you've got time to spare, you can buy your ticket first and then grab a coffee and pastry at the coffee stand around the corner from the ticket booths or after the barriers. Alternatively, you'll find a few options outside the Pompeii entrance.

// This Napoli-Sorrento line will always be busiest in the morning hours and ticket queues from other visitors are likely throughout the day - it's best to arrive to Napoli Centrale with 15-20 minutes to spare before the next departure, and don't bank on getting a seat for your journey.

// If travelling in peak summer season at peak times, then boarding at Porto Nolana station (one stop before Napoli Piazza Garibaldi) is the best way to guarantee a seat for the journey.

// We don't recommend staying in and around Napoli Central Station unless you really have to - find out more in '10 Things to Know Before You Visit Naples' (published soon).

// Stops are announced in advance and there's also a little route map above the doors in each carriage for you to keep track.

// Note that the green line to Poggiomarino, also part of the Circumvesuviana network, will take you to 'Pompei' station - this is however not the correct one for the archaeological site. If you end up going there by mistake, don't worry though as you'll just be a 10-minute walk from one of the three site entrances.

// The blue Sorrento line is also the one to take if you wish to visit the Herculaneum ruins (disembark at Ercolano Scavi) or take a day trip to the Amalfi Coast.

If you'd like to have a guide in Pompeii, then this tour with an archaeologist is highly-rated and will meet you at the site or station.

THE METROPOLITAN LINE

Although the Circumvesuviana is the most popular, there is an alternative Napoli to Pompeii train.

The Metropolitan service also departs from Napoli Piazza Garibaldi, but does not stop at 'Pompei Scavi'. Instead, it will take you to 'Pompei' station in the modern town of Pompei, from which you're a 10-minute walk to one of the site entrances.

Note, the easiest way to tell the difference between the site and the town is that the Pompeii ruins always have an extra 'i’ (except on the train station names!).

It's €2.80 per person with a travel time of 38 minutes, and you can buy your tickets for this service online or at the various TrenItalia ticket machines in the station.

There are two departures per hour - see schedules on TrenItalia or Italiarail.

This option would be better if you're basing yourself in Pompei for a night or two, rather than just taking a day trip from Naples, and therefore carrying luggage. However, it's absolutely fine to take this train for your day trip too, providing you're happy with the slightly longer walk from the station to the entrance.

Plan | For lots of free resources, tips on tickets, and advice on how to improve your Pompeii day trip experience, take a look at ‘17 Things To Know Before Visiting Pompeii’. You can buy your Pompeii ticket here.

BUS FROM NAPLES TO POMPEII

The train is affordable and more frequent, but the bus may be your preferred option if your accommodation is close to Naples's docks and cruise terminal, Nuova Marina.

Make your way down to the SITA Bus Station & Ticket Terminal (Google Maps), and buy a ticket for the Napoli-Salerno line. Departures are on the hour and the half hour, starting from 7.30 am; note that not every service running this route stops at Pompei, so you should always double-check before boarding the next departure.

Note that 'Pompei Scavi' is again the best place to disembark (it's the 3rd or 4th stop), but don't worry if you get dropped off elsewhere within the town of Pompei.

Travel time is about the same as the train (35-45 minutes, depending on traffic), and costs €2.80 per person. You can buy you ticket on board if the ticket office is shut. If going for the bus during peak times or summer months, note that this will naturally have limited capacity versus the train and is also used by locals for non-Pompeii journeys.

The SITA bus company website is horrendous to navigate, but if you go here, and input 'Napoli' as your departure and 'Pompei' as your destination, then click 'ricerca', it should bring up a PDF for the 5001 SALERNO - NOCERA - NAPOLI which includes updated schedule information.

Alternatively, check out this page on Moovit which has various details about the route and service.

A NAPLES POMPEII TOUR

Travelling to Pompeii independently with public transport actually opens up several interesting, highly-rated tour options which meet you at the site. For example, this two-hour small-group tour led by an archaeologist has fantastic reviews, whilst this three-hour small-group walking tour, with maximum 15 people, also has glowing reviews and offers an excellent in-depth introduction to Pompeii and its stories.

These also give you a bit more flexibility as you can stay in the site and explore independently after the tour concludes.

However, we fully appreciate the some of you may prefer the convenience of joining a tour which includes transport from/to Naples, as well as a guide and tickets. If that’s the case, then it’s definitely worth taking a look at this half-day tour from Naples.

Lastly, if you’d like to combine your visit to Pompeii with a walk around the crater of Mount Vesuvius, then make sure you read this post: How To Visit Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius in One Day.

A TAXI OR PRIVATE TRANSFER

You won't find a taxi driver willing to take you one-way for a one-way fare, so you'll have to pay the return rate even if simply going from Naples. You may be able to negotiate a fare return trip fare with waiting time, and price we've found in our research are €70 - €90.

Therefore, if you'd like and a private transfer from Naples to Pompeii, your best and most affordable bet is one of the services available to book online. Note that these provide two to three hours to explore the site (make sure to confirm), rather than an unlimited amount of time to explore.

Naples to Pompeii Shared Shuttle | Hotel pick up and drop-off in air-conditioned shared transport which will wait as you explore the ruins.

Private Shuttle | Alternatively, you could go for this private door-to-door option in an air-conditioned vehicle. Find out more here.