May 20th 2009

I get random e-mails from people asking what is the best way to get to Pompeii. As far as I know, there are two ways to get to the ruins of Pompeii. One can take one of a couple options

1. Circumvesuviano /Circumvesuviana :
   First you have to get to the main station in Naples, which is Napoli- Garibaldi. Then you have to find the Circumvesuviana. When you are in the main station at Naples, you will have to look for the sign that says “Circumvesuviana/Circumvesuviano”. This train is not accessible from the main station but rather you have to walk downstairs to another set of tracks that range from 1-6.  It is a narrow-gauge railway connecting cities near Naples, Italy. Its tracks run around the base of Mt. Vesuvius, hence the name, though they do not in reality completely encircle it- but rather I think it means to circumnavigate (This is how I made sense of the thing, and I am sure I was wrong, but it did get me to Pompeii !!). One should take Line/Train #5 which is the Napoli Porta Nolana  > Barra – Torre del Greco  > Torre Annunziata > Pompeii – Poggiomarino.At the station, you can check your bags for €1,50, pick up by 7:00 in summer, 6:00 October to February, or instead, check it for free at the ruins (pick up by 7:20). The entrance to Pompeii is about 50m away from the station. Farther down the street is a Tourist Information office. Note that if you get off at “Pompei Sanctuario,” instead of “Pompei Scavi,” the walk through town is not very far. you get pretty tired but its worth it.The schedule listed leaves at 2:10pm – the idea is that the train journey should take about 36 mins on the train. I have listed the all the stops from Napoli Garibaldi station to Pompeii.  Note that you pass Herculaneum which is called Ercalano in Italian.Price: € 2.40
   Ticket type: Unico Fascia 3
   Rate Description: BIGLIETTO ORARIO UNICO CAMPANIA F3

   Arrival locality		Arrival time
   NAPOLI – GARIBALDI (STAZIONE CENTRALE F.S.)		14:10
   NAPOLI – GIANTURCO		14:13
   NAPOLI – SAN GIOVANNI		14:15
   NAPOLI – BARRA		14:17
   NAPOLI – SANTA MARIA DEL POZZO		14:19
   SAN GIORGIO		14:21
   SAN GIORGIO – CAVALLI DI BRONZO		14:22
   PORTICI – BELLAVISTA		14:24
   PORTICI – VIA LIBERTA’		14:25
   ERCOLANO – SCAVI		14:27
   ERCOLANO – MIGLIO D’ORO		14:28
   TORRE DEL GRECO		14:30
   TORRE DEL GRECO – VIA SANT’ANTONIO		14:32
   TORRE DEL GRECO – VIA DEL MONTE		14:34
   TORRE DEL GRECO – VILLA DELLE GINESTRE		14:36
   TORRE DEL GRECO – LEOPARDI		14:38
   TORRE DEL GRECO – VIA VIULI		14:39
   TRECASE		14:40
   TORRE ANNUNZIATA – OPLONTI		14:42
   POMPEI – SCAVI VILLA MISTERI		14:46

The lines all start from the terminus in Naples, and then branch off in several places to towns on the Sorrentine peninsula, for which it forms an important commercial artery. The complete journey from Sorrento to Naples takes about one hour. Half-way along the line is the station at Pompeii Scavi, situated about 100 metres from the entrance to the excavations. There are also stops within reasonable walking distance – less than one kilometre – from the Roman city of Herculaneum and the Villa Poppaea (nearest station Torre Annunziata). Parts of the line are very scenic, particularly on the Sorrento peninsula, where the line passes through several tunnels and bridges. There is also a tunnel in Naples to allow the lines to pass under the mainline train station.

A map of the Circumvesuviano/Circumvesuviana

• By Bus SITA runs buses from Naples. The cost is the same as the train.
• By Cruise If you are taking a cruise, you can set up an excursion to explore the. A bus is how you will get to the ruins. The cruise will set up the tickets and tour for you. From the cruise boat a water shuttle ( Hydro Foil) can take you around the Bay of Naples to the other sites like Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii during your stops at Naples, Italy. This water shuttle will take to you to the bus to the ruins. There are many breathe taking sites to see.
  • Tickets are €11 per adult (no reductions, unless you are under 26 AND an EU citizen [proof of citizenship required, such as valid passport/driving license]). €20 five sight pass (including Pompeii and Herculaneum available, valid for 3 days). Site can be free or 50% off with Campaina ArteCard. Site is open daily 8:30-7:30, November to March 8:30-5:00. Telephone: 081-857-5347. Ticket office stops selling tickets 90 minutes before closing
• For transport tickets read about the unified public transport ticket Campania Unico

A good link to check for more information would be http://wikitravel.org/en/Pompeii.

One more thing : The Circumvesuviano train from Naples to Pompeii is a commuter train type thing. When we got on it, we were cheek to cheek with hundreds of Napoli high school kids….and yes, they were just as cheeky as high school kids everywhere! It would have been VERY uncomfortable (mentally and physically!) to be dragging bags along, so having your bags could be a major pain. If you only had a very small rolling carry-on type thing then it might be OK to take it on the Circumvesuviano without major mental trauma.  Bring a bag with small treats and a big water bottle and your camera(s).

The trains are a bit sketchy looking though

© rishiray for Rishi Sankar: Ah Trini Travelogue / Ah Trini Traveller, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Circumvesuviana, circumvesuviana map, circumvesuviana napoli, circumvesuviana train, circumvesuviana train map, Circumvesuviano, circumvesuviano map, How to get to Herculaneum, map of circumvesuviano, map of herculaneum villas