economical trip from rome to pompeii

[raspberry ridge]

After our cruise my husband & I will spend 5 days in Rome.I went to Pompeii several years ago but my husband has never been.i'd love to take him there or to Herculaneum but have no idea how best to do it on a shoe string budget.Can someone advise regarding whether the train is our best option and if so how best to safely and cheaply get to either site after the train.All info is appreciated

[cruisemom42]

It's really quite easy:

 

1. Take the fast train from Rome to Naples as early in the morning as you can stand. The trip takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes on the Frecciarosa (express). Start looking on the Trenitalia site for tickets several months in advance for best prices. Ticket prices go up as you get closer to your travel date.

 

2. You'll leave the train at the main Naples station, Napoli Centrale. At this same station (but one floor down), you can catch the Circumvesuviana line, the regional train that will take you to Pompeii. Just follow the overhead signs -- there are several lines. And be sure to get on a train headed in the direction of Sorrento.

 

3. Exit train at Pompei Scavi station and you are just steps from the main entrance of Pompeii.

 

 

Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi) is also on the same train line, but if you're coming all the way from Rome and have the day, I'd go to Pompeii which provide a much more comprehensive view of what cities were like and also the extent of the destruction caused by Vesuvius.

 

When it's time to leave, just be sure to look at the Circumvesuviana schedule and figure out which train will get you back in time for your return train to Rome. I'd plan on padding it quite a bit -- you can always grab something to eat near the Napoli train station if you have extra time to spare...

 

I could spend all day in Pompeii, but if you think you'll only need a few hours, you could also visit the Archaeological Museum in Naples with a only an extra step or two beyond the directions already given. It makes a nice complement to the site itself.

[raspberry ridge]

Thank you so much for your comprehensive answer!

[Steirisch]

We enjoyed Herculaneum more than Pompeii. Had been to Pompeii 10 years before and were told by our Herculaneum guide that a lot more archeological items had been moved out of Pompeii and put into the Museo Archeologico in Naples. After we did the tour of Herculaneum, we took a cab to the museum and found it closed for a one day strike. Alas!

 

Not far from Rome by train is Ostia Antica, which we found quite interesting.

Just a 20-25 minute train ride and a short walk.

[slidergirl]

Thanks for asking this question! It gave me food for thought for something else to do one of my days in Rome. I can play it by ear and just decide to do it or not when I'm in Rome. If nothing else, it would give me a chance to thumb my nose at my ex's extended family in Naples :p