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 2024 visitor + ticket information.
the essentials
// Naples to Pompeii train costs €3, takes 35 minutes
// More comfortable tourist train is €15 one-way
// The bus costs €2.80, takes 45 minutes
// Various Pompeii tours from Naples include transport
// Round-trip shuttle bus available for under €20
// Buy your Pompeii ticket in advance of travel
// Give yourself at least a half-day to at Pompeii
// Plan with our guide to visiting Pompeii
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 three regular train services, which all depart from the same station and take about the same time.
We’ve given all the specific details for each below, but here’s a quick overview:
1. EAV Circumvesuviana | €3 one-way · 35 minutes · busy commuter train · no advance tickets
2. The Metropolitan Line | €3 one-way · 50 minutes · standard train · advance tickets available
3. Campania Express | €15 one-way · 35 minutes · fancier train with AC · advance tickets available
We took the excellent value EAV Circumvesuviana out and the Metropolitan back, via Mount Vesuvius, but the reputation and crowding of the EAV Circumvesuviana puts a lot of people off. If you’re not on a budget and prefer comfort, a seat, fewer stops, and air-con, then you may prefer the Campania Express.
It’s highly recommended to book your Pompeii entrance ticket in advance online before you travel, due to its popularity and the length of queues - book your Pompeii ticket here.
If you prefer to travel by public transport, but would like to have a guide to better understand the ruins, this two-hour small-group tour led by an archaeologist has fantastic reviews and meets you at the train station by Pompeii.
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. You’ll also see it referred to as the Napoli-Sorrento line.
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 (maps) and, once inside the station, follow the blue + white signs for the Linee Vesuviane / Campania Express / Circumvesuviana.
This will take you downstairs to the lower floor and along a covered walkway toward the staffed and clear to identify red ticket office (bigletteria) of Napoli Piazza Garibaldi on the right hand side.
From the main entrance of Napoli Centrale to Piazza Garibaldi station, it's about a 5-minute walk.
Alternatively, some of you may arrive by metro, taking Line 1 to the Garibaldi stop. If that’s the case, simply go up the three escalators after you disembark, exit into the modern shopping centre, then follow the brown + orange signs for Circumvesuviana. It’s straightforward, and you’ll arrive at the ticket desks in under five minutes.
On our most recent trip to Naples, we were surprised to see that ticket + information desks here had undergone quite a renovation: there are now five tickets kiosks, a dedicated information point, and a real-time digital departures board in addition to the plethora of taped-up timetables
However, as this is the departure point for trains to the Herculaneum ruins, Vesuvius, and the Amalfi Coast as well as Pompeii, it can become quite crowded and chaotic with lots of confused tourists.
Our main advice is not to panic or rush around like a headless chicken if everyone else is.
For Pompeii, you want to take the blue 'Sorrento' line.
When purchasing your ticket, ask for ‘Pompei Scavi’'; there is also a 'Pompei' station but this isn't the right one to go for or get off at!
It's €3 per person one-way, and travel time is around 35 minutes. A one-way ticket is fine. There are a lot of stations/stops along the way, but some of the Pompeii services run a little quicker as they skip a dozen or so.
Note that you can currently 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 is a new GoEav app to buy tickets, but it’s less fuss just to buy at the station.
There are no seat reservations, and be aware of people trying to up sell or put you on the more expensive Campania Express train.
Once tickets are purchased, pass through the barriers and go downstairs to the platforms. There are screens with departures/arrivals information, and the Pompeii train is most likely to depart from platform / binario 1, but 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 current Circumvesuviana timetable has a first departure 05:40, and then 2-3 departures every hour. We recommend planning ahead though, and you can see the latest 2024 schedule here - click 'Orario Treni' then select 'L1 Napoli-Sorrento'.
Note that 'DD' on the timetable denotes the quicker service with fewer stops.
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 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.
// We didn’t mind this train at all, but some tourists or first-timers in Italy hate it. Aside from the above, it’s because of the crowding, lack of guarantee to get a seat, and lack of AC. If you’ve got a lot of luggage, this isn’t the best train to take, with the Metropolitan offering more space.
// We took an early morning departure to allow us to hike Vesuvius on the same day. To find out how to do it, read our post on how to visit Pompeii and Vesuvius in one day.
// If arriving for an early train and you've got time to spare, you can buy your ticket first and then grab a quick stand-up coffee and surprisingly decent pastry to the left of the ticket booths or at the small kiosk you’ll find 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.
// It can get a little wild in peak season if there are loads of groups with suitcases waiting to go to Sorrento as well as other day-trippers to Pompeii, and a departure is just about to go in five minutes. Thankfully, as you’re doing your research, you’re ahead of the game and will hopefully just be taking that last sip of espresso with your ticket already in hand…
// If travelling in peak summer season at peak times, then boarding at Porta Nolana station (one stop before Napoli Piazza Garibaldi) is the best way to guarantee a seat for the journey. The vast majority of people board at Garibaldi as it’s easier to reach, but anyone boarding in Nolana will have empty carriages.
// We don't recommend staying in and around Napoli Central Station unless you really have to - find out more in '23 Things to Know Before You Visit Naples' (published soon) and our Naples travel guide
// 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!). Clear as mud right!?
It's €3 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 (multilingual and easy to use).
There are two departures per hour - see schedules + buy tickets on TrenItalia.
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.
The Campania Express Train
If comfort is more important than cost, then you should consider the Campania Express.
Part of the EAV network, this is a fancier train specifically for tourists, including air-con, reserved seats, fewer stops, and far less pickpocket presence.
You can also buy tickets in advance online, which includes a free audioguide for Pompeii.
As with the options above, it leaves from both Porta Nolana (maps) and Piazza Garibaldi stations (maps) - for disabled access, you should opt for Porta Nolana.
The train only has four departures from Napoli a day, and stops at the archaeological site of Ercolano/Herculaneum before arriving at Pompeii Scavi, which is a two-minute walk from the entrance.
Travel time is about 35 minutes, with the first departure at 8.23am from Porta Nolana. Before travel, we recommend looking at the Campania Express timetable (orari) on the official website. However, note that it currently has the 2022 schedule, whilst the EAV website schedule shows different times for 2023 (they’re in the red ‘EXP’ column).
Campania Express tickets cost €15 one-way or €25 round-trip, and you can find more information and buy them online on the official website. It’s also possible to buy non-allocated seat tickets up to 20 minutes before departure at the station.
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 (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.
This page on Moovit also has various details about the route and service.
Alternatively, you may prefer to travel with the Round-Trip Shuttle Bus to Pompeii, which has two morning departures from the centre of Napoli.
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.
You can find more small-group and private Pompeii tours + experiences to book online here.
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.
A better value option to consider, if you really don’t want to take the train, is the Naples to Pompeii Round-Trip Shuttle bus.
However, if you'd like 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.
This private shuttle offers door-to-door transport in an air-conditioned vehicle- find out more here.
You can also find several more Pompeii transfer and shuttle options on Bookaway.
