we are flying into Naples, training to Ercolano (Herculaneum), then later that day continuing on via train/bus to Positano. What to do with our bags? Considering shipping them to the hotel in Positano.

All self-service lockers were closed in Italy post 9-11.
You'll be taking the Circumvesuviana? If so, it's just a commuter train with no manned luggage checks at their stations AFAIK.
There is a luggage storage room directly across from the ticket window at the site itself. I have been there at opening time, they unlock and open the door to this room and the sign on the door says it's luggage storage in Italian. I have just never seen anyone actually use it.
From the station to the site is a 5-6min downhill walk thru a modern city. There are usually taxis outside the station. For the return you would have to try and flag one down, the street is fairly busy though. Regards, Walter

Thanks, Walter!

Okay, I'm banking on Walter's advice. I did look into hiring Renato Cuomo for the trip, but don't want to splurge on 150E.

I concur with Walter that I have not seen anyone use the luggage storage room and I have never seen an attendant there either. It is a bit of a seedy station and I wouldn't really trust their version of a luggage storage room anyway.

SeaUrchin: I don't know if we re on the same page . The luggage storage area I'm talking about is in the Herculaneum site itself directly across from the person in the site's ticket booth.
Were you talking about a luggage area the Circumvesuviana station itself? Regards, Walter

Yes, Walter, I was. I am sure the luggage will be safe at the site itself, that station is just too "iffy" for me.

OK, we'll just keep our diamonds and gold and expensive technical equipment on our bodies. J/K

Sorry I'm piggy backing on this thread. Has anyone used the luggage check in Herculaneum? I'm kind of banking on it. I'll be travelling from Orvieto to Sorrento with a stop in Herculaneum in November. Does anyone have any other suggestions about what to do with our luggage?

Hi ss,

If you have a lot of luggage, you might want to go to your hotel in Sorrento and then train back to Ercolano. It's a 45 min ride.

See http://www.vesuviana.it/orario_ol/orari.asp

Thanks Ira. No we won't have a ton of luggage (3 people with 1carryon + 1day bag each), but still too much to lug around for 2-3 hours. Your idea probably won't work for us because, The earliest we can get to Herculaneum from Orvieto (by train after dropping car in Orvieto), is 12:30. Add 2 hours to that (round trip + find hotel, etc) and that gets us to 14:30. Herculaneum scavi closes at 16:30 in november and I'm afraid that we may cut it too close. But, hey, if thats our only option, then thats what we'll do. Thanks again.

ssachida: I'd go for it, I believe it's open. And probably like their sister-site Pompeii they offer this service.
As I mentioned above they did go out of there way to open the door marked 'Deposito Bagagli' before they opened the main gate.
Worst case scenario, you lose a half-hour and a few euro if you take a taxi.
For 3 with luggage I would taxi to the site and have 1 person run-in (20m) and ask if the deposito bagagli is open.
If it isn't go back to the station, the trains run every 30min. Regards, Walter

Thanks Walter. I believe we'll do that and keep our fingers crossed

I'm doing the same thing in 2 weeks, will let you know for definite when I return!!

Planning the same thing on October 28. would love to hear also. Have been considering the left luggage in Naples Train station and returning to Naples and then on to Priano but if we can leave at site would save a lot of time.

I'm back!!! They do in fact have a luggage room at the site, supervised by the ticket taker. It is also free, and they refused our tip for watching the bags. Herculaneum is lovely!! The walk from the Ercolano train station is downhill about 8 minutes, we walked it back up which was a little tiring. We had backpacks instead of roller luggage.

Welcome back jck4!! Glad to know that they have a luggagge deposit in herculaneum. We will have the backpacks as well. Thanks for the feed back. Is there a trip report to look forward to?

Yes, I plan a trip report, of course!! I had taken work off today to recover and have ended up using it to be sick!! so i dont think today i'm feeling inspired to write the whole thing, but hope to tomorrow. I need to do it soon though before I wimp out. I'm just going back now and answering all my own old questions!! ps - we were very glad that we had backpacks, much more mobile on the amalfi coast and for train travel and especially in Venice.