Naples to Pompei - Train
 

I am finalizing my planning of my Italy trip in a couple of weeks. I have been looking at www.trenitalia.com to find fares/train times. However, for trains from Naples to Pompei the fare is just listed as n/a. It doesn't matter what date I use or how far out I go.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

The fare is around 2.50 euros each way, or you can get a day pass that will let you do a round-trip or continue on to places like Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. There's more information here: http://www.visitingeu.com/western-eu...o-pompeii.html

You can buy tickets at the station. Trains leave from the underground platforms.

You probably do not want to ride a Trenitalia train to get from Naples to Pompeii if you want to visit the ruins. The closest train to the ruins is a local train line that is not part of Trenitalia called the Circumvesuviana, which stops at "Pompeii Scavi," the gate to the ruins. It costs a few euro and runs frequently from "Napoli Garibaldi" (the station below Napoli Centrale).

http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en/homepage

(The fare listed is n/a because it is a Regionale (R) train that does not sell tickets online more than 7 days in advance. Plus buying R tickets online puts MORE restrictions on your travel than if you waited to purchase in Italy. The Pompei listed on Trenitalia is for train stations on the other side of town from the ruins.)

Thank you all for your quick responses. Appreciate the help.

For the record... the location of all three stations in Pompei can be seen on this map of the town's public transport system:

http://www.unicocampania.it/files/mappe/pompei.pdf

Peter

Also remember that when your in the termini facing the main tracks you will be walking to your right and around a corner where you can buy the tickets,it is not well posted, then you go through a turnstile and down stairs to get the train. Last year it was appx. 3.5e buy round trip that way you don't have to stand in line on return. Return you enter the train station, and go downstairs and under the tracks to the other side for return train.

Circumvesuviana is the closest train that takes you to Pompeii Ruins(literally across the street) from the entrance. Its the only train system not overseen by Trenitalia so you cant buy it in advance either. I was able to buy tickets right before i boarded and trains run frequently ( a la NYC Subway style). I must forewarn you- riding the Circumvesuviana was literally the WORST part of my trip. I have officially dubbed it the train from hell. Their ticket turnstile machine is the dumbest thing on earth- it ate my ticket a bunch of times and never opened the door for me to let me in. To top things off the staff overseeing the system tried to get me to pay him 40 euros cash because he said that when the machine ate the ticket that means that i was using an old ticket- which was crap cause i had a receipt showing proof that i did pay. Also, its really congested, very chaotic, and when the train shows up you have less then a few seconds to get onboard. So everyone getting in the train starts to push you and everyone getting off the train pushes you back. I had to take the train to Sorrento so i was stuck on it for 1 1/2 hours and it was miserable. The train is nasty, barely seats available, and the locals are just plain rude and not willing to help if you asked them something. I realize its the most economical way to get to the ruins- but if you could afford to go another route (say hiring a tour or something) then save yourself the stress and go another way.

You'll find the location of the ticket office described in this, which I'd like to think will ease your path through the station in Naples?

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-or-pompei.cfm

But when there, note that - since the revision of fares back in March - the pricing of Zone U3 tickets goes like this...

Single journey (valid for up to 140 minutes): €2.80
Daily-long version: €8.40
Weekend (Sat & Sun) daily-long version: €4.50

Peter

These directions are dated ROME-POMPEII DAYTRIP
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34665492 (scroll down to where I start talking about arrival at the Naples Centrale Train Station.

But the only wrong information possibly would be when you are in the Naples Centrale Train Station meaning my directions reguarding say which way to go, where to buy the tickets, cost, Platform # (1-4), etc.

But once you are on *your* Circumvesuviana Platform these directions are very accurate as the train tracks and the stations haven't moved in 6yrs :-).

So in main Train Station just follow the signs to the 'Circumvesuviana'. Regards, Walter

>>>But the only wrong information possibly would be when you <<<

Walter - Travel time has changed since that thread in 05 as the fast train from Rome is only an hour now (was 2 hours not long ago). There's also been a lot of remodeling (2008)in the Naples train station . If you click on Brit's link in the post above yours, there are links to pictures of some of the remodeled area.

Just the information I was looking for! But is it possible to buy tickets for the Circumvesuviana (with return) before leaving Rome? Can I purchase them at the Rome train station before leaving for Naples?

Just buy them at the Circumvesuviana ticket booth just before the turnstiles. It's fast and easy. It's like buying subway tickets in any major city. The station I'm referring to is part of the central station, but at a lower level, including its ticket booths.

That's right - they're only sold locally, and you'll realise where when you reach the barriers down to the trains... as you can't go any further without a ticket: so just look around and you'll see the windows of the new booths!

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-or-pompei.cfm

It's a "couldn't be simpler" !

Peter

Peter - what about getting through turnstyles if you have the artecard, not a conventional ticket?
Ruth

I didn't use the ArteCard in Naples, but in Sorrento, you had to notify the ticket window to open the gate as they would not work in the turnstyles where you insert regular tickets. It was very annoying to have to stand in line with people wanting to purchase tickets when you already had one (this is not the case with the Roma Pass as they work in the Rome system). This was last fall so perhaps they've made improvement since then. The shop to buy the tickets is upstairs (they wanted cash) so ask them if it will work in the turnstyle or not.

Ruth, can't tell you for sure - we began using the Artecard almost a decade ago, but haven't had call to buy one for a while now...

That said, I don't recollect any of the many TA members who buy and use the card having reported the sort of difficulties described above!

It comes as two separate passes - one plastic and 'chipped', for museums, sites etc - and a second paper one, with a magnetic stripe on the back, for travel... which should work in all of the various machines, just like the other UnicoCampania tickets!

Obviously though, you do need to be sure to put it in the right way up, etc...

If yours isn't accepted by the 'slot', look for a manned aisle for those with luggage and ask to be let through there.

Otherwise, as you're not actually buying a ticket, consider yourself entitled to adopt the Italian solution - of pushing to the front of the queue to get the barrier opened!

Peter

The Circumvesuviana has multiple lines, not all of which go to Pompeii Scavi. Do not take the train to Pompeii itself. The line that ends in Sorrento is the one you want, but they all leave from the same tracks. Check the very front of the train for a Sorrento sign. We took the Circumvesuviana several times last May and it was no worse than the NYC subway, but with better scenery.

There's an updated, 2012 version of my guide to using the CV here...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._Campania.html

Peter

>>>Obviously though, you do need to be sure to put it in the right way up, etc...

If yours isn't accepted by the 'slot', look for a manned aisle for those with luggage and ask to be let through there.<<<

We went through the Sorrento station multiple times (Sept. 2011) and the tickets never worked. Not only did you have to stand in line, but you also had to wait until they decided to click the gate open. There was never a person at the gate (have stayed in Sorrento multiple times and have never seen the gates manned).

The card is only one paper card (not two cards and no plastic card). One side is green and says Unico Campania tutta le regione (travel side) and the other side is blue with Campania Artecard (museum side).

I also thought the Unico Campania card or the reader at Sorrento was temperamental when used the first time. I tried on couple of machines then went to the manned booth only to be told there is nothing wrong with the card, and sent me back to the gate card reader showing me the correct orientation of the card to feed the machine. After trying several more times, the machine finally took my card. The card worked without a hitch at all stations from there on.