Pompeii and Salerno Input please!
 

I will be in Italy the last week of April and have done lots of research to come up with a draft plan but would appreciate feedback from Fodorites! I am disembarking a cruise ship in Civitavecchia on April 24 and want to spend 8 or so days in Pompeii and possible Salerno (I’ve already been to Milan, Venice, Florence & Rome and don’t want a big city experience this time). If the ship doesn’t provide a shuttle to Rome Termini, I’d take the train from CIV to Pompeii (via Rome Termini) and stay at an Airbnb in Pompeii for 5 nights. This is my rough sightseeing plan: 1 day at the main Pompeii site;1 day at the villas of Boscoreale, Oplontis and Stabiae via the Pompeii Arte Bus; 1 day trip to Herculaneum; 1 day on Vesuvius; 1 or 2 days in Naples (via train) seeing underground and Veiled Christ, plus general wandering. I know some people can cram all the Pompeii sites into one day, but when I was there years ago I spent a full day in the main site and with the recently opened buildings, and my propensity to dawdle, I want to allocate enough time. Thoughts?

PS: I know that Tuesday, April 25 is a national holiday (Liberation Day) – I read somewhere that on this day, many locals visit Pompeii….does anyone know if that’s accurate? I’d like avoid huge crowds so maybe that’s a Vesuvius or Herculaneum day…

Then, on April 30 (Sunday) I would take the train to Salerno and stay for 3 or 4 nights; leaving on/about May 4 by train to either Naples or Rome for flight to JFK (haven’t booked that yet). I like the idea that Salerno is not touristy but has historic sites and city center. I was thinking of wandering the city center; visiting the Cathedral, Minerva Gardens, maybe the ruined castle on the hill, walking the seafront promenade and taking the ferry to Amalfi/Positano and back (to see the coastline, not specifically to visit either of these places unless there’s time with the ferry schedule). On the other hand, I’ve read blog posts raving about Salerno, but if I’m not going to use it as a base to visit the rest of the Amalfi Coast, maybe there’s not much point in going there? My original plan was just Pompeii but after reading, I thought it might be easy/make sense to add Salerno but am not wedded to the idea and could just fly home after Pompeii.

Salerno accommodation: I could stay in an Airbnb but a hotel or B&B would be fine since it’s just for a few nights – I welcome any recommendations! I think it would be helpful to stay in the city center but maybe others think differently? My budget is maximum of $125 per night.

Thank you in advance to my fellow Fodorites!

I like the plan. I like the pace.

FWIW, climbing Vesuvius was not a highlight for me.

In Naples, be sure to visit the archeology museum where most of the artifacts from Pompeii are housed.

From Salerno, Paestum is an easy excursion. You could also take a tour of a mozzarella farm.

May 1st is also a holiday.

Jean - thanks! Just curious - can you share a bit about your Vesuvius experience? I like seeing nature from various perspectives and am fairly fit so it sounded like something unusual to do once. Also, appreciate the reminder about May 1st; it seems like more locations, stores, restaurants, etc may be closed on the 1st than on April 24th....will have to plan outdoor things to do both days. Will add Paestum to Salerno. Did you stay in Salerno? Any recs?

See if the Campania Artecard will be helpful to you : free admission to five sites of your choice with its 7 day pass, reductions elsewhere, free travel on Circumvesuviana and other useful lines.
https://www.campaniartecard.it/?lang=en

I agree that the path up to Vesuvius’ crater was underwhelming, though if you’ve never visited other volcanic craters I can see the attraction. There are other paths if you’d just like to stretch your legs in nature.

https://www.parconazionaledelvesuvio...ark/the-paths/

For your outdoorsy days, you could also consider the Campi Flegrei, another volcanic oddity, on the other side of Naples.

Lastly, but not on a Tuesday (closed) or the first Sunday of the month (free admission and unpleasantly mobbed), consider the Royal Palace of Caserta, about an hour from Salerno by train and as spectacular as Versailles.

Vesuvius... For me, there are just so many other beautiful and interesting things to see/do in Campania that I enjoy/enjoyed much more than this particular walk. (FWIW, we're dawdlers too and couldn't explore all of Pompeii in one day, so we re-visited the site on another trip.) Anyway, the views on the hike can be wonderful on a clear day, but the path is so desolate. I definitely wouldn't do this on a rainy or windy day, and I would consider wearing shoes you might throw away afterward because they will be coated/embedded with dust.

If volcanoes are of interest, I second the recommendation of the Phlegraean Fields west of Naples. Another info link:

https://www.naplesinsider.com/en/e/p...i-naples-italy

If it's more about hiking, look at walking part of the Path of the Gods.

https://www.positano.com/en/e/il-sentiero-degli-dei

We also enjoyed the palace at Caserta. And, FWIW, Amalfi more than Positano.

FTOttawa - great tip about the 7 day Campania Artecard, it will save me a considerable amount on admission fees and the transport is a bonus. Thank you! I appreciate the Vesuvius link and will look at the paths as options (I've gone inside an extinct volcano in Iceland, so may eliminate this stop from my list).

here’s a link to my trip report on Naples, Amalfi Coast, etc done last fall.

Here's the link: Trip Report Naples, Caserta, Amalfi and Procida: Oct 2022 Trip Report - Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (fodors.com)

Jean - your comment about the Vesuvius hike being desolate made up my mind; I travel solo and have good street smarts, but I avoid isolated areas.
kleeblatt - thank you for the link. I had already found your trip report and made notes about places and restaurants.

As you've all suggested, there are many place to see that I'm realizing I may need to add days somewhere. The Phlegraean Fields looks interesting and I ran across the Path of the Gods site somewhere and thought it was very appealing. I'll re-work my draft itinerary and when done, I'll post it again for feedback. Plus those two national holidays are throwing off my plans...I'll keep digging and working through it.

​​​​​​Keep the thoughts coming - they're super helpful!

Not isolated. There will be lots of others on the trail.

Desolate. As in no vegetation, "empty" and lifeless. Lots of volcanic gravel/dust.

https://www.leisure-italy.com/wp-con...esuvius-03.jpg

In contrast, the Path of the Gods:

https://media.tacdn.com/media/attrac...6/e6/ac/98.jpg

Agree with Jean that the Vesuvius hike was not that monumental. It's more to say " I climbed to the rim of a volcano." Not a difficult hike, & there will be lots others on the trail with you. Nice views on a clear day though!

I'd consider staying in Sorrento over Pompeii though. Not a lot of dining options/evening options in Pompeii, & Sorrento is great for evening strolls, etc. Pompeii proper isn't right next to the ruins either.
Staying near the Circumvesuviana train station in Sorrento will actually give better access to some of the other sites you mentioned.

I'm a fan of visiting the Archeological Museum in Naples after visiting Pompeii/Herculaneum, it ties things together quite nicely.
Cooking class at a lemon grove is another great activity.

Good point above by Alandavid.

Haven’t stayed or even stopped there, so take this with a grain of salt, but have you considered staying in Castellammare di Stabia? A couple of your planned sights are there, it’s on the Circumvesuviana, there’s a cable car up to hiking on Monte Faito, and it seems to have some pleasant choices in accommodation and dining. Smaller than Sorrento.

Lots of great info - thank you! I'm taking Vesuvius off my list (Jean - the photo was worth a thousand words:)). I'm not wedded to staying in Pompeii but it seems to be a good option to staying in Naples since it's MUCH less expensive (already reserved an apt which I can cancel) and I can get into Naples easily for 2 days to see what I want there (including the archeological museum, underground & street food tour). The apt is within a short walk to the main Pompeii site and the further afield Pompeii sites. BUT, I'm re-thinking Salerno and maybe the order of where I go and when. I will re-work my draft plan and re-post for more feedback - you're all great to help me! (That's why I always post trip reports...to give back info to all the Fodorites who helped me refine a trip.)