Pompeii & Paestum: Has anyone visited both on the same day?
Jul 17th, 2006, 10:47 AM
#1
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Pompeii & Paestum: Has anyone visited both on the same day?
Baring any disasters, DH and I will spend 3 nights in Naples this December with hopes of seeing Pompeii and Paestum. My understanding is Paestum is roughly two hours south of Naples via train. Given the short amount of time we have in the area I'm wondering if we should try to see both on the same day starting in Paestum working our way back. Has anyone done this? I would appreciate thoughts or opinions on the idea.
Jul 17th, 2006, 11:07 AM
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We saw both site separately on our trip to Italy last May (2005). Both sites are huge, especially Pompeii. We spent several hours there and didn't even see 1/3 of the site. Even assuming you just want to race through both sites, I'm not sure it's very feasible.
To get to Pompeii from Naples, you will need to take the Circumvesuviana commuter train. I believe the Pompei stop is about 45 minutes from the central station in Naples. Then after seeing Pompeii, you'd need to take that same train back to the central station... then hop onto the 2-hour-ish train going to Paestum (I recall it only taking about one hour and forty-five minutes). The trains to Paestum don't leave super frequently however - I think there is one train per hour max, and not always even one per hour.
Check train schedules at www.trenitalia.it and Good Luck!
To get to Pompeii from Naples, you will need to take the Circumvesuviana commuter train. I believe the Pompei stop is about 45 minutes from the central station in Naples. Then after seeing Pompeii, you'd need to take that same train back to the central station... then hop onto the 2-hour-ish train going to Paestum (I recall it only taking about one hour and forty-five minutes). The trains to Paestum don't leave super frequently however - I think there is one train per hour max, and not always even one per hour.
Check train schedules at www.trenitalia.it and Good Luck!
Jul 17th, 2006, 11:09 AM
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P.S. I strongly suspect that both Paestum and Pompeii will be operating on a reduced hours schedule in December. Definitely recommend you check that out before planning on hitting both in one day.
Jul 17th, 2006, 11:14 AM
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There are direct trains from Pompeii to Paestum i believe - leaving from a different station than the Pompeii Scavi Circumvesuviana station from naples centrale. The Pompeii Treinitalia station, in the actual modern day town on Pompeii but not right at the Scavi (archaeological site) station that go to Salerno and i believe some of these go to Paestum, just south of Salerno. Schedules: www.trenitalia.com.
so you could train from Naples to Salerno then Paestum then train from there to Pompeii and then take the CircumVesuviana back to naples.
so you could train from Naples to Salerno then Paestum then train from there to Pompeii and then take the CircumVesuviana back to naples.
Jul 17th, 2006, 11:15 AM
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I agree. I have yet to vist Paetum, but we spent the better portion of a day there and we estimate that we missed at least half of site. I think how fast you go depends on how interested you are, but I definitely wouldn't want to rush through it.
Tracy
Tracy
Jul 17th, 2006, 11:15 AM
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Although getting from Naples to Salerno is easy, it might well be easier to get to Paestum by bus from Salerno than by train as the departures are frequent. The stop at which you catch the bus is quite near the train station in Salerno. At the other end, the Paestum bus stop is just a short walk away from the archaeological site - in fact it is considerably closer to the site than the Paestum train station.
I must cast my vote with TexasAggie's and strongly advise against trying to do both in one day. You need 2- 3 hours in Paestum, plus the journey from Naples, makes for a full day. Pompeii is another 1.5 hour round trip in the opposite direction from Naples, and you need at least 3 hours there, plus breaks.
I must cast my vote with TexasAggie's and strongly advise against trying to do both in one day. You need 2- 3 hours in Paestum, plus the journey from Naples, makes for a full day. Pompeii is another 1.5 hour round trip in the opposite direction from Naples, and you need at least 3 hours there, plus breaks.
Jul 17th, 2006, 11:57 AM
#7
If you were driving, it might be possible, as from Naples, youpass Pompeii on the way to Salerno (and on to Paestum). I would however strongly recommend against it. As others have said, Pompeii is very big - you could spend a day there and not cover it all.
Paestum is smaller, and the ruins far less impressive with the obvious exception of the temples, but there is an excellent museum there.
Paestum is smaller, and the ruins far less impressive with the obvious exception of the temples, but there is an excellent museum there.
Jul 17th, 2006, 12:23 PM
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Wow, thank you everyone for answering my question and then some! It's clear that after all the reading I've done that I do not fully appreciate the size of Pompeii. Either that or staring at a 2" x 2" picture for moments on end has deluded my thinking. We don't like to race through places so the advice of not trying to see both in one day sounds like great advice. Thank you, again!
