Is it feasible to suggest we can take a morning train from Rome through Naples to Pompei? Then after sightseeing, we would like to spend the evening in Capri. It looks like we would take the train back to Naples, find our way to the ferry and head to Capri. Trip to Italy is planned for the first week in April. Is all this a reasonable task? <BR>

Hi Aljm,<BR><BR>It is possible to get the train to Pompeii, changing to the Circumvesuviana at Naples (Napoli) Centrale station. If you leave Rome around 0800 you should be in Pompeii by 1100 or so. Rather than heading back to Naples to get the ferry to Capri, I would suggest travelling just a few stations south from Pompeii to Sorrento, from where you can easily catch a ferry to Capri. It would take too long to travel back to Rome that night, so suggest you at least overnight in Capri before heading back to Naples/Rome.

Another suggestion for you:<BR>Train from Rome to Naples, change to the other line for Pompei. Spend the afternoon in Pompei, then take the train from Pompei to Sorrento. Have bed and breakfast in Sorrento and in the morning take the ferry over to Capri. Spend the morning and early afternoon in Capri and come back in the afternoon, either by ferry to Naples and then on to Rome or the ferry back to Sorrento and the train to Naples. If you take the ferry or hyrofoil from Capri to Naples, you should take a taxi to Naples Station (a bit too far to walk and the area from the harbour to Naples Station is not very nice). Something to note: The ferrys do not run very late from Capri to Sorrento (I think the last is about 7pm in the evening).<BR>I was advised by a Sorrento Travel Agent to watch out at Naples Station and on no account walk to the harbour for the hydrofoil. <BR>Hope this helps.

Correct advice from both. <BR><BR>If I remember correctly, I was surprised at how early the last ferry goes from Capri to Sorrento (about 6PM). I believe the last one from Capri to Naples is a few hours later (about 8PM).<BR><BR>Check their web site at:<BR><BR>http://www.capri.net/home/en/index.php <BR>

Although it's best to spend many days, you CAN do this in one, probably seeing Pompeii second due to it's normally late closing hours. Check exact ferry, museum, and train times (esp 06:22 Rome departure) on web.<BR><BR>Funny you ask about doubling back to Naples when I answered your original query 2 days earlier about going to Capri via Pompeii/Sorrento in detail, maybe planting the very idea. Can review by clicking on your or my name. If you're unclear on the geography, see http://www.ondaverde.it/images/map2.jpg which oddly omits the convenient Sorrento/Capri ferry.<BR><BR>And I'm puzzled by Isobel's second hand advice against walking to harbor, unless it's for safety. That walk along the wide Corso Umberto I is one of my favorites anywhere in big city Italy. It's upscale, fashionable, and goes thru a vibrant University area.

I appreciate the information I have received. This is why I find this such a credible web site. We plan to review train schedules which will take us from Rome, change trains in Naples, and end up in Pompei. After we tour the ruins, we would like to take public transportation to Sorrento. From there we will take the ferry across to Capri. Our plan is to spend the evening in Capri before returning Rome the next day. One more question, I do not see a Pompei to Sorrento train route on the European Rail Website. Any ideas??

The train from Pompeii to Sorrento is the Circumvesuviana, a local commuter train. There are trains every 30 minutes or so, and the trip takes 30 minutes. You can find timetables at www.vesuviana.it - for Pompeii, select &quot;Pompei Scavi.&quot;

And I believe it's important to avoid the regular train Naples to Pompeii, which lands perhaps very far from the museum site. Like I said earlier, transfer to the rather chaotic basement of Naples train station and be sure to get a Scavi-bound, jampacked, little commuter train. Not all go there, but most or all Sorrento-bound do.<BR><BR>As for the return, possibly via port of Naples... I believe there are busses along Corso Umberto, but it's a bit hard to find C. U. from the port end. <BR><BR>Isobels advice &quot;area from the harbour to Naples Station is not very nice&quot; struck me as so off the mark that I decided it must come from someone taking the taxi route along dreary shipyard facilities. But maybe I got rose colored glasses from walking C.U. and repeatedly seeing Sophia Loren lookalikes (she came from just west of there).<BR>