Rome to Pompeii
 

We are interested in taking a train from Rome to Pompeii for a day and wonder if anyone has advice on whether this can be done? We are planning on booking a personal tour, just curious how many hours are needed and can comfortably be done, and still make it back to Rome that same evening? Any advice at all would be helpful!

If your interest doesn’t allow for more than a rushed excursion, I suggest going to Ostia Antica instead, just outside Rome, reachable by local train, much smaller & quite a beautiful place.

I will warn you, this will make for a long day.

When you say a "personal tour" what do you mean by that? Are referring to a guide in the site that you arrange there (often aren't private)? Or are you booking something to take you to/from Rome that also includes a tour on site and private? If you do a private tour, you'd have to ask them how long it is.

Most tours at Pompeii are about 2 hours or so (via guides on site). But if you want to see more independently, you can.

Pompeii is huge. There is a LOT to see and you will not see it all, but how long you spend is up to you. I'd suggest reading through their website and plan ahead if you need to

I was there for 4.5 hours and it was not enough.

One warning is that there is a lot of step up and step downs to get in and out of buildings and are not traditional steps but uneven and at times large. If you have mobility concerns, be aware of this. I was sore for a week after around my ankles, top of foot (and I'm a competitive athlete and was not out of shape).

I agree with both MmePerdu and Travel_Nerd. And FWIW, my 6 hours at Pompeii were not enough for me.

Easy enough!
 

I've written a page about it, https://www.seat61.com/places-of-int...to-pompeii.htm

If a hot day and time in the sun is an issue then go to Herculanium. Some see it as better than Pompei and les well known but for the benefits are size and concentration of finds. Do take water and a hat.

The fast train from Rome Termini to Naples Centrale takes70 minutes and then you need to change downstairs to the Circumvesuviana line in Naples to get to Pompeii Scavi. This is a further 40 minutes or so. Just under two hours or so in total. The first train leaves Rome around 7am and trains run frequently, 3 or 4 per hour. The train to Pompeii runs a couple of times per hour, so you wouldn't have to wait too long. So you've got about a couple of hours travelling each way, plus whatever time it takes to get some breakfast and get to the station in Rome. Clearly the earlier you leave Rome, the better.

The choice of whether this is the sort of day you want is up to you, but it is certainly doable.

I agree that Ostia Antica would be a more feasible day trip. I will only correct Mme. Perdu on two points: Ostia Antica is actually within the city of Rome, and the archeological site is actually somewhat larger than Pompeii. I've been there many times, and have still not seen it all. I would definitely recommend getting a guided tour, because the site is not well marked. The last time I was there, we got an audio tour, but after the first few stops, we couldn't find the markers any more. We later saw one lying in the middle of the road.

Ostia Antica was the ancient Roman port. It was a thriving city for several centuries, and was gradually abandoned after the port silted up, the infrastructure was no longer maintained, and pirates began to invade the area.

https://www.ostiaantica.beniculturali.it/en/home/

Yes, I realize that the site is officially within the geographical boundary of Rome but I was trying to convey that it’s not within the city proper. Strictly speaking, you are right, of course, but lines on a map aside, to my way of thinking, it’s “just outside.”

We used to live in Naples and went with my wife to Pompeii 6 times. Each time we saw something new or from a new side. It is simply an amazing place, after it all other attractions seem not interesting enough. Walking along the streets of Pompeii you are transported back in time, you can really feel that era. I recommend you take a guide if you are going for one day. Otherwise, you will not be able to feel all the charm of the city. It is better to go on weekdays, not on weekends - the fewer tourists, the better to feel this place. Once we walked in Pompeii during heavy rain - it was really amazing. There were almost no tourists and we were able to feel this place.

Regarding how to get from Rome to Pompeii: trains are good on this section, but you will need to make transfers and you will get tired, especially when you go back to Rome in the evening, after walking all day. Be sure to wear comfortable sneakers and take a hat with you. The restaurants around Pompeii are very touristy, you shouldn't count on a normal meal. There is a bar on the territory of the park itself, where you can buy a sandwich or pizza, they are quite tasty.

If your budget allows, it is better to take an individual transfer from Rome. You can hire a car with a driver who will wait nearby in the parking lot in Pompeii and take you to Rome in the evening. It costs about 700-800 euros for a van for 7 passengers.

As for Hercalaneum, I can say that we personally did not like it because you cannot feel the same atmosphere as in Pompeii, because Hercalaneum is surrounded by residential buildings, from the windows and balconies of which modern life looks at you. It looks like a medieval statue in the middle of a modern multi-story metropolis.

For a slightly different perspective, I found it easier to imagine what life was like in Herculaneum than in Pompeii because the preservation of wood in Herculaneum meant that there were two-story structures, pieces of furniture, etc. But both sites are, IMO, magnificent.

Interesting perspective. I didnt even notice modern architecture when I was there as I was far too focused on the site itself. I preferred it a bit more as it is a smaller site and felt like it captured my attention a lot better. And less crowded, too. No shade on Pompeii, it interested me very much. Just got a tad more out of Hercalaneum personally.

To each one's own.

Hopefully the OP returns to let us know what her/their current plans are.

Pompeii is the bones, Herculaneum is the flesh, and the Archeological Museum in Naples is the soul. Visit all three to get full and fascinating picture, which can't be done as a daytrip. We stayed in Sorento to see Pompeii in the morning and early afternoon, Herculaneum the rest of the day, and Naples another day. My report is from 2012, but ruins don't move.

https://www.fodors.com/community/sho...d.php?t=939467

The relevant parts are posts 30 and 36. The rest is just fun to read.

This is totally doable. My family went from Rome to Naples via the 7 am fast train, left our luggage in the train station, took the slow train to Pompeii. We did a self-guided tour and really liked it. Then took the train back, got our luggage, took a taxi to the airport and flew to Venice--where we than took a water taxi to our lodgings. I would not necessarily repeat that day again :-) But it was possible, there was minimal whining, and we slept in the next day.

I do love the idea of seeing all 3 as AJPeabody noted above. but not everyone is that into it. Do what works for you.

You are just super!! I envy your energy)) We almost always went to Pompeii with our little daughter when she was 4 and 5 years old. Sometimes we had to carry her in our arms, so the process slowed down a little))