HappyCheesehead

We will be at Castellamare di Stabia in Sept for a week on the Sorrentine peninsula. C-di-S is between Sorrento and Pompeii. We will have a car.

My plan - get up early and drive to Pompeii to be there at opening. Tour Pompeii for a few hours. Leave car parked at Pompeii. Take the Circumvesuvania to Naples, see the Archeological Museum and take a walking tour around Naples central area, eat dinner. Take Circumvesuvania back to Pompeii, pick up car, drive back to C-di-S.

Is this plan not possible for any reason that I have not thought of, such as there is no parking near Pompeii, or that the train doesn't run that way, or it is way too much for one day or whatever I just haven't thought of? Any good advice or warnings about this plan?

hypatia

I couldn't do all that in two days I never got to the city.
The transportation takes a while...train taxi etc.just depends how interested you are.You will have to move fast, only hit the highlights and skip lunch.The ruins are huge area and uneven and slow.I know alot of people just go in the front check out the forum ,the baths and the brothel and that's it.

You need to take a taxi from the station since you will not have time. In the museum you would be able to go upstairs and hit the mosaics, household items and the erotica and that's about all.It will be one lonnnnng day and lots of walking

willit

I think this is doable. I am not sure what time Pompeii opens, but if it is around 9, then you could get 3-4 hours exploring - you may find this enough.

The trip into Naples is easy, the museum, if I remember correctly is only 1 metro stop away (Piazza Cavour?).
I would check the opening times of the museum. It may be you need to wander first, then do the museum (It may close for a long lunch)

ira

Hi HC,

Long day, but doable.

Take the metro to Piazza Cavour and follow the signs to the Museum.

Pizza Bellini is not far from the Museum, and it's a downhill walk.

You can walk back to the train station through Spaccanapoli, also downhill.

Enjoy your day.

HappyCheesehead

Thanks for the help!

I agree - very long day, but glad to know I don't have any glaring errors. I will double check all opening times for both Pompeii and the Museum. Sadly, it will be more of a highlights tour unless I just do Naples for one full day and then try to hit Pompeii on the Sunday that we leave to drive back to Rome.

That will be a whole separate thread I think - what is the traffic like driving to Rome on Sunday evening.

IRA - SO GLAD to know it is down hill all the way....

kybourbon

Castellammare is on the train line and is a few short stops (minutes) from Pompeii. I wouldn't take the car at all since the train station, Pompeii Scavi, is just across the street from the entrance to the ruins. After touring Pompeii, take the train to Naples and back to C-di-S that night.

ira

Hi HC,

You are going to drive INTO Rome, or close to Rome?

HappyCheesehead

Wow - I didn't realize how close to Pompeii we are! KyBourbon - do you have ANY idea if there is parking available outside the C-di-S station? We still have to get from our hotel to the train station.

Hi IRA - just close to Rome - we have reservations for Sunday night at the Rome Airport Hilton as we have a Monday morning flight back to the US. Is it going to be horrible traffic from the AC/Sorrento area up to Rome do you think? We don't have to be at the hotel til late- 10 ish

OReilly

Happycheeshead, hardly ideal, but I've done crazier itineraries and survived

Pompeii opening times: every day from 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m (until October). You can rent an audio guide and map at Pompeii and choose between 2, 4, 6 hour walking tours. I suggest you keep it brief – definitely less than 3 hours. Build your tour around the train time to Naples. Assume you tour from 0830 to 1100, make sure you can get a train at about 1130, which will get to Naples at about 1230-1230.

When you get to the train station in Naples, Grab a taxi to the tourist office and rent the audio guide tour. I did a brief tour in about 4 hours and loved it.

Leave at least two hours to see the museum, which is a shame – I spent about four hours, but could have spent the entire day there.

The museum opens Wed-Mon 9am-7.30pm. Grab a taxi to the museum and get there for 1700 – 1730.

Let us know how it goes.

Regards Ger

ira

Hi HC,

If you will bstaying at the FCO Hilton, why not return your car to the airport?

kybourbon

Where is your hotel? Most of the towns along the coast are very small with just a few streets. It should be an easy walk from your hotel to the train station. Many hotels will have free shuttles if they are outside the city.

Jean

Just a small correction to OReilly's information, the train time from Pompeii and Naples is about 30-40 minutes at most.

HappyCheesehead

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. We have decided not to do it all in one day based on the rushing factor.

Plans are now to spend a full day in Naples on a Saturday, see the museum, take a nice walk around to see the highlights and then eat a nice dinner somewhere. I would have preferred to see Pompeii first, but this is an acceptable plan B.

On Sunday we will visit Pompeii in the morning and when we are done we will start our drive back to Rome.

I home to find an interesting spot or two to check out along the way.

We will return the car at the airport that night. I am hoping the traffic towards Rome on a Sunday night is not hideous. I have visions of how it used to be on a Sunday night when we tried to return to Chicago from Michigan or Wisconsin. Heavy traffic even 100 miles out. Perhaps by mid-September the return-to-the-city Sunday night traffic will not be too bad. Even if it is, I will just deal!

nessundorma

Consider leaving your luggage at the hotel or the Pompeii train station while you tour the ruins. I believe I've seen threads that talk about where there is luggage storage.

ira

Hi HC,

> I would have preferred to see Pompeii first,....

Many folks recommend visiting the artifacts at the Museum before visiting Pompei.

I don't think that you will be disappointed.

HappyCheesehead

Good suggestion about the luggage - I wondered to myself about that. Our hotel is not too far, for safety's sake I think I will back track even if it takes a little time.

Glad to know I am not "out of order", IRA!

ira

As long as you don't step out of line, HC.

Italians are very strict about queuing up.












NOT.