Included in This Guide
Itineraries and Tips
Main Tips
Vesuvius
Pompeii
Transportation guides
From 1) Naples 2) Sorrento 3) Rome
a) to Vesuvius, then Pompeii
b) To Pompeii, then Vesuvius
To follow my day and what I did, check out my 48h travel diary for Bay of Naples (Naples/Pompeii/Vesuvius).
If I missed anything in this guide or if you have questions, feel free to message me and I will respond and/or add the information to the guide ASAP!
Itineraries
MAIN TIPS
1. What to bring
Make sure to bring cash, water, some food, a hat, and good walking shoes. Both Pompeii/Vesuvius involve a lot of walking, Italy is hot, and food/water isn’t always cheap/accessible.
2. Go yourself vs. with a tour group
It's completely doable to do this trip by yourself without a tour group/organized trip etc. If I can go to both Vesuvius and Pompeii in one day by myself as a 22 year old who googled how to get everywhere at 6am in her 6 person hostel room while someone was loudly snoring, you can do it too especially with this guide. However, if you're coming from further than Naples/Sorrento (i.e. Rome), while it can be done, it is quite far and with main tip n3, you want to give yourself as much as time as possible. It's up to you to decide how much time/money to spend. On the other hand, while they might save you time/stress, tour groups can be quite tightly planned so check their schedules and decide if you would rather have more time to explore a particular site.
3. Take your time
Don’t worry too much about timing. Even though Pompeii/Vesuvius are two of the most visited and famous tourist attractions in the world, the organization leaves a lot to be desired. The whole reason this guide exists is to help decode the mass/lack (however you want to see it) of information and give an insight into what it’s actually like. “Italian time” is a very real phenomenon and you have to be ok with the fact that things will be late and to not completely plan out the day. This is something that I struggled with and travelling has made me very ok with the fact that things are going to take longer than you expect and will work out differently than you had hoped. Use the tips in this guide and give yourself plenty of time to get to where you want to go and enjoy your visit.
VESUVIUS
BEFORE YOU GO
Walk: The highest you can get up Vesuvius by transportation is to the car park/trail entrance. After this is an ~20 minute climb to get right up to the summit. The walk is pretty gravelly so make sure to wear good walking shoes with a good grip.
Weather: The view is beautiful and an absolute must - on a clear day. Check the weather forecast to make sure that you'll be able to enjoy the view rather than just stare into the hole that is the crater. Also, if you are going in summer, strongly consider doing it in the morning. The climb, while doable, is not the easiest so prepare for heat. On the other hand, it can be quite windy so potentially also bring a jacket.
Opening Hours:
January, February, November, December - daily from 9am to 3pm
March and October - daily from 9am to 4pm
April, May, June, September - daily from 9am to 5pm
July and August - daily from 9am to 6pm
Can change with inclement weather + is open on Sundays.
Amenities
Water is a must in the Italian heat. Water is sold at different points up the volcano but this can get pretty expensive so it’s recommended to bring your own. Make sure to bring cash.
For similar reasons, make sure to bring a hat, sunscreen, etc.
Food is also a recommended bring. Snacks/light refreshments are available but recommended to bring.
Bathrooms: There are a few porta-potties by the trail entrance but these are very dirty and often don't have toilet paper. There is a paid bathroom in the entrance shop. Recommended to keep this into account when you're planning your day.
GETTING TO THE TRAIL ENTRANCE
Self-drive: You can take your car up to 800 meters (0.5 miles) above sea level (around 40°49'42.0"N 14°24'53.6"E) where parking is €5. You can either A) walk for 15 minutes up to 1000m altitude to the ticket office and then another ~5 minutes to the trail entrance
or B) use the shuttle buses to get to the ticket office - roundtrip is €2
Tour bus or hired driver (have entry ticket): These services are allowed to park at the trail entrance (parcheggio quota 1000 sul vesuvio).
Tour bus or hired driver (no entry ticket): These services are allowed to park at the trail entrance but this is not the ticket office. Walk 100m (109 yards) down the hill to get to the ticket office, the staff will not let you buy a ticket at the entrance and will tell you to walk to the ticket office.
GETTING TO THE TOP
Ticket: The ticket is €10. You can get the ticket at the ticket office below the entrance or potentially from whoever provides your transportation.
The climb: Once you've passed through the entrance, there should be someone handing out walking sticks (generally expecting a €1 tip upon return). The 20 minute walk isn’t super steep and children to seniors climb it in different physical conditions but definitely take your time. It zigzags up the hill and there are a few points with some shade/seats. The view only gets more gorgeous as you go up so take your time and enjoy the view and the fact that you're on one of the most famous volcanoes in history.
AT THE TOP
Once you've made it to the top, there's a 20-30 minute free guided tour explaining some of the history and geography. You can walk about 270° around the crater and get right up on the rim to look in the volcano. It is a dormant volcano and the crater is a big hole of earth (don't expect lava etc.) but bubbling was spotted in 1964.
From here you can see the whole bay of Naples and beyond, the view both in and out of the volcano is totally worth the climb!
POMPEII
BEFORE YOU GO
The Site: The ruins of the Roman city which was submerged by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD is Pompeii (Pompei with one 'i'' is a city with 25,000 inhabitants today). Though devastating for the inhabitants, the city is incredibly well preserved. Besides missing roofs etc., you walk through the whole pretty much intact city. As the whole city is preserved, it takes some time to visit the sights. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from west to east along the main street Via dell'Abbondanza from Porta Marina in the west to the amphitheater (Anfiteatro) in the east.
Visit: With the transportation/visit guides below, decide how you want to visit the site. If you’re doing self-guided tours, make sure to download the necessary apps/maps in advance and bring the necessary supplies that perhaps would be provided by a tour company.
ENTRANCE
Porta Marina: This is the main entrance for the site, is the closest to the train station, and is right by the main attractions, museum, gift shop, etc. This entrance is recommended, especially if you're running low on time as it's a 20 minute walk to get to the other end of the ruins and you’re right in the heart of it all.
Piazza Anfiteatro: This entrance is named after the large amphitheatre which is on this side. This entrance is where the EAV bus to Vesuvius picks up and the second to last return stop.
Tickets: General admissions tickets for adults are €10, with anyone under 18 (upon presentation of valid ID) entering for free and tickets for EU citizens from 18-24yrs are €2.
You can not leave and come back in on the same ticket.
There are various free entry concessions for educators, people with disabilities, students of architecture, and more listed here
“Skip the Line” tickets are available online but you still need to go and pick them up from an “internet” booth on site.
Hours:
As a huge tourist attraction, it can get very busy, especially at the opening time and 2pm. To avoid the crowds, come around lunch time (I came at 1:30pm and there was no line).
Days:
The excavations are closed on 1 January, 1 May, 25 December.
There are also various free days; as part of the MiBAC (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities) Pompeii participates in 20 free days a year. The 2019 days are listed here.
THE VISIT
Give yourself some time to explore the city - you could spend a whole day there but 3-4 hours is perfectly sufficient.
As previously mentioned, the main attraction is walking through the structural ruins, rather than seeing artifacts from the time. As such, there is a small museum to the right of the Porta Marina entrance with a scale model of the original city and an introduction video (in English). I discovered this upon leaving and this would have been a good introduction, especially with no guide.
There are plenty of guides and tours to navigate the expansive ruins of Pompeii.
Here are some options;
Tour package: If you have a tour guide as part of your all-inclusive visit package, great. As I’ll go into later, these kind of tours aren’t super necessary if you’re not travelling from far and/or if you do not need certain accommodations. However, if you choose to go for this, great.
Official guide at the entrance: There are plenty of tour guides at the entrance of the site who have their official tour companies listed and who offer tours from €10-20 per person. Again, this is a good way to see the ruins but a) not necessary as there are other options b) the experience is very dependent on the tour guide, who can be very hit or miss.
Audio guide: I would not recommend the museum audio guide as it is harder to find and not very reliable. You can download the extensive DiscoverPompeii app (map is free, audio tours are or the 40m tour on the Rick Steves Audio Europe app.
Self-guide: The Pompeii site has a pdf with a page description of 4-21 sites in the each of the nine regions of the ruins. Use the map to wander through the site and get some information about each site.
I used this with the introductory video and didn’t even really need a tour guide as I got lots of information, in addition to hearing about every site from the many tour groups who were around every corner!
Transportation
FROM NAPLES
Self-Transport - Car
Drive along the A3 Napoli - Salerno motorway to Torre del Greco exit and continue following the sign for Mt. Vesuvius. You can see the permanent exhibition Creator Vesevo, church of the Holy Saviour, the old Vesuvius Observatory.
Public Transportation - Train + Bus
To get to Vesuvius you need to take a train and then a bus. For both, there is an expensive option and a cheaper, "public" transportation option. In theory, the more expensive option is more reliable but read about each option and decide which is best as (part of the "Italy time" discussion) each method isn't flawless and has its pros and cons.
Step 1 Train
Option A: Circumvesuviana
This is the "metro" that runs from Naples on multiple stops to different towns in the area. Tickets can be bought in the station/at tobacconists and newsagents and some bars (not online) and it takes about 40-50 minutes on the Naples-Sorrento line.
In Naples there are two options; get on at the Porta Nolana first station and the Centrale-Garibaldi station. Porta Nolana is a much smaller station an 8 minute walk south from the Centrale station which is the starting point for the train and much less busy, so you have more chance of getting a seat. Garibaldi is the Circumvesuviana station in the larger Centrale station which is the city's central station so it can get very busy.
To get to Herculaneum/Vesuvio Express, get off at the Ercolano Scavi (Herculaneum excavations). For Pompeii/EAV, get off at Pompeii Scavi - Villa Misteri.
Option B: Campania Express
Campania Express is the tourist line that runs from Naples to Sorrento. It stops at fewer stops (does go to Ercolano/Pompeii/Sorrento), you can buy ~€11 tickets online, and there are fewer people. Upon boarding there is a Campania Express ticket officer who checks your ticket.
Step 2 Bus
Option A: EAV Bus
The €3.10 public bus which runs between Pompeii and Vesuvius. It has stops at Pompeii Villa-Misteri station (go to a wall with large flower bushes right across from the Circumvesuviana station), outside the Anfiteatro entrance and right by the trail entrance for Pompeii (i.e. further up the mountain than the cark park/ticket office).
Option B: Vesuvius Bus
At Ercolano Scavi (Herculaneum excavation) station. The office to the left of the station has WIFI (get the code from the desk) and runs from 9am every 40 minutes. Its €20 which includes €10 for the bus and €10 for Vesuvius entrance. It's a 40 minute drive and the bus is air-conditioned with stops to take pictures. They generally give you around 2 hours at Vesuvius to go up, look around, and come back down the trail.
FROM SORRENTO
Similar to Naples but from the other end of the line.
Notes:
1) Official Circumvesuviana stop is on the first floor of the station.
2) The trip to Pompeii/Vesuvius is longer and has more stops than from Naples. Therefore, the Campania express might be better if you don't want to be standing for a long time. On the other hand, Pompeii is closer to you than Herculaneum so EAV might be a better option.
FROM ROME
Take a Trenitalia (Italy's main train company) Frecciarossa high-speed train for 1 hour and 10 minutes from Rome to Naples. These run three times per hour from Rome Termini to Naples Centrale, leaving from 5:31 a.m. to 11:58 p.m. These trains are like other similar high-speed, intercity trains with outlets, air-conditioning, on-site bathrooms, snack bars, space to store luggage etc.
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