Can anybody comment on Circumvesuvian train schedules? I will be travelling from Sorrento to Siena on one day of my upcoming trip and my "host" in Siena is concerned about the time I arrive. I have looked at schedules that will get me from Naples to Siena in an appropriate time frame for her.
My concern is how much padding I should leave in the Circumvesuvian train schedule from Sorrento/Pompeii to Naples. Is 30 minutes between arrival and departure sufficient to transfer? Is 45 more realistic?
How closely to the trains keep to their schedules?
And are their any surprises waiting for me between arriving by Circumvesuvian in Naples and catching the Frecciarossa to continue that leg of my journey?
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
30 minutes should be enough for transfer in Naples if there is no delay. To predict that is not possible in Italy.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
If you're coming into Sorrento by train as well, then you'll get familiar with the layout of Napoli Centrale station at that time. Many train tickets are not refundable if you miss the scheduled train (and full fare Italian tickets allow just one hour after scheduled departure to make an exchange).
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
I think you are right to be cautious and give yourself extra time. If everything goes just right, 30 minutes might be enough time. But, there are various things that could slow you down. First, in Sorrento it would be good to have your ticket before that morning, in case there is a slow ticket line, often possible. It would also be good to be a little early for the train, as Sorrento is the beginning of the train, and you can enter and find seats and a place for your bags before the train fills up with students, commuters and other travelers, much harder once it's full. Then the train could depart late or be delayed. Finally, as I remember the Circumvesuiana tracks and Trenitalia tracks are a couple of floors apart, and when I arrived with my baggage, the escalator was not working, so I struggled up with baggage. When I arrived at the station early for my train in Sorrento, I was so early that I was able to get the earlier train, which i am glad I did. I'm assuming you will have your Naples to Siena ticket in advance, because I doubt you could buy it at the Circumvesuviana station in Sorrento, a different company, but maybe at a travel agency.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16775 posts
Hi -
Here's the current schedule for the Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Naples (scroll down to the 2nd schedule):
Note that the trains under the FER column don't run on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. You'll want to get off at GARIBALDI and follow the signs to Napoli Centrale on the upper level to catch your train to Siena. I doubt that schedules will change much between now and your trip but just in case, reference this website:
http://www.eavsrl.it/web/node/95
Click on Napoli-Sorrento under "Linee Circumvesuviana"