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evening and morning in Pompei - strategy and recommendations?

We've squeezed an evening and morning in Pompeii while traveling from Umbria to the Amalfi Coast in the second week of October. We'll arrive in Pompei late afternoon, spend the night and then would like to spend the next morning touring the site.

Any recommendations for that first evening - places to stroll,restaurants to try, etc - would be appreciated.

Then I'm curious what people think the best strategy is for seeing the ruins in a morning - get a guide (recommendations or warnings?), do it on our own, dont miss , focus on .

I know we're probably rushing it, but this is a bonus that we could squeeze in the time we do have, so we want to make the most of that.

Posted by
871 posts

I suggest you travel to Naples [Napoli Centrale] and spend the night. Then the next day take one of the local trains downstairs at Napoli Centrale [Garibaldi station] to Pompeii Scavi, at the ruins; tour with one of the official guides.

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/naples-to-sorrento-train-schedule
https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule [more comfortable but less frequent]

There is baggage storage at Pompeii Scavi, and back on the train to Sorrento you can take a ferry to a town on the Amalfi Coast:

https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/ferry-schedule

The Trenitalia Pompei station, in the town, is 2 kms from the ruins, and takes a lot longer to get to.

Posted by
3112 posts

If your Amalfi Coast destination is either Sorrento or Salerno, you'd be better off going directly there and taking a short train ride back to Pompeii Scavi in the morning. If your destination is one of the towns along the Amalfi Coast, then I like the suggestion to stay in Naples which has much more of interest for an evening. Pompei, the new town adjoining the Pompeii Scavi, is pretty small and not that attractive.

Posted by
7359 posts

There’s not much on the Circumvesuviana side of Pompeii, so no reason to stay at the 3? motels there. Pompeii closes earlier in the fall/winter so staying in Naples or Sorrento (you didn’t name the town) is smart. Actual Amalfi Coast has poor links to Pompeii, so don’t go that far. Ancient site has a place to eat lunch inside and good bag check at ticket office. No re-entry on same ticket,