Help planning day trip from Rome to Pompeii

You can book the high speed train from Rome to Naples but then in Naples you will need to head downstairs and buy tickets for the Circumvesuviana train towards Sorrento and get off at Pompeii Scavi station which is right outside the main gate.

The man in Seat 61 has a good summary: https://www.seat61.com/places-of-interest/day-trip-to-pompeii.htm

He also mentions the food hall in Naples train station if the timing works out to grab something before you head to the site. There are a few places to buy food inside Pompeii and the exterior of the exits are crowded with places to eat of varying quality.
https://www.seat61.com/stations/naples-centrale.htm#Somewhere_to_eat_between_trains

The narrow gauge, graffiti covered, creaky trains are the things everyone loves to hate but they serve places no other trains do. And just having been in Naples train station and dealt with the Circumvesuviana I can confirm the station is very large, sprawling, very busy and confusing. However the one thing you don't want to do in Naples train station is look lost or confused. Keep your valuables well secured both in the train station and on the Circumvesuviana and act like you know where you're going even if you don't. There will be helpful people along the way who will give you information - often which you already have - and then ask for a tip for their efforts.

Hope that helps, have a great trip!
=Tod

Oops - forgot to address the tickets. High speed rail tickets can be purchased ahead of time at a discount - sometimes very steep discounts - but they come with restrictions on changes or refunds. So basically you're trading flexibility for discount prices so if you're sure of your schedule and are willing to stick to it then feel free to buy early.

In a situation like this booking your ticket from Rome to Naples in the morning makes some sense if you know you can get up and out in the morning. Booking a train back could either put a clock on your visit - especially with the creaky Circumvesuviana between you and Naples - or leave you with too much time sitting in Naples if you are too early.

I think I would leave the trip back unbooked and then play it by ear in Naples - go out for pizza or head back to Rome whenever you get to the station - unless you have evening plans in Rome you're counting on doing and want to stick to a schedule.

There is no reason to buy Circumvesuviana tickets ahead of time just buy a ticket for the next one.

=Tod

I am not certain if this applies to the Rome to Naples train but some.trains you need to validate your ticket prior to getting on the train or face hefty fine on board. I seem to remember having to pay a euro to use bathroom in Naples train station.

It's best to give the month, year, and day of the week for most questions.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pompeii-day-trip-from-rome-2c38f926-9036-480d-95fd-403dd7694e4a

There has been a post this year saying that they are installing tap and go payment for the Circumvesuviana. More reports needed.

We waited an hour for a seat in a "name" pizzeria in Naples. I suggest you settle for the cafe inside Pompeii Scavi. You can't spare the time for a two-hour slow-food memorable meal. (Pizza does not take two hours at the table, of course.) Pompeii Scavi does not permit re-entry on a same day ticket.

I am not certain if this applies to the Rome to Naples train but
some.trains you need to validate your ticket prior to getting on the
train or face hefty fine on board.

It applies virtually to any train for which you don't have an assigned carriage and seat #. The Circumvesuviana commuter between Naples and Sorrento - which stops at Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteri near the main entrance to the scavi - is one of these trains: you currently have to validate your ticket before boarding. Those on-the-spot fines occur if an authority is performing random checks for unvalidated tickets and you're caught with one of those.

And yes, save your coin for restrooms which require a fee to use them: "The Man in Seat 61" notes that those at Napoli Centrale do require a small fee. You can alternately use the restroom facilities (free) on the "fast" train you should book between Rome and Naples; 'go' before you arrive in Naples. There are no facilities on the Circumvesuviana.

Romewise has a great YouTube video on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2SWKImIdeM&t=5s

Pompeii is huge, it will depend on your level of interest but I'd recommend you start with a group tour that will last two hours and then head out on your own for 2-3 hours and explore the areas that the tour doesn't show. Study a map and websites and plan ahead. We found Area 1 to be surprisingly good but was completely ignored by the guides. The Garden of the Fugitives was an eye opener, and Casa Della Nave Europa was excellent with some outstanding frescos. We spent 12 hours over 2 days in Pompeii.

We took a picnic and at in an out of the way spot in Pompeii when we went. The advantage of getting a guide at the gate is that they can unlock houses so you can visit inside. We ended up tagging onto a tour group that opened houses so we could get inside and it was fine -- I don't know if that always works. The reason for locking is to prevent vandalism.

Thanks everyone for the help! We are heading to Rome in about two weeks. I also just saw that you can hike Mt Vesuvius! Probably we will need a tour in order to do both from Rome, but Rick doesn't really give advice on which large group tour operators are honest. Any suggestions would be very very helpful! Thanks!!

. I also just saw that you can hike Mt Vesuvius! Probably we will need a tour in order to do both from Rome

That may be a difficult tour to find. Pompeii itself takes several hours; adding on 'hiking' Mt Vesuvius is a challenge, especially with the shorter daylight hours at this time of year. Adding the time from/to Rome and you have a very busy day.

This will give you a start:

https://search.ricksteves.com/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=pompeii+day+trip+from+rome&button=

I'll vote with Joe that you really don't have time for both Pompeii and Vesuvius via a day trip from Rome, especially at this time of year when daylight is short. As already mentioned, the scavi is vast and can easily consume most of a sightseeing day all by itself, depending on level of interest. The officlal website will give you an idea of just how much ground it covers:

https://pompeiisites.org/en/pompeii-map/

As well, tickets for Vesuvius really need to be ordered in advance, can only be purchased online (do NOT try to do it AT the site as their wifi is reported to be terrible; causes lots of frustration), and there's no guarantee how much you'd be able to see depending on weather. From the park's website:

https://vesuviopark.vivaticket.it/en?qubsq=2a218b1f-ce2a-446d-8f6b-713b043a8210&qubsp=95b978b9-949c-4c29-994f-2597eb98ca08&qubsts=1731583654&qubsc=bestunion&qubse=vivaticketserver&qubsrt=Safetynet&qubsh=31aefc85da9c39b9aa99dd74cbeb6876/

I wouldn't assume that most tours wouldn't be 'honest' just because they're not in Rick's book. As Janet mentioned, you can hire a guide or join a small group tour at the gate. Guides at the site are licensed (look for their badges) and passing a guide's licensing test in Italy is not an easy thing. What you shouldn't do (not that you intend to) is follow a tour group without paying for the tour: you will annoy the guide and they'll likely ask you to move along.

https://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/guided-tours/