Ideas about our trip to Pompeii / Naples / Paestum?

Paestum is SUPER easy......just make sure you have your RT tickets, the station is not manned. Also, pay attention to the train schedules as there is randomly a 2 hour break between trains sometimes.

It is probably a 5-10 min walk? It's a straight road from the station to the ruins, surrounded on either side by stone walls or farms. Your ticket gets you into the museum and the ruins. It's super neat!

Also look into doing a buffalo mozzarella farm tour close by!

Thanks Katherine! Reassuring it's easy to get to Paestum, will follow your advice and buy RT tickets from Pompei.

Also look into doing a buffalo mozzarella farm tour close by! Good point, just looked them up and it appears there are 2 places not too far from Paestum, but likely too far for me to walk. I thought I could ask the hotel to call them directly, or try myself (My Italian isn't dreadful) and see if they'd pick us up at the Paestum train station & return us to the ruins.

On the 28th, consider a tour of Herculaneum, plus Oplontis and Stabiae. We did this as a private tour with Askos, and it was fantabulous. Not sure if it would work on a Sunday.

When we toured Ravello and Paestum, we hired the owner of our B&B in Salerno to do the driving, and it really worked out. I wasn't at all interested in visiting a water buffalo farm - but I loved it!

I would start my search for a driver by checking with the hotel.

I, too, have been researching buffalo mozzarella farms near Paestum (hence the suggestion) because when I go a place I have been before, I always want to enhance it by doing something new. I was pondering contacting Vannulo or Barlotti and arranging a tour right after the train arrives in Paestum, maybe asking for help with a taxi or something (they can definitely call you a taxi on the way out) upon arrival, as having a fixed tour time first would allow for a morning visit, lunch, and then off to the ruins and museum after with only a train time to aim for (and not even completely set in stone if you know the schedules) and ability to roam freely.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/looking-for-a-buffalo-farm

Estimated Prophet - Good idea, will contact hotel about booking a day trip to Ravello a few months ahead of our trip.

On the 28th, consider a tour of Herculaneum, plus Oplontis and
Stabiae. We did this as a private tour with Askos, and it was
fantabulous. Not sure if it would work on a Sunday.

I'm also wondering just how busy Pompeii will be on Saturday?? Likely busier. Will ask them, again, maybe in October, just a few months ahead they should have a better idea of their schedule.

Katherine -   I like this logistical solution! Will you be going this year? Agreed, best to do farm tour first. I like this strategy, on my list to contact them in October as well.

I was pondering contacting Vannulo or Barlotti and arranging a tour
right after the train arrives in Paestum, maybe asking for help with a
taxi or something (they can definitely call you a taxi on the way out)
upon arrival, as having a fixed tour time first would allow for a
morning visit, lunch, and then off to the ruins and museum after with
only a train time to aim for.

SO helpful, thanks both of you!

I'm glad we could help!

Unfortunately, I will not be going anytime soon, as this research was for an imaginary trip I am trying to convince my friend to go on with me in 2027. We would love to hear about any of your adventures!

Just an aside, your 31st plans, I don't know how busy/non busy things will be, but I would be prepared for things to be thrown off just in case.....though booking a driver seems to be the best way to get around any wrenches that would be thrown in your plans, because hopefully it would be a local that would know the goings on.....I also think you would need to be booking in advance for your NYE dinner.....though I don't know (are you staying in Pompei?) that Pompei will be a hotbed of celebrations, all city centers will be assumed to have some sort of revelry I bet.....

Also, I don't know about many Ravello restaurants, but this one was delish, but simple.....found a fun writeup about it!

https://www.everywhereist.com/2014/06/trattoria-cumpa-cosimo-ravello-italy/

weird that they are open in the middle of the day though......

We ended up there because we were in Ravello at lunchtime and I try not to eat in "restaurants in squares" as they are usually more touristy and expensive, so we just walked out the back of the square and kept going until we found a place to eat.....I really didn't think there were many!

I will not be going anytime soon, as this research was for an
imaginary trip I am trying to convince my friend to go on with me in
2027. We would love to hear about any of your adventures!

Awww, that's too bad. I'm a huge fan of trip reports & love giving back to the Forum, expect an exhaustively detailed TR, lol.

Just an aside, your 31st plans, I don't know how busy/non busy things
will be, but I would be prepared for things to be thrown off just in
case.....though booking a driver seems to be the best way to get
around any wrenches that would be thrown in your plans, because
hopefully it would be a local that would know the goings on. Also, I don't know about many Ravello restaurants, but this one was delish, but simple.....found a fun writeup about it!

This made me laugh. As soon as we land in Italy, we EXPECT things to get messed up. And it just makes us smile! But thanks for the reminder. I will ask at the hotel ahead of time, we plan on booking this day about 2-weeks ahead by emailing the hotel. We're usually out the door by 9:30AM, and will splurge for a driver. It's my birthday!! I really really want to spend at least half the day in Ravello, specifically on the ramparts of Villa Cimbrone, one of my top favorite places on the planet. Thanks, we will absolutely check out your restaurant suggestion for lunch! And then get back to hotel by 2-3PM, hopefully traveling from the coast inland will be less traffic?

I also think you would need to be booking in advance for your NYE
dinner.....though I don't know (are you staying in Pompei?) that
Pompei will be a hotbed of celebrations, all city centers will be
assumed to have some sort of revelry I bet.....

Thanks for the warning! Our habit on our 2 trips to Rome over NYE has been to wander around looking for a simple pizzeria around 5PM, usually it's by the slice, eat and be back in our room by 7PM. We're planning to go back to the MANN January 1st, thinking Naples will be quiet that morning?!

And BTW, in case anyone spends the night somewhere outside the tourist centers of Italy on NYE, it's still a custom to throw old plates and glasses out the windows, even of apartment buildings! I just checked this out with my neighbors from Rome, they said, 'STAY away from the windows"!! When I asked if it was true some people throw small pieces of furniture out, he said "NO, except maybe a dishwasher!!"

PS, Here's my Dec 2023 Rome TR, excludes most of the main sites as we've been there before. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/rome-was-jammed-over-ny-but-still-fun

Sounds like an amazing birthday! And don't forget Rufolo! I don't really know if that restaurant is the best, I'm certain there would be more celebratory and picturesque restaurants around, but my parents were delighted with it :)

And I didn't know that about the plates! I haven't ever been in Italy over NYE! So crazy!

I saw you're in Uppsala, when I was in Italy, some of my friends lived there!

Katherine, Rufolo looks stunning, thanks. Have added it to the list! I guess I have a 'thing' about Villa Cimbrone, especially the ramparts where there's a tiny 'bar' in the side of the wall, with an even smaller veranda where you can squeeze 2 people with espressos and look out over the coast....

I just came across this great Youtube video about a family-run buffalo mozzarella farm, might be useful before visiting! https://youtu.be/ErLhwXbHMJM?si=uh5PrYh2azuPIocZ