lorikay

Yes. It’s two separate trips.

Pretty much 100% sure you need 2 tickets. Most Italian regional and local train tickets are time limited. For instance, Venetian vaporetto tickets are good for 75 minutes from validation, meaning the journey must be complete in that amount of time. The cost of a ticket from Naples to Pompeii is 2.80 EUR, and Pompeii to Sorrento is 2.40 EUR. A single journey from Naples to Sorrento is 3.90 EUR, so it will cost you a whole 1.30 EUR to stop off at Pompeii for the afternoon. Compare that to 7.50 EUR for that Venetian vaporetto ride.

Sam, you might be quoting the tickets prices for the (ridiculously inexpensive) Circumvesuviana? The rate sheet for the Campania Express is here, and shows 6,00€ for Naples>Pompeii and the same for Pompeii to Sorrento.

https://www.eavsrl.it/web/content/campania-express-2019

But this is interesting:

Il biglietto a tariffa unica prevede la possibilità di...nella data
prevista per il viaggio di andata e/o di ritorno scendere alle fermate
intermedie e riprendere il viaggio con un'altra corsa Campania
Express. In questo caso, la prenotazione non garantisce la
disponibilità del posto a sedere nelle tratte intermedie.

The single fare ticket provides the possibility of ... on the
scheduled date for the outward and / or return journey, get off at the
intermediate stops and resume the journey with another Campania
Express journey. In this case, the reservation does not guarantee the
availability of a seat in the intermediate sections.

It doesn't mention a time limit, which I would agree most regionale-type tickets have once validated. Wonder if the Express operates differently or if I'm just not reading/translating it correctly.

Yes, I was just looking at the cheapo regular Circumvesuviana trains. The Campania Express does explicitly state that you can stop off at Pompeii that day without seat reservations with a single 8 EUR Napoli-Sorrento ticket. Just keep in mind that there are only 4 Campania Express trains every day, so maybe the regular will be more convenient for your timing at Pompeii.

I was thinking along the same lines as Sam. Because there are only a few Campania Express trains per day and the Pompeii to Sorrento leg on the Circumvesuviana is much less crowded, don't wait around for hours for the next Campania Express train to Sorrento. Take the Circumvesuviana if the timing is more convenient. To maintain maximum flexibility, plan to buy your second ticket at the Pompeii station.

I'm thinking along the same lines as both Frank and Sam. The Circ. runs so much more frequently than the Express that I'd at least think about taking it for the Pompeii to Sorrento leg if timing is more convenient.

Thank you everyone for your input. We may do the Express to Pompeii (not as crowded I hope), and then the regular train to Sorrento so we don't have to watch the time so closely. Should I buy the Express ticket online in advance, or just wait until I get to Naples?

What does the title of this post mean? I’m just curious, it has been bugging me for a while.