Naples to Florence in April: rent a car or take the train?

If I understand you correctly you are getting into Naples on Monday, wish to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum and then continue on to Florence. I don't know where your ship will dock but you can probably just take a cab to the ruins or Pompeii, hop the commuter train to Herculaneum, get back on the commuter to Naples Centrale and then continue on to Florence. I wouldn't get a car for this trip as parking is hard to find and expensive. Also, you'll need to contend with any ZTL's that you might come across. I'm not as familiar with Naples as I am with Rome but I know driving in Italy is not optimal, especially in the larger cities. The train is very easy to use and there are many a day that do the trip you wish. If your dates are set you can book ahead and save a lot of money by getting the super saver or saver fares. Donna

Train is considerably faster and less stress. Naples to Florence by train is 2hrs and 51min with most trains and there is a train or two every hour (no changes). Last train departs Naples at 7:30 pm. Add another hour to travel from Pompeii to Naples, including train transfers from the Vesuviana commuter underground station to the fast Freccia train and you can be in Florence in less than 4 hours from Pompeii. To make it in the same time by car, in the evening, I.e. at rush hour in the Naples area, you need a Ferrari driven by Fernando Alonso.

Lorraine, If you're staying in Naples, the easiest way to get to Pompeii and Herculaneum would be via the Circumvesuviana. If I read your post correctly, you're planning to visit those sites on Monday and then travel to Florence on Tuesday? Absolutely the quickest and easiest way to get from Naples to Florence is via the Freccia (fast) trains, which travel at up to 300 kmH. For example, if you depart Napoli Centrale at 09:00, you'll arrive at Firenze SMN at 11:51 (travel time 2H:51M), just in time to check-in to the hotel and have a nice relaxing lunch. There's no way you'll be able to do that trip as quickly by car. The Freccia trains are also best for travel from Florence to Venice. If you pre-purchase tickets on the fast trains, significant savings are possible. However, the cheapest Super Economy tickets often sell out very quickly. Have a look at the excellent www.roninrome.com website for information on buying tickets on the Trenitalia website. Happy travels! *NOTE: you might delete your duplicate Thread on this subject in order to keep replies in the same place.

Lorraine, That sounds like a good plan! One additional point to mention - are you familiar with the two trains you'll be using from Naples (Trenitalia and Circumvesuviana)? If you need more information, post another note. Cheers!

Thank you all so much! Your advice has helped us make a decision--we will opt for train travel to take in the historic sites and to travel to Florence. We will also stay the night in Naples before heading to Florence early on Tuesday so that we won't feel so rushed. Thanks again!

Ken, We are not familiar with either train so we'll have to research that. Now that we've decided to stay for overnight in Naples, I'm wondering if it makes sense to look for a B&B or hotel that's close to the train station. If you have any tips, please let me know. Thanks! Lorraine