Hello all! I'm planning a trip to Rome in October and since I'm going alone I like to overplan and plan early (especially hotel reservations). I will be in Italy 10 days, the 8th to the 17th. I'm mostly staying in Rome but there are a few places that might be do-able as day trips - I wanted some opinions. The chocolate festival in Perugia is one, a three hour train ride each way. Naples (Pompeii) is another, also roughly two hours depending on the train. Is it better to attempt these as day trips or stay overnight and go back the same day? I'm 37 and in reasonable (not great) health. My hostel will be close to Termini. Side note: I'll be in the dorm room at the hostel so the thought of a night in a single room in a cheaper city is tempting. Thank you in advance for your help. And sorry for the rambling!
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
203 posts
I will be in Rome, overlapping you on the 8th and 9th. If you were there on the 7th, I would have extended an invitation to day trip it to Pompeii with me! Pompeii is a long day trip, but many people do it. I would suggest price-shopping your Naples roundtrip tickets in advance and save about 40% by locking in a departure and return time on the mini-pass fare on Trenitalia. You can't change trains or cancel without penalty, but if you don't mind a rigid travel schedule, the money you save pays for dinner. Read more about it on the Trenitalia website. PM me if you want to exchange contact info and meet up for some sightseeing in Rome!
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
You can certianly visit Pomepii as a day trip. The fastest train to Naples takes just over an hour. The circumvesuviana takes about half an hour. This is a really easy trip to make and gives you the opportunity to spend the entire day at the excavations. If you purchase your tickets in advance you can qualify for the mini fares which are up to 60% off the base fare. Right now there is a mini fare for just 22 euros to Naples from Rome. If your plans are flexible as to the other sites you wish to see you can book these tickets before you go and save a lot of money. As for Perugia, I think that should be considered for an overnight. Three hours each way is a long time to spend on the train. If you can find a cheap room I would pack an overnight bag, leave the rest of the luggage in the hotel in Rome and spend the night there. You can go early in the morning and come back late the next night. This will give you time to enjoy the festival. Donna
Posted by
Morrison, CO, USA
893 posts
Check the Hotel Amleto in Pompeii on Venere.com then email them directly and get their rate to compare. We liked staying overnight and enjoyed the town. It seemed relaxing after Rome. The hotel and their people were very nice. And the room was less expensive then our hotel in Rome.
Have a great trip and by the way, the app Rome2Go is free today. $1.99 tomorrow!
Posted by
OP
Detroit, USA
14 posts
Thank you everyone for the info! I'm tempted to make Pompeii a day trip but I may need a break from Rome. I agree that Perugia should probably be overnight. Thanks again!
Posted by
Tulsa, OK, USA
17 posts
There's a great, inexpensive "hostel" in Sorrento that is convenient to the circumvesuviana train that connects Naples with Sorrento, with stops at both Ercolano (Herculaneum) and Pompeii. It's called the Ulisse Deluxe Hostel, and it's really more of a hotel. Super cheap - double rooms are like 50-60 euro per night.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Don't forget Ostia Antica as a potential alternative. It's often called "Pompeii without the crowds", and it's so much easier to get to than Pompeii. (To the train times, be sure to add the time it takes to wait for the train.)