Pompeii visit en route from Rome to Sorrento

Whitney, I'd choose #2. By the time you're done with Pompeii (in late June heat) I'm guessing you're going to be hot, tired and not all that thrilled about a return journey to Naples just for pizza. Just guessing at that point you'll be ready to get to Sorrento and into your hotel. You can eat very well in Sorrento too! :O)

Honestly, while the Circ. is a battered and unlovely thing, it gets the job done. The same safety rules for valuables apply on that train as on most other forms of public transit in Italy; secure your cash and cards under your outer clothing - never in an exterior pocket or unsecured/unlocked cross-body bag - and your cell phone hidden as well. Keep a hand on your bags, too. If you do decide on the Naples option, you'll want to observe those rules as well when traipsing around town; same with Rome, Florence, etc. Really, many thousands of people, both tourists and locals, take the humble Circ. every year, and the majority of them get to their destinations with all of their goodies intact.

Heck, the biggest pitfall with the Circ. seems to be forgetting to validate the tickets before boarding. It's not unusual for the authorities to be running checks, and fines for unvalidated tickets are no fun. They will NOT cut you any slack for claiming ignorance!

Editing to add: your posting name is a hoot! 🤣

Thanks for the reply, Kathy! (I’m in Minnesota too!).

I think you are probably right about just moving on down the line. As long as I can check our luggage at Pompeii, I think that’s the way we’ll go. 😊

You do not give any details about the rest of your stay, but I would be tempted to just head to Sorrento, get settled and enjoy your afternoon. Then, another day, get to the Pompeii site right when it opens, with the hope it is cooler. My fear is after several hours of travel from Rome, dragging bags, spending several hours in the heat, then trying to haul bags to where ever your hotel is in Sorrento, you will be wiped out.

A separate day also means that you can be out of Pompeii in 3 hours, and into Naples for pizza by 1:00, maybe even take in the Archeology Museum.

Option #2, unless you spring for a private driver.
The transportation options in this area of Italy are inefficient and time- consuming, no matter which mode you choose. The infrastructure is old and just doesn't support the demand.
The C- train is often crowded, late, and SRO. I bring this up because this was our experience this May, 2023. We were hot and exhausted from being in Pompeii, got on the crowded, not air conditioned train, and had to stand should- shoulder all the way to Sorrento. The trip took over an hour. Just wanted to prepare you. The train ride should have been much shorter, but because it was delayed, the train lost its "slot" through the single track tunnels, so we had to wait at each tunnel until the tracks cleared.
However, David's GELATO is about a block from the train station, and has the best I've ever had. Once we had our gelato , we were in a much better frame of mind. This store also has gelato-making classes, which weren't on a good day for us, but I'd highly recommend that.
A private car runs about 100 euros, Pompeii to Sorrento, and is obviously much more comfortable after Pompeii, but you still must sit in traffic congestion.
Have a great trip!

You do not give any details about the rest of your stay, but I would
be tempted to just head to Sorrento, get settled and enjoy your
afternoon.

I was going to suggest this as well. It's only a 35 minute train ride back to Pompeii from Sorrento. We based in Sorrento for 11 days in April and did multiple trips back to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples. I don't know your level of interest but I would have found a quick 2 hour tour of Pompeii totally inadequate. We spent 1o hours there over two days, plus a day in Herculaneum and another in Naples. If I had a do-over I would have added time in Naples and spent less time on the Amalfi Coast.

I agree with Paul. It’s going to be hot and there’s little shade and masses of people in the Pompeii site in the afternoon. First thing in the morning is always best for this site no matter what the time of year, too.

My only experience is lunch pizza, but the last week in May, we waited over an hour for a seat in Gino Sorbillo pizza in Naples. It was a nice, if hot, wait, but it was long. Pompeii is also very hot and sun-exposed.

This newsboard has had only good experiences with the bag check at Pompeii the ancient site. We didn't need it, because we wanted to go there at leisure, from our five nights in Sorrento. Since Sorrento is a postwar, purpose-built resort town, the reason for sleeping there is the excellent public transportation access, for daytrips. It's NOT a "beach town", either. It's built on a cliff, and the one public beach is pretty small, basic, and located right between two diesel scented marinas.

Original poster here! Thanks to you all for the replies and information.

To give you a bit of backstory and insight into our plans, we will be in Italy for 11 days, flying into Venice and out of Naples. We will have three days in Dublin before getting to Italy. This is my son's graduation trip so his preferences are driving the majority of the planning. Here are his requests and how we are attempting to make it happen:

1. See Venice but not spend a ton of time there. (We fly into Venice in the morning, booked a nice room on the Grand Canal, plan to wander during the afternoon and evening, will eat breakfast at our hotel and take the train to Bologna in the afternoon.)
2. Tour as many sports car factories as humanly possible. (We will be doing a tour of Pagani, Ferrari, and Lamborghini while making Bologna our base for two nights to accommodate tour pick-up before moving on to Pisa.)
3. See the Leaning Tour. (Yes, he knows it's not that big of a deal but he wants to see it. We'll arrive late morning, wander Pisa, spend the night, and take the train to Rome.)
4. See the Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, and visit a local market or two. (We'll spend three nights in Rome and see as much as we can.)
5. See Capri, the Blue Grotto, Amalfi Coast, and take a dip in the Mediterranean. (Take the train from Rome to Naples and on to Sorrento for three nights. We'll have two and a half days before we fly out of Naples....one for Capri, one for Amalfi, and the partial day for whatever.)

My son has no interest in seeing Pompeii, and sadly, his father and brother don't either. I'm the one who feels it necessary to see it, thus the idea of a quick stop on the way to Naples. Even if it was perfectly enjoyable weather, they probably wouldn't want to stay more than 2-3 hours, and they tend to not mind the heat so I was hoping I could convince them to make a stop off there to appease the Mom who is planning the whole ding dang thing. LOL If those of you who have been there before and have experience with such things think it isn't worth it under these circumstances, I'll just skip it and throw an extra coin in the Trevi Fountain to spark a longer return trip that allows me to see Pompeii.

Because the Porta Marina entrance to Pompeii is right across the street from the Circumvesiviana stop, it is worth any amount of time you have available. It would be better to plan what you want to see, or use a tourguide if you want to do it in two or three hours, which is "not enough." But you are absolutely right that it is a must-see, an anchor of Western Culture since the place was rediscovered. Even the administration building at the college they go to (just guessing) is Neoclassical ... for a reason.

You need to use the Search box top left to read about heavy bus traffic, and impossible car situations on the AC from May to September. It may be best to have your hotel recommend a car service, and hire them for 8 hours of a few stops, say Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. That's what we did. 250 Euros well spent.

My husband and I had a similar situation last May. Our original plan was to take the train directly to Sorrento from Rome via Naples and then save Pompeii for another day. I contacted Mondo Guide (a service recommended from Rick Steves) for the Pompeii tour. They recommended that we take a private driver, use their Guide at Pompeii (who was amazing), and then have the car take us directly to Sorrento. It was a bit more expensive, but it turned out to be such a great decision. It takes all the stress out of transfers and having an outstanding guide who brings Pompeii to light even impressed my husband (who did not want to go, but was glad he did).

Tour as many sports car factories as humanly possible. (We will be doing a tour of Pagani, Ferrari, and Lamborghini while making Bologna our base for two nights to accommodate tour pick-up before moving on to Pisa.)
See the Leaning Tour. (Yes, he knows it's not that big of a deal but he wants to see it. We'll arrive late morning, wander Pisa, spend the night, and take the train to Rome.)

I didn't do the research, but you might want to explore moving on to Rome without spending the night in Pisa. Perhaps give yourself another night/day in Sorrento so YOU can go see Pompeii.

Sorrento for three nights. We'll have two and a half days before we fly out of Naples....one for Capri, one for Amalfi, and the partial day for whatever.)

Depending what time your flight is, being in Sorrento the night before may not be the best plan

Depending what time your flight is, being in Sorrento the night before
may not be the best plan

I'll agree with this, Whitney. If your flight is in the morning, you'll want to stay in Naples. That said, check out the Curreri coach shuttle that runs between Sorrento and the Naples airport.

https://www.curreriviaggi.it/en/naples-airport-shuttle

See the Leaning Tour. (Yes, he knows it's not that big of a deal but
he wants to see it. We'll arrive late morning, wander Pisa, spend the
night, and take the train to Rome.)

As someone else suggested, you might consider moving on to Rome versus staying the night in Pisa. I'd like to see you have another night in the Eternal City so that you have 3 FULL sightseeing days to cover ground.

... I was hoping I could convince them to make a stop off there
(Pompeii) to appease the Mom who is planning the whole ding dang
thing.

Ya THINK? The Chaos Coordinator absolutely should be appeased where Pompeii is concerned! The excavation is a historical treasure. Tell 'em they can just sit with the ding-dang luggage if they pout. Yes, it's absolutely possible to do this en route to Sorrento if that gets Mom her ramble amongst the ruins. IMHO, their lack of interest in the thing is just another reason not to use your limited time in the region to backtrack to Naples for pizza.

If you haven't found it yet, here's Pompeii's official website:
http://pompeiisites.org/en/

The scavi is VAST so you'll only be able to explore part of it over a couple of hours. The website provides a printed guide to the excavations in English that you might want to browse before you go as it'll give you a grasp of the functions of various structures, and interesting details about Roman life in an ancient city that was built on top of one even older. Here also is a map that'll give you an idea of the size (and this is only what has been excavated to date).

http://pompeiisites.org/wp-content/uploads/A-Guide-to-the-Pompeii-Excavations-2.pdf
http://pompeiisites.org/wp-content/uploads/Pompeiweb2023.pdf

Capri:
No need for a tour there, if you were considering one. It also has a good website for exploring things to do.
https://www.capri.net

We didn't do the grotto over our 2 nights on the island and have never been sorry. Some folks have enjoyed it and that's fine - we're all different! - but for the scant few minutes the little boats spend in the thing IF they can even get into it, + being hassled for tips, it wasn't worth the time and $ for us. I would scroll through some reviews to see if it's something you really want to do; experiences have certainly been varied! :O)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g488299-d195537-Reviews-Blue_Grotto-Anacapri_Island_of_Capri_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

I will recommend the chairlift from Anacapri to the top of Mt Solaro, and some of the hikes around the island. We especially enjoyed hoofing it up to Villa Jovis, although if your companions aren't interested in Pompeii, they likely won't be keen on poking around the remains of an emperor's villa either. Great view from up there, tho.

https://www.capri.com/en/e/the-villas-of-tiberius

One more thought about working Pompeii into the plan:
Given your companions' lack of interest, what if you just sent them onward to Sorrento with the luggage and followed after your tour (independently or with a group) of the scavi? It is not at all difficult to take the train; you'll be amongst many doing the same thing. I do think they'd find the excavation interesting, once they got there, but if they're really digging heels then maybe it's best to just send them on to get checked into the hotel.

Very helpful advice. I’ll check out all the options.

But now y’all got me worried about the Naples airport! Is the airport the problem? Or just getting there? I see it is recommended to plan for 5 hours to get from Sorrento to the airport by shuttle so I’m guessing it’s the getting there part.

Traffic in that region during high season can be a beast.
So what if you took a ferry from Sorrento to Naples and a cab from the port to the airport? I still probably wouldn't book a morning flight but I'm pretty risk-averse when it comes to making international flights on time.

It's a combination of massive summer tourism, and years of infrastructure-starvation by the "northern" Italian government. I haven't taken the ferry to Naples, but don't assume it's a Magic Bullet. You still need a backup plan, in case of weather, wave-height, or other cancellation. Just be glad you're starting from Sorrento, and not from Positano! There's at least one tunnel on the car route, and it regularly backs up. We found traffic miserable even in the last week of May.

You want to download the Fixed Rate Taxi sheet from the municipal website. There's likely to be ... attempted overcharging ... with crowds of people getting off at the ferry port. And you might even be competing with cruise ship passengers offering a half or full-day hire of cabs. (Made that up ... ) It's just that southern Italy is a very entrepreneurial culture.