Sorrento to Pompeii to Rome to Fiumicino Airport to make flight too much?

I'm sure most people would recommend staying in Rome the night before a flight from FCO.

While I suppose it is possible to spend the day of your flight as you describe, it would certainly be too much for my poor nerves! How much will really enjoy Pompeii if you are constantly watching the clock to make sure you are on schedule? You cant always depend on the trains doing exactly as scheduled, either. You certainly want to be 100% informed about any planned strikes that might affect travel. And I remember sitting calmly on the circumvesuviana train last October as it left 25 minutes after the scheduled time because I gave myself plenty of leeway to make my connection to Orvieto, while other people were upset because they were missing their train to Rome.

It sounds like you are hoping everything aligns perfectly. When you write about buying tickets, which tickets are you referring to? I would prefer to have train and plane tickets in hand in case lines are long. I think you may be underestimating travel time as well, in case something does not go according to plan.

Thanks for the quick replies. I was pretty sure I was biting off way too much for a day. I will move Pompeii to another day and allow most of a day to get from Sorrento to the Rome Airport.

Maybe, if your endurance levels are very high, you have plans for your luggage, and your gambling instinct is high....

Take the 7:22 from Sorrento because the 7:38 isn't guaranteed to run and the next one isn't until 7:55. Hope you like crowded trains because that is the peak rush hour of people going to work in Napoli. You'll be early but it beats being late.

Check your bags at the gate, hope that that works out and that there is somebody there when you want to reclaim them and they haven't just gone onto their break.

The 11:37 from Pompei Scavi reaches Garibaldi at 12:13 if it is on time; the next one is 12:07 to 12:43.

Hump your bags upstairs for the fast train to Roma.

I hope this is in the off-season or you will be beat.

Trenitalia Freccia fast trains to Roma Termini go hourly (plus a few) from Napoli Centrale on the hour.

The next possible one is the 13:00, arriving Roma Termini, if nothing goes wrong, at 14:10.

The next Leonardo Express is at 14:35, probably from platform 24, arriving at the airport at 15:07 - the next one is 30 minutes later..

You're brave.

Your flight isn't non refundable is it?

Jim, as others have already said, your day as outlined seems too rushed, too much in need of everything running just as planned, as too nerve-racking for my tastes. You also don't indicate which month (thinking of heat and crowds), which day of the week, and whether "we" includes many people or anyone who moves slowly. I also think trying to visit Pompeii in 3 hours, train arrival to train departure, is too rushed; Pompeii is a very large (as in a whole ancient city) and very interesting site. From my own experience, echoed by others, whatever day you visit Pompeii I would encourage you to link up with a local guide at the entry to the site. You can interview a few to find someone likeable that you can easily understand. Cost is very modest. I tried to get around Pompeii with just a map and the RS book and audio tour. I was often lost and entirely missed some important parts of the site. Guides know huge amounts, never get lost, and also know which rooms or streets might be closed that day, for repairs, renovation, or whatever. I really wish I had used a guide.