I am planning to drive from Siena to Naples airport to drop off my rental car, and then spending one day and one night in Pompeii - then moving to a hotel in Amalfi.
Where should I stay in Pompeii? It seems easiest to just stay there since we are travelling again the next day. Any recommendations on tour guides or drivers in this area also?
Posted by
New York
92 posts
Thanks for sharing your experience, Estimated Prophet. In a couple weeks, I will be staying at the Hotel Forum Pompeii for 2 nights and plan to visit Pompeii and related sites via the Arte Bus. I purchased the Campania Arte Card in advance per your recommendations. I am glad that you had a great hotel stay, and I look forward to reading your trip report. (Susanmeyersnorthshore, sorry to hijack your thread!)
Posted by
New York
92 posts
Thank you for the tip about opening the ArteCard app while at Hotel Forum Pompeii, Estimated Prophet (and I also saw your comment on the thread that you had started). I wonder if the hotel's cats are in communication with the cats at Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome? I like to say hello to them when I visit Rome, and they ignore me too!
Posted by
Calgary, AB
154 posts
Not really addressing your question but have you considered going to see Heraculeum not Pompeii. It is smaller but has a similar story. It still has its original murals etc whereas a lot of Pompeii’s mosaics and murals are in the Naples Museum.
In 2019, we did the trip from Naples in one day: train and walk first to Heraculeum and then numbered bus up to Vesuvius. There was a major traffic jam for the bus parking at Vesuvius that took over an hour to get sorted out with private cars coming in and plugging the lot such that buses couldn’t turn around or get out.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7284 posts
I was really surprised by the first answer, because many posters here would start by saying, "NO ONE stays IN modern Pompeii city to visit Pompeii Scavi. (the ancient site-that's the commuter train's stop name.)
You are right to know that Amalfi is a poor location from which to visit Pompeii, especially if you are a budget traveler. But tell us how you were planning to get from Pompeii to Amalfi. (Is that Amalfi town, or Amalfi Coast?) Your answer affects our advice. It is also useful to give the month of the year, because of increased crowding.
One budget approach is to use the on-site luggage storage, and go "on the way" to Amalfi, although it is no pleasure to ride the Circumvesuviana train with luggage. Do you have any interest in one night in Naples? Why are you driving from Siena to Naples - do you want to see certain things along the way? You could take a train, including some extra fast segments, to Salerno, and go to Amalfi (town) from there. And that train stops in modern Pompeii about 1/2 mile from the Scavi. (Not convenient with luggage, however - unless you can afford a taxi.) I've heard of $200/day car rentals now (no experience.) A day less car rental could maybe pay for a car service from Amalfi to Pompeii, plus saving on gas/diesel costs ??
Or you could train to Naples, if you want to see the originals removed from Pompeii, and the Farnese Marbles. I will say that we went to Pompeii from Sorrento, on a 5 night stay, with our luggage in our hotel room.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you all for your answers. I will be staying in Tuscany for 9 days and returning my rental car at the naple airport.
I plan to stay at the hotel Forum in Pompeii for one night only. I also plan to take a taxi from the Naples airport to the hotel. Is it better to arrange a car ahead of time to take us from the airport to Pompeii? I am not sure what time I will be turning in the car.
I have arranged for a car to take us to hotel in Amalfi
What train would I need to take from the Amalfi coast back to Rome? I will be travelling with luggage
Thanks again!
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7284 posts
susan, you are still using the terms Amalfi and Amalfi Coast interchangeably, which hinders good advice. There are no trains on the Amalfi Coast, nor in the town of Amalfi. It is essentially impossible to fly home from Rome the day you wake up on the Amalfi Coast. It might be possible, if risky, with a very late flight and sleeping in Salerno or Sorrento. Those are the only towns with trains anywhere near the AC. Both towns could require a train change. Some people like to use ferries as part of their multi-seat routes. The fastest trains have higher walk-up fares, and non-changeable advance discount tickets.
I see that the direct (i.e. no change in Naples) Frecciarossa train from Florence to Salerno takes a similar amount of time as driving. But it would be more relaxing, and might cost less.