Tip for taking train from Naples to Rome?

Which service to use (Trenitalia vs. Italo Treno)? How and when to get tickets? Thanks in advance for any advice!

It is a 1 hour train ride. Both competing companies on that route are pretty much the same.
You can buy online 90-120 days in advance only :
https://www.italotreno.it/en
or
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Your ticket comes as a PDF in your email that you can print out or you can open and show the PDF on your phone just make sure your battery does not run out before the conductor comes by to scan it. There are plugs on the train by your seat.

You can also buy it at the station from a Red colored machine the day of. There are plenty of trains running all the time from early morning to late night.

Where are you getting the car? Driving in Naples would not be a great decision--share your itinerary so we can advise on where to drop the car. You can also go from Salerno, so there is plenty of wiggle room. What month will the trip occur?

We are doing the reverse and going from Rome to Positano. We hired a private driver for 220€ to take us from Naples train station, with a 3hr stop in Pompeii and than taking us to our rental in Positano. And when we leave we hired the same company to take us to Naples Airport. I don’t want to mess with driving and parking in Positano.

If you are not visiting Naples then dropping car at Salerno and train from there to Rome will be much much easier
Hertz is right at Salerno station

Seriously I’d rather drive from Positano to Rome than deal with Naples

Any tips on navigating the station?

All tracks used by Trenitalia and Italotreno are on the ground floor and are numbered. Enter the station on Google Maps's street view and "follow" the Treni/trains signs up to the Partenze/Departures board. Search for you train's # that's written on your ticket. Your departure platform will be written under the last column, headed Binario/Platform. If the platform is not yet posted, wait.

One that needs help to navigate a train station should re-think the idea of driving in downtown Naples. Do not leave anything in the trunk, especially when visiting Pompeii. Some leave the rental car open and empty to avoid paying the costs of a new lock.

If you are not visiting Naples then dropping car at Salerno and train from there to Rome will be much much easier

Couldn't agree more.

Dario gave you great tips. I would just add that as 2 seniors using the station from Naples to Rome for the first, it was very easy to navigate. I’m sure your familiar with the idea that train platforms are not posted early, however there is plenty of time to board as long as you are watching. We traveled on a Sunday in 2019 and had no trouble finding a seat to wait. There was also some great shopping to be had in the station.

Another vote for buying tickets in advance.
However, those tickets are only valid for the actual journey you bought them for, I believe.
We got two Rome-Naples tickets on the fastest train two years ago for E19 total!
You can look at the schedules now as they won't change much.....just put in a random time and day for say, next week, to see times etc.
Then buy a couple of months in advance.
I haven't used Italo, but Trenitalia is just fine; I've bought advance tickets for years from them.
Buy your tickets directly from either company.

Regardless of the time/method of purchase, All tickets for High Speed and Intercity trains are only valid for the actual train and journey you bought them for.

In addition discounted tickets for high speed and intercity trains come with restrictions regarding changes and/or refunds.

Thanks everyone for the very good advice! We'll be travelling in September, and so far, the plan had been to arrive in Naples via Blue Air from Bucharest, pick up rental at Hertz, drive to Pompeii for the night, see Pompeii next day, drive on to Positano for two nights. Then, we'd drop the car at Naples train station and grab a train to Rome.

I don't want to mess with driving in Naples, so I was thinking of just keeping the car until Rome, but it's a much longer trip driving (3.5 hours vs. about 1 hour). I'm really liking the idea of taking a train from Solerno. You guys are the best!

Probably a typo but just to be sure
Salerno

A nice town if you’ve got nights to spare
We spent 2 nights after our time in Amalfi
Visited Paestum which is fantastic

Why are you paying two days of rental while your car will remain parked in Positano?

Besides the risk of paying ZTL fines, this seems a clear waste of money. Especially in September when Travelmar direct ferries will be operating between Positano and Salerno and the road will still be clogged.

I also wonder if you are actually going to save some money by driving against the cost of a private driver from the airport to Pompeii and then from Pompeii to Positano. Note that quotes from private drivers always include tips, gas costs and tolls.

Well, looking at the drive time from Positano to Salerno or to Naples, plus dealing with the train station(s), it looks like a wash time-wise. Less of a hassle to just take the car to Rome, but then we'll have to drive in Rome instead of Naples. Is it much better? (We managed just fine in Athens, not counting the bit where Google Maps took up straight through the pedestrianised Plaka).

Dario, I'm very intrigued by this personal driver business. Our rental for 3 days is going to be about 455 euro. 550 if we drop off in Rome. Before we arrive in Italy, we'll be road tripping from Budapest to Bucharest, so I'm really trying my best to edit the trip at this point and make things as simple as possible. Willing to pay to simplify things. We've just been stubborn about having a car for Pompeii/Amalfi Coast because we really enjoyed the freedom of having our own transportation for our honeymoon in Greece a few years ago. We'll also be renting a car to get from Rome to Florence, via Montepulciano.

Again, I thank you all for this info! As it looks like this trip originally planned for May 2020 is going to actually happen, I'm getting a little anxious about the details!

Is it much better?

Yes it is. Naples is... unique. It's better As long as you can avoid entering the ZTL areas in Rome. And this leads to the second point, in Italy you can't really enjoy

the freedom of having our own transportation

because most tourist attractions are inside camera controlled areas where tourists can't drive in unlike an hotel puts their plate number on the white list.

On the Amalfi coast you wouldn't enjoy much freedom because there is a second problem: a single road that's often clogged during the season.

Our rental for 3 days is going to be about 455 euro.

Plus Parking costs and gas. And tolls if you use the highways north of Salerno. If I were you I'd read again edryer4356's post above. You could simplify and save some money at the same time.

We'll also be renting a car to get from Rome to Florence, via Montepulciano.

You could train from Rome to Orvieto (that is worth a visit) and rent a car in Orvieto. But I must admit I can't really get the idea of "dealing with the train station(s)" whereas I am sure I hate dealing with traffic, speed traps calculating your average speed and lack of parking.

If you are driving in Central Florence, Google Image "Firenze ZTL signs".

Since you have indicated that your decision to rent a car is not negotiable, I will not make any statements about that. You should consider the following subjects:

1. Have you made a specific parking plan for Positano? It may be expensive or difficult to make arrangements at the last minute. Is your hotel/apartment near a road or near a parking facility?
2. Is there any need to make luggage transfer arrangements? Many residences in Positano are up dozens or hundreds of steps from a road.
3. Are you certain you want to spend a night in the dull modern town of Pompeii to facilitate your visit to Pompeii Scavi? It is true that it is a pain to visit Pompeii by day from Positano, but the extra hotel change is a pain, as well.
4. There are "fast" trains between Naples and Rome, and "slow" trains. The slow trains are at least double the time of the fast trains.
5. Advance-purchase discounts on these trains are not changeable or refundable (Pre-Covid, anyway ... ). If you miss your train, you'll have to buy a walk-up fare. If you're early, you'll have to sit on your luggage until the scheduled departure. You cannot ask for an empty seat on the earlier train.
6. I'm reading between the lines, but why are you so nervous about the Naples rail station? There's a lot of obsolete fear around, but it's all based on the old station that was demolished ten or so years ago. The modern station is air-conditioned, clean, modern, and easy to navigate. It's certainly easier to use than Penn Station in NYC or Penn Station in Philadelphia. What's hard is a)Driving into and inside Naples b)Getting rid of the car c)Getting your luggage to the station.
7. Are you staying in Rome for a few days? I only ask because some travelers don't understand how risky it is to fly home from Rome the same day they leave the Amalfi Coast.
8. I'm sure it easier with a car, but what time does your Bucharest flight get in? Is the car rental still open? Can you check into your residence as late as you might arrive? We spent a night in Naples (which we enjoyed) specifically because our no-frills flight from Stanstead/London arrived after dinner. (Plan for air delays, as well.)
9. Have you driven in mainland Europe before? Have you driven in Italy before?
10. The price comparison is both old and for a much shorter trip, but our hotel in Sorrento arranged a Naples Rail Station transfer in a new Mercedes for 90 Euros, charged to our room bill. Your sudden willingness to spend money for convenience suggests that you are not actually committed to the car after all?

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/how-do-i-get-from-pompeii-to-positano-is-there-a-direct-route
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-day-trip
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/pompeii-salerno-capri-recommendations
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/surviving-naples
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/one-week-on-the-amalfi-coast

Since you mentioned being willing to pay to simplify things here is my suggestion, this will actually save you money, probably time, will definitely lower the stress level and the peace of mind from NOT driving in the area is priceless:

Fly Bucharest to Naples- what time do you arrive?
If early enough book a private transfer that will pick you up at airport, take you to Pompeii for visit then on to Positano.
If too late in day stay 1 night in Naples then next am driver to Pompeii/Positano.
Perhaps you’ll have time on arrival day to visit Archeological Museum which will make your visit to Pompeii even better.

We used this company for our transfers in 2019 and were very pleased- looks like a pick up with stop in Pompeii will be about 219€.
They offer all kinds of combinations and will personalize your transfer

https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com/?portal_referer_id=46
https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com/en/i/S6SEV

Take the ferry from Positano to Salerno- ferry is 14€ plus a euro or 2 per bag. The ride is lovely, fantastic views of that part of coast. Ferry dock is just steps to the train station. Super easy.
https://www.positano.com/en/t/positano/salerno
Direct train from Salerno to Rome. Salerno station is small, easy to navigate.

Leaving Rome- train to Orvieto or Chiusi and pick up car there. Hertz is the only agency at Orvieto station, I am pretty sure Chiusi has more options. Chiusi is a short drive to Montepulciano and a direct train from Rome.
Drive to Montepulciano- do you have parking arranged there?
Do not drive in Florence.

Having your “own transportation” is great in areas like Tuscany. Having a car in Naples/Amalfi area is just an expensive headache and would not be enjoyable at all- as Dario says it will be parked for 2 days. Not to mention the risk of parking car at Pompeii with your luggage in it!
Let someone else do the driving so you can enjoy the views- it’s a white knuckle ride whether you are a passenger or a driver but as driver- you see nothing.
Our driver from Sorrento to Amalfi stopped a few times at our request for views/photos. Picked us up at our hotel, dropped us at next hotel.

You can do the math but your cost with above suggestion is probably about half of your base cost for car rental.

In light of your 'givens', I would find it easier to drive to Rome than to deal with the hassle of getting to the Naples train station and then taking the train.

Time wise I suspect the total door to door time will have a meaningless difference

As for visiting Pompeii, I would stay in Sorrento and take the train to Pompeii and leave you car and luggage secure at the hotel. I found it nice after a long day walking around Pompeii to not have to deal with the driving.

If you staying in the Sorrento peninsula (the Amalfi Coast is the southern shore of that peninsula), a better option is to return your car at either Sorrento or Salerno. All rental companies have offices in both towns.

Either one would be a better choice over trying to navigate the chaotic traffic of Naples.

Which one of the two you should choose depends on where you are. If you are in Sorrento or also Positano, then backtracking to Salerno may not make much sense, amd returning the car in Sorrento is probably better. But if you are in Amalfi, then Salerno is probably a viable option since you are half way between the two.

Again, thank everybody for your very thoughtful advice! I guess I've left out a few details about our itinerary. First, I wouldn't say it's a must that we rent a car, but as I mentioned, we really enjoyed the freedom of having our own transportation while driving around Greece.

I'm really just trying to minimize choke points where we're sitting around waiting for busses, trains, and even rental car counters. We'll be arriving in Italy after a weeklong road trip from Budapest to Bucharest, so really wanting to simplify.

When we arrive in Naples at about 5 pm, we'll drive straight to Pompeii and will stay the night in a hotel across the street, visit the site the next day (keeping our car/luggage in a secure hotel lot), and then push on to Positano.

I've read a lot about the troubles driving the Amalfi Coast, but weighed that against trudging up and down stairs in Positano with luggage if we take one of the busses. Our accommodations in Positano has free parking (major reason I picked it).

A few of you have suggested taking a train from Rome to Orvieto, and renting a car there to finish our trip in Florence (where we intend to drop immediately at the airport on our way in to avoid driving in Florence). Is there a reason not to just get the car in Rome? We'd like to stop at Civita di Bagnoregio on our way to Montepulciano, where we'll stop for one night.

Thanks as always!

are you sure that the accommodation in Positano has their parking at the same location and not spaces nearby or nearly nearby?

k.mil, you are picking the most expensive options

... hotel with guaranteed parking in Positano... hotel with a guarded parking lot in Pompeii... leaving the car parked for two days while in Positano... paying a cab from Florence airport to the city center... tolls and gas costs instead of trains... risk of driving into ZTLs...

but, if you can afford it: why not?

Once you have verified all the details like the one posted above by Nigel, all in all your plan works.

I'd throw the rental car down the cliff after 10 minutes wasted queueing on the Amalfi Coast Road, but we are all different. No disasters in sight, you are just paying a little more for the freedom of having a car at your disposal.

One issue that's perhaps (?) due to Covid is the high-speed trains seem to not be running very often, so you're picking from 1-2 times a day. When I looked, only 8AM departures were available, and we really like being able to leave after lunch if we feel like it. Course we have a child, much less of an issue if for only adults.

I love trains, but definitely need more flexible times. And they aren't cheap, at 1-week out, yikes.

One issue that's perhaps (?) due to Covid is the high-speed trains
seem to not be running very often, so you're picking from 1-2 times a
day

Newman, what site were you using, and for which departure/arrival cities? Just as a test, I did a Napoli Centrale> Roma Termini @ 6:00 AM on June 22, and the Trenitalia website is showing high-speed Frecciarossa trains at 6:09, 6:40, 6:55, 7:09, 7:45, 8:09, 8:40, 8:55, 9:40, 10:40, 11:09, 11:40.... 3 trains almost every hour until 19:40 PM, and they're all non-stop.

and then there are those run by italotreno!

One train a day? Conductors would be delighted, but I doubt they have enough space to keep all those trains parked somewhere on daytime.

Yup, The Hotel California has a garage just under the hotel.

I also planned for us to get to Positano from Pompeii via Ravello, so we can walk around some of the gardens there, and at least see Amalfi/Atrani, and other towns up the coast. I fully expect terrible traffic, and we're not the most patient people, but maybe going at a snail's pace will allow us to soak up the views!

I was thinking last night about the train frequency going out or Salerno--I'll have to look into that. I know trains leave Naples for Rome at regular intervals all day.

Trenitalia runs 14 high speed trains a day between Salerno and Rome. No idea about Italotreno.

On June 22 (random date), Italo has 8 runs between Salerno and Roma Termini. All their trains are considered high-speed.

Great to hear - our destinations must be less visited. Trains are by far the most enjoyable (IMHO) option if the schedule fits.

I'm quite curious to learn wich destination is served by only one train a day departing at 8 AM.

Maratea - they have two express daily going from Rome-Maratea that are 2:40, 9am or 6:20pm. The next quickest options are at least an hour longer and require a train change. Those times are great - the issue is the return. It’s 8am or 5:40pm, other options are about 4 hours. If you want to spend the whole morning at the beach and head back after lunch, not ideal.

If you don’t hit the express, total trip time ends up being at least 5-6 hours, driving is about 4 hours. And express tickets are round trip 450 for a family of 3. The south is fun to drive around, lots of great countryside to see.

And the real truth is keeping to any sort of schedule with an Italian wife and kid is borderline impossible, plus we tend to be luggage heavy, bring our own towels, 18 pairs of shoes for the lady, etc.

Newman, Maratea is more than a day trip from Rome in my book. On Trenitialia (June 22nd) I see a 8:58 AM Frecciargento from Roma Termini in 2 hours, 43 minutes, no changes. But you wouldn't even get there until 11:41...which is not a "morning at the beach". Anything before that takes over 4 hours and requires a train change.

Coming back there is a 17:39 back to Roma Termini that takes 2 hours, 46 minutes, no changes. If not arriving in Maratea until nearly noon, approx. 5.5 hours is a reasonable amount of time to spend at the beach before heading back.

But while neither direction takes 4+ hours if using the least time-consuming departures, it is still more time I'd personally spend on a train for a day trip. Nor would I expect to have many rail options to work with that would get me there and back in this short a time. Maratea is nearly 100 miles south of Naples, and is not exactly an in-demand side trip for travelers to Rome!

Well, having "driven" the routes in Google Earth, it almost looks easier to drive into Naples Central Station from the freeway (coming from Positano) than getting into the rental car return at Roma Termini. So, getting back to my original query about navigating the station in Naples, is it safe to get tickets the day of at the station? We'd like a little flexibility in our departure time, so it would be nice to show up and get a ticket when we're ready, but do they sell out? I know there are many trains on this route, but that means its a very popular route.

Thanks!

It's 10 AM now in Italy. Make a search on trenitalia.com and Italotreno.it/en using today (June 17) as day of travel and 11:00 as time of departure.

Are there any sold out trains?

You'll see only full fare tickets on sale, but discounted tickets are not sold on the day of travel.

As a side note, if you'll have access to the internet via smartphone in Italy, you can get the train tickets before entering the train station.

Let us know how your ride in Naples went.