What is the best train option (price and speed) from Pompeii to Florence in one day? Should it be a subway from Pompeii to Naples, then train to Florence? Should the tickets be purchased in advance? Thanks for your help.
Posted by
Newark, DE, USA
74 posts
Jay, you need to take the Circumvesuviana (narrow gage commuter train) from Pompeii to Naples.
Once in Naples, there's plenty of options to get to Florence from the slow, inexpensive regionals all the way up to the high speed, relatively higher priced AVs.
And as pretty much everyone on this site will recommend -- buy tickets at the station.
happy travels!
Posted by
OP
Portland, Or, USA
2 posts
Thanks Marco. Is anyone aware of printed timetables available for the various train options (fast v. slow) that can be had? I went to the Trenitalia website and was only able to see a limited amount of information at a time. Thanks
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Jay, a couple of things. First, if you are looking on Trentitalia farther out than mid-June, the schedules will often be sketchy. Trenitalia updates in mid-June. Pull your dates into late May and you'll see all of the runs. They won't change much, if at all, in the mid-June update. Second, you can take the private Circumvesuviana from the Pompei-Scavi stop to the Naples-Garabaldi train station. Go upstairs in the train station to catch the Trenitalia train to Florence. Third, there is actually a second train station in Pompei that is operated by Trenitalia. It's just not near the ruins. You need to take a taxi for a short ride and then, you take take a Trenitalia train from Pompei to Florence. You will change trains in Naples and possibly Rome. The Circumvesuviana run to Naples should work the best. The train runs every half hour or so.
Posted by
Clarkston, USA
192 posts
If you end up at the train station in Naples, BE AWARE every single moment. They have so many pick-pockets that they even broadcast warnings over the PA system, in several languages, about every 5-10 minutes, no kidding. It's filthy, too. Try hard not to need a potty stop there. There were 6 of us there one day and we stood in a circle, facing outward, and kept a lookout the whole time we had to wait for our train. Sounds silly, but it worked.
The TRAINS are fantastic, tho. Fast, efficient, big windows to look out of, and fun to visit with other passengers.