Transportation from Sorrento to Naples to Pompeii

The Circumvesuviana is the metro train and will get you from Sorrento to Napoli Centrale. On the same level as that train, is the subway which will get you within a couple of blocks of the museum. After the museum, you can retrace the route and take the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii and then back to Sorrento.

The trip from Sorrento will take about an hour and 10 minutes to Naples. We spent about 2 hours at the museum and didn't even get through the top floor. 4 of our 11 days in Sorrento in April were dedicated to Pompeii, Oplontis, Herculaneum and Naples. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. If you're interested in more details here's a link to my Trip Report. There's a few of us that have written one about the region in the past few months. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-2-weeks-of-day-trips-from-sorrento

We were just in the area this past May.
I was amazed at the congestion in Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast. There is no efficient , quick way to get anywhere. Infrastructure is poor, the roads small, traffic all day, diesel smells, horns and scooters everywhere. It's like taking the craziness of Rome traffic and squishing it into a much smaller area.
The regional train system can barely be called a "system." The Circumvesuivianna is not a bus, but a regional train that is pretty gritty - no air conditioning, crowded, sometimes SRO, and the schedule is more of a suggestion. It took us an hour to get from Pompeii back to Sorrento, standing shoulder to shoulder, and very hot- mid-afternoon in May. However, that train is your only option unless you use a private driver, and it's cheap.
Your idea to do both the Naples museum and Pompeii is pretty ambitious for the same day.
When we were there, it took two hours by private driver to get from Naples to Sorrento. The train is supposed to take about 90 minutes, but it can run late and be delayed en route. Also, be careful of pickpockets at the Naples train station and on the regional train.
Are you coming from Rome, perhaps? Maybe you could do one site coming from Rome, and the other site returning to Rome?
Both sites are quite worth the visit, but the lack of transportation infrastructure in the area make moving around quite the challenge, which requires patience and practical expectations.
Sorry I don't have any info about moving around in Naples, but I'm sure it's in the RS guide.
Have a great trip, just realize that southern Italy doesn't work as well as northern Italy. I think it was RS or Cameron , one of his guide contributors, who said " embrace the chaos"!

I think the infrastructure is pretty amazing--buses on roads that donkeys probably originated, ferries, trains. It is just that the area is experiencing a surge in popularity. When is your trip? If it is this summer, then I wish you luck (and weather mercies).
It would be a good idea to consult a guide book so you have a handle of all of your options and their locations. If the Circumvesuviana is miserable on your way to Naples, you might want to hop on the bus from Naples Centrale to Pompeii--it has fewer stops. There is more than one operator, so try searching RometoRio, but then verify the schedules on bus company websites (important).
Instead of Circumvesuviana, there is also the Campania Express. This site is reliable: https://www.sorrentoinsider.com/en/campania-express-train-schedule

I would not put the same amount of negative spin as Pat does. More with Allen. Personally we spent nearly a full day in Pompeii and almost an equal time in the museum. I would plan on Pompeii for one day and a second day for the museum and Naples itself. We did hire a walk up guide at the entrance to Pompeii for three hours to give us a good overview and then explored on our own. But be prepared -- Pompeii has no shade. We didn't find Naples any worse than any other high tourist city in Italy. We didn't have any problems with pickpockets but we never do since we take reasonable precautions. You have to have pizza in Naples.

I understand my feedback is somewhat negative, perhaps I was influenced by the unseasonable rains we experienced in May, which brought us grey skies and grey oceans- no beautiful coastal jewel tones, no azure skies. Ferries were canceled because of the weather.
And, my husband picked up COVID on the Circumvesuviana train ( I masked) which I then came down with five days after he first got sick, and in spite of all the vaccinations , I was really sick for three weeks after I returned home. So my memories are somewhat biased, I confess, but objectively, the Sorrento-Naples- Amalfi Coast area congestion is real, it is crowded, and there are no quick and efficient transportation modes in the area.
This was a trip that had been canceled several times, and perhaps my expectations were too high?
I do appreciate Allan's Trip Report and input, it is well - written and informative.
Safe travels!

Pat's report is accurate and fair. Your experience partly depends on the month of year. ?? Very crowded May to September, just crowded the rest of the year. During those months I would do Pompeii first thing for less sun and heat. Don't skip the famous Farnese Marbles at the Arch. Museum.

Sorrento books up six to 9 months in advance.

Edit:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-for-7-nights-itinerary-help

Pat and I definitely have different opinions on the Circumvesuviana train, however our trips were a few weeks apart and her experiences shouldn't be discounted as it appears that train is not as comfortable as the tourist season gets busier and the weather gets warmer. While my opinion is that the Circumvesuviana is underrated and the Campania Express is overrated, I do take her opinions into consideration when I reply and temper my opinions that there is nothing wrong with the train.

And my trip was a few weeks earlier than Allan's and less congested than his. Mine was the last week of March, first days of April, purposely chosen to avoid the giant tourist rush.

I sat on the Circumvesuviana, no crowds on the train (but it took a lot longer than was scheduled), no distracting crowds in Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples. Our private driver between Naples and Sorrento took an hour. And we had great weather. Go figure.

We spent part of our time exploring based in Sorrento and then moved over to Naples for a few nights.

This was pre-COVID. We took the ferry from Sorrento to Naples. We ended up staying in Naples (Spent 2 days at the Archeological Museum because all the good stuff from Pompeii and Herculaneum is there). Looking at the map, it looks like you can this is doable: ferry from Sorrento to Naples then Circumvesuviana Naples to Pompeii then back to Sorrento. Do some research.

Allan, since your tickets were not checked you did not take the Campania Express.

Pat's experience is worth something only if you visit the Amalfi Coast during the most crowded summer in the last 10 years and the bad weather blocks the ferries for days.

Hi Chris. My husband and I were in Sorrento this past May (mid-month) and we visited Pompei and the archeological museum on the same day. We took the Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Pompei and started our 2.5 hour tour with a private guide at 9:00. We spent a little while longer there (our limit in any one spot is usually around 3 hours) and then took the Circumvesuviana to Naples. After a quick subway ride, we had time for lunch at a pizzeria and then met our private guide for a 2.5 hour tour (that was enough time for us) at the museum at 4:00.

We were fine with the train rides, but both of us have commuted on NYC subways so we maybe more experienced with that type of transportation. We ended up taking five separate rides on the train and only had to stand for the beginning of one of the rides and did not find it particularly hot, but the temps were not really high while we were there. I think having guides at each of the places helped us navigate them more efficiently than if we had done them on our own. A visit to both is definitely doable, but not for people who prefer to linger for longer periods of time.

Hi Chris,
While you will receive some great advice on this forum, I strongly suggest you consider purchasing a good guidebook. There are many from which to choose; however, the Rick Steves guides are very useful for the DIY traveler. It's an excellent resource for using public transportation in Italy and elsewhere. And no, I do not work here, just another traveler who appreciates good information . Happy planning and have a wonderful trip.

Dario, we were there mid- May, not even summer!
Ps
Dario, I appreciate all your useful contributions to the Forum and always look forward to your answers. Thanks so much!

I agree that there is similarity to the NY subway or even the Chicago subway with the Circum.... My concern is when someone takes an extremely negative experience and try to present it as being normal and everyone should expect the same. In nearly 40 years of travel we have never seen a pickpocket in action but does that mean that there are no pickpockets --- of course not!!! Just our experience. We can only report our experiences. We cannot forecast what your experience will be or should be.

Hello to all who have answered my question. I appreciate the time and effort you took to respond and, how quickly your responses arrived in my inbox. Please also know that I have used Rick Steves' guidebooks for my previous trip to Italy; also to Paris and the Loire Valley; and a bike and boat cruise on the Danube. I have also done my research, which is ongoing, and I expect it to continue until our departure in October. I have just booked our hotel in Sorrento and a Mondo Guide tour to the Amalfi coast, both recommended by Rick.
Thanks again. And "happy travelling"!
Chris

"The Circumvesuivianna is not a bus, but a regional train that is pretty gritty - no air conditioning, crowded, sometimes SRO, and the schedule is more of a suggestion"

The Circumvesuviana is set to improve though. New trains have been ordered, and those have AC. They first ones should start running next year.