I wish to travel from Rome to Pompeii and Herculaneum and see both sites in one day, returning to Rome the same day. Do I need to take a tour, (yikes that's expensive), or can I take the train or a bus and hopefully walk to both sites? How difficult would this be? I am a first time traveler in Italy.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23282 posts
It is easy to do Pompeii from Rome because the train Naples stops in front of Pompeii and all you do is walk across the tracks. Haven't been to Merculaneum but think it is a but more complicated and would require a bus from Sorrento which is the next stop after Pompeii. It will be a very long day.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
cindy, Doing that as a day trip from Rome is possible, but it's going to be a LONG (and probably tiring) day! You'll first need to take a high speed Freccia train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale (you could also use the new Italo service from Roma Tiburtina to Napoli Centrale). When you arrive at Napoli Centrale, walk downstairs and buy a ticket for the Circumvesuviana train (tickets are cheap). Note that they have several lines, and you'll want the one to Sorrento. DON'T forget to validate your ticket! Also, watch your belongings while riding the Circumvesuviana, as it has a bit of a "reputation". You'll disembark at Pompeii Scavi station. When you reach the ticket booth for Pompeii, you may be approached by local Guides, and the prices may not be that expensive. Having a Guide would provide a more interesting tour, especially as you'd be able to ask questions to clarify any points. You can also reach Ercolano via Circumvesuviana. Stopping there on the way back to Naples would probably be the best idea. You'll disembark at Ercolano Scavi station. This website provides a more complete description: http://wikitravel.org/en/Herculaneum Happy travels!