Day Trip from Rome to Pompeii
A day trip from Rome to Pompeii is a great day out. Just take the high speed train from Rome to Naples and then a commuter train to Pompeii. You will have enough time to visit the legendary ruins and be absorbed in this amazing place!
A day trip from Rome to Pompeii is completely possible in just a day, and is such an amazing day trip. Be warned – it can be a long day, but the journey itself is manageable and fun, and is so worthwhile!
There are several ways in which you can visit Pompeii from Rome. But by far the easiest way is to take the high speed train from Rome to Naples, which I will detail in this post.
The train is a comfortable fast way of traveling, and it gives you longer to spend in Pompeii than other options for getting to Pompeii from a base in Rome.
See my complete guide to visiting Pompeii right here
What & Where is Pompeii?
Pompeii is an ancient Roman port city in Italy that was completely buried in volcanic ash from the eruption of the nearby Mount Vesuvius many many centuries ago during the time of the Roman Empire (actually in AD 79).
The volcanic eruption was absolutely devastating, and completely destroyed the thriving busy city of Pompeii, and the nearby city of Herculaneum. Those who were not killed immediately by the eruption of hot volcanic ash were suffocated by the toxic gases.
Pompeii is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world and is a UNESCO-listed archaeological dig and one of the longest continuing archaeological digs in the world today.
The mystique of a city buried in ash for centuries, which was only first discovered and excavated in the 19th century continues to interest and awe people.
One of the most unique things about Pompeii is that many of those who were killed are now preserved in ash. The volcanic ash essentially encased the bodies, which as they decomposed over the centuries left crevices in the shape of the person. An archaeologist in the 1800s realized that if he poured plaster into the crevices in the ash left by the bodies and bones he could re-create those exact bodies.
The only good thing about that volcanic eruption is that the layers of ash completely preserved the city and its artifacts, so it is now possible today to actually walk the streets of an ancient Roman city, just as its inhabitants did back during the height of the Roman Empire.
Pompeii is about 150 miles south of Rome, and is located just outside the city of Naples in Italy. It is within easy train distance of both Naples and also Sorrento which is further south along the coast.
How to Visit Pompeii from Rome
There are many options for visiting Pompeii from Rome in a day. You can rent a car, take a bus tour, or a train. Renting a car is easy, but to be honest you need to have nerves of steel to deal with Italian drivers! A coach tour is a great option, as somebody is driving you from point A to point B.
But one of the easiest and affordable ways to visit Pompeii from Rome is actually to take the high speed train from Rome to Naples, then to take a smaller commuter train to Pompeii itself. The high speed train from Rome to Naples takes around 2 hours, whereas a car and bus journey can take about 4 hours.
In my opinion the easiest and best way to visit Pompeii from Rome is by train.
Train Service from Rome to Naples
There is a wonderful high-speed train service between Rome and Naples, which will get you close to Pompeii. The Frecciarossa and Frecciabianca high speed trains are by far the best option for a fast trip between Rome and Naples. Trains run from Rome’s central station – Roma Termini. The high speed Frecciarossa trains have a cafe car and very comfortable seating, as well as being fast! You can book the train here. Reservations are usually required in advance.
There are 4 different classes of seating on Frecciarossa trains. Standard – 2nd class, Premium – Premium 2nd class, Business – 1st class, and Executive – Premium 1st class. Standard class was comfortable enough, and we secured a table with 4 chairs – 2 either side. There is free Wifi and power sockets at all the seats. Premium has leather rather than cloth seats and a complimentary welcome drink of your choice. Business has significantly more room. Executive has only about 8 reclining leather seats and a dedicated steward.
The train journey was actually really great. The entire journey time was around two hours, and the train was clean, comfortable and smooth running. We took the early morning train which was not packed at all. You arrive into Naples Centrale station on this train, which puts you right where you need to be for the local train service to Pompeii.
One of the highlights of the train journey for me was going to the buffet car, which had so many different coffees to choose from! Completely different from the sparse buffet cars in most countries! I got a machiato and then had so much fun navigating back to my seat with an open hot coffee cup! But that coffee was delicious!
Train Service from Naples to Pompeii
To get from Naples to Pompeii itself you will need to take the local inter-city train, called the Circumvesuviana. This is actually very easy from Naples Centrale station where you will arrive into on the high speed train from Rome.
The Circumvesuviana train actually runs from Naples Garibaldi station, but this station is part of the Naples Centrale train station. When you arrive at Naples Centrale, you just go down some stairs to the lower platforms which is in fact now the Naples Garibaldi station. The main Naples Centrale station is on the ground level, with the Garibaldi station on the lower levels. The video below shows you exactly how to get from Naples Centrale to the Circumvesuviana trains:
It is not possible to book tickets in advance for the Circumvesuviana train (they are not part of the national Italian train network), so you need to purchase them on the day of travel itself. There is a ticket counter where you can buy these, and you have to pay cash only, they do not take cards (or did not at the time of writing this).
The Circumvesuviana trains themselves run about twice an hour between Naples Garibaldi station and Pompeii. You will need to take the train that is heading towards Sorrento. The trains get very crowded, as they are used by both locals and tourists. You can usually expect to stand on these trains, as seats are usually all taken. You do also have to be careful of pickpockets on these trains – the crowded conditions make them a prime target for pickpockets. (see my guide to the best anti-theft bags here).
The total train journey from Naples to Pompeii is about 40 minutes or so. After the luxury of the high speed train from Rome to Naples, the Circumvesuviana train will feel very basic! The seats are not very luxurious, and as mentioned above you usually have to stand.
On the day we travelled to Pompeii from Naples the train was full of people heading to the beaches along the Amalfi coast, as the final destination of the Circumvesuviana is Sorrento. Groups of mainly women sat clutching bags with towels and food and drink, ready for their day at the beach.
The stop you need for Pompeii is the Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station, which is just a short walk away from the ruins. Along the road to the entrance to the ruins you will find many vendors set up selling souvenirs as well as bottled water and other food and drink. You will also be approached by many touts.
On the day we visited we were joined by a stray dog, who accompanied us along the walk right up to the entrance to Pompeii itself, then went off on his own somewhere! That is one of my most overwhelming memories of visiting Pompeii – all the stray dogs that were roaming around, seemingly oblivious to all the people around!
Visiting Pompeii
The entire site at Pompeii is absolutely vast. You will need at least several hours to see the majority of the ruins. Please note also, the site is constantly being excavated, so new parts and finds will be opened as excavations continue. Just remember you are actually touring a complete town – not just one little site.
There are three entrance gates into the ruins themselves. One gate is right by the Circumvesuviana train station (Porta Marina), the other two are close together at the south western corner of the site.
You can buy tickets just inside the entrance gate. You can also book tickets ahead of time here.
On the way back if you have some extra time you can also stop by the Archaeological Museum in Naples. This museum is full of many of the artifacts that have been excavated and taken from the site at Pompeii, including a room full of all the ‘naughty’ sexual themed items.
My Best Tips for a Day Trip from Rome to Pompeii
Water, water, water! Make sure you have a lot of water with you for a day trip to Pompeii. But you can take a refillable water bottle and refill it often on-site, as there are many water fountains dotted throughout the site and ruins.
Sun Block is also essential. There isn’t a lot of shade at all, except within buildings, and many of those buildings don’t have roofs anymore!
Comfortable Shoes. These are essential, as there is so much walking required around the ruins, with much of the ground being quite uneven. (See my guide to the best stylish comfortable walking shoes here).
Wear a Hat. The sun beats down directly onto your head, and wearing a hat will be sure to protect you and keep you cooler too.
Go Early. If you go to Pompeii early in the day not only will you have longer there to visit the ruins, you will avoid the worst travel crowds and crowds trying to get into the site.
Travel Light. You will be walking around a lot in the heat, so any belongings you need should be in lightweight smaller bags if possible. Don’t take luggage into the site. You can store luggage there, but availability is limited, and you can’t see the ruins properly dragging along a large bag or suitcase.
Hire a Tour Guide. This is not essential, but I feel makes the trip more interesting with an approved tour guide that is available for hire inside the entrance gates. Tour guides not only know all the history of each site, they also know the tricks to skipping long lines etc.
It is completely possible to do a day trip from Rome to Pompeii. Just take the high speed train from Rome to Naples and then a commuter train to Pompeii. You will have enough time to visit the legendary ruins and be absorbed in this amazing place!
