Visiting Naples from Rome by train?

[TobikkoRoll]

Planning a holiday of a life time over the summer holiday. We're 2 adults and 2 young teens. We're staying in Rome for a week and would really like to visit Pompeii during that time - is the best way to go by train? Anyone else done that, is it easy?

A tourist guide website recommends booking intercity rail tickets online, but I don't know if that's really necessary or a cheaper option: also not sure which day would be best (depending on weather and other sightseeing etc.) I don't want to spend €150 on train tickets and then for anything unforseen to happen!

More Rome questions: I also read that I can pre-book tickets to the Colosseum, the Vatican museum and St Peter's Cupola but there seems to be many websites offering "skip the queue" tickets - can anyone recommend one, amongst the many? Thank you.

Bump, anyone?

Wish I could help with your questions but will watch this thread with interest. We are going to Rome next month but on a guided tour, so all this stuff is sorted out for us. We are not going to Pompeii, however, so I am planning a DIY return trip.

Have you looked at the excellent Seat 61 website? I love reading this just to imagine the train journeys I would take in Europe if I could :)

Rome to Naples is easy enough, then change trains in Naples for Pompeii. It would be a lot of travelling in one day though, you'd need an early start. We spent about 7 hours in Pompeii and still missed bits!

Do book in advance, either online or in the station at Rome when you get there. Italian train system is a bit different to uk and they won't let you on certain trains unless you have a seat reservation. I found this out to my cost when I pitched up and tried to buy a ticket for the next train and had to then book a seat on a train in 3 hours' time which was the first with available seats.

Naples is hectic and bustling. Watch out for pickpockets!

Where did you stay when you went to Pompeii, BananaPie?

Thanks all. I'll take a look at that website and book tickets in advance, even if it's only once we get to Rome. Cheers.

Did something similar a couple of years ago with DC then aged 13 & 15.
We flew to Rome, followed the signs and got a bus from outside the airport to the railway station and bought tickets for Naples - very straightforward - ticket machines all have instructions in choice of languages including English. The got the transvesuviana (sp) train to Pompeii (again very easy, sign posted - idiot-proof )
I had booked a night in hotel just outside the gates (can't remember the name but was via booking.com - all very easy)

circumvesuviana

We stayed in Naples for a few nights when we went to Pompeii. It's worth visiting the archaeological museum where a lot of the finds from Pompeii are on display.

We did Rome and Naples recently and had a great time.

We stayed 4 days in Naples and loved it. Everyone kept going on about pickpockets etc but we had no problems and never felt unsafe. We stayed at the Una hotel near the station, we had adjoining rooms. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Pompeii is great, we didn't bother with a guide. Train on way there was very crowded.

We pre-booked tickets to the colluseum and included an underground tour - definitely worth it, we got to go to bits that you couldn't get to without a guide. official web site

We also did a tour for the vatican museum, but I wouldn't bother next time.

Thanks very much frenchfancy for the website link and everyone else for their input.

Unfortunately we've already booked the accommodation for the week in Rome, so won't be able to stay in Naples at all (shame really, next time!)

Check out the italiarail website for tickets to Naples. We booked a family ticket (where children go free) from Rome to Naples... We are doing 3 days in Rome then staying in Pompeii for 5 days in the summer. The single ticket was £42 for all four of us.

We did Naples- Rome and booked via italiarail a couple of weeks before and it was all fine.

Just watch out for people coming up to you to help carry your bags in Naples- they want paying for it and won't leave you alone. I saw quite a few people caught out with it.

Have a great time- we did a similar trip for our honeymoon a couple of years ago and it was a amazing.