Rome to Pompeii in a day?

JKerova1

Going to Rome for three nights in the summer and thinking of trying to fit in a trip to Pompeii. Has anyone here done it and would you recommend? Would booking with a tour company be a better option than doing it myself?

guestus

If you only go for 3 nights I would not go to Pompeii. There's plenty to do and see in Rome, 3 nights barely enough to see everything it has to offer, it is an amazing place. Maybe at the end of your trip to Rome go to Pompeii and then fly back from Naples

whippet

It can be done .. I drove from Rome for a day trip but was in Rome for five days so taking a day out wasn't a problem.

Sono

We got the high speed train from Rome termini to Pompeii and loved it, easily do it in a day, if you really want to see it I would say go.

huskerdu

I also did this and it is well worth the trip, Pompeii is amazing.

But, we made the mistake of getting the normal train, not the high speed train and it was busy weekend.
It was a very very long day.

There were no direct trains, we had to change at Naples. Naples is a big, busy train station and the train from Naples to Pompeii was like the DART at rush hour, only busier. The locals ( of all ages) take no prisoners on trains, you will be elbowed out the way if there is only one seat left.

At the end of all that, the queue to get into Pompeii took 45 minutes.

My advice - try to go on a quiet day, go on the high speed train and book a seat on the train.

thebiglad

It is definitely worth it.

I have also done the Rome to Pompeii in a day - early high speed train to Naples and late one back - very easy.

Ensure you know the timetables of the local train (Circumvesuviana train direction Sorrento) in Naples so you don't miss last train to Rome.

Visit Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi stop) as well as Pompeii site - it is much smaller and a great introduction. Walking tour of Pompeii site is useful, you can pretty much book it off the train.

Finally - watch your possessions in Naples - around Naples station there are so many phones/ipads for sale - there is a serious pickpocket problem.

Phil D

There are so many amazing things to do in Rome that I'd stay there. I can only imagine how amazing Pompeii is but I only had 2 nights in Rome and it wasn't enough. Also, Pompeii is a good excuse to keep an eye out for cheap Ryanair flights.

Alvar

There are plenty of ruins in Rome. Do a bit of research and save your time on a train. You can be stuck on the DART here.

killbillvol2

You wouldn't see everything in Rome in 3 weeks, never mind 3 days. Trekking down to Pompeii for a day makes no sense.

thebiglad

killbillvol2 wrote: »

You wouldn't see everything in Rome in 3 weeks, never mind 3 days. Trekking down to Pompeii for a day makes no sense.

True Rome is amazing but if you have been to Pompeii/Herculaneum you would not be discouraging anyone from going - there is no place like it.

Rome is outdoors and at the time of year OP will visit there is a lot of daylight, with long days you can squeeze a lot in.

Zaph

Stay in Rome if you're only going for three days. It's an amazing city with so much to see and do. Pompeii is interesting enough, but tbh I didn't think it was all that special and I certainly wouldn't be trekking all the way from Rome for it.

JKerova1

Thank you for the replies. Decided we will go to Pompeii as person I am travelling with has already seen Rome but never seen Pompeii, so have to compromise. I see a lot of the tour operators do day trips which include a trip to mount vesuvius, is it possible to see this yourself if you just take the train or would you need to be part of a tour or have your own vehicle? Also we will probably go on a Sunday and this is probably a silly question but will there be restricted service say on trains or opening hours at any of the museums on a Sunday?

thebiglad

JKerova1 wrote: »

Thank you for the replies. Decided we will go to Pompeii as person I am travelling with has already seen Rome but never seen Pompeii, so have to compromise. I see a lot of the tour operators do day trips which include a trip to mount vesuvius, is it possible to see this yourself if you just take the train or would you need to be part of a tour or have your own vehicle? Also we will probably go on a Sunday and this is probably a silly question but will there be restricted service say on trains or opening hours at any of the museums on a Sunday?

I used this website -

https://www.rometoolkit.com/naples_visit/sorrento_trains.html - the trains have websites which are easy to follow.

When I visited Pompeii and Herculaneum I was flat out all day and didn't see enough - considered Vesuvius but I think it is organised tours and took too long. My personal opinion was not possible to do both in the day (to a decent level) - the Pompeii ruins are huge.

RobertKK

I plan on booking a day tour to Pompeii and Vesuvius for April.
Going to Rome for Easter, 6 nights/7 days, see the Pope and everything else, it will probably be packed...

TheDriver

I did the fast train bit, its still a long day and the local train from Naples to Pompeii is dreadful. Its a nice trip but I got bored after a while.
Naples is a complete dump BTW, don't think about stopping and wandering around......

nhunter100

JKerova1 wrote:

Thank you for the replies. Decided we will go to Pompeii as person I am travelling with has already seen Rome but never seen Pompeii, so have to compromise. I see a lot of the tour operators do day trips which include a trip to mount vesuvius, is it possible to see this yourself if you just take the train or would you need to be part of a tour or have your own vehicle? Also we will probably go on a Sunday and this is probably a silly question but will there be restricted service say on trains or opening hours at any of the museums on a Sunday?

Hire a car, you are then not restricted to a train timetable. There is plenty of on street parking in Pompeii just outside the ruins. Remember to feed the meter. Avoid the con artists trying to get you to park in their off street parking. Complete rip off. Pompeii is essentially an outdoor Museum. A day to see and experience it all may not be enough. There is plenty of tour guides offering the tour. We just wondered around with our guide book at our own pace. Enjoy.

Antar Bolaeisk

If you decide against Pompeii then I'd highly recommend Ostia Antica which isn't too far outside Rome and would take about half a day to visit and return.

johnire

Have to disagree with your opinion of Naples.
Sure it is rough around the edges certainly compared to Rome but it has a character all of its own.
I've been to Pompeii and Herculaneum 3 separate times and stayed in Naples. There's loads to see and do there.

TheDriver wrote: »

I did the fast train bit, its still a long day and the local train from Naples to Pompeii is dreadful. Its a nice trip but I got bored after a while.
Naples is a complete dump BTW, don't think about stopping and wandering around......

maudgonner

Agree with johnire, Naples is dirty, graffiti-ed, noisy and edgy and thoroughly enjoyable! Well worth a visit, and the food is great.

Also, many of the best artifacts from Pompeii & Herculaneum are in the Museum in Naples - I don't think any trip to Pompeii is complete without seeing them.

Lena137

As someone who lived in Rome, Pompeii seems too much of a hassle for a day trip. What about Ostia Antica? It's 20-30minutes on the metro from Termini station. It's the same idea as the Pompeii ruins but in Rome!

alastair

Just want to add my voice in support of Naples. It's a place of contradictions and probably not for those sensitive types who need uniform gentrification, but there's lots to see and do, great eating, and a vibrant and distinct community.

I suspect that Rome to Pompei on a weekend day is going to prove a little too ambitious. To do the place justice you need to spent a full day there.