The Circumvesuviana and Campania Express

Trains start at Napoli Porta Nolana and stop three minutes later at Napoli P. Garibaldi, under the square in front of Napoli Centrale. Two lines matter to visitors:

• Naples–Sorrento: via Torre Annunziata-Oplonti, Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri, Castellammare, Vico Equense and the Sorrento peninsula. Almost every train is a DD (direttissimo) that runs non-stop from Garibaldi to Torre Annunziata, skipping Ercolano Scavi.
• Naples–Poggiomarino: via Ercolano Scavi (for Herculaneum), Torre Annunziata-Oplonti and Pompei Santuario (for the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance to Pompeii).

The practical rule: for Herculaneum, take the Poggiomarino line, which reaches Ercolano Scavi in 18 minutes, roughly every 20 to 35 minutes. A handful of Sorrento trains also stop there (the 5:39, 6:51, 7:27 and 9:16 a.m. and the 5:41 and 10:14 p.m. from Garibaldi on the current timetable), so do not count on one at a random hour. Read the display board or the departure sheet: the station list is printed for each train. For the ruins themselves, see Herculaneum and Pompeii.

The prices are EAV's own single-company tickets (bands NA2, NA3 and NA5), which EAV keeps unchanged from October 1, 2026. UnicoCampania's integrated tickets for the same distances, valid on other companies' transport as well, cost more (€3.10, €4.10 and €5.80 before October 1) and rise from October 1; the new prices had not been published on September 30. For a plain trip to Pompeii and back, buy the EAV ticket.

Sample times on a weekday morning: Garibaldi 8:44 a.m., Pompei Scavi 9:13 a.m., Sorrento 9:53 a.m. The first Sorrento train leaves Garibaldi at 5:39 a.m. and the last at 10:14 p.m.

Plan your evening around these, from the timetable in force since March 28, 2026:

• Sorrento to Naples: last departure 10:02 p.m., arriving at Garibaldi at 11:11 p.m.
• Pompei Scavi to Naples: last departure 10:40 p.m.
• Sorrento trains stopping at Ercolano Scavi toward Naples are few after the morning: the 4:02, 5:14, 6:26 and 10:02 p.m. from Sorrento call there (the last at 10:58 p.m.). The Poggiomarino line is the reliable way back from Herculaneum.

Pompeii's own last entry is 3:30 p.m. from October 15, 2026, and Herculaneum's too, so a day at the ruins leaves plenty of trains. The squeeze comes in Sorrento after dinner. If you are staying there, see Sorrento and Naples or Sorrento as a base.

Buy paper tickets at the station ticket office or machines at Porta Nolana and Garibaldi, or at tobacconists. Validate before you board. On the Naples–Sorrento line, EAV's Tap&Go takes a contactless Visa, Mastercard, AmEx or Maestro card or phone at the gates: tap in, and tap out at your destination with the same card. If you do not tap out, you are charged the maximum fare. PostePay Visa prepaid cards are not accepted. EAV's Tap&Go list does not include the Poggiomarino line, so for Herculaneum buy a paper ticket.

Buy your return at the same time, so you do not need to find a ticket office or machine at a small station when you are tired.

The UK government's advice for Italy names public transport and main train stations as places to take care, with pickpocketing and bag-snatching the main risks. The Circumvesuviana fits both: crowded carriages, doors that open at every stop, and a lot of visitors with phones and cameras. Sensible habits:

• Wear a small bag in front of you and keep your phone in a zipped pocket when the train is full.
• Keep away from the doors when the train is full, and keep your bag closed at every stop.
• Keep passports in the hotel safe and carry a copy; you need a named ticket for Pompeii, not the passport itself.

None of this makes the train unsafe; it makes it a busy commuter line. For the wider picture, see is Naples safe?

• Trenitalia to Pompei: regional trains on the Naples–Salerno line stop at Pompei station in the modern town; the park says its Pompei Link train-plus-bus service takes about 15 minutes from there to the ruins.
• Ferry to Sorrento: Alilauro sails Molo Beverello to Sorrento for €19, five times a day each way until November 3, 2026.
• Taxi: the city's fixed fare from Naples is €70 to Pompei Scavi and €125 to Sorrento per car, tolls extra.
• A tour: worth it mainly if you want Vesuvius in the same day; read Pompeii and Vesuvius day tour. The EAV bus 808 from Pompei to the Vesuvius crater car park takes about 55 minutes.

Pompeii: Entry Ticket and Guided Tour with an Archaeologist

The ticket is Pompei Express (€20 at the park), so no Villa of the Mysteries. You make your own way to Pompeii. Headsets only for groups of 10 or more; the guide waits 10 minutes for latecomers.

2 hours

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Herculaneum: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Archaeologist

Entry is included (the park charges €16, plus €1.50 presale online). No transport: three meeting points depending on the option. Closed-toe shoes advised; not suitable for wheelchair users.

2 hours

4.8★★★★★★★★★★(4,284 reviews)

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Sorrento: Skip-the-Line Pompeii Express Tour by Train

Meets at Sorrento station at 9:30 (a second group at 10:15); no hotel pickup, and not for cruise passengers. Uses the ordinary local train, not the Campania Express. The train tickets are valid all day, so you can stay on after the tour.

2 hours plus the train

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