For many travelling to Italy from abroad, Pompeii may not be the primary reason you’re in the country. Rome, the capital of Italy and home to the colosseum tends to be the main attractor of tourism. Depending on your budget and how long you have in the country, your mode of transport from Rome to Pompeii may vary. So we’ll take a look at the various ways and look at how long it’s likely to take you. We’ll also look at the expected cost but this could vary depending on the time you’re travelling and the sorts of tickets you purchase. One way or another, by the end of this guide you’ll have a rough idea of how you’d prefer to get from Rome to Pompeii.
Rome to Pompeii by Car
Those of you with a car may view this as the easiest option. Of course travelling by car has its fair share of pros and cons. Getting from Rome to Pompeii by car is fairly straightforward as you spend most of the time on major roads. The journey itself will take you roughly 2.5 hours. This is just estimation and will depend on the time of day you travel, your average speed, whether you stop, etc. In terms of distance, driving from Rome to Pompeii will cover about 243km or 150 miles. You can find the most up-to-date direction on Google maps. This will usually account for any road works, tolls, traffic jams, and any other issues which may hinder your journey. If you drive, you should note that there is a toll to pay for travelling on the highway between Rome and Pompeii. This will be 16€ each way.
Not everyone will have a car in Italy but there are options if you wish to drive. The most obvious one being car rental. As with most countries in Europe, car rental is a major business throughout the country. It is also a relatively simple option and for some (especially those with children) it can just be the most convenient. We all know what it’s like trying to take children and all their bags and forms of entertainment on public transport. So if you do wish to drive from Rome to Pompeii then you have a number of car rental options. You have the better known ones such Hertz, Europcar or Avis. You also have cheaper options such as Budget Rent a Car and Locauto. For those wishing to splash out, you may want to take a look at Primerent.
Rome to Pompeii by Train
If you don’t want to splash out for a car or perhaps you just prefer to travel by train, then that’s also a very simple option. In order to get from Rome to Pompeii you have two journeys to make. The most likely train company you will use is Trenitalia. You can check specific train times, prices and travel information at http://www.trenitalia.com . The first journey you will make is taking the southbound train to Naples (Stazione di Napoli Centrale). You can get this train from the Roma Termini station. There are the other options but in all honesty they are more expensive and a lot more hassle. So for purposes of price and convenience we will focus on this option.
While I would recommend booking your first journey as a time-specific ticket, you may want to leave your return ticket as an open fare. The reason for this is that once you get to Pompeii, you may find you want to spend longer there than originally planned. Having a specific train time booked means you HAVE to get that train or else you forfeit your ticket. So my suggestion is booking your journey from Rome to Pompeii as set times but booking your return journey as basic and open ticket fares. You can expect to pay about 30 Euro for a one-way ticket at short notice. Your return ticket to Napoli will be about 40-60 Euro for an adult. This journey will take about 2 hours each way.
The second part of your journey is getting from Napoli to Pompeii. This journey is cheaper and also drastically shorter than the previous one. Your best option is getting the commuter train. It’s about a 10 minute walk from Stazione di Napoli Centrale to the underground station. You can get your tickets here and you won’t save much money by booking in advance. So just turn up to the station whenever you’re coming or going and get your ticket there. A return ticket will cost you less than 5 Euros. The specific price will vary depending on whether your travel during rush hour times or at the weekend. Your journey time will be about 30-40 minutes. One thing to be cautious for is crowded trains as this can be a haven for pickpockets. So keep all your belongings in front of you where you can see them.
Travelling by Bus from Rome to Pompeii
The simplest and cheapest option to get from Rome to Pompeii is probably the bus. You have a number of options in terms of companies but the one we’ll look at now is Marrozi. If you wish to view details for your journey check their website: https://www.marozzivt.it/home . You get your bus from Tiburtina Bus Station. This will take you straight to the excavation site at Pompeii. A one-way ticket will be 18 Euros so expect to pay about 36 Euros in total. The journey time will be about 3 hours. So as you can see, you’re only spending an extra 30 minutes travelling than you would by car but you’re saving a drastic amount in comparison to travelling by train and don’t have the inconvenience of having to do several journeys to get there.
So hopefully this guide will have helped you understand the different journey options for getting from Rome to Pamplona. Each option might suit certain circumstances differently but this rough idea should help. If you need more information on Pompeii itself such as ticket prices, opening times, etc then be sure to head back to our visitors guide. There you can find all that and more including more information about the history of Pompeii, some interesting facts and more. Be sure to check out the Discover Pompeii app before your trip to get 6+ hours of audio guides, maps of ruins and monuments and many other features. You will be able to download it for free from the PlayStore.
