Post-Cruise in Rome: Pompeii & Capri in One Day?

[reh250]

Will be spending 3 days in Rome post-transatlantic cruise in May. Some in our group would like to explore Pompeii, and also Capri during our time there.

 

Is it possible to visit these two places in one day? If so, would it be best to go through a private operator and take the high-speed train ourselves?

 

Any recommended operators in Rome for this kind of trip?

 

Thank you all in advance for any suggestions! :)

[euro cruiser]

I don't think you're going to find a packaged tour that combines Pompei and Capri out of Rome. You could pay for a private driver, but you'd still need to get out to Capri and back on your own as most of the ferrys do not carry cars (besides, in season I think cars are restricted to residents of the island).

 

You can do this on your own; it will be a long day but it's possible, especially since you won't be worrying about getting back to a ship at a certain time.

 

Generally the advice for getting to Pompei by train uses the Circumvesuviana from Naples because this local train has a stop right at the Porta Marina entrance to the ruins. I'm going to suggest a different approach, having done it both ways myself.

 

Coming from Rome on the state railway, Trenitalia, I think it makes more sense to use the state rail Pompei station and avoid the Circumvesuviana. It's easier, quicker, and more comfortable travel, in my opinion.

 

There is a 6:27 AM train from Termini on weekdays that arrives at Pompei at 9:52, with a change of trains at Formia (fare in second class is Euro 20.80, but you might be able to get a minifare, which drops the price to Euro 15.30). The walk from the state rail station at Piazza XXVIII Marzo to the entrance of the ruins at Piazza Anfiteatro is only a half mile. By entering here you can cover the ruins from east to west, exiting near the Circumvesuviana station and continuing your trip from there.

 

After your time at Pompei (let's say you begin around 10:10 AM, allowing time for the walk from the train station and a bathroom break - there are free restrooms at the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance) you can take the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento, where you'd get a ferry out to Capri. Unless you are deeply interested in ancient history and the ruins, most people find two to three hours sufficient to get a good overall view of Pompei.

 

So if you are on the train to Sorrento at about 1 PM or so, you'll be in Sorrento within 30 minutes (the current schedule has a train from Pompei at 1:17 PM arriving at 1:47. You'll need some time to get from the train station to the port (local bus, 1 Euro or a cab - it's not far, but not easy to walk). A ferry will get you out to Capri by 3 PM. You can back this up by an hour by shortening your time at Pompei.

 

During the late spring and summer months the days are long and the sun sets later, so you can enjoy many hours of daylight on Capri. To return to Rome, I'd take a ferry from Capri to Naples and the state rail from there back to Rome.

 

It's a long day with a lot of moving parts, but it's not particularly difficult. Some helpful sites:

 

Detail map of Pompei ruins: http://unicocampania.it/files/mappe/mappa_scavi.pdf

 

Detail map of Pompei transport, showing the train stations and entrances and exits for the ruins: http://unicocampania.it/files/mappe/pompei.pdf

 

Circumvesuviana train: http://www.vesuviana.it/web/en

[Eightydays]

Great info and advice from Eurocruiser.

 

Check the schedule for the return hydrofoil from Capri to Naples before you start sightseeing since you don't say when in May you are travelling(but I assume early May since you will be on a transatlantic cruise), and the schedule in early May might have less choices than in the summer.

[Waihekean]

An alternative idea is to go to Herculeneum, just as fascinating as Pompei, but a lot closer to Naples and also very close to Capri.

 

Then it would be something like travel to Naples, Naples to Herculeneum back to Naples for the Capri ferry. Must do is the furnicular in Ana Capri.

[euro cruiser]

Must do is the furnicular in Ana Capri.

Just to clarify, did you mean the chair lift from Ana Capri to the top of Mt. Solaro? There is also a funicular on Capri, between Marina Grande and the Piazzetta in Capri town.

[Waihekean]

Have not done this myself, but made a note about it after seeing wonderful pictures about it here on CC. Pax came down with it.

 

So, not exactly sure, remember it as Ana Capri. The view/pictures look very similar to the ones coming down with the cable car in Santorini.

[Eightydays]

Those are probably from the chair lifts to and from Mt. Solaro.