🏺 How To Get To Pompeii from Naples | The 4 Best Ways To Get From Naples to Pompeii (budget or comfort)

 How To Get From Naples to Pompeii - Bus/Trains or Private Transfer from Naples to Pompeii  (budget or comfort)

The most accessible and convenient way to travel to Pompeii from Naples is via two regular train services, which all depart from the same station and take about the same time. 

We’ve given all the specific details for each below, but here’s a quick overview:

✅1. EAV Circumvesuviana  (2025)  | €3,30 one-way · 35 minutes · busy commuter train · no advance tickets (on the spot) 

✅2. Campania Express (2025)  | €15 one-way · 35 minutes · fancier train with AC · advance tickets available - link : https://ots.eavsrl.it/web/public/ots/ticket/index

✅3. SITA BUS from molo Pisacane /Varco Immacolatella Location https://maps.app.goo.gl/MF6EEF8KbxeqPBvj9

✅ 4, Private Transfer : plan your transfer with me , contact me via DM (messanger)

We took the excellent value EAV Circumvesuviana out and back, via Mount Vesuvius, but the reputation and crowding of the EAV Circumvesuviana puts a lot of people off. If you’re not on a budget and prefer comfort, a seat, fewer stops, and air-con, then you may prefer the Campania Express. 

It’s highly recommended to book your Pompeii entrance ticket in advance online before you travel, due to its popularity and the length of queues - book your Pompeii ticket here.  https://pompeiisites.org/

The EAV Circumvesuviana

This slow public train connects locals with towns and suburbs along the Gulf of Naples, and brings thousands of visitors each day to Pompeii. You’ll also see it referred to as the Napoli-Sorrento line.

It departs from Porta Nolana Station (https://maps.app.goo.gl/H8YcMmzuKr3mgVBW9), but the easiest access point for you to get on will be at the next stop in Napoli Piazza Garibaldi (https://maps.app.goo.gl/aNHF3cfQPJDkysAs7 ), which is a separate station within the same building as Napoli Centrale Train Station (the city's main one).

That may sound complicated, but it's nothing to worry about.

Simply make your way to Napoli Centrale (https://maps.app.goo.gl/xPcaxP9Fz8QZGuBG9 ) and, once inside the station, follow the blue + white signs for the Linee Vesuviane / Campania Express / Circumvesuviana.

This will take you downstairs to the lower floor and along a covered walkway toward the staffed and clear to identify red ticket office (bigletteria) of Napoli Piazza Garibaldi on the right hand side.

From the main entrance of Napoli Centrale to Piazza Garibaldi station, it's about a 5-minute walk.

Alternatively, some of you may arrive by metro, taking Line 1 to the Garibaldi stop. If that’s the case, simply go up the three escalators after you disembark, exit into the modern shopping centre, then follow the brown + orange signs for Circumvesuviana. It’s straightforward, and you’ll arrive at the ticket desks in under five minutes.

There are now five tickets kiosks, a dedicated information point, and a real-time digital departures board in addition to the plethora of taped-up timetables

However, as this is the departure point for trains to the Herculaneum ruins, Vesuvius, and the Amalfi Coast as well as Pompeii, it can become quite crowded and chaotic with lots of confused tourists. 

Our main advice is not to panic or rush around like a headless chicken if everyone else is. 

For Pompeii, you want to take the blue 'Sorrento' line. 

When purchasing your ticket, ask for ‘Pompei Scavi’'; there is also a 'Pompei' station but this isn't the right one to go for or get off at!

It's €3.30 per person one-way, and travel time is around 35 minutes. A one-way ticket is fine. There are a lot of stations/stops along the way, but some of the Pompeii services run a little quicker as they skip a dozen or so. 

Note that you can currently only buy tickets in person at either Porta Nolana or Napoli Piazza Garibaldi station. Cash is definitely preferred by the staff, but you can pay by card (don't bank on this working though). As this is not a TrenItalia ( https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html )  train service, you will not find tickets online or on their website. There is a new GoEav app to buy tickets, but it’s less fuss just to buy at the station.

There are no seat reservations, and be aware of people trying to up sell or put you on the more expensive Campania Express train. 

Once tickets are purchased, pass through the barriers and go downstairs to the platforms. There are screens with departures/arrivals information, and the Pompeii train is most likely to depart from platform / binario 1, but just make certain that you get on the train with 'Sorrento' as its final destination, as there will be other Circumvesuviana lines passing through!

The current Circumvesuviana timetable has a first departure 05:40, and then 2-3 departures every hour. We recommend planning ahead though, and you can see the latest schedule on the EAV website  ( https://www.eavsrl.it/orari-linee-ferroviarie/ ) - click 'Orario Linee Vesuviane' then select 'L1 Napoli-Sorrento'. 

Note that 'DD' on the timetable denotes the quicker service with fewer stops. 

Disembark at Pompei Scavi station (sometimes written as 'Pompei Scavi-Villa Misteri'), and you'll be a two-minute walk from the Porta Marina entrance to Pompeii!

Important Tip 

✅ travelling in peak summer season at peak times, then boarding at Porta Nolana station (one stop before Napoli Piazza Garibaldi) Porta Nolana location (https://maps.app.goo.gl/H8YcMmzuKr3mgVBW9)    is the best way to guarantee a seat for the journey. The vast majority of people board at Garibaldi as it’s easier to reach, but anyone boarding in Nolana will have empty carriages.

✅Stops  are announced in advance and there's also a little route map above the doors in each carriage for you to keep track.

✅ Note that the green line to Poggiomarino, also part of the Circumvesuviana network, will take you to 'Pompei' station - this is however not the correct one for the archaeological site. If you end up going there by mistake, don't worry though as you'll just be a 10-minute walk from one of the three site entrances.

✅The blue Sorrento line is also the one to take if you wish to visit the Herculaneum ruins (disembark at Ercolano Scavi) or take a day trip to the Amalfi Coast.

✅If  you'd like to have a private  guide in Pompeii, plan  a  tour with an expert ,professional and highly-rated tour guide  He/she  will meet you at the Pompeii Ruins entrance  . ( Contact me via DM , messanger to get the perfect contact for your visit )

The Campania Express Train

If comfort is more important than cost, then you should consider the Campania Express.

Part of the EAV network, this is a fancier train specifically for tourists, including air-con, reserved seats, fewer stops , good service . 

You can also buy tickets in advance online, which includes a free audioguide for Pompeii.

As with the options above, it leaves from both Porta Nolana (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WmdvRdDFiUkf3WJF7) and Piazza Garibaldi stations (https://maps.app.goo.gl/vdqx3kdMnYeSrTcE8 ) - for disabled access, you should opt for Porta Nolana.

The train only has four departures from Napoli a day, and stops at the archaeological site of Ercolano/Herculaneum before arriving at Pompeii Scavi, which is a two-minute walk from the entrance. 

Travel time is about 35 minutes, with the first departure at 8.22am from Porta Nolana - you can find the most recent timetable on the EAV website ( https://www.eavsrl.it/ )  . 

Campania Express tickets cost €15 one-way or €25 round-trip, and you can find more information and buy them online on the official website. It’s also possible to buy non-allocated seat tickets up to 20 minutes before departure at the station. 

✅Sita Bus From Naples to Pompeii

The train is affordable and more frequent, but the bus may be your preferred option if your accommodation is close to Naples's docks and cruise terminal, Nuova Marina /Molo Immacolatella port.

Make your way down to the SITA Bus Station & Ticket Terminal (https://maps.app.goo.gl/4mb8Ngtqbz54pNoL7 ), and buy a ticket for the Napoli-Salerno line. Departures are on the hour and the half hour, starting from 7.30 am; note that not every service running this route stops at Pompeii, so you should always double-check before boarding the next departure.

Note that 'Pompei Scavi' is again the best place to disembark (it's the 3rd or 4th stop), but don't worry if you get dropped off elsewhere within the town of Pompei. 

Travel time is about the same as the train (35-45 minutes, depending on traffic), and costs €3.30 per person. You can buy you ticket on board if the ticket office is shut. If going for the bus during peak times or summer months, note that this will naturally have limited capacity versus the train and is also used by locals for non-Pompeii journeys. 

The SITA bus company website is horrendous to navigate, but if you go here (https://sitasudtrasporti.it/) , select ‘Campania’ then ‘Orari’, and input 'Napoli' as your departure and 'Pompei' as your destination, then click 'ricerca', it should bring up a PDF for the 5001 SALERNO - NOCERA - NAPOLI which includes updated schedule information.

Alternatively, you may prefer to travel with the Round-Trip Shuttle Bus to Pompeii, which has two morning departures from the centre of Napoli.

✅A Private Transfer

A better value option to consider, if you really don’t want to take the train/bus , is the Private Transfer

This private transfer offers door-to-door transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Plan your private transfer in advance,  contact me via DM (messanger)