Circumvesuviana Guide: Naples, Pompeii & Sorrento

The Circumvesuviana is the train that connects Naples to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Sorrento along the bay. It is old, occasionally unreliable, sometimes crowded, and frequently described by travellers as an ordeal. It is also cheap, frequent enough to be practical, and the only viable public transport link to the region’s major archaeological sites. Understanding how it works saves a significant amount of frustration.

This is the complete picture, including the part most guides leave out.

What the Circumvesuviana Actually Is

The Circumvesuviana is operated by EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno), a regional agency separate from Trenitalia. That matters because Trenitalia tickets, Eurail passes, and Interrail passes are not valid on it. It operates on its own fare structure, its own booking system (or lack of one — there are no advance reservations), and its own stations.

In Naples, the main departure points are Napoli Porta Nolana and Napoli Garibaldi (the latter is directly below the main Piazza Garibaldi/Centrale station). The two are connected — trains run through both, and you can board at either.

The network fans out in several directions from Naples, but for most visitors the relevant lines are:

Sorrento line — the main tourist artery, stopping at Ercolano Scavi (Herculaneum), Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri (the archaeological site — note the spelling, different from the modern town), and eventually Sorrento. Journey time: roughly 35 minutes to Pompeii, 70 minutes to Sorrento.
Sarno and Poggiomarino lines — less used by tourists, serving the inland commuter towns.

The trains run frequently in peak hours, roughly every 20–30 minutes on the Sorrento line. In off-peak hours and on Sundays the service thins out. Check the EAV timetable before you go; do not assume a train will appear.

Tickets: What to Buy and Where

Single tickets on the Circumvesuviana are sold at the stations, from staffed windows or machines. As of early 2026:

Naples to Pompeii: €2.60 each way
Naples to Herculaneum: €2.20 each way
Naples to Sorrento: €4.10 each way

No advance booking. No online purchase necessary (or possible on the EAV system). Buy at the machine or window on the day.

Validate your ticket in the yellow machines at the platform entrance before boarding. Inspectors do check, and the fine for an unvalidated ticket is real and enforced more diligently than the trains’ punctuality might suggest.

If you are making multiple trips over several days, the Campania Artecard covers unlimited travel on the Circumvesuviana (on the 7-day regional version) in addition to museum discounts. If you are visiting Pompeii and at least one other Campania archaeological site, the maths often works in the card’s favour.

The Campania Express: A Better Option for Tourists?

In summer (roughly April to October), EAV runs the Campania Express — a faster, less-crowded service on the Sorrento line that makes limited stops and is specifically marketed at tourists. It costs more (around €5–6 single to Pompeii) but offers reserved seating, air conditioning that actually works, and a carriage that is not packed to the walls with commuters and backpackers.

If you are travelling in peak summer season, particularly on weekend mornings, the Campania Express is worth considering. The standard Circumvesuviana in July at 9 am from Garibaldi to Pompeii is an experience — crowded, hot, and a prime opportunity for the pickpockets who work this particular route with professional efficiency.

Outside peak season — and this article is published in January, so the season context matters — the regular Circumvesuviana is perfectly manageable. Midweek, early morning or late afternoon, it is not the scrum that summer photographs suggest.

The Pickpocket Reality

It would be irresponsible not to address this directly. The Circumvesuviana, particularly the Naples Garibaldi to Pompeii segment during peak tourist hours, is one of the highest-density pickpocket environments in southern Italy. This is documented, widely known, and not exaggerated.

The method is usually distraction and crowding. A group blocks the door as the train arrives, creating a bottleneck. In the press, a wallet or phone is removed from a bag or back pocket. The perpetrators are experienced and quick.

The countermeasures are simple and effective:

Keep your phone in a front trouser pocket, not a back pocket or a bag’s outer zip.
Use a money belt or an inside jacket pocket for your main wallet. Keep a small amount of cash in a separate wallet for the day.
Be aware of anyone standing unusually close to you as you board or alight.
Travel with a small bag worn on your front, not your back.

This is not cause for anxiety — it is just the realistic context of using a busy regional train line that passes through some of Europe’s busiest tourist sites. Take the same precautions you would on a crowded Metro in Paris or a night bus in Barcelona, and you will be fine.

Getting to Pompeii: Step by Step

Pompeii is the main reason most visitors take the Circumvesuviana. Here is the practical sequence:

Take the metro (Line 1 or Line 2) or walk to Napoli Garibaldi station.
Follow signs to the Circumvesuviana platforms — they are below the main station, accessed by stairs on the ground floor.
Buy a ticket to Pompei Scavi (make sure you say or select the Scavi station, not just “Pompei” which is the modern town on a different line).
Board a Sorrento-line train. The direction board will say “Sorrento” or list the main stops.
Ride for approximately 35 minutes to Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri.
Exit the station, turn left out of the exit, and the main entrance to the archaeological site is a five-minute walk.

Once you are at the site, a self-guided audio tour of Pompeii is one of the better ways to navigate the ruins independently. The site is large — roughly 44 hectares — and without some interpretive scaffolding it is easy to spend an hour looking at intact walls and intact streets without understanding what you are actually looking at. The audio commentary solves that without tying you to a group or a fixed pace.

Getting to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento is the end of the Sorrento line: about 70 minutes from Naples Garibaldi, a ticket costing €4.10. It is a pleasant town in its own right and the main jumping-off point for the Amalfi Coast.

From Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast is accessed by SITA bus — a separate system from the Circumvesuviana. The buses run along the SS163 coastal road to Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. They are cheap (roughly €2.50–4 depending on the route) but can be extremely crowded in summer. The coastal road itself is narrow, and the buses navigate it with the relaxed confidence of drivers who have done it several thousand times.

There is no train to Positano or Amalfi. The Circumvesuviana ends at Sorrento.

Practical Notes

The Circumvesuviana app is useful for timetables but not for real-time reliability. Delays and cancellations happen. Build buffer time, especially if you have an onward connection.
The stations along the line — particularly Ercolano and Pompei Scavi — are small, without much in the way of facilities. Bring water.
If you are travelling with large luggage, the standard Circumvesuviana is awkward. Suitcases make you a more obvious target and take up space other passengers will politely resent. Leave bags at your Naples accommodation and day-trip with a small pack.
First and last trains of the day are typically less crowded. If you can be at Garibaldi by 8 am for Pompeii, you will have a quieter journey and beat the main entrance queues at the site.

The train is not glamorous. But it works, it is cheap, and for reaching Pompeii and Herculaneum there is no sensible alternative. Once you understand the system, it is straightforward.