The Circumvesuviana is the most used tourist train in southern Italy. It runs from Naples Porta Nolana station around the base of Vesuvius, stopping at Ercolano Scavi (Herculaneum), Pompei Scavi, and eventually Sorrento. Getting the stops right is essential.
Plan my Italy trip →The EAV Circumvesuviana is the single most important piece of tourist infrastructure in southern Italy. It runs from Naples around the base of Vesuvius, connecting the city to the most significant archaeological sites in the ancient world (Pompeii, Herculaneum), to the Sorrentine Peninsula, and to a string of coastal towns along the Gulf of Naples. For €2.80, you can travel from downtown Naples to Pompeii in 35-40 minutes. For €4.90, you can reach Sorrento in 70 minutes. Understanding how to use it correctly — which station to board from, which stop to get off at, and the difference between train types — saves significant time and prevents the mistakes that strand visitors at wrong stops.
The Circumvesuviana to Sorrento (the line that stops at Ercolano Scavi for Herculaneum and Pompei Scavi for Pompeii) departs from Napoli Porta Nolana station — a separate station from the main Napoli Centrale (Trenitalia) terminal. Porta Nolana is approximately 600-700 metres east of Piazza Garibaldi, accessible by walking east along the south side of the square or via the underground passage from the Garibaldi metro station. Within the Napoli Centrale/Garibaldi complex, the Circumvesuviana also has a platform labelled "Garibaldi" — this is the second stop from Porta Nolana and is more accessible if you're already in the station complex. Look for EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno) signage to find the correct platforms. The key confusion to avoid: Trenitalia trains to Pompeii (the modern city) use a different route and platform — you want the EAV Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri.
Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri. Not "Pompeii" (the modern city station, which is further along the line and wrong for the archaeological site). Not "Torre Annunziata" (before Pompeii on the line). The correct stop name includes "Scavi" (excavations) and is the station immediately adjacent to the Pompeii archaeological site entrance on the west side. When you exit the station, the site entrance is visible within 100 metres. Journey time from Napoli Porta Nolana: approximately 35-40 minutes. Train frequency: every 30 minutes in both directions during most of the day; reduced frequency in early morning and after 8pm. Buy tickets at the Porta Nolana station ticket windows or machines — not on board.
On October 3, 1839, the first railway in Italy opened between Naples (Portici station, in what is now the Naples urban area) and Portici — the same corridor the Circumvesuviana uses today. The line ran along the base of Vesuvius, following the royal road between Naples and the Bourbon summer palace at Portici. King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies authorized the line, which used English locomotives built by Robert Stephenson's company. The journey covered 7.6km in about 10 minutes — extraordinary speed for the era. Within months, the line was extended to Castellammare di Stabia. The decision to run this railway specifically along the base of an active volcano says something about the Neapolitan attitude toward geological risk that has not fundamentally changed since. The current Circumvesuviana network follows essentially the same coastal and hillside routes as the 19th-century predecessors, extended and modernized with electric traction from the early 20th century.
Ercolano Scavi — not "Ercolano" (the town), which is the station immediately before Ercolano Scavi. From Ercolano Scavi station, walk downhill for approximately 10 minutes (following signs for Herculaneum/Scavi Ercolano) to reach the archaeological site entrance. The walk is straightforward — the road descends directly to the site. Journey time from Naples Porta Nolana to Ercolano Scavi: approximately 20-22 minutes. Herculaneum is significantly closer to Naples than Pompeii and significantly smaller — a 2-3 hour site visit versus Pompeii's 4-6 hours. Herculaneum is also better preserved: the mud and superheated gas from the 79 AD eruption preserved organic material (wooden furniture, fabric, food) that Pompeii's pumice-stone burial did not. For a half-day visit from Naples, Herculaneum is the more manageable and in some ways more rewarding option.
The Circumvesuviana Sorrento line runs from Napoli Porta Nolana all the way to Sorrento in approximately 70 minutes (€4.90 single). The journey passes through Ercolano, Torre del Greco, Torre Annunziata, Pompeii, Castellammare di Stabia, and then climbs through the Sorrentine Peninsula to Sorrento. Sorrento is the main ferry departure point for Capri, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast. Trains run every 30 minutes from early morning to approximately 10pm. From Sorrento Circumvesuviana station, the town center is a 5-minute walk. The ferry port for Capri is a 10-minute walk downhill from the center. This entire journey — Naples to Sorrento by Circumvesuviana and then Sorrento to Capri by hydrofoil — is one of the great day trips available from any Italian city.
EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno) sells its own single tickets at Porta Nolana station windows and vending machines: €2.80 to Pompeii Scavi, €4.90 to Sorrento, €1.30 to Ercolano Scavi. The Unico Campania 3T 24-hour pass (€7) covers the entire Naples metro (ANM), city buses, funiculars, and EAV trains including the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii and Sorrento — by far the best value if you're combining city transport with an archaeological day trip. The Campania ArteCard (€32 for 3 days) includes unlimited EAV transport plus reduced/free entry to major sites including Pompeii (€18 standard entry) and Herculaneum (€13). If you're visiting both sites plus the Archaeological Museum in Naples over 3 days, the ArteCard pays for itself.
Five recurring ones: 1. Wrong station — boarding a Trenitalia train at Napoli Centrale thinking it goes to Pompeii Scavi. Trenitalia goes to Pompeii (the city), not the archaeological site. Always use EAV/Circumvesuviana from Porta Nolana. 2. Wrong Pompeii stop — staying on the train past Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri to the next stop (Villa Regina or the modern city). Get off at Scavi. 3. Wrong Herculaneum stop — getting off at Ercolano (town) instead of Ercolano Scavi. One more stop. 4. No ticket — trying to board without a ticket because the gate seems open. EAV has occasional inspectors and the fine is €54.90. 5. Return timing — Pompeii is large and people often lose track of time. The last Circumvesuviana from Pompei Scavi to Naples runs approximately 10-10:30pm; don't cut it too fine, especially if you're returning with groups or luggage.
The Circumvesuviana is safe but has a historical reputation for petty theft that has improved but not entirely disappeared. On the Naples–Pompeii section, keep bags in front with closures secured and be aware of crowded boarding moments at Garibaldi/Porta Nolana station when opportunists work the crowd. The trains themselves are functional rather than comfortable — older rolling stock with bench seating, no air conditioning on some trains in summer (hot in July-August), and variable cleanliness. This is a working commuter railway serving residential Naples rather than a tourist service. The archaeological sites at the end justify the journey regardless of the journey's comfort level.
It's the most practical and cheapest way. Alternatives: private taxi from Naples to Pompeii (€50-70 each way, depending on traffic), organized tour minibus from Naples hotels (€30-50/person including transport and guide), rental car (parking near Pompeii costs €5-8/day, but you need to navigate Naples traffic to exit). The Circumvesuviana costs €2.80 each way and puts you directly adjacent to the site entrance. For most visitors, the Circumvesuviana is the correct choice. The taxi is useful if you're going very early (before Circumvesuviana service frequency increases) or returning very late. The rental car makes sense if you're combining Pompeii with other Campania sites like Paestum (which is not accessible by Circumvesuviana).
Pompeii opens at 9am. The site is large (44 hectares, 66 hectares in the excavated area), the paths are unpaved, and the July-August sun is intense by 10:30am. Take the earliest Circumvesuviana that gets you to Pompeii Scavi by 9am or slightly before — the first morning departure from Napoli Porta Nolana is typically around 6am, reaching Pompeii Scavi approximately 6:40am. In practice, arriving at Pompeii by 9am is sufficient in spring and autumn. In July-August, earlier is significantly better — both for heat management and for the site before the tour groups arrive at 10-11am. Tickets must be bought online at pompeiisites.org in advance (no longer sold at the gate for timed entry slots).
Beyond Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi) and Pompeii (Pompei Scavi), the Circumvesuviana line to Sorrento passes: Torre del Greco (coral jewelry manufacturing town, worth a market visit), Torre Annunziata (contains the Villa di Oplontis — a Pompeian-era luxury villa, free with Pompeii ticket, fewer visitors than Pompeii itself), Castellammare di Stabia (where a cable car runs up to Monte Faito — 1,131m altitude, extraordinary views of the Gulf of Naples), and then the Sorrentine Peninsula villages before Sorrento itself. The Villa di Oplontis in Torre Annunziata is the most underrated stop: a Roman imperial villa preserved at the same level as Pompeii, with extraordinary frescoes in situ, virtually no visitors, and free entry on the combined Pompeii ticket.
Book everything timed in advance. Italy's greatest experiences — whether it's Pompeii at dawn, the Vatican Pinacoteca without a crowd, or the Lake Como ferry on a clear October morning — reward preparation. The Circumvesuviana doesn't require booking (just buy an EAV ticket), but the sites at the end of the line do. Pompeii now requires advance online booking at pompeiisites.org. The Vatican requires advance booking at tickets.museivaticani.va. The Duomo terrazza benefits from advance booking in spring and summer. The gap between a prepared visitor and an unprepared one is measured in hours of queue and heat — sometimes the difference between a transcendent experience and a frustrating one. Italy rewards planners more than almost any country in Europe.
They eat where locals eat, travel when locals don't, and stay where locals stay. For Naples: lunch at Trattoria da Nennella (Quartieri Spagnoli, noon sharp, cash only, no tourists) rather than a tourist-facing pizzeria near the station. For the Amalfi Coast: stay in Salerno or Atrani and ferry in, rather than paying Positano prices for the same cliff view. For Florence: have breakfast at a standing bar counter in any neighborhood outside the museum zone, not in the tourist cafes around Piazza della Repubblica. For Lake Como: take the ferry to Varenna (not Bellagio, which is more visited) and have lunch at a table three streets back from the waterfront. The best Italian travel is always one degree away from the most obvious version of it.
Read the practical information before you arrive, not at the site. The Vatican Museums website explains the ticket booking. The EAV website explains the Circumvesuviana ticket system. The Comune di Firenze website explains the ZTL zone. The Pompeii archaeological park explains what's included in the ticket. The single most consistent failure mode for visitors to Italian sites is arriving without having checked the basics — opening hours, booking requirements, ticket prices — and being surprised by queues, closures, or access limitations that were entirely predictable. Italy is extraordinarily well-documented online in English. The information is available. Use it.
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