← Neapolis Marathon·Day trip

Herculaneum and Pompeii: Two Roman Towns by Train

Two Roman towns buried by Vesuvius in AD 79, one small and well preserved and one vast, both reached by suburban train from the centre of Naples.

DurationDay trip
TransitCircumvesuviana from Napoli Garibaldi, about 20 minutes to Ercolano Scavi and about 35 to 40 minutes to Pompei Scavi
DepartsNapoli Garibaldi

After the Neapolis Marathon: Herculaneum and Pompeii

The Route: Naples → Ercolano Scavi (Herculaneum) → Pompei Scavi (Pompeii) → Naples Logistics: The Circumvesuviana suburban railway from Napoli Garibaldi, with a short walk at each site. The ancient paving is uneven at both. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip

Napoli Garibaldi ──(about 20 mins)──> Ercolano Scavi (Herculaneum) ──(about 15-20 mins)──> Pompei Scavi (Pompeii)
        ▲                                                                                          │
        └────────────────────────(about 35-40 mins direct from Pompei to Naples)───────────────────┘

The Neapolis Marathon is run on a Sunday in mid-October, and the Monday after is a good day to see the two towns that Vesuvius buried in AD 79. Herculaneum is the smaller and better preserved. Pompeii is bigger by an order of magnitude and takes far more walking. For tired legs the honest advice is to pick one, or to do Herculaneum in the morning and only a part of Pompeii in the afternoon.

October in the Bay of Naples: the weather is usually warm in the day and mild in the evening, with a chance of rain, and the crowds are smaller than in summer. From 15 October Pompeii moves to winter hours, so a Monday visit in the days after the race may run from 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 15:30, instead of the summer 19:00 closing. Check the park's website for the current hours, and book a time slot in advance.

Getting there

Circumvesuviana trains leave from Napoli Garibaldi, below the main station at Piazza Garibaldi, on the Sorrento line, with a train every 20 minutes or so. Herculaneum is a stop called Ercolano Scavi, about 20 minutes from Naples; Pompeii is Pompei Scavi, about 35 to 40 minutes. The trains are used by commuters, so they can be crowded and are sometimes late; check the current timetable on the operator's website, and keep an eye on your bag in the crowd.

Herculaneum

The site entrance is a 10-minute walk downhill from the station, which means a 10-minute walk uphill on the way back. A ticket was about €18 on the most recent price list seen, so check the current price. The site is small enough to see in about two hours. The streets are paved in stone and uneven, there are ramps and steps, and the surfaces are not flat. Houses here kept wooden beams, shelves and some furniture because the volcanic mud sealed them, and the sea-front boat houses are where skeletons were found.

Pompeii

Pompeii covers about 66 hectares. The roads are paved with large stone blocks with deep wheel ruts, and stepping-stones cross the streets. Do not try to see it all. The area near the Porta Marina entrance has the Forum and the main temples on relatively level ground, and a short loop around it takes about two hours. Bring water and a hat, because shade is limited, and check the entrance you will use and the bag rules.

Going back

Trains back to Naples run until the evening. Check the last train, and leave a margin. A taxi back to the centre is the fallback.