Pompeii, Italy Shore Excursion and Port Information Pompeii by Train, On Your Own Pompeii, Italy Tom Ogg I had heard that getting to Pompeii by train from Naples was easily done, but I had tried it once and could never find the train station. While I had a good day wandering around Naples many nooks and crannies, I made it a point to get it figured out on my next free day in Naples. So here is what I found. The Church Spire Near the Train Station (Note, This Was Taken With a Telephoto Lens) Before you debark your ship, go to the top floor and scan the city of Naples to find this church spire. If you look into the bay you will see it sticking above all of the other buildings. This church is very near to the train station. Here is how you get there. Church Near the Train Station Leave the cruise terminal and walk all the way through the parking lot to the road that fronts the terminal and circles around the harbor. Turn right and start walking along the sidewalk. The road will eventually merge with another road and make a major thoroughfare in Naples fronting the harbor area. The entire walk will take approximately 25 minutes. After the road merges with the other, you will see clearly see the church spire pictured above. You will need to cross the road all the way to the other side. The road contains several medians that must be traversed to get completely to the other side. Continue walking until you come to the small square that the church resides in (pictured above) Turn Left Here After you pass the church, you should turn left at the very next street (pictured above) Note that one of the street car lines also turns left, as well. The Naples Train Station The train station is on the right (pictured above). Note that the main train station in Naples is located at Garibaldi Square. You could catch the Pompeii/Santorini train from there, but this is the station that it originates from. I had originally planned on going all the way to Santorini, so I purchased a round trip ticket that allowed me to get off where ever I wanted for 6 euro. I suspect that the round trip fare to Pompeii alone was probably around 3 or 4 euro. The train isn't all that clean as it is clearly a commuter train for the local residents. It makes approximately 30 to 35 stops between Naples and Santorini and the Pompeii stop is just about in the middle of the run. It takes about 30 minutes from the time that you leave Naples to arrive at the Pompeii station. The Correct Stop for Pompeii When you see this sign, it is time to get off the train. The Pompeii Train Station You will disembark the train on "Track A" which puts you right in front of the train station. Simply walk through the train station onto the road and turn to your right. The entrance to Pompeii is about 100 yards further down the road past the vendors selling all types of Pompeii stuff for the tourists. The Pompeii Train Station Taken From the Entrance to Pompeii The vendors offer self guide books of Pompeii, which is probably the best way to go if you are on a budget. There are also many other souvenirs available. The Entrance to Pompeii Gaining entrance to Pompeii requires that you purchase an admission ticket. The current fare to get it is 10 euro. This gives you entrance to Pompeii only. If you want to join a guided tour, there are several guides forming tours before you actually go into the park. They work on a gratuity basis, so be aware that they are not included with your ticket. There are also audio devices available that you can rent from the park. Unless you are keenly interested in finding out every detail of life in Pompeii before it was buried in ash and mud almost twenty centuries ago, you can do just fine with a guide book and on your own. Pompeii is HUGE The thing that I had forgotten since my last visit to Pompeii was just how huge it is. After trying to penetrate its ruins for almost an hour, I was glad that I had decided to cancel the Sorrento portion of my plans. One can easily spend an entire day here and enjoy every minute of it. Pompeii Garden It had been ten or so years since my last visit and I was surprised by the amount of work that had been done in excavation. The Ruins Are Stunning It is almost impossible to fathom how sophisticated the Pompeii population had been. Swimming pools, lush gardens, running water, baths, beautiful architecture, Pompeii is just stunning. The North Entrance to Pompeii Here is a shot of the north entrance to Pompeii. This is the way you will enter it from the train. Be aware that there is another entrance and if you exit there, you will be far from the train station. Make sure you come back through the north exit. Here is a 2,000 year old Bathtub Just a Small Portion of the Artifacts on Display in Pompeii A Wall Painting in One of the 1,000s of Houses in Pompeii A Simple Side Street in Pompeii I took hundreds of pictures and stayed way too long enjoying Pompeii and would highly suggest that you not miss the wealth of history. It will simply astound you. Enjoy! Tom