Planning Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

Campania brings together three very different journeys: Naples and its restless urban energy, the resorts and islands devoted to leisure, and the ancient sites around Vesuvius. A week can sample each experience. With fewer days, choose a city-and-ruins plan or a coast-and-islands plan instead of trying to touch every famous name.

Use Pompeii, Vesuvius and Capri for the detailed archaeological and island logistics. The Naples and the Amalfi Coast overview keeps the full regional route in view, including Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

Plan the region before you arrive

Campania has three different rhythms: Naples is an intense city best understood over at least two days; the islands and coastal resorts are for slowing down; and Pompeii and Vesuvius turn the ancient landscape into a full-day archaeological outing. With a week, you can combine all three. With fewer days, choose a city-and-ruins trip or a coast-and-islands trip instead of trying to touch every famous name.

Arriving by rail and road

Rome and Naples are linked by frequent Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains, which take a little more than an hour. Intercity services take about two hours. By car, the A1 Autostrada del Sole connects the two cities in a little over two hours in good traffic. The A3 continues south from Naples: use the Pompei exit for Pompeii, Portici-Ercolano for Vesuvius, and Castellammare di Stabia for the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast.

Getting here and around

Boats from Naples

Hydrofoils and other fast passenger craft for Capri leave from Molo Beverello beside Piazza Municipio. Some high-season departures also use Mergellina, about 1.5 km west of the square. Slower car ferries leave from Calata Porta di Massa, a ten-minute walk or a three-minute shuttle ride east of Beverello. Caremar, Navigazione Libera del Golfo and SNAV publish their own timetables. Sailings increase from April through October, but check again before leaving because storms can change the service.

Buses, local trains and taxis

The Sita Sud network reaches towns across Campania, although its information can take patience to decode. The suburban Circumvesuviana leaves from Porta Nolana and Napoli Centrale for Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento; Naples to Sorrento takes about 75 minutes. For journeys that combine a city bus, metro or tram with the regional train, ask for a biglietto integrato. The integrated fares listed here are €3.10 to Herculaneum, €4.10 to Pompeii and €5.80 to Sorrento, each €0.50 above the corresponding direct ticket, while the journey can include the connecting urban leg. UnicoCampania also supports bank-card Tap and Go travel.

Driving the coast

A car is optional in this region and often a burden. Naples traffic bottlenecks around its motorized arteries, Capri does not admit visitors' cars except in winter, and parking in the coastal towns is scarce and expensive. The Sorrento Peninsula and Amalfi road are narrow and winding, even when the views are superb. If you drive into Naples, choose a garage and leave the car there for the stay; street parking carries a theft risk. A direct provider is Garage Petraglia.

• ✦Use Naples as a city base for at least two nights if you want to feel its historic centre rather than only pass through the station.
• ✦Use Sorrento when you want a central base for Pompeii, Capri and the coast, accepting that it is less spectacular than Positano or Capri.
• ✦Stay on the coast or an island when the purpose of the trip is leisure; high-season rooms fill quickly, and some meal-serving hotels require half board in summer.
• ✦Keep boat plans flexible in rough weather and verify the last return sailing before setting out for an island.

Hydrofoils and other fast passenger craft for Capri leave from Molo Beverello beside Piazza Municipio. In high season some departures also use Mergellina, about 1.5 km west of the square. The slower ferries carrying cars use Calata Porta di Massa, a ten-minute walk or a three-minute shuttle ride east of Beverello. Caremar, Navigazione Libera del Golfo and SNAV publish departure information, and the local newspaper Il Mattino also prints daily sailings. Check again in stormy weather, because sea conditions can change the schedule.

Buses across Campania

The regional Sita Sud network reaches towns across Campania, but its timetable information can take patience to decode. Buses are essential on parts of the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula, where rail service does not reach the cliff towns. Allow for traffic, queues and the slower pace of roads that serve several villages in one run.

Driving and parking

A car is optional and often a burden. Naples has extensive pedestrian areas, motorized arteries bottleneck in high season, Capri does not admit visitors' cars except in winter, and parking in the coastal towns is scarce and expensive. The Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast have narrow, twisting roads with superb views. If you drive into Naples, agree on a rate at a garage and leave the car there for the stay; street parking carries a theft risk. Garage Petraglia is one option.

The A1, known as the Autostrada del Sole, links Naples with Rome and the rest of Campania. In good traffic, Rome to Naples takes roughly two hours. The A3 continues south from Naples: use the marked Pompei exit for the ruins, Portici-Ercolano for Vesuvius, and Castellammare di Stabia to reach the Sorrento Peninsula and Amalfi Coast.

Taxis and airport fares

Taxi ranks stand outside Piazza Garibaldi station, Molo Beverello and other city points. You can hail a taxi, but Taxi Napoli or a hotel booking is more dependable. At the airport, railway station and hydrofoil marina, ask for tariffa predeterminata before setting off. The fixed airport fare to the central station is €21, or €24 to the port area, and covers up to three people and their baggage. City Airport Taxis offers a private service.

Trains and integrated tickets

Up to five trains an hour connect Rome and Naples. Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains take just over an hour, while Intercity services take about two hours. All trains arrive at the refurbished but busy Napoli Centrale; Trenitalia and Italo publish the long-distance schedules.

The suburban Circumvesuviana leaves from Porta Nolana, calls at Napoli Centrale and continues south, serving Herculaneum, Pompeii, then Sorrento. Naples to Sorrento takes about 75 minutes. For a journey that includes a city metro, tram or bus leg, request the integrated ticket. It costs €3.10 to Herculaneum, €4.10 to Pompeii and €5.80 to Sorrento, each €0.50 above the corresponding direct ticket, and covers the connecting urban ride. UnicoCampania also supports Tap and Go bank-card travel.

Choose the right base and pace

Naples needs at least two days

Pompeii is the simplest part of Campania to plan as a day trip. Naples needs a minimum two-day stay to make sense of the historic center, churches, museums, food and waterfront. The main station can feel abrupt on arrival, but the city grows more legible as you walk, eat and interact with its neighborhoods.

Use Sorrento as a practical base

Sorrento is less dramatic than Positano or Capri, but its central position makes it useful for combining Pompeii, Capri and the coast. Stay in Naples when the city itself is the priority. Choose Sorrento when rail, hydrofoil and bus connections matter more than sleeping in the middle of the most spectacular scenery. For a coast-and-islands holiday, stay on the coast or an island and allow the place to set the pace.

Reserve rooms and check meal plans

Busy months consume rooms in every price category, so arrange accommodation long before arrival. On coastal and island properties, summer meal service may be tied to a half-board booking. Confirm whether the room rate includes breakfast, parking, transfers or a boat service before comparing properties.

Discounts and a final route check

State-run museums, monuments and archaeological sites are free on the first Sunday of each month. That can reduce the cost of a multi-sight day, but it is not a quiet time to visit. For a longer stay, Campania Artecard covers about four dozen museums and monuments in Naples and beyond, with combinations of free entry, reduced admission and public transport. Benefits can also include discounts on audio guides, theatre tickets, city tours and other activities, depending on the card.

• ✦Reserve Pompeii, the Sansevero Chapel, Capri ferries and the Blue Grotto before the high season if your dates are fixed.
• ✦Check the official museum or park site for closing days before arranging a route around a single attraction.
• ✦Keep a paper or offline copy of ferry, bus and train details; coastal mobile coverage and timetable information can be uneven.
• ✦Ask hotels on the coast about half board in summer, and confirm whether a room rate includes breakfast, parking, transfers or a boat service.
• ✦Build a weather buffer into every island or summit plan: rough water closes the Grotta Azzurra and chairlift, while cloud can hide Vesuvius and the coast.

Discounts and passes

Government-run museums, monuments and archaeological sites offer free entry on the month's first Sunday. This can reduce the cost of a multi-sight day, but it is not the quietest time to visit. The Campania Artecard app combines free or reduced admission with different transport benefits, depending on the pass.

The app-based Naples Pass is a separate product. It combines selected admissions, tours and discounts, with transport and options such as the Vesuvius Express trip available as additions. The three-day Naples Pass starts at €37 and the seven-day Region Area Pass at €99. Compare the current conditions at Naples Pass and Campania Artecard before buying.

Food planning for Campania

Naples is the birthplace of pizza and has a pizzeria for almost every mood. Da Michele and Sorbillo are among the best-known names, but a local neighborhood pizzeria can be just as rewarding. Lunch is often the larger meal, followed by pizza in the evening. On Capri, Ischia, Procida and the Amalfi Coast, menus lean towards seafood, handmade scialatielli and paccheri with clams, mussels, octopus, squid and the fresh catch of the season. Cetara is especially associated with anchovies.

Plan around reservations and weather

• ✦Reserve Pompeii, the Sansevero Chapel, Capri ferries and the Blue Grotto before high season when your dates are fixed.
• ✦Check the official museum or park website for closing days before building a route around one attraction.
• ✦Keep paper or offline copies of ferry, bus and train details because coastal mobile coverage and timetable information can be uneven.
• ✦Build a weather buffer into every island or summit plan. Rough water can close the Grotta Azzurra, while cloud can hide Vesuvius and the coast.
• ✦Leave time for the return journey. The last island sailing can matter more than the distance between two towns, and summer traffic can turn a short coastal transfer into the main event of the day.

When to go and plan for closures

Naples and Salerno work year-round, but islands and coastal resorts change sharply with the season. June to August brings the fullest ferries, highest prices and busiest roads; August can also bring closures at restaurants, hotels and sights. May and September are usually better choices for the Amalfi Coast when you want open services, more manageable crowds and a chance of good weather. From late autumn through winter, Sorrento remains active, while smaller resorts may reduce boats, buses and meal service.

Naples International Airport is about 7 km from the centre. Airport buses connect it with Napoli Centrale and the port, where ferries leave for the islands and some coastal cities. Leave extra time for the transfer when a boat or train is already booked, and check the airport and transport operator on the day rather than relying on an old timetable.

Families, access and safety

Campania can be excellent with children because volcanoes, catacombs, ruins, beaches and pizza keep the subject matter varied. The trade-off is uneven ground, stairs, crowded buses and exposed heat. At Pompeii, start at the amphitheatre entrance when possible and shorten the route rather than promising the whole park. Herculaneum is more compact, but every archaeological site has its own surfaces and facilities, so contact the official ticket office about mobility, toilets, shade and stroller access before booking.

Keep valuables out of sight in crowded stations and on regional transport, use protected parking, confirm guide and taxi prices before departure, and avoid entering restricted volcanic or marine areas. Pharmacies are a useful first stop for minor problems; for an ambulance call 118. The protected-water guidance in the Campania outdoors guide applies to Baia, Gaiola, Punta Campanella and other marine reserves.

Travel the coast without adding pressure

The most visited coastal towns are not simply crowded for a few summer hours. Housing, water, transport and medical services also have to support residents, and some small towns close or reduce service outside the main season. If you want a quieter day, visit Ravello early, Positano later in the afternoon after many day tours leave, or base yourself in a larger town such as Vico Equense or Vietri sul Mare. Book locally, follow guides who know the territory, ask before photographing homes and people, and treat the coast as a community rather than a collection of hidden gems.

Tours from Naples

• ✦City Sightseeing Naples - two double-decker excursions cover downtown and outlying sights such as Museo di Capodimonte. The €26 ticket is valid for 24 hours and allows boarding at any stop; a Pompeii shuttle is also available. The terminal is next to Castel Nuovo at Piazza Municipio; phones 081/5517279and 335/7803812.
• ✦Lino Tour - tailor-made tours of Naples and its surroundings. Naples; phone 081/8772244.