Pompeii

Pompeii is about 25 km north-east of Sorrento in Campania, Italy, and the Circumvesuviana (EAV) Naples-bound train is the recommended transport. The ride to Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri takes about 35-40 minutes and costs roughly EUR 3.30-4 one way, with trains about every 30 minutes from 05:30. Visitors should not get off at Pompei Santuario unless heading to the Sanctuary. The Porta Marina entrance is a short walk from the platform, and a second entrance sits at Piazza Anfiteatro. The Parco Archeologico di Pompei preserves the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD, with paved streets, bakeries, taverns, the Forum, the amphitheatre, the Lupanar, and houses such as the Villa dei Misteri with its frescoes. The site is large and has almost no shade, so a plan of 3-4 hours on foot at minimum is realistic, which is why the trip is rated moderate. A workable day arc starts with arrival at opening (09:00 from 1 April to 31 October, last entry 17:30; 09:00-17:00 with last entry 15:30 from November to March). The morning covers the Forum, the Basilica, the Temple of Apollo and the main streets, when light and temperatures are best. Midday is for a break at the cafeteria or in the modern town, and the afternoon suits the amphitheatre, the Large Theatre and the outlying villas. The ordinary ticket is about EUR 20 from January 2026, with an integrated multi-park ticket at about EUR 25 and a small online booking fee. Under-18s enter free, and entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, when queues are heavy. Booking a timed ticket at pompeiisites.org skips the line. The best season is April-June and September-October. Summer visits need water, a hat and sunscreen. Food options are limited inside the park, so visitors often bring a snack and eat in the restaurants of modern Pompei outside the Porta Marina gate. A taxi from Sorrento takes about 40 minutes at an agreed price, but the train is faster and cheaper. The last train back to Sorrento should be checked at the station before the afternoon.