The three ways, compared
Pompeii is about 25 kilometres south of Naples, and the airport has no direct service to it. These are the realistic options.
| Route | Price | Time from the terminal | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alibus + Circumvesuviana train | about €5 + €3 per person | about 1 hour 15 minutes | Independent visitors travelling light |
| Private transfer or taxi | ask for the fixed fare before departure | 35-50 minutes | Families, groups, tight schedules, luggage |
| Guided tour with pickup | varies by operator | Half or full day | First-time visitors who want a guide and a skip-the-queue ticket |
There is also a Trenitalia option from Napoli Centrale to the Pompei station, which is useful if you are coming from Salerno or Rome, but it leaves you at the modern town's entrance rather than the one most visitors use.
The train route, step by step
This is how most independent travellers do it.
- Alibus from the airport to Piazza Garibaldi: €5 per person, about 15 minutes, buses up to every 15 minutes, first at 05:30 and last at midnight.
- Walk down inside Napoli Centrale to the Circumvesuviana level, run by EAV. Allow 10-15 minutes: the platforms are on the lower floor and signage improves the closer you get.
- Take the Naples-Sorrento line and get off at Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri. The ride is about 35 minutes, the ticket costs roughly €3 each way, and trains run about every 30 minutes.
- From the station the entrance is a two-minute walk, at Porta Marina.
Three details that save trouble:
- Type "Pompei Scavi" in your app, not "Pompei": there are two stations with similar names and different lines, and only this one is next to the ruins.
- Buy tickets before boarding, at the machines or ticket office in the station, at a tabacchi, or in the operator's app. They are not sold on the train.
- The Circumvesuviana is a commuter line. Carriages fill up, there is little space for suitcases, and strikes happen: check the day before if your plan has no slack.
Total from the terminal: about 1 hour 15 minutes and €8 per person, plus waiting time.
Transfer or taxi: faster, door to door
By road the journey is 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis from the airport work on the city's fixed fares for out-of-town destinations, Pompeii included, so ask the driver for the flat fare before you set off rather than starting the meter. A pre-booked transfer costs a similar amount to the Sorrento route and gives you a fixed price in writing, a driver who tracks your flight, and room for luggage.
It becomes the sensible choice when:
- you are three or more people, where the per-person cost lands close to the train;
- you are carrying suitcases, because the train is not designed for them;
- you have a few hours between flights and every minute counts;
- you are continuing to Sorrento or the coast after the visit, and want the driver to wait and take you on.
Guided tours: what you are paying for
Tours from Naples to Pompeii are the most searched option in English, and they solve three things at once: transport, entry and interpretation. Before booking one, check:
- Is the entrance ticket included, and is it skip-the-line?
- Where does it start? Some pick up at central hotels, not at the airport: with a morning flight you may need to reach the meeting point yourself.
- How big is the group, and is there a headset for the guide?
- How long is the visit itself? Half-day tours often give 2 hours inside, which is tight.
- Is Vesuvius included, and does that leave enough time for both?
A guide genuinely changes this site. Pompeii is 66 hectares of ruins with little signage: without a guide or a good audio guide, most visitors walk past the best parts.
The luggage problem nobody mentions
You cannot walk around Pompeii with a suitcase, and the site does not allow large bags inside. Visitors arriving straight from the airport discover this at the gate.
Your options, in order of practicality:
- Leave bags at the airport. There are luggage storage services at Naples airport, with fees of roughly €10-12 per day: check the current terms on arrival.
- Leave them at your hotel, even before check-in. Almost every property in Naples, Sorrento or Pompeii will hold luggage: ask when you book.
- Use the site's own deposit for small bags. The archaeological park has a left-luggage service at the entrances for items within its size limits, so backpacks are usually fine and cases are not.
- Take a transfer that waits, so the bags stay in the car. This is why families with luggage end up choosing a driver.
Bring only what you need inside: water, sun protection, and shoes you can walk on ancient paving in for three hours.
What the visit costs, beyond the journey
Three costs to budget, on top of the trip itself:
- The entrance ticket to the archaeological park, which changes with the type of ticket and any combined sites: check the current price on the park's official website, where you can also buy it online and skip the ticket queue.
- A guide or an audio guide. A private guide is the most expensive option and the most useful one; the official audio guide is a middle ground; a good downloaded guide is the cheapest.
- Water and food. There is a cafeteria inside, but prices are what you would expect at a major site: a filled water bottle and something in your bag makes the visit cheaper and easier. Public fountains inside the site provide drinking water.
For a couple travelling from the airport by train, a realistic half day comes to about €16 of transport for two, plus the entrance tickets, plus whatever you choose to spend on a guide.
When to go, and how long to allow
- Allow at least three hours inside the site, and half a day if you want the main villas and the amphitheatre without rushing.
- Opening hours change with the season, with shorter afternoons in winter, and the last entry is well before closing. Check the archaeological park's official website before you go.
- Buy the entrance ticket online in high season: the queue at Porta Marina is the slowest part of the day.
- Avoid the middle of the day in July and August. There is very little shade among the ruins, and heat is the reason many visits end early. Start at opening, or go late in the afternoon.
- Sundays and public holidays are busier, and some special ticket rules apply on certain days: again, check the official site.
Pompeii, Herculaneum or both
Herculaneum, on the same Circumvesuviana line at the Ercolano Scavi stop, is smaller, better preserved and far less crowded. It takes about half the time of Pompeii and is often the better choice if you only have a few hours, or if you are travelling with children.
Doing both in one day from the airport is possible but tight, especially with a flight at the end of it. If you have a full day, Pompeii in the morning and Herculaneum in the afternoon works: the same line connects them in about 20 minutes.
Vesuvius is a different trip: it needs a bus or shuttle from Pompeii or Ercolano plus a walk to the crater, and in poor weather access can close. Plan it as a separate half day rather than an add-on.
If you are flying out the same day
It can be done, with discipline. Count backwards from your flight:
- Two hours at the airport for a European flight, three for long-haul;
- 1 hour 15 minutes to get back by train, or 35-50 minutes by car with traffic already budgeted;
- three hours inside the site.
That means a visit starting at 09:00 for a flight at about 17:00. Anything tighter and you will be watching the clock instead of the frescoes. Remember too that the terminal closes at 22:30, so a late return that assumes waiting inside the airport will not work: the rules are in our Naples airport guide.
Combining Pompeii with the rest of the trip
Pompeii sits on the line between Naples and Sorrento, so it fits naturally into a journey south: stop for the morning, then carry on to the coast in the afternoon. All the options for that leg, including the direct coach and transfer prices, are in Naples airport to Sorrento, and the routes down to Positano and Amalfi are in Naples airport to Positano and the Amalfi Coast.
If you run a transfer service, a guesthouse or a car park around the airport and want to appear on these pages, see the partner page.
What to wear and take with you
Small practical details that decide how the visit goes:
- Shoes with a solid sole. The streets are original Roman paving: uneven stones, high kerbs and deep cart ruts. Sandals and smooth soles are the most common regret.
- A hat and sun protection from May to September, because shade is rare and the site is open ground.
- A refillable bottle, filled at the drinking fountains inside.
- A small backpack rather than a shoulder bag, since you will be walking for hours.
- A downloaded map or guide, because mobile signal inside the site is patchy and you do not want to rely on it.
With children, plan half of what you would do alone and pick two or three set pieces, for example the forum, the amphitheatre and one villa: it is a long walk in the open for short legs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Naples airport to Pompeii by public transport?
Take the Alibus to Piazza Garibaldi (€5, about 15 minutes), then the Circumvesuviana line towards Sorrento to Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri (about €3, roughly 35 minutes). The entrance is two minutes from the station.
How long does it take to get from Naples airport to Pompeii?
About 1 hour 15 minutes by public transport including the change, and 35 to 50 minutes by car or transfer depending on traffic.
Which station do I need for the ruins?
Pompei Scavi - Villa dei Misteri, on the Circumvesuviana Naples-Sorrento line. Do not search simply for "Pompei": a different station with a similar name serves the modern town.
How much is a taxi from Naples airport to Pompeii?
Taxis apply the city's fixed out-of-town fares, and Pompeii is one of the listed destinations: ask the driver for the flat fare before departure and keep the receipt.
Can I take my suitcase into Pompeii?
No. Large bags are not allowed inside the site. Leave them in the airport luggage storage at roughly €10-12 a day, at your hotel, or in the car if you have booked a transfer that waits.
Is a guided tour worth it?
For a first visit, usually yes: the site is enormous and poorly signposted, and a guide or a good audio guide is what turns a walk among stones into a visit. Check whether the entrance ticket is included.
Can I visit Pompeii and Herculaneum in the same day?
Yes, if you start early. Herculaneum is smaller and takes about half the time, and the same train line connects the two in around 20 minutes.
Can I visit Pompeii on the day I fly out?
Only with a flight in the late afternoon or evening. Allow three hours inside, over an hour to get back, and two to three hours at the airport before departure.
Page updated on 18 settembre 2026. Fares and timetables change: always double-check on the official channels before you travel.