We made our way to the train station and grabbed our 2 round trip tickets to Naples from Rome Termini station (be warned this is the expensive part, though prices vary by the train line, times, and location on the train.) With over an hour till the next train, we grabbed some breakfast and socked up at the small grocery that is in the station. (I recommend grabbing snacks, since Pompeii does have a restaurant but its really expensive. Don’t take sandwiches because they get super soggy. Fruit and Focaccia bread pizzas are prime.) The Bullet train got us there in an hour direct where we had to change trains to the Circumvasuvio line (which is down a floor  from where the log distance trains stop.Follow the signs to get to the ticket office, where for only 2.90 Euro each way you can get a round trip ticket that is valid for any time.)

Villa of the Mysteries

The train, which was 15 minutes late, was preceded by three other equally late trains, which meant many of the fellow tourists that waited to be Pompeii bound with us jumped onto trains that we are still unsure where they went. Once we figured out the board, we realised that the times being posted with the train destination were the times that the train was supposed to arrive (which is how we knew it was 15 mins late). We realised this and explained it to a family that was waiting on the platform with us and had tried getting on one of the previous trains before being told it didn’t go to Pompeii.

Once on the train, the half hour ride was crowded, but offered some amazing scenery of Vesuvius and the Island of Capri before dropping you off nearly at the gate for the site of Pompeii (which is marked Pompei Scavi, you would need to keep an eye open for it, since the stops are not announced.) For us it was pretty easy to find because that is where the entire train emptied in a flood of tourists onto the platform.

Courtyard in residence near city centre

Getting off there train, ticket offices and shops are just to the right as you get off the platform. Right away we were asked if we would want to join a group, and we thought we would just want to do an Audio guide to go at our own place and hit the places we would find most important. We bought our tickets to the site and the museum for 15 Euro, and went to look for the audio guide. In the building behind the ticket office, up a flight of stairs, is the audio guide office. The guy at the counter informed us that the audio guides were only in Finnish, and we would have to join an English speaking tour. As I turned around, I saw guidebooks. I highly recommend getting one.

The guide book, which is offered in many languages, comes with a pullout map labeled with the different attractions, which have a short paragraph that tells you about them. For 10 Euro in the guide office, this is also a wonderful souvenir.

Original door in the Villa of the Mysteries

Pompeii is big. Once you’re in the site, its almost a lot to take in. Its best to have a list of about 5 things you really would like to see, and then spend the rest of the time wandering. We had little idea where to start, but I have made a list of some key places of interest

1. Villa of the Mysteries, with a great preservation of the art on the walls and a couple bodies in the lobby.
2. Temple of Apollo, The statues and the view. You really feel like you’re in the heart of Pompeii.
3. Garden of the Fugitives, An example of how devastating the site was. (We were rained out in the late afternoon, and didn’t make it.)
4. The Brothel, which has some raunchy pictures on the wall. (When we were there they were excavating that area, and it was blocked off.)

We left early because a thunderstorm rolled in, but that turned out to be a good thing.

Tip: The train to Pompeii, and the train back to Naples from Pompeii, is usually late. If you have a return ticket, it is a good idea to look at the time table, find the train that gets you to Naples before your train to Rome, and leave a train earlier.

The site is massive. We could easily have made a weekend out of it. Wear good walking shoes, bring a water bottle, and plenty of sun screen. (Mum brought the umbrella, and she recommends it.) Also, with the enormity of the structures, I recommend a wide angle lens for photography.

A person praying