Sorrento Circumvesuviana Train

The Circumvesuviana is the regional railroad that serves the area around Vesuvio.  The Naples - Sorrento line goes between Porta Nolana station, on Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi in Naples and the Sorrento station, at Piazza Giovanni Battista de Curtis.  Along the way there are stops at Pompei and Ercolano, among other towns. 

It takes a little over an hour to travel by Circumvesuviana between Naples and Sorrento.  From Sorrento to Pompei by train takes a half hour and the train station is just steps from the Porta Marina entrance to the site.

The train runs primarily above ground, although the stations in Naples (Porta Nolana and Garibaldi) are below street level.  The inside of the train is more like an old subway car than a commuter train:

Pretty it is not, but it is easy and efficient.

Tickets for the Circumvesuviana, as well as most other public transit in the region, are produced by UnicoCampania, a consortium of several transit companies.  The price of the ticket depends on the distance traveled as well as time.

For example, if you are traveling only within the city of Sorrento the ticket you need is an E1.  The price of  an hourly E1 is €1,20, and all-day E1 is €3,60.

This is an E8 rather than an E1, but you get the idea

From Sorrento to Pompei requires an E3 ticket, which costs €2,10 for an hourly ticket or €6,30 for a daily ticket.

From Sorrento to Naples requires a U5 ticket, which costs €4,00 for one hour or €12,00 for the day.  For those who travel into Naples for the day, this ticket will also cover all public transit within the city of Naples.

All tickets absolutely MUST be validated.  You do this by stamping the ticket in a small machine, which is either in the car or, in the case of a train station, in the turnstile as you enter. 

With an all day ticket, you stamp it once (the first time you use public transit with the ticket) and then put it away.  You may be asked to produce it by one of the conductors; if you do not have a valid, stamped ticket on your person you will immediately be slapped with a significant fine.

You can read more about the Circumvesuviana and see the schedules on their web site here.

You can read more about UnicoCampania and the ticket fares here.