For most visitors coming from Naples, get off at Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri on the Circumvesuviana’s main coastal line. It sits a couple of minutes on foot from the main western entrance, the gate most people use to start a visit to Pompeii. If you plan to begin at the Amphitheater gate on the eastern side, Santuario station on the Poggiomarino line or the state railway station called simply Pompei are both about ten minutes’ walk away.
So there is no single station for Pompeii. Three stops serve the Pompeii ruins, they belong to two different rail companies, and the spelling is your first clue: the modern town and its stations use Pompei with a single final “i”, while the ancient city is normally written Pompeii in English.
Which Pompeii stop should you choose?
| Park entrance | Best stop | Operator and route | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porta Marina | Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri | EAV, coastal line | Most visitors from Naples or the coast |
| Esedra (Porta Marina Inferiore) | Same stop, Villa dei Misteri | EAV, coastal line | The Antiquarium and the western side of the site |
| Anfiteatro | Santuario | EAV, Poggiomarino line | The amphitheater and eastern Pompeii |
| Anfiteatro | Pompei | State railway (FS), Naples to Salerno | Arrivals from Salerno or from Rome via Naples |
The Pompeii park itself recommends the coastal service for the two western gates and the Poggiomarino branch for the Amphitheater gate, and lists the state railway station as another option. Check its official transport information before you travel, since engineering works and replacement buses are not unusual on these lines.
Villa dei Misteri: the stop for most Pompeii visitors
This is the Pompeii Scavi station most first-time visitors are looking for. It is an EAV station on the Naples coastal route everyone calls the Circumvesuviana, and it sits right beside the western end of the archaeological area.
Leave the platform, cross the road and follow brown signs for Scavi di Pompei along Via Villa dei Misteri. The walk takes only a couple of minutes, so you need no bus, taxi or transfer.
The western gate is the natural start if your priorities are the Forum, the Basilica, the Temple of Venus and the western half of the ancient city. It is also the obvious choice when a guided tour voucher names a meeting point on Via Villa dei Misteri.
Coming from the Sorrento coast
The same service runs direct from Sorrento in roughly 30 to 35 minutes, so this station is also the simple option from the peninsula. Santuario station is on a different branch and needs a change.
The Esedra gate uses the same Pompeii stop
The Esedra entrance, also called Porta Marina Inferiore, is close to the main western gate but is separate. Get off at Villa dei Misteri station and then follow signs specifically for Esedra. It is a little farther from the platform but still on the western side of the Pompeii ruins.
This gate is useful if you want to start with the Antiquarium museum, which the park recommends reaching from here. It can also be the right entrance when a pre-booked tour or group names Esedra as its meeting point, so check the entrance printed on your booking rather than joining the first line you see.
Santuario: the eastern Pompeii stop on the Poggiomarino branch
Santuario station belongs to EAV’s Napoli to Torre Annunziata to Poggiomarino route. It is a different service from the coastal line, and the two branches split at Torre Annunziata.
From the platform, head toward the modern town center and Piazza Bartolo Longo, where the large Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary is an easy landmark. Continue along Via Roma to the Amphitheater entrance at Piazza Immacolata. It is roughly 600 to 700 meters, so allow around ten minutes at an ordinary pace through the modern city.
This gate puts you beside Pompeii’s amphitheater, the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater, and close to the Great Palaestra and the eastern end of Via dell’Abbondanza. Choose it if those are your priorities or if you prefer to cross the ancient city from east to west. EAV publishes current train times for both branches, which run on separate schedules.
Pompei on the state railway: the FS option for Pompeii
The stop shown simply as Pompei is not the Circumvesuviana station beside the western gate. It is a national rail station on the Naples to Salerno corridor, served by regional services and sitting in the modern town.
From here the Amphitheater gate is roughly a ten-minute walk. That makes it a sensible choice if you are arriving from Salerno or already hold national rail tickets. There is little point in an extra change purely to reach the western EAV station when the eastern gate suits your visit.
Pompeii from Rome
There is no daily high-speed service to Pompeii. The usual route from Rome to Pompeii is a Frecciarossa or Italo train to Napoli Centrale, about an hour and ten minutes, then the Circumvesuviana from the underground Garibaldi platforms in the same complex. A single direct Frecciarossa from Roma Termini to Pompei has run on some Sundays, but check the current timetable before planning around it. Our Rome to Pompeii day-trip guide covers the full route from Rome, including timings.
The confusing “Pompei Scavi” result in national rail apps
Rail apps sometimes offer “Pompei Scavi” as a destination for a combined train-plus-bus product, Pompei Link. That does not mean state railway services run to the EAV Villa dei Misteri station: the journey ends at Pompei station and a connecting bus covers the last stretch. If you buy that combination, follow the bus instructions on the booking rather than looking for Circumvesuviana platforms.
Pompeii journey times at a glance
- Naples (Porta Nolana or Garibaldi) to Pompeii, Villa dei Misteri: 35 to 40 minutes on the Circumvesuviana, around €3.30.
- Napoli Centrale to Pompei by regional train: roughly 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the service.
- Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi) to Pompeii: about 20 minutes on the same Circumvesuviana route, which makes it easy to combine both sites in a day from Naples.
- Salerno to Pompei: around half an hour to 40 minutes by regional train.
- Rome to Pompeii: allow about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, including the high-speed run to Naples and the change in the city.
Allow extra time in Naples for the walk from the high-speed platforms at Napoli Centrale down to the Circumvesuviana, and for lines at the ticket machines in summer. The gap between connections matters more than the ride itself when you have a timed Pompeii entry slot.
Getting to Pompeii from Naples or Salerno
From Naples: choose according to your entrance. Take the coastal line from Porta Nolana or Napoli Garibaldi in central Naples (directly beneath Napoli Centrale) for the western gates, a journey of around 35 to 40 minutes. Take the Poggiomarino branch for Santuario station, or a regional train from Napoli Centrale to Pompei for the eastern gate. Naples trains on the Circumvesuviana run roughly every half hour through the day.
From the peninsula: stay on the direct service to Villa dei Misteri and enter on the western side.
From Salerno: Pompei on the state railway is the logical train station. Walk from there to the Amphitheater gate rather than traveling past the town and doubling back.
From Rome: take a high-speed train to Naples and change, as above. If Pompeii is one stop in a longer rail trip, you can also organize the rest of your Italy route around the station that keeps the fewest changes.
Campania Express: suspended for now
EAV’s Campania Express, the limited-stop tourist train between Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento with reserved seating, ran from late March to the end of September 2026 and has been suspended from 1 October “until further notice”. Tickets for later dates are being refunded through EAV. For now, use the ordinary Circumvesuviana service from Naples to Pompeii.
Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day
Because both sites sit on the same Circumvesuviana line from Naples, many people combine them. Start early at Pompeii, which is larger and gets hotter around midday, then ride about 20 minutes back toward Naples to Ercolano Scavi, a ten-minute walk downhill from the Herculaneum site. Get separate Pompeii and Herculaneum entry tickets, and keep a separate EAV ticket for each journey or use the same contactless card for every tap. Check the last-entry time at Herculaneum before you leave Pompeii, and leave yourself time for the final train back to the city.
If you are traveling with bags, leave them in Naples, near the Napoli Centrale train station, rather than carrying luggage around both sites, and collect them on your way back into the city.
Pompeii tickets: EAV and national rail are separate
Pay attention to the operator name when you buy. EAV runs the Vesuvian routes through Villa dei Misteri and Santuario; the state railway serves Pompei station. A ticket from one company does not cover the other unless it explicitly says it is an integrated journey.
- EAV tickets: a single from Naples to the Pompeii ruins costs a few euros (around €3.30 from Napoli Garibaldi). Buy it at the station ticket office or machine, or as a QR ticket in the GoEav app.
- Contactless Tap&Go: on the coastal line you can tap a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, or a phone wallet, at the gates. Tap in and tap out with the same card, or you are charged the maximum fare.
- Paper tickets: validate them in the machine before boarding. Inspectors do check, and fines start at around €50.
- National rail tickets: regional journeys from Naples or Salerno to Pompei can be bought in the app, online or at machines, and should be kept until you leave the station.
Pompeii park tickets and opening times
Buy your Pompeii entry ticket before you board the train in Naples or Rome. Since January 2026 the park sells timed, named tickets with a daily cap of 20,000 visitors, starting at €20 for the ancient city of Pompeii alone (Pompeii Express), with dearer combined tickets that add the suburban villas, Oplontis and Stabiae. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month. Official tickets are sold through the park’s Vivaticket booking site.
From 15 October to 15 March the site opens 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 15:30; from 16 March to 14 October it stays open until 19:00, last entry 17:30. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January. Check the official opening and last-entry times before you board, because a train that runs perfectly on time can still get you there too late to enter.
Pompeii with luggage: pick your entrance carefully
The park does not allow bags, backpacks or suitcases larger than 30 x 30 x 15 cm inside the excavations. Paid luggage storage is available at the main western gate and at the Amphitheater gate, but not at Esedra.
That means anyone arriving at Villa dei Misteri with a suitcase should leave it at the main western gate rather than walking straight to Esedra. Arriving at Santuario or Pompei with luggage makes the Amphitheater gate the natural choice. Remember where you left the bag: Pompeii is big enough that finishing at the opposite gate turns collection into an unwanted walk around the perimeter.
Pompeii with a wheelchair or stroller
The nearest stop is not automatically the easiest. The park’s Pompeii for All accessible route begins at the Amphitheater gate, which makes the eastern side particularly useful for people with reduced mobility and for families with strollers.
Villa dei Misteri currently has an important restriction: arrival from Naples on a southbound train is possible using the ramp-equipped platform, but EAV states that wheelchair users cannot board a Naples-bound train directly there. Check EAV’s current accessibility instructions before relying on that stop.
The national rail station at Pompei has step-free routes, elevators for platforms 2 and 3 and assistance on request, so for some wheelchair users a regional train from Naples or Salerno followed by the Amphitheater gate is simpler than the physically closest stop.
Common Pompeii mistakes
- Getting off at Pompei instead of Villa dei Misteri: you are not stranded, just in the modern town, a short walk from ancient Pompeii. Walk ten minutes to the Amphitheater gate.
- Assuming Santuario is on the coastal route: it is on the Poggiomarino branch.
- Following “Scavi” without checking the operator: EAV’s stop and the national rail train-plus-bus product appear under very similar names.
- Choosing a gate before reading your tour voucher: meeting points can be at any of the three entrances.
- Leaving by the wrong side: if your return train is from Villa dei Misteri, finishing at the Amphitheater leaves you on the opposite side of the Pompeii ruins, and vice versa.
Plan your Pompeii exit before you enter
Pompeii’s three gates are spread along different sides of a very large area, so your return train should shape the last part of your walk. If you need the coastal route back to Naples, work back toward the western gate of Pompeii. If you came by regional train to Pompei, finish near the amphitheater, which is also the better side for regional connections toward Salerno or Napoli Centrale. Entering on one side and leaving by the other avoids backtracking, as long as you decide before leaving luggage or arranging to meet someone at a particular station.
Pompeii FAQ
How do you get to Pompeii?
From Naples, take the Circumvesuviana train from Porta Nolana or Garibaldi to Villa dei Misteri station, about 35 to 40 minutes. From Sorrento, take the same service in the other direction. From Salerno, take a regional train to Pompei.
How do I get from Napoli Centrale to Pompeii?
Follow signs inside Napoli Centrale to the Circumvesuviana Garibaldi platforms underneath, buy an EAV ticket or tap a contactless card, and board a train toward the coast. Alternatively, take a regional train from the main platforms to Pompei.
Which stop is nearest the ruins?
Villa dei Misteri, a couple of minutes from the western entrance. For the Amphitheater gate, Santuario and Pompei are both about ten minutes away.
Is a day trip to Pompeii from Rome worth it?
Yes, if you leave Rome early. Pompeii is the most rewarding day trip from the capital for many visitors, but it is a long day. Allow about three hours each way door to door, including the change in Naples, and three to four hours inside. Booking a timed entry slot that matches your train makes the day much smoother.
Where do high-speed services to Naples leave from?
Roma Termini is the main departure point in Rome for high-speed services to Naples, with some also calling at Roma Tiburtina.
Is the Campania Express running?
Not at the moment. EAV suspended it from 1 October 2026 until further notice, so use the regular Circumvesuviana trains.