Today I’m on my way to Naples to visit the ruins of Pompeii, which was destroyed in 79 A.D. when Vesuvius erupted. Getting to Pompeii is straightforward enough, but finding information is not quite so easy.
My train should be departing at 09h40 from Roma Termini station. I reach the station just after 09h in the morning. As it’s Saturday, the station is not overly busy. I spend some time walking around the station, before eventually I head for the Italo Club Lounge.
The Italo Club Lounge at Termini
The Italo lounge is located one floor up from the main passenger concourse, right above the Italo ticketing desk. The lounge is empty. Shortly after I arrive, a few more passengers enter, but literally not more than a handful.
The lounge is rather nice and quiet. It’s also very clean. There is a small bar in the lounge where you can get hot and cold drinks and some snacks. I ask for a cappuccino, a sparkling water and a cornetto with chocolate. The lady working the bar asks me, “just the one?”, and then looks at me like I’m nuts when I tell her just the one will do fine.
Boarding
My train is arriving from Milano Centrale. It stops briefly at Termini before continuing to Naples. The inbound from Milan is running late. As a result, our departure is moved from 09h40 to 10h00. There is a dedicated fast track for boarding for Italo Club passengers.
The Cabin & Seat
The seats are in a 1 + 2 configuration. It’s an attractive cabin in different shades of warm, welcoming brown. The seat covers are leather. At every seat there’s a power socket as well as a video screen stored in the armrest. Although I’m not sure what’s available to watch. In the rear half of the cabin, there are three enclosed compartments with four seats each for passengers who prefer a bit of privacy.
The Crew & Service
Once the train pulls out of the station, the service begins. There is a selection of hot and cold drinks. To eat there are just small snacks on this sector, which is perfectly adequate for the time of the day. Also, the journey to Naples is only 78 minutes. I have an espresso, a sparkling water and a packet of sablés.
The time passes quickly, and we even manage to make up some of our twenty minutes delay in leaving Rome, so that by the time we pull into Napoli Centrale we’re only running nine minutes late.
Transfer in Napoli Centrale
So, to access the Pompeii excavation site, I need to change to the Napolitan suburban railways, the Linee Vesuviane. What is a bit confusing is that they depart from Napoli Garibaldi. It’s only once I reach Naples that I realise that Napoli Centrale and Napoli Garibaldi are in the same place. The former refers to the station for the mainline trains, whereas the latter is for the suburban railways. The ticket counter and access to the train are underground and signposted. Alas, Garibaldi is a bit of a hovel and a safe bet for what is undoubtedly the ugliest railway station in the northern hemisphere. And the trains that stop here are no better.
About the trains, this is something else that is not so easy to find out. Apart from the regular service to Pompeii, there is an ‘express’ train for which you need to pay a supplement. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t bother with the express, though. It’s only one minute faster and the supplement only means you’re more likely to have a place to sit.
To access the excavation site of Pompeii, I alight at Pompeii Scavi station. The journey there from Napoli Garibaldi takes 34 minutes. The route is rather ugly. However, off to my right I can see Capri, and on my left, Mount Vesuvius itself towers over the bay menacingly. The entrance to the site is opposite the station.
Conclusion
I rather enjoyed this trip on Italo from Termini to Napoli Centrale. The train was comfortable and spacious. The service wasn’t really anything to write home about, but the journey was hardly long enough for that to be an issue. The transfer to Pompeii is easy enough once you know where you’re going and what you’re doing. It’s strange that information online is scarce. As for Pompeii, it’s one of the most intriguing places I’ve ever been to and very interesting. Definitely worth a visit.
The trees at the end of each platform[is it EACH platform?] have improved the look of Roma Termini. Last time i was there an officious 20 something female police person actually prevented me from entering the Freccia lounge,with an almost balletic piece of footwork—–i wasnt wearing ‘business’ attire and couldnt be bothered to argue!
We probably wouldnt have been able to understand each other anyway—— but——my dear, the assumption!!!
Were you in shorts? Because I was just in jeans and the seemed ok with that.
Was wearing a pair of shrink to fit 501s[1947!]——- nothing offensive. she just stood there ,arms folded,impassive. Boy was i irritated!
Sounds like a mixed bag overall. Too bad the route itself on the second leg wasn’t pleasant, one of the nice things about traveling by train in Europe is the views while traveling. And you enjoyed the destination, which is what mattered.