Symphony stop in Naples Friday September 28--how to get to Herculaneum?

We have a long day in Naples 7:30AM to 8:30 PM. We've been to Pompeii, and don't want to visit the coastal towns.

Our primary interests are history and art, along with browsing markets and admiring the city bustle.

I've learned that we dock at Stazione Marittima, close to Castel Nuovo and Palazzo Reale, where we could pick up a HOHO bus to see other city sights, including Museo Archeologico Nationale and Museo Capodimonte.

We may also want to go to Herculaneum if the weather is nice. What would be the best way to get to Herculaneum? We are comfortable using public transport. Several years ago we took the train from Rome to Garibaldi Station, then changed to the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii.

Comments are welcome. How long should we allow, and should we do the ruins in the morning, then the city in the afternoon?

Thanks,

Barb

I haven't been to Herculaneum, but we're going to Naples later this year and so I've been doing some research. It sounds pretty easy. Below is what I have, probably from a Rick Steves Naples book. You might want to verify this for accuracy.

When we stopped in Sorrento previously, we took the funky Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii. It was pretty easy. Herculaneum from Naples looks even easier, or at least a shorter trip. Anyway, here's some info to get you going:

Exit small cruise terminal through little checkpoint area "Molo Angioino" with small tourist info station. Get yourself to Metro: From terminal walk from ship, through Maritime Station, across parking lot, past snack bar & into 7 lane road Via Ammiraglio Ferdinando Action. If you're heading for metro, turn right & walk 2 blocks down Via Vittorio Emanuele III to Piazza Municipio, a small 1 block plaza. Will see Metro station (Municipio). Buy your metro pass (€1,10) in little shop on Rt before heading downstairs to station. Use ticket to enter turnstiles.For Circumvesuviana commuter train, go down several floors following signage for Garibaldi. Once at correct station, take 1st subway arriving from your R & traveling to L, regardless of "next train" time shown on overhead monitor.

You'll arrive in 5-10 minutes. Follow crowds or signage to exit upstairs. You'll find yourself in a mall. Turn L & then stay to right. Ignore 1st escalator you pass on L & take 1st one on R. At top turn R & follow signs to Circumvesuviana. Buy one-way €3,30 ticket to Herculaneum. Go through turnstiles, go down stairs & wait on [i think] middle platform #3.

For Herculaneum (20 minutes), see this blog: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/mediterranean-secrets.htmlI'

As for the city itself, I understand there's a lot within walking distance from the cruise port. I'm planning to do a couple slightly unusual, or at least less common, things: There is striking art in the Toledo and Universita metro stations I want to see. I also want to look at Galleria Umberto and the Piazza del Plebiscito, both of which are close to port. If I have time, I want to take the Montesanto funicular up to San Martino for hill top views.

As to how long any of this will take me, I haven't quite figured that out yet, except that to walk to the Montesanto funicular is 27 minutes according to Google. The Piazza and Galleria are much closer. Herculaneum? Not sure how long I would need there if I decided to go, but that obviously would be the first place I'd go, since I believe in doing the farthest place first! (And yes, I'd probably do the ruins first, as I would expect more people would be there later on, especially if there's another cruise ship coming in. It's nice you have such a long day.....)

There is an underground city that sounds interesting - Sottoranea. I hear you shouldn't do it you're the least claustrophic, though!

I wanted to go to Capri, but that's likely to be out due to the time of year we go.

We have a long day in Naples 7:30AM to 8:30 PM. We've been to Pompeii, and don't want to visit the coastal towns.

 

 

 

Our primary interests are history and art, along with browsing markets and admiring the city bustle.

 

 

 

I've learned that we dock at Stazione Marittima, close to Castel Nuovo and Palazzo Reale, where we could pick up a HOHO bus to see other city sights, including Museo Archeologico Nationale and Museo Capodimonte.

 

 

 

We may also want to go to Herculaneum if the weather is nice. What would be the best way to get to Herculaneum? We are comfortable using public transport. Several years ago we took the train from Rome to Garibaldi Station, then changed to the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii.

 

 

 

Comments are welcome. How long should we allow, and should we do the ruins in the morning, then the city in the afternoon?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Barb

Get to the Metro station, very close to the port. Ask someone for directions. It drops you off right at the Museo Archeologico. We actually walked back from there to the ship quite easily! Be sure to stop for a real Pizza! Take a cab to Herculaneum....easy and cheap.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Herculeneum is easily reached by public transit.

From the cruise port you can walk (1.3 miles along a busy street but sidewalks all the way) or take a bus to the Porta Nolana Circumvesuviana train depot.

From there you can take any train headed to Sorrento or Poggiomarino to the Ercolano Scavi station (15 - 20 minutes, depending on the train).

At Ercolano Scavi it's a half-mile walk to the entrance of the ruins.

Reverse the process to return to Naples.

Once in Naples there is no need to pay for the HOHO bus. You'll get around quicker and often arrive closer using the metro.

I just read through the directions attributed to Rick Steves. Either the writer they hired for this portion of his book is new or they decided to simplify the route, forgetting to mention that there's a "better" station to get on (Porta Nolana vs. Garibaldi) and that there's a less expensive ticket to purchase. In fact, the amount they quote for the ticket is wrong.

The reason to get on at Porta Nolana is to have a change of getting a seat, by the time the train gets to Garibaldi your chances are down close to zero.

Regarding the ticket, you could do as the quote suggests and buy two different tickets, one for the bus or metro (same ticket in either case) for 1,10 euro. This is the UnicoNapoli

If you buy the tickets separately the second ticket, from Naples to Ercolano, would be the NA2 Aziendale which costs 2,20 euro.

You can also buy one ticket that covers both the metro or bus as well as the train, this is the NA2 Integrato. This ticket costs euro 2,70 but not all retailers will carry it so you may be force to buy the two different tickets.

I also question the instructions to take any train coming from the right, I admit that it has been several years since I got on the Circumvesuviana at Garibaldi so my memory could be faulty but I think the outbound trains came from the left and were headed going right.

Also, the instruction to take ANY train is WRONG. Several Circumvesuviana lines stop at Garibaldi and not all of them go through Ercolano. If you got on a train going to Baiano you could ride all the way to the end of the line and never be anywhere near Ercolano. The same is true for trains going to Ottaviano Sarno and San Giorgio.

The only lines that have a stop at Ercolano Scavi are Sorrento and Poggiomarino.

I think it would be wise to remove the entire post so that future readers don't try and follow it.

 

I think it would be wise to remove the entire post so that future readers don't try and follow it.

I suspect it is that poster's paraphrased version of Rick Steves. Nevertheless, it is less than clear (and in some cases questionable....).

Perhaps roothy can request it be removed?

Herculeneum is easily reached by public transit.

 

From the cruise port you can walk (1.3 miles along a busy street but sidewalks all the way) or take a bus to the Porta Nolana Circumvesuviana train depot.

 

From there you can take any train headed to Sorrento or Poggiomarino to the Ercolano Scavi station (15 - 20 minutes, depending on the train).

 

At Ercolano Scavi it's a half-mile walk to the entrance of the ruins. After exiting the train station, you'll see a traffic circle in front of you. Walk to it, and then walk downhill through the town on the large, major street, with the train station to your back. (Street name is Via IV Novembre.) At the bottom of the hill (about 5 blocks), you'll see in front of you the entrance for Herculaneum.

 

Reverse the process to return to Naples.

 

Once in Naples there is no need to pay for the HOHO bus. You'll get around quicker and often arrive closer using the metro.

Just to add a bit more detail, see my addition in green above...

I suspect it is that poster's paraphrased version of Rick Steves. Nevertheless, it is less than clear (and in some cases questionable....).

 

Perhaps roothy can request it be removed?

Well, I did say that the information should probably be verified, but I can ask that it be removed; no problem. Then again, there IS a little bit of other stuff in there that people might find useful, so maybe I should just leave it, as future readers will likely read the other posts, not just mine..

Rick Steves does have very specific information, which I appreciate. However, I'm sure he's not 100% correct all the time. I know that when it comes to directions for cruisers, he's not always completely on the mark. For example, I noticed he recently "updated" something regarding one city and port we'll be visiting (forget the port) that had been done the way he mentioned for many years before now. But at least he and his staff DO try to keep things accurate and up-to-date. He encourages people to report inaccuracies/updates in his books and posts information for each city in a special section of his website.

If there's an easier way to get to the Circumvesuviana train in Naples, I'm sure he'd like to know about it. As for the advice to take any train from the left or whatever it is, I found that a bit questionable myself. But when it comes to trains, I know things can change in a heartbeat, so I always check before I board any train!

eurocruiser, thanks for the (probably) better information, and I'll be looking up the Porta Nolano depot.

Thanks for the quick replies. Just from a map, I probably would have gone to Garibaldi, but I like the idea of the closer station. I remember Garibaldi was a zoo!

Should I purchase tickets ahead of time for a visit to Ercolano on a Friday morning at the end of September? I have done that for our Vatican tickets, Colosseum, Sagrada Familia, Park Guel, and the Museo Accademia in Florence.

Thanks for the help. By the way, I would love to get a REAL pizza while in Naples, but DH has Celiac, and must eat gluten free. I do have some reviews for a few locations, so we'll see how that goes. The GF crusts are much better now than before, thank goodness.

Barb

It will be easy to get tickets at Herculeneum, I wouldn't worry about getting the tickets in advance.