Salerno to Pasteum on Our Own

[Cruisepm]

We will be arriving at the Salerno Port on the Celebrity Constellation in May. My husband and I would like to go to Pasteum on our own.

1) Can anyone give us detailed instructions on how to get from the port to the

train station and then to Pasteum?

2) How long should we allow to quickly go through the Museum?

3) Can anyone recommend a guide for the Pasteum site? I know there is a list of

guides on the museum website but I would prefer a personal

recommendation.

4) Are there stands along the way from the train station where we could sample

the buffalo mozzarella?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

[euro cruiser]

You can get to Paestum by either bus or train. There are two bus lines to choose from, CSTP or Giuliano, and they both depart from Piazza Concordia, which is a one mile walk along the waterfront from the cruise port (Molo Manfredi). The price and ticket are the same for each bus (as well as for the train - €2,70 each way) so it's just a matter of which one has the most convenient time for you. There is a public bus you can use to travel from the cruise port to Piazza Concordia but unless it's pulling up just as you arrive you can walk it faster.

 

The train station, Salerno Centrale, is another couple of blocks from Piazza Concordia (the address of the train station is Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 1, 84123 Salerno SA, Italy, if you want to make a google map). There are four trains each morning, at 7:36, 8:06, 8:41, and 9:37. From the train station to the museum and ruins is an easy half mile walk. If you go by train be sure to purchase your return ticket at Salerno because the station at Paestum is unmanned and there are frequent reports of broken ticket machines there.

 

CSTP timetable: http://www.cstp.it/orarioasp/extraunico.asp?numero=34&direzione=ritorno

 

Giuliano timetable: http://www.giulianobus.com/autolinee.html

Edited February 19, 2016 by euro cruiser

[euro cruiser]

I suppose you could blow through the museum in a half hour, if you want to. We actually intended to do just that but would up spending more like an hour and a half there because it was so interesting.

 

I don't know of any stands offering mozzarella but I suppose anything is possible. I've been to one of the larger farms in the area, Tenuta Vannulo, but that's two and a half miles north of the ruins and we had a car.

[cruisemom42]

I can't add much to euro cruiser's excellent logistical info, but I can add that there is a nice restaurant located on the site of the main temple ruins at Paestum (with views):

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g194845-d1823701-Reviews-Ristorante_Nettuno-Paestum_Capaccio_Paestum_Province_of_Salerno_Campania.html

 

I know they serve buffalo mozzarella there. It's a nice place to eat, if not overrun with bus groups.

 

There are also a few small stalls near the car park area that sell some food, pannini & such, if you want more of a lunch "on the go". I don't recall seeing any buffalo mozzarella though.

 

I would allow a minimum of an hour for the museum, more if you are interested in history. Don't miss the very famous painted frescoes from Greek tombs (Greek frescoes are rare compared with Roman ones), especially the Diver Tomb:

 

https://followinghadrian.com/2014/07/15/the-painted-tombs-of-paestum/

[Hlitner]

We would add that another way to get to Paestum (and other places) is to simply rent a car. Avis, Europcar and Sixt all have locations within walking distance of the port. Driving in this part of Italy is pretty easy (mostly rural 2 lane roads once you get out of Salerno) and we really enjoyed the drive along the coast...when we could stop wherever (and whenever) we pleased.

 

Hank

[cos24]

WE WERE ON A CELEBRITY CRUISE LAST YEAR AND DID WHAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO DO...SALERNO TO PASTEUM BY TRAIN... EASY PROCESS... WHEN YOU GET OFF THE TRAIN PREPARE TO WALK FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES DOWN A FAIRLY UNINHABITED, BUT SCENIC ROAD TO TO/FROM THE RUINS. IF YOU WALK TOWARD THE BEACH (MAYBE ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY - GOOGLE MAP IT)... THERE IS A FANTASTIC BUFFALO FARM. WE BOUGHT SOME CHEESE AND ATE IT ON THE BEAUTIFUL BEACH then walked the mile or so back to the train stop. VERY impressive ruins - you won't be disappointed.