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How to take a rail journey from Rome/Roma to Napoli/Naples
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Roma / Rome to Napoli / Naples by train
The 'Frecce' trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed route between Roma and Napoli, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below; and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.
However, some trains from Roma to Napoli still take the older 'classic' route, so they're slower, because they don't travel at high speed and also make more station calls
If ticket price and not speed is your key criteria, you can usually save money by taking these trains and they're a cheaper option for rail pass users, but they are not as frequent as the high speed services.
From Rome to the Pompeii ruins or Sorrento by train:
It's a straightforward journey from Rome to Pompeii or Sorrento by train and you can avoid the Neapolitan traffic.
The first step is to take a train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale and it's worth taking the high speed trains; as they will save you more than two hours of travel time.
Napoli Centrale station is linked by a passage way to Napoli Garibaldi station, which has departures to both Pompei Scavi (the nearest station to the ruins) and Sorrento by Circumvesuviana trains.
It's not a particularly complicated interchange, but you will need to purchase tickets for the Circumvesuviana trains on arrival in Napoli.
The journey time from Napoli to Sorrento is around 1hr 5 mins, and to Pompeii S. Villa Misteri by Circumvesuviana trains takes only around 35 mins.
Check the Napoli Centrale station guide for more info.
Routes you can take to go from Roma / Rome to Napoli / Naples
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the high speed Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 7min - 1hr 12min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
From 09:00:
2* - 4 x trains per hour
*= on Saturday and Sunday afternoons there is only departure in some hours.
Because most of these trains are on route to Napoli from cities to the north of Roma, the first departure of the day on Sunday is at 09:54.
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli or Salerno or Taranto or Reggio di Calabria
A few departures per day are by Frecciargento trains, but the Frecciarossa 1000 and Frecciarossa 500 trains are used on most departures.
Most of these Frecce trains are non-stop between central Rome and central Naples and they all travel at more than 275 km/h for most of the journey.
The Rome to Naples high speed line isn't particularly scenic, what gives this journey wow factors are the rather fabulous trains and the travelling at up to 290 km/h for the majority of the journey.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Some of these trains also call at: Napoli Afragola
If you're heading to Napoli/Naples city centre, then book tickets to Napoli Centrale station, also take care not to leave the train when it calls at Napoli Afragola if you are heading to Napoli Centrale, the station call after Afragola is Centrale.
Tickets
*Save by booking in advance: Yes, for more details on how to obtain the cheapest prices for Frecce trains see the guide to Italian rail tickets.
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date; though the booking period will be typically be shorter when looking up journeys for travel after the second Sunday in December.
The high speed train (AV) service between Roma and Napoli is provided by:
(1) these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and
(2) alternative Italo trains
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale up to 6 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are typically made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
So, if you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on with Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Alternative money saving options:
You can usually save money by avoiding the high speed trains when travelling from Rome to Napoli
When the cheapest 'Super Economy' tickets are still available on the alternative Intercity (IC) trains those trains are usually the cheapest option of all.
Though if you want to compare the price of the Intercity trains with both these Frecce trains AND the Italo trains, you will need to look up the journey on Omio or Trainline.
When the cheapest discounted tickets for the Intercity trains have sold out, the even slower Regionale Veloce (RV) become the cheaper option for a journey by train from Rome to Naples/Napoli
If you will be buying tickets last minute at the station, you'll save by taking those RV trains.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you will need to reserve prior to boarding these trains, either at the station (using a Trenitalia ticket machine or ticket desk) OR by booking them online.
How to book the rail pass reservations online is included on our guide to using rail passes in Italy.
Though rail pass users can save money by taking the Intercity trains or Regionale Veloce trains.
Rail passes aren't valid on the Italo trains.
Route Information
Option 2: taking the high speed Italo trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 7min - 1hr 11min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
After 09:00*:
1 - 3 x trains per hour
*= the first departure of the day is usually at 09:30.
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Italo Guide
Italo trains compete with the Frecce services, provided by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, on the high speed routes which link major cities in Italy.
The Italo booking site only sells tickets for journeys by its trains.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli or Salerno or Taranto or Reggio di Calabria
Most of these Italo trains are non-stop between central Rome and central Naples and they all travel at more than 275 km/h for most of the journey.
The Rome to Naples high speed line isn't particularly scenic, what gives this journey a wow factor is the speed of these trains.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Some of these trains also call at: Napoli Afragola
If you're heading to Napoli/Naples city centre, then book tickets to Napoli Centrale station, also take care not to leave the train when it calls at Napoli Afragola if you are heading to Napoli Centrale, the station call after Afragola is Centrale.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: around 3 months ahead of the travel date
The high speed (AV) train service between Roma and Napoli is provided by
(1) these Italo trains
(2) Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale around 6 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day - so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Rail passes are not valid on the Italo trains.
Route Information
Option 3: taking the Intercity trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 5min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
8 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Siracusa or Reggio de Calabria or Salerno
Some of the trains from Roma to Napoli still take the older 'classic' route and the fastest trains along this railway line are the Intercity trains
The most heavily discounted 'Super Economy' tickets for these trains can be the cheapest tickets of all, when taking a train from Rome to Naples.
Though when those cheapest tickets for these trains have sold out, you can save money by taking the slower Regionale Veloce trains.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
If you want to travel for the cheapest possible price between Roma and Napoli then book ahead when the 'Super Economy' tickets for these Intercity trains are still available.
When they're still on sale, they are even cheaper than the alternative Regionale Veloce trains.
Using Eurail or InterRail Passes:
Rail pass users
Target these IC trains if you want to save €10 on rail pass reservation fees.
Though if you'll want the peace of mind of remaining in the same seat for the entire journey, paying the optional €3 reservation fee to travel by Intercity trains is virtually essential.
Route Information
Option 4: taking the RV trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 14 min - 2hr 44min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
Mon - Sat = 12 x trains per day
There is usually 1 x train per hour (the service is hourly after 12:00)
Sunday = 9 x trains
Purchase Tickets
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli
When the most heavily discounted 'Super Economy' tickets for the alternative Intercity trains have sold out these Regionale Veloce (RV) trains are the slowest, but cheapest option for Rome to Naples train journeys.
If you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, you can make a big saving by taking these trains; though they're always a cheaper option than taking the high speed Frecce and Italo trains.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
As seats can't be reserved on these trains, aim to be waiting on the concourse at Roma Termini, ticket(s) in hand, when the binari (platform/track) that the train will be departing from is confirmed.
You won't save money if you book tickets for a journey by these RV trains in advance, but it's worth confirming the departure times on Trenitalia, even if you will be buying tickets at the station
If you want to buy tickets at Roma Termini, then it's a good idea to be at the station a minimum of 40 mins before the train departs.
Buying tickets from a Trenitalia ticket machine is usually quicker than purchasing at the ticket office, but at busy times there can be lengthy queues for the machines.
Also these trains can depart from binari (platforms/tracks) which are some distance from the main concourse.
Don't forget to stamp your ticket before boarding these trains.
Tickets
Book early and save: No (not on these trains)
Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the station immediately before departure.
If you will buying at the station on the day of travel then it's likely that you will save around €15 by taking these trains and not the high speed Frecce or Italo trains.
Rail pass users can simply hop onto these trains.
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