We advise you to prepare your visit well in advance. We are used to organizing our excursions by ourselves, for Vesuvius we had a hard time finding useful and especially recent information.
We have gathered all our advices in this article (buying a ticket, parking, hiking trails on a map…) and we explain you the mistakes not to make.
To save time, you can book a day trip from Naples. You can even combine a visit to Vesuvius and the archaeological site of Pompeii in the same day.
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How to get to Vesuvius?
From Naples
- Car: if you have rented a car, from Naples you can reach the Vesuvius parking lot in about 40 minutes. As already mentioned in our previous articles about Naples and its region, we advise you to be vigilant, because driving in this city is sporty and the traffic rules are not always respected.
To compare car rental prices we recommend the RentalCars website which compares the prices of hundreds of car rental companies to find the best price. To give you an idea of prices, we found a car for 50€ per day, at Milan airport.
- Bus: departure from Piazza Piedigrotta (EAC company), count about 20€ round trip with 1h45 on site
- Excursion: to visit Vesuvius in complete serenity, we advise you to book an all-inclusive excursion (tickets, parking, shuttle and guide on site) with a driver from your Naples, in short you will not have to take care of anything.
Pompeii + Vesuvius excursion: in order to save time, you can combine a visit to the archaeological site of Pompeii and Vesuvius on the same day. Pick up is possible from your hotel, train station or port.
In the morning you will walk around the incredible site of Pompeii with your guide, in French, who will give you explanations and anecdotes, then after your meal (included), you will have 1h30 to go up, around the crater and back down.
Your ticket for this tour includes transportation, entrance tickets, guides and lunch for a very attractive price.
From Pompeii
- Car: if you have rented a car, from Pompeii you can reach the Vesuvius parking lot in about 40 minutes (the same distance as from Naples).
- Bus: departure from the Pompei Scavi station, located next to the archaeological park, the trip lasts about 1 hour with the company EAV, count about 20€ round trip per person. Once there, you will have 1h30 to go up to the crater.
From Herculaneum
- Car: Vesuvius is located only 12km from the archaeological site of Herculaneum, if you have rented a car you will reach the parking lot in 25 minutes.
- Bus: with Vesuvio Express the bus located in front of the station, which connects to Vesuvius in 30 minutes for 10€ round trip per person. Once there, you will have 1h30 to go up to the crater.
Where to park?
The Vesuvius site has a parking lot, places along the road, to be reserved in advance on the official website (price 6€). Then a shuttle will take you up to the beginning of the hiking trails (3€).
Mistakes not to make
We were quite surprised by the lack of information on the official website and the rather mixed feedback from other travelers about the organization on site.
As we are nice, if you organize this excursion by yourself, we give you according to us the mistakes to avoid:
- Before arriving at the site, you must absolutely reserve your tickets on the official website and your time slot. As you can read on many comments on the internet, if you arrive without a reservation you will not be able to access the site even if you have already paid the parking and the shuttle…
- Download your tickets before arriving on the site because the connection is very very bad at the ticket office.
- Bring good shoes because the climb to the crater is steep and slippery. Also bring water and snacks as there are no restaurants at the summit.
Where to buy your tickets
We advise you to buy your tickets and reserve your slot on the official website (in English or Italian).
In order to save preparation time, you can also book your tickets with driver from Naples (+ guide on site).
Climbing Vesuvius on foot: our hiking tips
When to visit Vesuvius?
As is often the case, we recommend that you get up early and be at the entrance before 9:00 a.m., so you can avoid groups and crowds. You can take a nap once you get back to your hotel!
How to climb Vesuvius on foot? (map)
From the parking lot, a shuttle bus (3€ round trip) will take you up to the beginning of the hiking trail that will lead you to the crater. You can also walk these 2km, the path is accessible but without much interest.
Then after 30 minutes of ascent you will reach the top of Vesuvius which culminates at about 1200m of altitude, you will have an unforgettable view on the bay of Naples and on the interior of the crater. Count on about 30 minutes at the top to fully enjoy the view and remember to take warm clothes because the wind often blows.
Where to sleep near Vesuvius?
After your excursion to Vesuvius, you have several options: either book a hotel near Vesuvius, or stay at one of the other points of interest in the area: in Naples, Pompeii or Herculaneum.
After our climb to the volcano, we slept at the B&B Pompei Olympus, located at 5 min walk from the ruins. The hotel is very quiet because it is located at the end of a dead end street. Our room was spacious, clean and well decorated.
Vesuvius is one of the most surprising places we have ever visited. The views over the Bay of Naples will remain in our memories for a long time.
We thank you for having read all the way to the end, don’t hesitate to leave us a note below to tell us if you are planning this trip, or to ask any questions you may have, we will answer you with great pleasure!
