Italy – Pompeii, Naples, and Rome | Iconic Landmarks, Breathtaking Landscapes, and Italian Cuisine

My good friend Megan Wojcik recently returned to Italy focusing her sites on Pompeii, Naples, and Rome. Read about her adventures and advice for planning your dream vacation to this beautiful country.

Note: All photos submitted by Megan Wojcik

Italy. Just one word conjures images of iconic landmarks, astonishing historic sites, incomparable art, breathtaking landscapes, and, for many, the height of gastronomic pleasures.

We experienced all this during our first trip to Italy 19 years ago, which covered Rome, Florence, and Venice. Our second trip, earlier this month, brought it all back, even though this time around, we only explored a tiny slice of the country: Naples and Rome.

The focus of our return was Pompeii. We didn’t have time to venture south of Rome in 2005. That changed with this trip, which consisted of five days in the Naples area and two days in Rome.

Upon landing in Rome, we took the Leonardo Express train to Rome’s Termini Station. Leonardo is a direct ride to Termini in just 32 minutes for 14 Euros. We found it to be the cheapest way to get to Rome from Fiumicino Airport, but also extremely efficient and convenient.

Rome’s Termini Station to Naples

Once we arrived at Termini, we immediately hopped on a Trenitalia Train to Naples. We bought our train tickets, priced at 37 Euros each, before leaving the States, hedging our bets on a later train in case our flight was delayed. We made a good decision, as our flight from Charlotte left 90 minutes late. Changeable train tickets are available for a slightly higher price if you’re not one for betting.

The train was very comfortable, with plenty of space to stretch out, as well as restrooms and food onboard. In just over an hour, we were pulling into Napoli Centrale, the main train station in Naples.

When planning, we deliberately chose accommodations close enough, but not too close to the train station. Sometimes, areas around European train stations can be a bit seedy. But if you stay too far way, you can be overly removed from this extremely convenient form of transportation. And we knew Napoli Centrale was going to play an important part in making our travel plans possible.

Visiting Herculaneum Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius

Looking through the Forum at Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the distance

When first building our itinerary for this part of our trip, which included visits to Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Mt. Vesuvius, we explored staying overnight in each location. The more we thought about it, we agreed we’d be more comfortable unpacking once and making day trips from Naples via train to each site.

This approach ended up working out perfectly. We found a clean, quiet, and charming Airbnb just one block from Duomo, a stop on the Naples Metro system. The Duomo Metro stop is just one stop from Garibaldi Station which, is just steps from Napoli Centrale. In 10 minutes, we went from Duomo to Garibaldi to Napoli Centrale.

At Napoli Centrale, on three consecutive mornings, we bought Circumvesuviana train tickets to Herculaneum (a 20-minute train ride), Pompeii (a 30-minute train ride), and Mt Vesuvius (a 30-minute train ride, as we got off at Pompeii then boarded a public bus for the 55-minute ride to the volcano).

Grooves from chariot wheels can still be seen on Pompeii’s streets.

Pompeii’s version of fast food. Romans grabbed lunch by walking up to the counter and ordering foot kept warm by containers.

Herculaneum was Pompeii’s neighbor and also largely destroyed in 79 AD. Our admission was free, as several local sites, including Pompeii and Naples’ Royal Palace, are free on the first Sunday of every month. We enjoyed our visit there, but if you have to choose between the two, we recommend Pompeii. It’s a much bigger site with more diverse structures remaining, which help tell a fuller story of ancient Roman customs and culture.

300 bodies were found in a boathouse in Herculaneum. They were awaiting rescue that never happened.

We didn’t have a guide for Herculaneum but booked a three-hour tour with an archaeologist at Pompeii. With his insight, the city came alive. We learned so much about the Roman way of life. Keep in mind the site is much larger than you may be expecting. Pace yourself and grab a seat whenever you can, as the ancient roads and sidewalks aren’t easy on the feet. There are several options for food inside.

Climbing Vesuvius – Stunning View Bay of Naples

The next day, we set out to climb Vesuvius. Tickets sell out fast on the site’s official website, so we bought tickets from a third-party vendor. The climb is not very difficult, as the path is wide and the incline increases slowly. There are three locations—one at the bottom, one about halfway up, and one at the top-to purchase sandwiches and drinks. The view at the top is stunning, with the Bay of Naples opening up before you.

After three day trips in three days, we had two days to spend in Naples. After reading about the grittiness of the city (meaning dirty) and being somewhat frightened after seeing YouTube videos alleging rampant pickpockets, we were pleasantly surprised. We truly enjoyed this lively city and never once felt like we were in any kind of danger. After exploring the Archeological Museum, (highly recommended, as it displays many of the historic treasures removed from Pompeii and Herculaneum), Royal Palace, and Bayfront, we ended the day with pizza.

Amazing Pizza in Naples

Ancient Roman cooking implements on display-Archeological Museum in Naples

We arrived in Naples thinking we were pizza connoisseurs. We left as pizza snobs, not knowing how we could ever enjoy pizza back home after experiencing the chewy crust, perfectly seasoned sauce, and smooth, creamy cheese that forms the foundation of the dish Naples is known for. Though videos and blogs will tell you to go to L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, you really can’t go wrong, no matter where you choose to indulge.

Airbnb Within Walking Distance to the Colosseum

After wishing we had more time in Naples, we headed back to Napoli Centrale one more time to board our train to Rome. Once in Rome, we walked about 20 minutes from Termini Station to our Airbnb in the Domus Aurea neighborhood. Once again, we were extremely happy with our accommodations. The apartment was clean and newly remodeled with a lovely kitchenette. There’s a mini market next door and two supermarkets within two blocks. The best part: The Colosseum is a five-minute walk, and you can even see it from the sidewalk outside the apartment building. The Colosseum Metro stop is right beside the Colosseum so, once again, convenient transportation was at our fingertips.

After settling in, we took the Metro to the Villa Borghese, one of the sites we didn’t see our first time in Rome. We decided not to buy tickets ahead of time and that turned out to be a mistake. Tickets were sold out and we weren’t able to get inside. We also had a hiccup the next day when our Colosseum tour was canceled. We wandered Rome instead, taking in the charm of the city and stopping anywhere that looked interesting. It was fun to not have a packed agenda, and it led to an unexpected discovery—the Basilica of St. Clement, an ancient tiered structure, with “layers” to visit dating from the first century AD to the present basilica, built circa 1100.

A column inside the Basilica of St. Clement

Vatican Celebrates a Jubilee in 2025 and Travel Tips

Overall we had a fantastic trip. We returned home full of pizza, pasta, Aperol spritz, and the knowledge that even if your itinerary gets thrown off a little, there’s really no bad day in Italy.

If you’re planning a trip to Rome and/or Naples, here are some things to keep in mind:

The Vatican will celebrate a Jubilee in 2025. Thirty million people are expected to travel to Rome over the course of next year. Unless your heart is set on getting there sooner rather than later, 2026 may be a better time to visit.
Speaking of crowds, we swore after visiting London last summer that any future trips to Europe would be in the fall. We were surprised at how packed the attractions in Italy were in October. The experience cemented our fall travel pledge.
Even though we didn’t have any trouble with pickpockets, they do exist. Avoid them by being proactive. Don’t wear flashy jewelry or clothing. A crossbody bag or money belt tucked inside your pants or skirt can keep your valuables in your line of vision, especially on public transportation. And if someone tries to engage with you, a firm “No” is understood in any language.