Naples and Pompeii in 4 Days on a Budget
Four Days: Add the Amalfi Coast and Capri
Four days nests the Pompeii and Herculaneum-Vesuvius pairing from the 2-day itinerary , then adds a full day on the Amalfi Coast and a full day on Capri, the two trips that need a bus or a ferry rather than just a train ticket. It’s the honest budget option if a fifth day isn’t available; the full guide has the cost math behind every leg below.
Book these before you go:
- Vesuvius Gran Cono ticket: nominative, timed, online-only; book through a guided trip or the park’s own site if you’d rather manage it yourself.
- Pompeii entry: only through pompeiisites.org and VivaTicket; skip the station touts.
- Amalfi Coast SITA bus: cash-only at a tabaccheria, never online or on the bus; the COSTIERASITA 24-hour pass is €10.
- A Capri day tour , if you’d rather skip the ferry-schedule logistics.
- A Naples hotel for all three nights ; you won’t need to change base for this route.
| From Naples to… | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pompeii (Circumvesuviana) | 30-40 min | €3-4 train + €20 entry |
| Herculaneum + Vesuvius (Ercolano Scavi) | 20-25 min + shuttle | €3-4 train + €16 + €10-11.68 |
| Amalfi Coast (via Sorrento) | ~1hr train + SITA bus | €4.60 train + €10 24hr bus pass |
| Capri (ferry from Molo Beverello) | 45min-1h15 | €19-25+ |
| Procida / Ischia (Pozzuoli ferry) | 20-40 min | €9-16 |
| Paestum (regional train) | 1h15 | €8-12 train + €15 entry |
Day 1: Pompeii
Same start as the 2-day version: an early Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri, 30-40 minutes for €3-4. Budget 3-4 hours for the 44-hectare, shadeless site, €20 entry, booked only through pompeiisites.org .
Day 2: Herculaneum and Vesuvius
Ercolano Scavi, 20-25 minutes away. Herculaneum’s €16 entry (details at ercolano.cultura.gov.it ) is a half-day; the connecting shuttle reaches the Vesuvius trailhead for the €10-11.68 Gran Cono ticket. Both fit in one day off the same stop.
Day 3: The Amalfi Coast
Circumvesuviana or Campania Express to Sorrento, about an hour and €4.60-8. From Sorrento, SITA Sud buses run to Positano and Amalfi; buy the €10 COSTIERASITA 24-hour pass at a tabaccheria before boarding, never on the bus. Leave Naples by 7:30-8am; summer buses out of Positano fill by mid-morning.
Day 4: Capri
Ferry from Molo Beverello, 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, €19-25+ each way. Treat the Blue Grotto as optional: it’s a separate cash-only €18 entry on top of the boat fare, and it closes without warning in rough seas.
Is four days enough to add both Amalfi and Capri?
Yes, as single day trips, though neither gets the time it deserves. Amalfi Coast logistics alone, the SITA bus queues, the Positano crush, can eat half a day; Capri’s ferry schedule does the same. If an extra day is available, the 6-day itinerary adds Procida, Ischia and Paestum instead of squeezing them in here.
Do you need a car for any of this?
No. Every leg in this itinerary runs on a train, bus or ferry that’s cheaper and less stressful than driving Naples traffic or the Amalfi Coast’s single narrow road, which backs up for hours in summer.
Buy the Vesuvius ticket before you leave home. It’s the one reservation on this trip with a hard, nominative time slot and zero walk-up option.