The Naples – Sorrento local train: a Circumvesuviana review

Prior to our June trip to Italy, I spent a good deal of time with Rick Steves’ Italy guidebook, as well as on the  TripAdvisor.com and VirtualTourist websites.  One of the topics I was particularly interested in was how to get from Rome to Sorrento, or more specifically, how to get from Naples to Sorrento, and how in turn to travel from Sorrento to Pompeii.

From Rome to Naples, other than renting a car or taking the bus, the most likely option is taking the train.  You can opt for the regular train, which is quite inexpensive (€10.50 to €27), or the high speed Eurostar which is much quicker (~1 hour vs. 2 hours) and considerably more expensive (€44 to €57; see www.trenitalia.com for details).

When traveling from Naples to Sorrento, you’ve got numerous options including renting a car, hiring a private driver (~€85), ferry or hydrofoil (~€11), or the local train, the Circumvesuviana (~€3.40).  The Circumvesuviana is obviously the most economical choice, but after reading the Steves guidebook and numerous reviews online, I became concerned. For instance, this, from Rick Steves:

“Perhaps the biggest risk of theft is while catching or riding the Circumvesuviana commuter train….For maximum safety and peace of mind, sit in the front car, where the driver will double as your protector.”

Also, later in the book:

“You won’t be mugged – just conned and pickpocketed.  Especially late at night, the Circumvesuviana train is plagued by intimidating ruffians.”

Elsewhere, he mentions “gangs of thieves.”

I’m ok with an occasional pickpocket, but “intimidating ruffians??”  “GANGS?!?”

Some of the comments I found elsewhere on the internet were similarly dire.

My fevered little mind got the best of me, and I began imagining Malcolm McDowell and his gang from A Clockwork Orange terrorizing our rail car as we made the trip from Naples to Sorrento!  I love Stanley Kubrick and all, but that’s not my idea of a fun vacation.

The truth

As the old axe goes, sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.  Here’s my take:  the Circumvesuviana is just fine, unless you are careless or idiotic.  We took the Circumvesuviana several times – at different times of the day – and experienced no issues whatsoever.  (Although I should note, we never took it “late at night;”  for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t take the Metro-North late at night either.)

Once you get past the obligatory graffiti and station interiors that are a bit nondescript, the Circumvesuviana is perfectly fine.  Here’s the northbound train arriving at the Pompei Scavi station:

Onboard, passengers are a mixture of tourists…

…and locals:

The interiors of the cars we rode on were clean and pleasant; air conditioning is provided by open windows.  We encountered no pickpockets, and certainly no gangs.

Something to bring along on your trip:  common sense!

As with travel in general, if you have a little common sense, you should be fine.  Some things to avoid:

• Don’t wear flashy jewelry, watches, or clothing
• Don’t flash wads of cash ( ! ) when buying your tickets
• Don’t hang an expensive camera around your neck
• If you’re traveling alone, be on the alert for someone who speaks your native language prior to boarding; if you’re able to identify someone, sit near them and engage them in conversation.  You won’t appear to be by yourself
• Stow your large bills and passport away somewhere safe; use a decoy or dummy wallet
• Don’t read your Fodors, Steves, or other guidebook on the train – or if you must, put it inside a local language newspaper or large magazine.  Better yet, trim and disguise your guidebooks before you depart on your trip!
• Walk and move with purpose and confidence

As with just about any train or subway station anywhere, Italy’s train stations and cars aren’t immune to the artistry of spray can-equipped visionaries; I shot this quick picture one afternoon as we disembarked in Sorrento:

Graffiti aside, we enjoyed riding the Circumvesuviana, and never felt at all unsafe.  You can visit the Circumvesuviana website by clicking on this link:  Circumvesuviana website.  The site is available in both Italian and English.  Ciao!