Kaffee und Kuchen

Apr 03

Day Trip to Pompeii from Rome

Apr 03

When planning our long weekend trip to Rome in late February, we discovered that many sights and attractions in the city (and in Vatican City) were closed on Sundays. Rather than miss out on a full day of sightseeing in Rome, we decided to investigate if it would be possible to make a day trip to Pompeii from Rome to see the ancient ruins. At first, we looked into guided/all-inclusive tours that departed directly from Rome. While we learned that there are several companies that do offer this type of full day trip, none of them were operating the tour on that particular Sunday. In fact, most tour companies didn’t even offer this type of tour until the spring and summer season (the much busier tourist season).

When looking over these types of guided tour itineraries, we saw that some travelled to Pompeii by private shuttle/coach, while others travelled by train. We then decided to look into travelling to Pompeii from Rome on our own via train. Luckily, the trip is very manageable, so we decided to plan our own day trip.

In this post, I’ve outlined my experience planning a day trip to Pompeii from Rome including tips to help make your own planning easier. I’ve decided to focus more on the logistics of this trip rather than providing a review of the site (which is amazing but I don’t know if I could do it justice!)

Where is Pompeii and why is it worth visiting?

Pompeii was an ancient Roman town located to the south of modern Naples. It was mostly buried and destroyed when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., covering the city in metres of ash and pumice. Today it is a vast archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the most visited tourist spots in Italy, attracting more than 2.5 million visitors every year.

How can I travel to Pompeii from Rome?

You can travel to Pompeii from Rome by train. A stop in Naples on the way to and from Pompeii is required. Naples is located to the south of Rome on the Bay of Naples and can be reached in just over an hour on the fast trains (more information below).

Tip: You can plan a quick stop in Naples on the way back to Rome, but be aware that the city is pretty hectic and doesn’t give the best first impression, especially when you aren’t staying long enough to explore properly.

How can I plan my train trip to Pompeii?

For detailed instructions on how to travel from Rome to Pompeii via Naples, I highly recommend visiting this helpful website by The Man in Seat 61. I relied on it heavily when planning our journey.

To summarize, there are two main train lines you can use to travel from Rome to Pompeii – Italo (privately-run) or Trenitalia (state-run). Fares can be low as 19 Euros one way per person if you book your ticket far enough in advance. Compare prices and departure times from both train lines to see which timetable best suits your travel plans. (We travelled with Italo in their Comfort class and it was excellent).

Tip: If you’re trying to estimate how long you’ll need at Pompeii when booking your train tickets, plan longer than you think you’ll need as the area is huge and can take 3-4 hours to see thoroughly. If you’re ready to leave earlier than you thought, you can stop in Naples before heading back to Rome for a late lunch, as we did.

Once you arrive at the Naples Central Train Station, head to the lowest level of the station and take the Circumvesuviana train (a commuter train that runs in a loop around Mount Vesuvius) to Pompeii Scavi, roughly 30 minutes away. Make sure you go to Pompeii Scavi (Villa di Misteri), not Pompei (another station/town along the Circumvesuviana route). You can’t buy your tickets for the Circumvesuviana in advance; just stand in line at the Circumvesuviana ticket office and buy your return tickets. A ticket costs 3,20 Euros each way per person.

The Circumvesuviana station departing from Naples Central Train Station (Napoli Centrale in Italian) is called Napoli Garibaldi. This commuter train is just like a subway, so no need to reserve seats or anything – just hop on. The journey to Pompeii Scavi (Villa di Misteri) takes 36 minutes.

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Mar 28

My Top Gelaterias in Rome

Mar 28

We came, we saw, we ate gelato.

Rome has more gelaterias than you can shake a stick at. We wanted to try some of the best gelato in the city so we researched some top places to visit before our trip to Rome. Every gelato place we tried was great in its own way – I can’t really say that I have a favourite after only a single visit to each one. In any case, I’m sure you’ll have a delicious experience at any of these fantastic gelato spots.

My Top Gelaterias in Rome

Fatamorgana

Via Roma Libera, 11, 00153 Rome, Italy

Fatamorgana is the gelateria that introduced Romans to fresh, gourmet, organic gelato. Given their huge success, Fatamorgana has now expanded to several locations throughout the city. Known for both their classic and innovative flavours (such as chocolate with tobacco, black walnuts and honey, and goat cheese with citrus), Fatamorgana has something for everyone.

Inside Fatamorgana.

Il Gelato di San Crispino

Via della Panetteria, 42, 00187 Rome, Italy

Il Gelato di San Crispino is one of the top-rated gelaterias in Rome – The New York Times says, “anyone who does not acknowledge that il Gelato di San Crispino is supreme, has not tried it!” Their emphasis on natural ingredients shines through the tasty gelato flavours. This gelateria is a bit pricier than others we tried, but the quality is excellent. Grab a scoop to go and head toward the Trevi Fountain where you can enjoy your gelato by one of the most beautiful fountains in the world.

Fattore Gelato

Via Andrea Doria, 53, 00192 Rome, Italy

We stumbled upon Fattore Gelato after lunch one day and decided to give it a try since it looked like a legitimate gelato place based on the tips we’d learned on our Rome food tour (e.g. avoid colourful piles of gelato with toppings, a sure sign that the gelato has been made with a mix rather than with fresh ingredients). Fattore Gelto did not disappoint – it was some of the best gelato we had in Rome, and it was also some of the least expensive.

Gelateria del Teatro

Via dei Coronari, 65-66, 00186 Rome, Italy

Gelateria del Teatro is considered to be one of the best gelato spots in the city by locals. The owners pride themselves on their fresh ingredients and unusual flavor combinations. The portions were generous, too! They excel in chocolate flavours – my 80% dark Peruvian chocolate gelato was killer!

Here’s a map of my favourite gelaterias in Rome so you can find them more easily on your gelato hunt. 🍨

What are your favourite gelaterias in Rome? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

P.S. Looking for some more Rome-spiration? Visit my Sightseeing in Rome guide and check out my review of our Roman food tour with Eating Italy.

Mar 20

Twilight Trastevere Food Tour with Eating Italy

Mar 20

In the weeks preceding our trip to Rome, I constantly daydreamed about the Italian food we would get to eat on our trip. I wanted to twirl my fork in some real deal spaghetti, sink my teeth into fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza, and indulge in some seriously tasty gelato. Our time in The Eternal City would be short and I knew we wouldn’t be able to try all the foods I was dreaming about on our own. As usual, my first instinct was to sign up for a food tour so we would be guaranteed to try some of the best food the city had to offer.

Enter Eating Italy, a team of passionate foodies dedicated to sharing Rome’s delicious cuisine with hungry, adventurous travellers. Their goal is to give visitors a taste of Italy that they won’t soon forget and introduce them to authentic Roman food, people, and neighbourhoods.

Eating Italy runs several food tours, including their daytime Taste of Testaccio and Trastevere for Foodies tours and their evening Testaccio Supper Stroll and Twilight Trastevere food tours. Since we wanted to start our trip off on a scrumptious note, we decided to sign up for the Twilight Trastevere tour on our first evening in Rome.

We met our guide Eric and the rest of our small tour group on Tiber Island, a small island nestled in the middle of the Tiber River which runs through Rome. Our group consisted of guests from the United States and Australia who, like us, were on a Roman getaway and were excited to check out the local food scene. Eric greeted us warmly, introduced himself, and got us talking about our favourite Italian foods as a way of getting to know us and the types of foods we enjoy. With a twinkle in his eye at the mention of our communal love of pizza, red wine, and antipasti, Eric led us to our first stop on the tour.

After crossing the bridge from Tiber Island, we entered the medieval cobblestone neighbourhood of Trastevere, home to some of Rome’s best loved restaurants and family-run food businesses.

Our first stop on the tour was at Da Enzo al 29, a small trattoria nestled along a picturesque backstreet of Trastevere. Run by three siblings dedicated to offering classic Roman dishes, Da Enzo is a true gem.

We kicked off our evening the way Romans do; that is, with an aperitivo of sparkling Prosecco and some nibbles to whet our appetite. We dined on crispy carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style fried artichokes) and the creamiest, smoothest burrata (a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream) drizzled in olive oil and served with ripe, basil-tossed tomatoes on the side. The burrata was easily my favourite dish of not only the tour, but of our entire trip to Rome. Oh the creaminess!

Down an ivy-covered alleyway and around the corner from Da Enzo was our next stop, Spirito di Vino, an award-winning restaurant with a wine cellar 150 years older than the Colosseum. Can you imagine?

Mar 14

Sightseeing in Rome

Mar 14

Over the Fasching weekend at the end of February, S and I made a trip to Rome, Italy. He had never been before and I only had vague memories from visiting the city in my early twenties. We were looking forward to exploring the city and soaking in all the major sights on our weekend getaway. We really lucked out with the weather and enjoyed blue skies and sun for most of our trip (yes, even in February)! In between guided tours and sightseeing on our own, we managed to fit in the biggest sights during our time in Rome. Here, I’ve put together a summary of the top sights we visited in the city that I can definitely recommend to you.

Sightseeing in Rome

The Pantheon

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome. It is the most influential and best-preserved building of ancient Rome and was built between A.D 118 and 125. Tip: To avoid the crowds, head to the Pantheon early in the morning shortly after it opens.

Trevi Fountain

A visit to the Trevi Fountain tonight 😍 #TreviFountain #Rome #Italy

A post shared by Kaffee und Kuchen (@kaffeeundkuchenblog) on Feb 26, 2017 at 2:03pm PST

The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The elegant fountain measures 26.30m tall and 49.15m wide and is made of travertine and carrara marble. The fountain was recently restored by Italian fashion company Fendi in 2015 so the fountain is looking better than ever! Legend has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, you’ll return to Rome someday.

Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps are a stairway composed of 135 steps dating back to the 18^th century. It’s the perfect spot to sit and people watch while enjoying a scoop of gelato either day or night.

Vatican Museums

What a ceiling in the Gallery of Maps at the Vatican Museums! #Vatican #vaticancity

A post shared by Kaffee und Kuchen (@kaffeeundkuchenblog) on Mar 11, 2017 at 12:40pm PST

The Vatican Museums are located within Vatican City and display the prized collections of Popes through the centuries. Items include renowned classical sculptures and some of the most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. Don’t miss the Sistine Chapel – truly breathtaking! Tip: If possible, try to see the Vatican Museums on a special tour before the museum opens to the public to get privileged (i.e. near empty) access to the Sistine Chapel and the collections. We went on a tour with The Roman Guy and it was far and away the best tour we took in Rome.

Kaffee und Kuchen

Day Trip to Pompeii from Rome