From Pompeii, it is very easy to enjoy a day trip to Mount Vesuvius – and also the cooler, fresher air!

There were a selection of tour operators in Pompeii, all offering day trips. Prices ranged from 27 to 48 euro per person. However, for our day trip to Mount Vesuvius, we used the local service bus, priced at 5.40 euro per person return. We then paid admission to the crater, priced at 10 euro per person. Note – we were advised by staff at the train station to pay on the bus, as other “ticket sellers” were selling tickets at inflated prices!  The service bus incidentally ran non stop, and partially via the motorway. Even if you do not go to the crater, the bus journey alone is excellent, with hair pin bends and a lot of climbing!

The bus took us as far as possible, and then it was to the ticket office on foot.  Note that as the bus approaches the site, the bus takes you past the ticket office. You have to walk approximately 100 metres back in the direction from which you came to the ticket office. It’s here that you purchase the ticket, before surrendering the same at a turnstile. We were told it was two hundred metres higher at the crater than the bus stop, but we estimate the actual walk to be three or four times longer in distance. Of course it is quicker on the walk back down!

Tips for a good day trip to Mount Vesuvius

• Leave as early as you can, before the build up of heat haze.
• Use the public bus rather than an organised tour
• Take some bottled water or soft drinks

Parking in the vicinity of the crater is very limited. It is much easier to visit Mount Vesuvius by bus. There is more information about Vesuvius and the local area here.