HOW TO GET TO HERCULANEUM FROM SORRENTO

Travelling from Sorrento to anywhere is a relatively easy affair as Sorrento train station is a terminus for the Circumvesuviana Regional Railway System - known locally as Vesuviana.

Sorrento train station

All trains leaving Sorrento - wherever they end up going - will pass through the station 'ERCOLANO SCAVI' - the station you will be required to disembark at as part of your journey to Herculaneum.

However, this is not the case on your journey back. 

Make sure that when you reach Ercolano scavi station you take the Platform marked 'Pompei - Sorrento'.

Get this wrong and you could end up at miles and hours away at the terminus of Poggiomarino or Sarno.


So, how to you get to Herculaneum from Sorrento?

You can purchase your tickets in the small newsagents found to the right of Sorrento station. 

This really is the entrance to the Erocano Scavi train station

It currently costs 2,20 Euros one way.

I will suggest that you buy return tickets here in order to save faffing about at the other end. 

You will be far too hot and tired from 2 or 3 hours of walking around in the baking hot sun surrounded by raucous groups of school children to stand in more queues.

As mentioned before, this is very straight forward. 

Any train leaving Sorrento will pass through ERCOLANO SCAVI, just make sure you don't jump the gun and get off at 'ERCOLANO MIGLIO D'ORO' by mistake.

The trains are a bit dirty and generally covered in graffiti, but considering how cheap the tickets are I don't see how anyone can really complain.

Leave the station and walk down this main road

You are best off sitting on the left hand side of the train as this will expose you to the best views of the Bay of Naples  coastline, however a large part of the journey will be in complete darkness as you travel though tunnels cut out of the volcanic rock. 

The journey takes about 50-60 minutes.

Be aware of poorly trained musicians who will be travelling along with you, pestering for money. 

If you allow them to, they will damage your finances as well as your hearing!

Once you have arrived and left the station all you simply do is walk down hill along the main road towards the sea. 

After all, Herculaneum was originally a sea side port.

Walked past this roundabout? Then you are going in the right direction

The walk takes about 15 minutes in total, do not wander off down any side streets as eventually you will find that the entrance was directly in front of you all along.

The entrance itself is an impressive brick and white plaster gate - similar to a triumphant arch.

Once you have made you way to the ticket office, follow the path towards the Audio Guide Kiosk. 

From there, rather than follow the crowds trough the main entrance, turn left into a long tunnel that takes you to what was once the towns beach front properties.

From here you get a real insight as to how deep Herculaneum was buried and how much work was involved in excavating it. 

Entrance gate to Herculaneum ruins

Look carefully and you can still see the pick axe marks made by the early work teams.

Remember to wear appropriate footwear and take plenty of water and sun cream.

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Images care of http://www.projectnapoliservice.it/index.php?myurl=it-napoli-pompei&language=2 and http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/17379/Cross-section-of-some-18-metres-of-ash-and-other