Caroline looks at a new way of getting to Pompeii…

For visitors headed to Pompeii the choice until recently has been to brave the white knuckle ride of driving on that stretch of coast (beautiful scenery but not for the faint-hearted or those prone to motion sickness) or alternatively climbing aboard the rickety Circumvesuviana train (cheap but slow, crowded, scruffy and so so hot).

The good news is that there is a new train, the Campania Express, which has turned the journey to Pompeii from Sorrento or Naples from a nightmare to a pleasure. Gone are the days of having to stop at every little station although it does also stop at Herculaneum – just don’t give yourself cultural indigestion by trying to do both sites in a day! It is still reasonably priced at €15 return and it has air-conditioning, a real boon for hot Italian summer days. Staff onboard are helpful and even speak English, should you require assistance. There is a shuttle bus between some of the further flung hotels in Sorrento and the railway station, where tickets can be purchased. They are also on sale at the airport or can be bought online. Sadly the train service does not run year-round so check the website for full details if you’re taking our advice and travelling off-season.

All in all, it sounds an excellent idea and a comfortable way to get to one of the most amazing sights in Europe, with spectacular scenery en-route thrown in for good measure. Just don’t forget to buy your Pompeii entry tickets online – no point standing in huge queues (not something the average Italian excels at) and undoing the good done by the easy trip there!