We will be travelling from Rome to the Naples area by train to our rental villa. The owner has said that we should get off at Mergellino station rather than Naples central. Is there a map of the train route online? or can anyone tell me whether this station is before or after Naples central. Also how can I find out about car rental drop off points at this location as only the central station appears on the online booking forms. The owner speaks very limited English so I cannot converse with her in any great depth about these queries.
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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Amy,
Posts: 1222 | Location: UK | Registered: 12 June 2005
Napoli Mergellina (Campi Flegrei) is north of Naples, before the main station. Getting off at that station sharply reduces your schedule options, since most trains from Rome don't stop there: on average something like one every two hours — including, however, some Eurostars — instead of every fifteen minutes or so.
Mergellina and Campi Flegrei are two different stations slightly north of Naples. Both are reached before you arrive at Napoli Centrale (Garibaldi) when arriving from Rome.
Bill is correct that this limits your choice of trains from Rome, so make sure the train you select will stop at these stations (it's shown on the Trenitalia booking page).
The up-sides are that (1) you can avoid the very unpleasant central station, with its high risk of scams and pickpockets and (2) if you're heading for the Campi Flegrei area it cuts at least 30 minutes off of your travel time. We use the Campi Flegrei station whenever possible for just these reasons. This is the same station used by the Metropolitana trains which run from central Naples to Pozzuoli, though these use a different platform.
I can't help with rental car pickups in this area, as I've never needed to rent a car here. I will try to do some checking around and will let you know if I find anything.
Posts: 767 | Location: Virginia (but still missing Naples!) | Registered: 05 October 2005
Thankyou, we are headed to Bacoli on a Saturday in JULY, which of the two stations would be closest? we are being met on arrival so just need the best stop off for Bacoli. Will we need to book tickets/seats in advance? we are a party of 7/9(not sure which yet as our niece/nephew have now decided to move house so are not sure if hey are coming or not!)
Posts: 1222 | Location: UK | Registered: 12 June 2005
I have just checked the trenitalia site and you are correct, there is much less choice for trains calling at these two stations. I have decided on the 13.45 from Rome TE which is the eurostar. There is an alternative at 15.45 in the event we miss the first one! so I have more questions!! The site does not allow me to buy tickets, why? Can we use the ticketless option on this route? How do we find out the arrival time at whichever of the 2 statins is closest to Bacoli(to arrange collection) Hope you can help
Posts: 1222 | Location: UK | Registered: 12 June 2005
The Campi Flegrei stop is the first that you will come to and is also the closest to Bacoli.
One word of warning: the train won't stop for long, so when you hear the announcement (which will be in both Italian and English) that the stop is approaching, get your luggage and get close to a door!
You should be able to use the ticketless option on this route - we've done it a couple of times recently. When you complete your booking, you'll get a confirmation page which includes a booking reference number. Print that page and carry it with you. When the ticket collector comes by, show him the printout and he will punch the information into his little hand-held computer and print you a receipt.
There is no posted arrival time that I've been able to find, but it will be about 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival in Napoli-Centrale.
Posts: 767 | Location: Virginia (but still missing Naples!) | Registered: 05 October 2005
About not being able to buy tickets, is it over 60 days from now? That would be the reason. If it's a Eurostar without changes, you can go Ticketless, but that isn't advisable if it's right after a flight. If the flight is seriously delayed and you can't change it before an hour after the scheduled train departure, you lose the tickets. For the 13.45 train, I can click on the train number and see that it stops at Campi Flegrei at 15.20 and Mergellina at 15.26.
If your final destination is Bacoli, I strongly recommend that you take the excellent SEPSA bus which departs every 30 minutes from the Naples Central Station, arriving in Bacoli one hour later. The bus also stops near the Mergellina Station, but trains from Rome to Mergellina are not as frequent as to Naples Centrale/Garibaldi.
The SEPSA bus is brand-new, air conditioned and very clean. You will need to purchase the ticket "UNICOCAMPANIA" Fascia 2 to get to Bacoli. It costs 1.70 Euros one way (no stops allowed), and is valid for 120 minutes of travel. You punch the ticket when you board the bus. The newsstand or tobacconist at Napoli Centrale sells them. If you board the bus after 10 a.m., you can alternatively buy a day pass (3.50 Euros), allowing multiple rides in both directions. On Saturday and Sunday, the day pass is slightly less expensive (2.80 Euros), and you don't have to wait until 10 a.m. to use it.
Hey, I spent two weeks going back and forth in that area. the Garibaldi station is just as nice as the stazione in Roma, except there are less shops. If you have to stop there, you will be fine.
mimi
Posts: 100 | Location: Seattle, USA | Registered: 25 September 2003
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