How to Get from Rome to Naples (and Vice Versa)

Maybe Naples is a quick stop on the way to the Amalfi Coast, a base for a day trip to Pompeii, or a few days in the gritty, glorious city itself. Either way, most travelers arrive from Rome, and this is one of the easiest trips in Italy.

Everything below works in reverse for Naples to Rome. Stations, journey times and how the fares work are the same; only the departure times change.

The short answer

Take the high-speed train. The fastest do it in under an hour, there are dozens a day, and booked ahead the fare is often less than a sit-down lunch. Nothing else comes close. It's fast enough that Naples even works as a long day trip from Rome, though it deserves more than that.

Option	Time	Cost in 2026
High-speed train	from 55 min	from about 15 euros booked early
Regional train	about 2 to 3 hours	low fixed fare
Coach	about 2 to 3 hours	from about 6.50 euros
Car	at least 2.5 hours	fuel, tolls and parking

Taking the Train from Rome to Naples

You don't have to navigate, park or deal with Neapolitan traffic, and the high-speed line has made the trip so quick that there's little reason to do it any other way.

High-speed trains. Trenitalia's Frecciarossa and the private operator Italo both run the route. Italo alone ran 31 trains a day in 2026, the fastest taking 55 minutes, and Trenitalia runs its own Frecciarossa timetable alongside. Fares work like airfares: Italo's advance fares started at about 14.90 euros in 2026, while a ticket bought on the day can cost several times that. Compare trenitalia.com and italotreno.com for your date. They're separate companies, so a ticket for one isn't valid on the other.

Regional trains. Slower regional trains take roughly 2 to 3 hours. The fare is fixed and low, and you can take any regional train on the day of your ticket. If time matters less than money, or the high-speed trains are expensive on your date, they're a perfectly good option.

Some practical points:

• Stations. Most trains leave from Roma Termini, and some from Roma Tiburtina. In Naples, get off at Napoli Centrale on Piazza Garibaldi. A few high-speed trains also stop at Napoli Afragola in the northern suburbs; don't get off there by mistake.
• Tickets. A high-speed ticket is for one named train with a reserved seat. Show it on your phone; there's nothing to validate. Paper regional tickets must be validated in the machines before you board. Digital regional tickets bought online validate themselves.
• Rail passes. A Trenitalia Pass or Interrail Italy Pass covers Trenitalia trains, but the Frecciarossa needs a seat reservation (free with the Trenitalia Pass, paid with Interrail). The Trenitalia Pass isn't valid on Italo. On a route this cheap, a pass rarely saves you money.
• Going on to Pompeii or Sorrento. The Circumvesuviana railway leaves from Napoli Garibaldi, the station underneath Napoli Centrale, and from Porta Nolana nearby. The reserved-seat Campania Express tourist train is suspended from 1 October 2026, so outside summer you'll be on the regular commuter trains.

>> More on taking the train from Rome to Naples

Taking the Bus from Rome to Naples

Italy now has national coach networks, and FlixBus and Itabus both run Rome to Naples. FlixBus listed 32 buses a day in 2026, round the clock, with fares from about 6.50 euros booked early. Most take 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic.

In Rome, FlixBus uses several stops, including Tiburtina bus station, Termini and Anagnina. In Naples the main stop is the bus terminal next to Napoli Centrale, but some buses stop at Afragola or elsewhere, so check before you book. There's more about long-distance buses in Italy here.

The bus is the cheapest option, and the early-morning and late-night departures can be useful. Otherwise, a regional train takes about as long, costs a bit more and doesn't get stuck on the motorway, so it's the one to take.

Driving from Rome to Naples

Plenty of people head to Naples on their way to the Amalfi Coast, and plenty of them dream of driving that coast road. It's a stunning drive, and a narrow, winding one that will have you wondering how it holds so many cars and buses. Even so, don't pick up your car in Rome.

Driving through the centers of Rome and Naples is the worst of driving in Italy: impatient local drivers, confusing one-way systems, expensive parking and camera-enforced ZTL zones that fine you 83 to 332 euros in 2026 for driving in without a permit. Take the train to Naples, see the city on foot, then pick up your rental car at Naples airport or another office outside the center when you're ready for the coast.

If you're already driving, the trip is about 230 km on the A1 toll motorway and takes at least 2.5 hours without traffic. ViaMichelin will give you door-to-door directions and a toll estimate.

Flying from Rome to Naples

Don't. Rome and Naples are less than an hour apart by train, center to center. Any flight between Fiumicino and Naples Capodichino is really meant for people connecting from an international flight. Add the trip to the airport, security and the wait for bags and the flight turns into half a day.

If you're flying into Italy and Naples is your first stop, look at flights straight into Naples instead. There's more on airfare to Naples here.

And now that you're in Naples...

I love Naples, but it's not the kind of place to arrive in without doing a little research. Here are some articles to help:

• The overall Naples travel guide, with links to lots of other Naples articles
• Things you should know about Naples before you get there, because it can be tough to love at first
• The top 10 things to do in Naples
• Hotels in the historic center of Naples, the best part of town to stay in
• Day trips from Naples, for when you want more than Pompeii

photos, top to bottom, by: Karlina, Carla Sedini, sunshinecity, Vokabre, Vokabre, JJKDC