Amalfi, Pompeii & Vesuvius — Self-Launched 3-Day Version
3 days · Amalfi Coast & Naples Bay, Italy
On The Go Tours charges £690
No-markup version: ~£276 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' 3-day Amalfi, Pompeii & Vesuvius loop from Rome. You'll do the exact same headline experiences — Pompeii with a licensed site guide, a ferry-hop along the Amalfi Coast between Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi, the crater hike on Vesuvius and Montecassino Abbey — but booking each piece yourself on Trenitalia, Campania regional trains (Circumvesuviana), the Travelmar/Alilauro ferries, Vesuvius' official ticket site and GetYourGuide. Base yourself in Salerno (cheap, well connected, ferry hub) rather than a tour hotel. No fixed group departures, no single-supplement games, and you can swap days around freely if the weather on Vesuvius looks bad. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller rates in GBP and exclude flights.
Day-by-day
Rome → Salerno, with Pompeii on the way
Rome / Pompeii / Salerno
Book a morning Frecciarossa or Intercity from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale (~£22-38, 1h10-2h; book 2-4 weeks ahead on Trenitalia for the cheap 'Super Economy' fares). Drop your bag in left luggage at Napoli Centrale, then take the Circumvesuviana local train to Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteri (~£3, 35 min, runs every 20-30 min). Buy your Pompeii entry online in advance (€18, plus €3 for the optional Villa dei Misteri ticket) — also grab a 2-hour small-group guided walk on GetYourGuide (~£28-35) because Pompeii is unreadable without context. Afternoon: Circumvesuviana or a regional train (Trenitalia, ~£4-5, 40 min) onward to Salerno, where you check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near the old town. Evening wander the palm-lined Lungomare Trieste and eat pizza/busiate pasta in the centro storico (£12-15).
🚌Trenitalia Rome–Naples + Circumvesuviana to Pompeii + regional train to Salerno
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Salerno old town (£16-20/night, ~£18 avg)
- →Self-booked Pompeii entry on the official site
- →Small-group Pompeii guided walk via GetYourGuide
- →Lungomare Trieste evening stroll
Amalfi Coast ferry hop: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi
Salerno / Sorrento / Positano / Amalfi
Do the tour's ferry day under your own steam. From Salerno take a morning Travelmar (or Alilauro) ferry to Amalfi (~£9-12, 25-35 min), then hop between Amalfi and Positano (~£8-10, 20 min) and continue to Sorrento on the seasonal high-speed ferry (~£14-17, 40-50 min). Check the Travelmar/Positano Jet schedules the day before — crossings are seasonal (roughly Easter to October) and get cancelled in bad weather, in which case substitute the SITA Sud bus (Salerno–Amalfi–Positano–Sorrento, ~£8 for a day ticket) or the cheap Campania regional trains. Spend the day swimming at Spiaggia Grande in Positano, tasting gelato and limoncello in Sorrento's old town, and getting lost in Amalfi's cathedral square. Return to Salerno on a late ferry or bus. Lunch is a street pizza/tramezzino (~£6) and dinner a trattoria in Salerno (£12-15) so the day doesn't blow the budget.
🚌Travelmar/Alilauro ferries between Salerno, Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento + SITA bus backup
🛏Same Salerno hostel/guesthouse (~£18)
- →Amalfi town and cathedral square
- →Positano Spiaggia Grande swim
- →Sorrento old town and limoncello tasting
- →Gelato in Amalfi
Vesuvius crater hike and Montecassino, back to Rome
Salerno / Vesuvius / Montecassino / Rome
Early start: regional train Salerno → Napoli (~£4) then Circumvesuviana to Ercolano Scavi (~£3). From Ercolano take the Vesuvio Express shuttle up to 1,000m (~£12-15 return, includes the park entrance at times — confirm on booking) and pay the Vesuvius National Park entry (€10 online, the official site opens tickets ~30 days ahead in the high season, so book early). The crater hike is 30-45 min each way, steep but short; bring trainers and a windproof layer. Come back to Salerno, grab your bag from storage, then take a regional train to Cassino (~£5-7, 1h15 via Caserta/Naples, change at Cassino station) and the local shuttle/taxi up to Montecassino Abbey (entry free; magnificent hilltop Benedictine monastery with WWII history). Finish with an Intercity/Frecciarossa Cassino (or backtrack via Roma Termini from Frosinone/Cassino) back to Rome Termini (~£10-20, 1h20-2h). Note: doing Vesuvius AND Montecassino in one day from Salerno is tight — itinerary-wise On The Go does it with a private coach; by public transport you need to be on the 08:00 ferry/train and skip optional extras. If you'd rather not rush, book a fourth night in Naples/Salerno and push the Rome return to the evening or next morning.
🚌Circumvesuviana + Vesuvio Express shuttle + regional train to Cassino + Intercity to Rome
🛏N/A — return to Rome (or optional extra night in Salerno ~£18)
- →Vesuvius crater hike (official park ticket)
- →Montecassino Abbey visit
- →Naples train hub coffee stop
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£276 | £690 |
| Duration | 3 days | 3 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £414 per person (60%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£276
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Amalfi, Pompeii & Vesuvius — Self-Launched 3-Day Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £276 per person for 3 days in Amalfi Coast & Naples Bay, Italy. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £690 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £276 — a saving of roughly £414 (60%) per person.
How long is the Amalfi Coast & Naples Bay, Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 3 days, covering 3 day-by-day stops through Amalfi Coast & Naples Bay, Italy.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Amalfi Coast & Naples Bay, Italy, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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