2024 - March - Vesuvius

Vesuvius is certainly one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, and this is mainly due to its devastating eruption in 79 AD, during which, among other things, the city of Pompeii was completely buried under its ash.

Even today, the volcano, which is located near the city of Naples and is still active, could cause disaster again at any time. Statistically speaking, the next eruption is long overdue. Nevertheless, several hundred thousand people live near it and we tourists also travel there in our thousands every year.

Since volcanic eruptions are usually announced weeks in advance, we also started our trip here very relaxed. In fact, the hike to the top of Vesuvius was the main reason for our trip to Italy this year.

The mountain is currently 1,281 m high. That wasn't always the case. During the devastating eruption in 79 AD, the peak of the previously much higher mountain collapsed and left behind a crater.

Today, anyone can climb the mountain and it's relatively easy, as there's a parking lot up there. From there, the climb only takes about 30 minutes, depending on your walking speed.

If you don't have a car, you can take the bus to the car park. These run regularly from Pompeii train station for 3.80 euros per trip and person. Private providers charge significantly more, but the ticket is often included.

Speaking of tickets, if you thought that the climb up the mountain was the biggest challenge, you could be wrong. Modern technology has now found its way onto the mountain. Without a cell phone, it is no longer possible to buy a ticket at the top of the mountain. But even with a cell phone, I promise you, you will be desperate too!

Therefore, here are some basic tips from me:

Since there is no cell phone reception at the entrance to Vesuvius National Park, WiFi has been set up. First, scan the green QR code for WiFi on the large signs. The setup takes a while and has to be confirmed in a complicated way, but then you can finally get started.

Wait, not so fast. Now the black QR code comes into play. Please scan this, it will take you to the actual ticket purchase. Be careful, the website is poorly designed, there are traps waiting. First you have to click on "Last minute" and select a date + a time.

Then you have to create an account, confirm your email address, wait for an SMS and then you're stuck in the payment process with dozens of other people. You also have to enter an Italian tax number. Since you can't go any further without this, just enter random numbers.

The whole process was so grueling, in fact, that some hikers gave up without even climbing the mountain. The process easily took us 30 minutes.

So if you know roughly when you want to go to Vesuvius, it's best to buy the ticket at home beforehand. You'll save time and stress.

But then the mountain really calls. Of course you will be out of breath on the climb, but at the end you will be rewarded with a great view of the surrounding area and you can also look into the crater itself.

Surprisingly, there are three mountain huts on the crater rim where you can get food (snacks and drinks). We tried all three (!) and can highly recommend the last two.

But ladies, there is one thing to note: There is no toilet anywhere and the mountain is treeless...

Finally, the direct link to the ticket page: https://vesuviopark.vivaticket.it/en?qubsq=9b6b7d2a-1b1e-48f2-956b-2e5aa2ff5ea2&qubsp=9e29edc9-9298-4931-8943-b99fec9c3448&qubsts=1711225887&qubsc=bestunion&qubse=vivaticketserver&qubsrt=Safetynet&qubsh=c0dfeb870a581795d5f2da758f1e2a23

By the way, the trips to Pompeii and Vesuvius can be easily combined. However, we planned a whole day for each of them individually so that we could see everything without any time pressure.